A mystery brown substance that people living on three streets in Carlstadt found on their vehicles was determined to be insect excrement, a spokesperson for the borough said on Friday.

Residents living on Washington, Union and Madison streets said they were baffled when they found a brown substance on their vehicles earlier this month. 

Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the borough, said that while some speculated the substance was waste from a passing airplane, insects were actually to blame.

“In actuality, it's insect excrement. It could bees or beetles, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. These beetles and bees are fine insects,” Orlando said. “I don't want to profile, but then again, we all understand how important bees are. We need them. They are fine insects.”

Orlando said a bee keeper lives in the area and that his bees may have played a part.

Federal Aviation Administration official made it clear that waste is never released from a plane while it's in the air, and the release mechanism is outside the plane. Only ground crew members can perform the job.