So I've been pondering this lately...how harmful is mold to a T? I have heard several times that the problem with mold is that the spores can enter the book lungs and either grow inside or seal the opening. My question is: Does anyone have reliable information to back this up? I could see if there was a ridiculous amount of mold in an enclosure that it could cause problems, but otherwise...mold occurs naturally and Ts have been alive for a looooong time, so it doesn't seem like it's as big a deal as it's said to be.
Mold question...
- Thread starter joes2828
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It's lethal , especially to slings . I'm not relying on any actual case studies , just that it's a well known fact . Mold can be lethal to humans so I'm sure that it can kill arachnids .
"Some molds produce mycotoxins that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. Some studies claim that exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases death. Prolonged exposure, e.g. daily workplace exposure, may be particularly harmful." [quote from Wikipedia]
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I had a sling in premolt for a couple of weeks with some mold problems on the bottom of its enclosure. I left it in the enclosure until it molted and hardened up and I never had any problems whatsoever. In my experience, its not that big of a deal, just clean it up or rehouse when you can.
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Odd that people would even take the risk when it's so preventable. In my actual experience, mold will kill a T. Book lungs are perfect environments to culture mold spore. Certainly not every single type of mold will do this but some certainly will. Don't risk it.
I'm not really trying to decide whether to get rid of mold or not...I get rid of it anyway. Human lungs are perfect for culturing mold spores, yet there is a relatively low problem with mold growing inside a person's lungs. Most mold is harmless anyway. I'm just curious about the exact reasoning behind this, not whether or not I should take any mold out.
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It works the same with tarantulas , the mold grows in their lungs . I mean mold must be fairly dangerous ( or at least certain species are ) . They found a small patch of it in a school down the street , and they shut the place down . A bunch of guys in HazMat suits went in and spent three days cleaning in out . My kids said that school smelled like bleach for a week .
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I don't think book lungs have anywhere near the capacity to filter out contaminants like our nose hairs and throat cilia do for us. Plus, if they're just sitting on a moldy surface and spores get realeased the book lungs are about 1/16" off the ground. Mold gets in.
True, but tarantulas have lived for longer than humans have, and it has been in some very damp and humid climates. It does not seem like it's easy for them to be killed by a small environmental factor. And as for mold being dangerous, I think the majority of what we breath is absolutely harmless.
I don't think T's are exposed to as much mold in the wild as they are in captivity. Its the lack of airflow in our enclosures which leads to mold.
I think its best to assume that mold is bad for them regardless. Whether it kills them or not, it certainly isn't doing them any good. You might well be shortening their life expectancy which will go unnoticed.
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You took the words right out of my mouth.
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I can grow mold in my house very easily, but it is hard to find in even the nastiest of stagnant swaps, so I think you are comparing apples to oranges.
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mold growth = B A D.
Just having something (i.e. mold) create a coating (i.e. on the tiny book lungs) to prevent O2 absorption is likely detrimental to some extent (impairment, death, etc.) in the long run.
Probably not an immediate danger, but highly recommended the mold be removed and prevented in the future...
Just having something (i.e. mold) create a coating (i.e. on the tiny book lungs) to prevent O2 absorption is likely detrimental to some extent (impairment, death, etc.) in the long run.
Probably not an immediate danger, but highly recommended the mold be removed and prevented in the future...