Slugs and damp! HELP!

Lexi_Helms

Hi All,

I hope that this has been posted in the right place, and that it's not been posted before.

I live in a rented house and lately I have noticed a few things, which has raised several questions:

1. The bathroom walls are becoming damp, and starting to go black/ gray in places. I've asked my mum and dad about this (god bless them), and they've said to wipe the walls with bleach and re paint. Would this work? Or will I need to call the landlord to sort this?

2. The ground floor is riddled with slugs. I am finding their trails all over the carpet, in the kitchen and in the bathroom. I have put slug pellets down, which has seemed to have stopped them in the front room, and (most times) the kitchen, but the bathroom is a new room i've found them in. Again, will I need to contact the landlord? And does anyone have any ideas where / why they're in the house and how to remove them?

3. I've noticed that my shoes, bags and gloves (material and leather) have started to go mouldy. Some of those shoes I have had for years and this is the only property that they have gone mouldy. Again, is this a call the landlord? And does anyone have any idea how to stop this and remove it?

I would greatly appreciate any help / advice on this. To be honest, I feel really dirty and grubby because of these issues. However, I clean every other day, so I cant understand why this is happening!

Thanks
Lexi.

themull1

Ive never even seen a slug in the house, from the trails do you know how they're getting in? Is the bathroom wall an outside wall? guttering problem maybe?

Lexi_Helms

The bathroom and kitchen is an extension on the house, so 3 out of 4 of the walls are on the outside.

As for the living room - its the "middle" room in the house. The trails seem to apprear in the middle of the room and seem to vanish to nothing! I did find a spot, but oddly, its on the ajoining wall of the house next door?

I spoke to some of my neighbours who say that they had the same problem, and they were coming from their kitchen sink - I have never found a slug on the worktop (god help me if I did - I'm a food teacher!).

Southend1

I was getting slugs in my kitchen earlier this year. Eventually I found they were getting in via a small gap at the top of the skirting board. A bit of silicon sealant seems to have stopped them. I planted some plants in my garden last week though and the slugs started taking their revenge.... Until I nuked them with slug pellets!! Ugh! Horrible slimy creatures!!

Leif

It sounds like you have a serious problem with damp, and poor ventilation. The obvious causes are the bathroom, and drying clothes indoors on a clothes horse.

Lexi_Helms

Leif - I am guilty for drying clothes indoors - mainly because I dont have a washing line and the kitchen is too small for a dryer (A washer/dryer was way out of my price range!). However, I dont dry clothes in the bathroom - would that make a difference?

Unfortunately, the bathroom is poorly laid out and there is a window right where the shower is. I dont open the window when I shower, purely because I'm paranoid about the house next to me seeing. *shudders*

Southend1 - I love silicone! haha. I'll ask me pa for some and go nuts with it! How did you manage to track where they were coming from - just so I can steal and use this trick! :P

Leif

Sounds like you have increased the humidity in your home. After you shower, if there is no vent, and I assume not, open the window to clear the damp air. And try to avoid drying clothes indoors, or buy a dryer, or open the windows to get ventilation. Not easy in winter though.

Lexi_Helms

I'll try this - thank you so much. I'll let you know how I get on. If i really want to be cheeky, I may use the dryer in work! Haha! :P

Southend1

Lexi_Helms wrote: »

Southend1 - I love silicone! haha. I'll ask me pa for some and go nuts with it! How did you manage to track where they were coming from - just so I can steal and use this trick! :P

No secret slug tracking trick I'm afraid, just went in the kitchen to feed the cat one evening and saw a big slimy slug slithering out of the skirting. Tried to get it out with a bit of cardboard and chopped the slug in half by mistake! Until I saw it I would never have guessed how they were getting in.

ed110220

Slugs and snails will come indoors if they can find a gap. My parents had this problem in the kitchen till they found and sealed up the hole they were coming through.

From my experience, damp is a different matter not necessarily connected with the slugs and harder to deal with.

I had the same problem in a rented flat because the building was old and poorly insulated so condensation formed on the walls. Opening the windows more to let moisture out helped, so did putting in extractor fans but neither cured it (it also of course lets heat out in winter). Still got lots of mould behind furniture etc.

At the risk of being a Job's comforter, have you been there in winter before? This sort of damp is usually a winter problem not a summer one so if it's bad now it's likely to be very bad when it gets cold.

If I were you I'd be looking to move to somewhere without a damp problem if at all possible if it's really as bad as you say because I hate to say, that sort of problem isn't easily fixed.

Lexi_Helms

Southend1 - Nuts! I was hoping that yolu could do a flour trick or something! Never mind, but i'll keep looking and let you know

Ed110220 I was in the property last winter and it was fine. The problem (oddly) has come when I've turned the heating off?! The landlord is pretty cool about most things, so I'll have to have a word with him and see what he says.