Spectacular fungal growths that don't decay timber

It is no secret that allowing a rainwater hopper to become blocked, in turn causing water to be directed into the building envelope, has the potential to initiate growth of wood decay fungi.

In this particular building, which had been empty for some time, the autumn leaves from 2009 caused a hopper blockage. The subsequent water penetration in turn resulted in spectacular fungal growth down through the building. The fungus in this case is actually the Elf Cup (Peziza), categorized as a jelly fungus or plaster mould and does not cause decay in wood, extracting nutrition instead from organic particles/detritus.

The presence of Peziza demonstrates that conditions are ideal for possible colonisation by more destructive fungi.

First beetle of the year spotted in Sussex

During a recent survey of a large Georgian country house (actually a Georgian make-over to an existing older timber frame structure) in the SE of England, we came across our first emerging deathwatch beetle of the season.

The picture below shows how the beetle has chewed its way out from just beneath the surface, leaving quite jagged edges to the flight hole.

We noticed the beetle emerging around 11:00 and it was still struggling out at around 14:30. The beetle uses a large amount of its energy reserves simply emerging. It is not unusual to find dead beetles poking out of the flight holes where they simply have not had the energy to complete emergence.