Container growing mold?

bugmankeith

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I think my hornworm container may be growing mold. This liquidy white stuff is appearing on the hornworm chow in the container. I went to the mulberry farms site and it said it's caused by too much moisture from the frass, and to remove the frass. There is hardly any frass in the container I remove it each day, and as you can see the white areas are nowhere near the frass. There still is alot of moisture however, and I dont know why. The room is warm (in the 80's) so mabye that is causing it?

Pic

 

bugmankeith

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No, look at the white areas, (looks like milk)

There is a small amount of condensation at the top, but it's clear, not white. I dont know if the food leaks white condensation, I doubt it.

I got rid of the rest of the frass today, and tried to wipe away the "white" areas with a cotton swab, I couldnt reach all of it though.
 

slimtim454

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I had a problem with mold under the log hides, can mold harm the insect?
 

bugmankeith

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I'm trying to find out if it is mold, and if it is how to get rid of it, and if it will harm the caterpillars.
 

moose35

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how areyou keeping the container.i use these worms alot. its so cool how big they get in less then a week. they go from under an inch to like 4-5 inches in a week its crazy..

but anyway back to how your keeping the container. you have to prop up the bottom. put a sharpie marker under the edge of the lid so the container can get air into it. the vents are on the bottom of the container.
hope this was the problem. and this should fix it.
 

bugmankeith

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I already have it elevated off the surface so it's not flat, I have the cover of a container under it, so thats lifts it off the table at least 2 inches.

Just thought i'd add a pic I did of a hornworm in MS Paint.

 
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bugmankeith

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Please guys I dont want them dying if this is mold the sooner I can fix the problem the better.
 

moose35

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its probally condensation. how warm are you keeping the container?
 

andy83

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Hey man,

That's a pretty bad-a$$ ms paint!!! I might have to set that as my background for a while:worship:.

If mold ever does break out in that stuff it would probably happen fairly quickly. So, if that ever does happen I think your best bet for the caterpillars would be to transplant them into a new culture. But I would only do that if the mold got bad enough.....

Good luck.
 

bugmankeith

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A few have eaten the white stuff, and are still alive and healthy, and since they are growing quickly the food will be gone very soon anyway.

I think I will have to move them to a larger container, they are all attacking eachother because of the limited space.


And one of them refuses to eat the food unless I feed it to it on a toothpick mixed with a little water, no joke! A handicapped insect! I have to feed it 3 times a day, for about 45 minutes at each feeding.
 
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