Today I noticed some sort of nest near ground level on the stone exterior of my house. I have not seen any insect or anything else going in or out. A picture of the nest is attached. Can anyone help me identify the type of insect that made this nest? If it is not an insect nest, what might it be. Appreciate any help!
This is not at all insect-related, it's a fungus-like organism known as a slime mold - they often develop on wood mulch such as that shown in this image. They are not harmful, but sometimes can be unsightly nuisances. See http://tinyurl.com/orv3a9 for more detailed information.
Thanks, suunto! This seems to make a great deal of sense since there didn't seem to be any insect type activity in the vicinity. Any clues about how to prevent this in the future or should I just clean it up when I see it? I imagine that the very wet weather that we have been having in New Jersey might also be a contributing factor.
If you follow that link and then click on the Smithsonian link and type: slime mold into their search engine, you will learn a lot about them = fascinating.
