Mold [insert unkind word of your choice here]

[boina]

I live in a rather extremely moist climate - we've had rain pretty much nonstop for a week and the air is saturated with moisture. It's also reasonably warm (60s to 70s), meaning everything grows like crazy. I need a machete to reach my front door and mold is everywhere, even on my leather shoes standing on an open shelf, not a closet . Without springtails my Ts that got even just somewhat moist substrate would probably live in a mushroom jungle. I am trying to let everything dry out at the moment, but that may be impossible, too , so I seem to cultivate interesting fungus in some enclosures - or I'd need to rehouse everyone and then the mold will be back within weeks, so I'm fighting a loosing battle here.

Question: Can I keep subadult/adult Pamphobeteus on completely dry substrate? At least for a while?

How about those Asian arboreals (Cyriopagopus/Omothymus/Lampropelma)? Those are still mostly slings, though. And Poecilotheria juveniles?

I really want to try letting everything dry out, but preferably without killing anyone in the process, so who really NEEDS its moist substrate, even when ambient humidity is so darn high?

 

[Venom1080]

With a full water dish the Phamphos will probably be fine. I wouldn't get in the ithers though. Keep them moist and watch for mold. Maybe rehouse into higher vent enclosures.
The Poecilotheria would also most likely be fine. They handle droughts pretty well once they're above 3".

Edit: with ambient humidity so high, they logically would be fine with dry sub, but I still wouldn't.

 

[darkness975]

A full water dish is an important factor when letting the substrate dry out.

 

[cold blood]

When its really humid the sub can be kept drier.

Just use fans to keep good air movement.

I'm dealing with the same, its been 60-80 for a month and I can't recall the last day it didn't rain...on top of that, I hang wet clothes in the t room and they're taking forever to dry...lol.....With the fan running I haven't had to alter a thing and haven't dealt with mold at all.

When it seems to be getting bad, I just turn the space heater on (or up) for a few hours, takes the humidity out of the air pretty well in a short period of time.

I dampen sub a ton less as well and when I do, its a smaller amount of water as well. My Pamph is currently on dry sub, but the big water dish is filled.

 

[EulersK]

This may be a bit off topic, but why aren't you using springtails? I have a similar issue in fighting a losing battle with mold, but that ended once I started using springtails.

 

[sasker]

but why aren't you using springtails?

Without springtails my Ts that got even just somewhat moist substrate would probably live in a mushroom jungle.

I think she already does, but mold remains a problem. Hence the plan to let everything dry out for a while.

 

[boina]

This may be a bit off topic, but why aren't you using springtails? I have a similar issue in fighting a losing battle with mold, but that ended once I started using springtails.

I do, but the springtails can't keep up under these circumstances, although they are having a feast.

 

[boina]

When its really humid the sub can be kept drier.

Just use fans to keep good air movement.

I'm dealing with the same, its been 60-80 for a month and I can't recall the last day it didn't rain...on top of that, I hang wet clothes in the t room and they're taking forever to dry...lol.....With the fan running I haven't had to alter a thing and haven't dealt with mold at all.

When it seems to be getting bad, I just turn the space heater on (or up) for a few hours, takes the humidity out of the air pretty well in a short period of time.

I dampen sub a ton less as well and when I do, its a smaller amount of water as well. My Pamph is currently on dry sub, but the big water dish is filled.

Fans! Now why didn't I think of that? Thank you!!!

I'm off to buy a fan.

 

[Walker253]

Just coming off the wettest winter in history, mold is kicking my you-know-what this year. I have one more rehouse to complete. It's beyond what springtails can handle.