A mother has been left horrified after finding out why dark patches in the shape of a pair of footprints kept appearing on her ceiling.
Homeownership is great until, inevitably, problems tend to crop up that need fixing - and some are grosser than others. And if you happen to rent, then you're usually at the mercy of your landlord to fix things for you.
One mother was left aghast after she spotted that two dark spots kept appearing on her ceiling, and despite maintenance repeatedly painting over them, nothing seemed to stop them coming back through.
However, when she took to Reddit to see if anyone had any ideas, she ended up uncovering something she really wished she hadn't.
The user, who goes by rainbowunicorn0228 on Reddit, asked others: "What are these spots that keep reappearing on my apartment ceiling? The ceiling doesn't feel soft or wet.
"I am a renter so I cant tear out the ceiling or anything. The person above me says her floor isnt wet and she hasnt noticed any water getting in.
"Maintenence just sprays ceiling paint over them each time. The spots originally were more in the corner but have moved. Always two spots about the same size."
She revealed that she feared it may be down to something pretty gross, adding: "I saw a similar post about rodent pee being one cause..is there a non-invasive way to test for that?
"I want my apartment complex to actually find and fix the issue not just keep 'fixing' the spots with paint! Help!"
Unfortunately for her, people in the comments were in agreement that rodent urine was the most likely cause.
They wrote: "I had these before. Thought it was reappearing stains. Found out it was mice pissing in my attic," and: "Seen this in places with animals in attic that pee and poop and over time stains show up. Hopefully that’s not it!! Also water leaking from somewhere could be a cause."
Others commented: "If it's migrating, then it's either rodents or nicotine stains. If it's in one spot, it's either rodents or an HVAC leak. There's no fruiting bodies so it's not mold," and: "Rat pee soaking though."
One added: "Most likely vermin either in the attic or in the space between your ceiling and floors above. If the owners continue to do nothing to find the root cause I'd seek out legal assistance. If you cannot afford a lawyer there are housing advocacy groups as well as housing authorities in most cities that can help."
Others joked: "Has Lionel Richie been over at your place? Because it looks like somebody’s been dancing on the ceiling," and: "It's where Spider-Man spilled his spider coffee."
The original poster later updated users to tell them that it was indeed rodent urine, after forgoing the expensive tests and doing some good old detective work instead.
She explained: "My kid just jumped onto a chair an smelled it. Confirmed rodent pee as he said it smelled like his hamster cage at his dad's house."
Rats and mice are pretty common pests in homes, and the best way to prevent an infestation is to keep them out in the first place, by sealing up any possible holes or cracks where they could enter.
You can also deter rodents by removing any potential nesting sites, preventing access to household waste, and by keeping food stored correctly, as rats and mice can carry diseases which can make humans pretty ill.
If the infestation has already set in, it may also be best to call out a professional pest controller to get rid of them and stop them from coming back.
Featured image credit: rainbowunicorn0228/Reddit
