CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The red cage fungus has a blood red hue to it, but it doesn't need to rely on the eye catching color to make you notice it.
"It smells like death," Chuck Bradley from Fort Myers Pest Control said.
Bradley's team responds to calls that wind up being the red cage fungus. People in Lee county call in to his office with the belief the foul smell in their yards is caused by a dead animal.
"Maybe it's a dead carcass from an animal lying around. When we find it, it's just a little old thing sitting there creating that powerful stink," Bradley said.
The fungus is attracted to wet and damp places. Bradley told 4 In Your Corner that people might see them around mulch piles.
It secretes a slime that could pose a danger to small children and pets.
"They're slimy. If you get the slime on your skin or clothing, it's going to stink for a while.
Bradley recommends for people to use plastic gloves and a mask if you decide to remove the fungus yourself.
"You'll also want to pick the area around it clean too," he said.
