# Getting rid of birds nest fungus
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-birds-nest-fungus/502485
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 9, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-birds-nest-fungus/502485 "2009-07-09T19:35:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Black\_Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Sunshine)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-birds-nest-fungus/502485/1 "2009-07-09T19:35:18Z")
I’ve got some hens and chicks (succulent plant, not birds) in my beloved grandmother’s old pot. This spring, I added some dirt to the top of it, because it was getting a little low. The dirt had some wood chips in it. This was obviously a mistake.
Enter what I think at first are wasps building a nest in my hens and chicks. I remove all the little pods. They come back. I notice little black “seeds” inside the pods and decide to do some research. Apparently, I have [WARNING: If you’re freaked out by lotus boob, you may not want to look.] [birds nest fungus](http://www.flickr.com/photos/viknanda/247070906/). Also apparently, some fungiphiles are quite excited about this fungus. Ech.
It doesn’t seem to be hurting the plants, but I want it gone. I planted the hens and chicks after my grandmother died, in remembrance of her. She always used to keep them on her porch and I loved playing with them as a child. Now, it’s like I have a pot of lotus boob on my porch. Any gardeners know how I can get rid of it without hurting my plants?
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### Author:  [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-birds-nest-fungus/502485/2 "2009-07-09T19:37:40Z")
Leave them. They’re going to be tough to get rid of, and they are harmless.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-birds-nest-fungus/502485/3 "2009-07-09T20:16:14Z")
You compared _that_ to lotus boob? Yeesh.