If you regularly park near bark mulch areas, whether at home or at work and you’re noticing small raised black or very dark brown spots on your paint, your vehicle could be attracting Artillery Fungus (aka Shotgun Fungus).

Artillery Fungus is a wood-decay fungus that lives on moist landscape mulch, especially in bark and hardwood mulch.  Due to the lack of direct sunlight, the fungi will cast spores on reflective surfaces, such as vehicles, to a distance of 6 to 10 feet away.

These tiny dots are typically found in a shotgun-like pattern of black specks all over the car.  This fungus can be difficult to remove and requires extra cleaning effort to remove safely from affected surfaces.

Another thing to remember is if you park near bark mulch, make sure you keep your windows closed as the fungus can also adhere itself to your interior surfaces as well.