Dang mold, dang molt

I'm going a little post-happy, i know, but get this-

My striata is in deep post molt right now, and might even be molting as we speak (OR IT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY MOLTED, I really don't know, it's webbed up in it's log). Anyways:

I baked 4 pieces of oak at 420* for 35 minutes each, after soaking them in hot not boiling water. The 3 pieces not used in her enclosure, went into the tub I keep my eco-earth in.

Today, when I was grabbing some substrate for my avic, I noticed those pieces had the 'cotton-like' fluffing up around them, so I find myself in a stalemate as to what I should do-- disturb ms. striata, or let er ride.

From what I see, there is no molt on the log ABOVE the substrate, but I am imagining a worst case scenario of this cotton mold growing INSIDE the log, where she is chilling, and around the base that is inside the substrate.

Stressin me out man.. :bruised:

dont bug the striata.. a lil mold wont harm her. change the wood and sub IF NEEDED a few day to a week AFTER you see the sling has kicked the exuvium out of the burrow, or once you notice it out and about larger than before

My worry is that it might not just be a little mold. It was REALLY growing on the pieces that were inside my sub-tub. But that really is all I can do, the risk of hurting her during a molt out weighs it I suppose. bluhh

Mold is no big deal.
I don't know where everyone gets this info that whenever you see a bit of mold its time to redo the whole enclosure and bake things in the oven, or your spider will become ill.
If this were the case, NONE of them would survive in the wild at all, where fungus and other nasties run rampant.
You do realize, that the minute your wood is exposed to air after your baking, all the fungus spores floating in there will fall onto it and grow again when the conditions are right?

Do yourself a favor and relax, and wait until she has molted or whatever to spot clean the mold if you have to.
Or not. They're hardy animals and in addition to being able to coexist with mold, they can also deal with being bothered while in premolt, just as long as they're not physically molting or on the verge of doing so.

For the record, i KNOW that mold is not a big issue, unless there is a lot of it. Thanks bro

---------- Post added 05-02-2012 at 02:27 AM ----------

I was just worried that inside her small log, where it is extra humid/warm, that there might be a good amount of mold growing. Extremely small nook/heat/moisture=more mold.

I agree with hobo, in the wild,the soil or logs that the spiders live in have all these parasites and fungus yet they are still able to reach adulthood. A little mold cant hurt just spot clean. also put more ventilation in your terrarium to prevent stagnant air.

Hobo said:

Mold is no big deal.
I don't know where everyone gets this info that whenever you see a bit of mold its time to redo the whole enclosure and bake things in the oven, or your spider will become ill.
If this were the case, NONE of them would survive in the wild at all, where fungus and other nasties run rampant.
You do realize, that the minute your wood is exposed to air after your baking, all the fungus spores floating in there will fall onto it and grow again when the conditions are right?

Do yourself a favor and relax, and wait until she has molted or whatever to spot clean the mold if you have to.
Or not. They're hardy animals and in addition to being able to coexist with mold, they can also deal with being bothered while in premolt, just as long as they're not physically molting or on the verge of doing so.

Click to expand...

Some more useful information or advice, would be to possibly suggest that I bake the remaining substrate that got so much mold on it (the reserve substrate in the tub) What do you think of that, Hobo mobo? Or would that be unecc?

Personally, I'd just dry it out or let it run it's course, bullet-wullet.
You can bake it If you want to; that seems to make people feel better.

Just know that it may kill all the mold currently on it, but won't stop any future spores (there will more I assure you!) from taking hold and growing if you keep it moist enough. They would probably appreciate all the cooked, nutritious dead mold too.

Hey... we could get along. We all know how necessary proper sterilization is for mushroom cultivation...

dunnum dunnum dunnum lol... mushroom power .. idk why i just thought of the mario bros