Please Help Us Identify this Health Hazard! Can you identify Mushrooms/ Fungus?

Question

We have just recently found some type of mushroom fungus growing in our basement on the wood panels on an exterior wall. This is a very wet location in our home - especially when it is rainy. The mold (or whatever it is) is really strange looking. It looks like a dried shell noodle. It is pale yellow/orange. I picked it a couple of weeks ago thinking it was a stray noodle, but it has grown back. Can someone please name the species of noodle and let us know if it is harmful or not? It is now in a plastic baggy and is still moist feeling. Please, Please Help Us!!!

Answer 1

Without seeing the fungus itself, it is hard to say exactly what type it is.  However, just based on your description, I would say that it is a Witch's Butter (Tremella mesentarica) or a closely related species.  

To clean the area, you can purchase a mold cleaner at your local hardware.  The brand name escapes me at the moment, but I know the stuff has an orange scent.  Once you have cleaned the area, you should look into sealing things up so you do not continue to have wet problems.

Answer 2

Look at these two sites to see if you can find your fungus.

http://mushroomexpert.com/

http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/id_gui...

Washing the walls with common household bleach would probably put a dent into its growth.  The alternative is to name it and use it as a pet.