Something strange is happening in my bedroom and I can’t work out why!

[Wendyer]

I’m sorry, it’s not very exciting but I just don’t understand it.

I have a bedside cabinet, and about 6 weeks ago I noticed that there was some gritty rubbley type stuff on it. I wiped it away but later on there was more there. I thought I mustn’t have cleared it up properly so did it again, more thoroughly.

And basically, ever since, there’s nearly always this gritty stuff there! I can’t imagine where it’s coming from - there’s nothing above the cabinet except the ceiling and a hanging light but they don’t seem to be the source. I never hear it dropping onto the cabinet, or see it dropping, it’s just there!

Where is it coming from?!

Dunno. But Victoria Stilwell is a great call for bedtime reading. When I’m ill I sometimes dig around on the internet for ancient episodes of It’s Me or the Dog as comfort viewing.

That's a hilarious photo fail OP 🤣 still you look like someone I could be friends with!

My guess is woodworm

Do you have coving? We had a tiny gap where it met the wall/ceiling abd grit/dust was coming through from the loft. Old House

Woodworm

I love the christmas tree and pickled onion pic! Can't help to solve your spider jizz problem though, sorry

Do you have wool carpets? I work in a carpet shop and the wool section is always gritty and dusty, gets on every fucking surface even ones higher than the carpets. They give off so much grit, it's unreal. We literally have to dust twice a day over there as opposed to the once or twice a week when we can be bothered that the man-made ones get.

I a,so think woodworm

Woodworm😬

I just stood on the bed to inspect the coving and the light fixture but I can’t see anything. There’s more on the bedside table now - here’s another lovely picture (hopefully of the right thing!)

Yes woodworm.

I think your dog is drinking from your water glass and the scrabble to get up there loosens his paw dirt. I get this from my cat.

No wool carpets. I feel all itchy after the woodworm/spider suggestions! Thank you @VirgilStarkwell for that pic.

Where would the woodworm be - in the cabinet or somewhere above it?

Thanks @Yuledo too for your picture. And to all the other suggestions.

I really need to know the story behind the Christmas tree outfit and the jars of pickled onions.

“Fine, powdery dust ( the insects excreta) can often be found around the exit holes mentioned above, this is known as frass. Even if you cannot see any holes, you might find frass escaping from the back or underside of old furniture. Again this could suggest an active woodworm infestation.”

Move the bedside cabinet to a different place. If the grit turns up on the floor in the place where the cabinet was, you’ll know it must be falling down from above or from something near by. If it still turns up on the cabinet itself, you can be pretty sure it’s woodworm or some other nasty living in the wood, and you can take it out in the garden and set fire to it.

It's a mouse chewing something.

Moving the cabinet is a good idea. Don’t think it’s a mouse - hopefully I’d have noticed one on the cabinet next to me. Although I am very shortsighted … :)

The Christmas tree picture is from earlier in the week when 2 of my dc and I went to the garden centre to buy a tree. Dd thought it would be nice and festive to dress up as a tree! I don’t really understand myself the significance of the pickled onions but they were very keen I took a pic of them holding them!

I ALSO have a spider guarding eggs who does tiny poos on the kitchen windowsill. I can see the egg case. Never seen the spider tho.

Do you have a cat?
Do they use a litter tray and get it on their paws etc?

Woodworm

The white, round plastic thing that the light cable goes through at the ceiling is the ceiling rose. Unscrew it with your hands and see if there's any grit in there.

Sorry to take the thread in another direction but I think you need to explain the Christmas-tree-pickled-onions pic for us don't you?
😂

Ps. I can't offer any ideas on your bedside rubber.