Black mold infestation (just kill me)

Asgiliath

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
404
SO, I had a couple of leaks in my roof checked today and it turns out, the whole roof/ceiling of my mobile home is infested with black mold! I don’t know how my rommmate and I are alive tbh. The guy said he wouldn’t sleep in the house...especially my bedroom (where I keep the T’s).

Of course, the health of my roommate and I, my service dog and the cats come first...but could this have any affect on my tarantulas?

(This is such a nightmare all around. What it’s gonna cost to repair all of this and in the mean time, finding a hotel that’ll be cool with all of my animals...UGH)
 

bulbophyllum

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
67
I have no idea about the details of your situation. But, I have been in the construction businesses since the late 90's. Do you know/trust the inspector? If it is not someone I know and have worked with for years I get a second or third opinion. I am not one to start yelling scam. But, there are people that blow the dangers of issues out of proportion.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
4,096
Do you know/trust the inspector? If it is not someone I know and have worked with for years I get a second or third opinion. I am not one to start yelling scam. But, there are people that blow the dangers of issues out of proportion.
100% THIS.

Do not do anything drastic until you get this confirmed by a second and maybe even third source. There are lots of mold/fungi that are black in colour... they are NOT all toxic. Toxic black mold is ONE type. And it is very unlikely you wouldn't have symptoms... usually symptoms are what prompts people to get mold tested. In addition, taking care of a mold problem is usually FAR less drastic than people (who will profit from the situatioj, especially) would have you believe.
 

Urzeitmensch

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
128
SO, I had a couple of leaks in my roof checked today and it turns out, the whole roof/ceiling of my mobile home is infested with black mold! I don’t know how my rommmate and I are alive tbh. The guy said he wouldn’t sleep in the house...especially my bedroom (where I keep the T’s).

Of course, the health of my roommate and I, my service dog and the cats come first...but could this have any affect on my tarantulas?

(This is such a nightmare all around. What it’s gonna cost to repair all of this and in the mean time, finding a hotel that’ll be cool with all of my animals...UGH)
You mentioned in another topic that you know a lot of people that are ok with your Ts - your Tarantula-sugardadies I guess you called them :D. Can't you bring your Ts to one of them for the time being until this is resolved and stay at a hotel yourself? That's assuming the person would not be able to acoomodate yourself, too.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
I had black fuzzy mould in my P. cambridgei enclosure (he kept chucking sub in his water dish and the rest of the substrate ended up soaking wet which made the cork branches mould) for a couple of months and it didn't affect him.

Also, I've had the stuff in a couple of rooms in the house for years (sue me, most days I can't even be bothered to exist let alone scrub mould off the walls) and I'm somehow still alive (either because it's harmless or because I'm basically some sort of demigod).
 

Urzeitmensch

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
128
I had black fuzzy mould in my P. cambridgei enclosure (he kept chucking sub in his water dish and the rest of the substrate ended up soaking wet which made the cork branches mould) for a couple of months and it didn't affect him.

Also, I've had the stuff in a couple of rooms in the house for years (sue me, most days I can't even be bothered to exist let alone scrub mould off the walls) and I'm somehow still alive (either because it's harmless or because I'm basically some sort of demigod).
You should be careful, the effects might be only visible in the long run if the exposure is limited but constant. I'm not talking on a scientific basis just out of experience and common sense.

I had some kind of black mold in my last flat years back. I only took notice when I grabed some rarely used folder out of a bookshelf and it was all white and fuzzy. Moving the bookshelf revealed a blackish-brown corner a quarter way up the wall. It must have been there for a while but I noticed no ill effects.

However, when I went and sprayed it with cleaner a wave of nauseau hit me hard enough I nearly threw up right at the wall. I was only able to clean it with mouthprotection and gloves. This can't be healthy with prolonged exposure.
 

Asgiliath

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
404
Thank you for all of the replies!

I don’t know the roofer or his experience/motives etc. my roommate is the one who dealt with him. We do have a couple of visible patches of mold in the kitchen and in my bedroom. It’s been a concern for a while now. We’ve sprayed the visible parts with bleach, but according to the roofer it’s spread all within the ceiling...so, unreachable.

(We don’t live in filth or anything. The house is very clean and well maintained for the most part....it’s a crappy 1970’s era trailer and when we bought it, the people who sold it to us did a lot of cosmetic work and nothing else.)

I just feel like, if it’s THAT KIND of black mold, we’d be a lot sicker.....

Definitely going to get some other opinions though.

(Sorry, this is kind of not T related at all at this point.)
 

Asgiliath

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
404
You mentioned in another topic that you know a lot of people that are ok with your Ts - your Tarantula-sugardadies I guess you called them :D. Can't you bring your Ts to one of them for the time being until this is resolved and stay at a hotel yourself? That's assuming the person would not be able to acoomodate yourself, too.
Good thought, my boyfriend and the friend I mentioned both have roommates and animals of their own.

My mom doesn’t mind my T’s so she might even babysit lol but she has cats of her own.

A big concern is that I need to be able to take my service dog wherever we stay and regardless of his training and temperament, other animals may still have a problem with him.

UGH ALL OF THIS
 
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