Cinnamon to reduce substrate mold

[Travis K]

So I have been reading up on the prevention of mold for seeds starts. One of the 'tricks' some seeds starters use it to sprinkle cinnamon over the seed starter medium.

I was wondering if anyone has used this method for humidity loving T and if there could be cons to treating one's T substrate with cinnamon? Thought?

 

[viper69]

Cinnamon is used as a natural ant repellent. I wouldn't risk that with Ts as they have chemoreceptors as well.

 

[Travis K]

Hmm, well there goes that thought.

 

[Bugmom]

Yeah, I've successfully used cinnamon to repel ants, so that tells me it's a no-go for any insect, arachnids included.

The best defense is a good offense, as they say, so adequate cross-ventilation, isopods, and being very selective with what is put in with the tarantula (such as anything collected from outside and not sterilized before use) are the best ways to prevent mold. Also remembering that "humidity loving" doesn't equal "swampy." There are ways to raise humidity levels without continually flooding the substrate - moss, large water dishes, and more cross ventilation than top ventilation, for example.

 

[Poec54]

If you have mold/mites, the substrate is too wet, there's not enough cross-ventilation, or both. I keep Theraphosa, Hysterocrates, etc and don't have issues. If you have problems, you don't need to come up with off-the-wall solutions to fix basic caging shortcomings. Go to the source.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

If you have mold/mites, the substrate is too wet, there's not enough cross-ventilation, or both. I keep Theraphosa, Hysterocrates, etc and don't have issues. If you have problems, you don't need to come up with off-the-wall solutions to fix basic caging shortcomings. Go to the source.

I completely agree, but we should mention another cause (not "deadly" like stagnant air of course). Prey boluses. Of course, we remove those always... but what when the T's are obligate burrowers, living under load of substrate inches, and they put the remains of preys "down under", like my 0.1 Pelinobius muticus loves to do? Sometime i ask myself about that... how to remove those without stressing the house keeper? But i have no answer. Would be impossible, since i can't view those (but i can't either say that there aren't any, at the same time) with the genus Chilobrachys and genus Haplopelma i owned prior was different, just like happens for my 0.1 Megaphobema robustum and 0.1 Ceratogyrus marshalli, 0.1 Ephebopus murinus etc because they leaved/leave the boluse near the burrow entrance, near the water dish, inside the water dish... you know.

But not my African beast.

 

[awiec]

Thing is cinnamon is excellent at absorbing moisture, tarantulas have an open circulatory system which to me says bad news if the cinnamon gets air born and they breath it in, you might end up with spider jerky.

 

[Ty Spaulding]

So I have been reading up on the prevention of mold for seeds starts. One of the 'tricks' some seeds starters use it to sprinkle cinnamon over the seed starter medium.

I was wondering if anyone has used this method for humidity loving T and if there could be cons to treating one's T substrate with cinnamon? Thought?

Yeah cinnamon can be toxic, I wouldn't risk it at all.

 

[Travis K]

Well I will be putting a bit in my seed starter mix, non in the invert substrate though. I personally have never had mold in T or invert enclosures as I typically keep all mine on the dry side but I have had seed start mold before. I am glad I inquired about this though as I can use this as ant repellent in the future.