Mysterious Black Dust in Bathroom Spurs Social Media Investigation

A woman named Vicky from New South Wales, Australia, returned home after a five-day vacation to find unsettling black dust on her bathroom tiles. Unsure of its origin, she turned to the wisdom of social media.

Vicky posted a photo of the black dust in a large Facebook group for mothers, seeking answers. She shared images of the tiles and the dust on the bathroom floor, explaining that she'd noticed a few black spots before her vacation, removed them, and returned to find the situation had worsened.

"We have no idea what this is or how to get rid of it. It's under the bathroom window and has settled on the tiles and the bathtub frame," she wrote. Many women guessed it might be an ant invasion, and there were various theories. "It’s likely you have ants in your window sill," one said, "Contact pest control immediately - it could be termites! Check that the area around the window doesn’t sound hollow," another advised.

The post went viral, and soon the consensus was that it was an ant colony. "It's ant dust - there's a nest behind the wall," people commented. Charlotte Bosanquet, founder of a cleaning service company in Sydney, noted, "I definitely think it sounds like some sort of pest," after examining the photos. "Alternatively, it could be black mold, which is common in damp areas. In any case, I highly recommend staying on the safe side by hiring pest control and professional cleaning services to prevent future issues," she suggested.

Following the advice, Vicky later updated her post: "My husband investigated further and found a tiny hole in the bottom corner of the window frame. I saw some tiny black ants going in and out. We bought some bait stickers from the supermarket and placed them near the hole. Fingers crossed it works," she wrote, thanking the other moms: "Thanks to everyone who commented and offered useful suggestions."