HELP!

[ChazzChew]

I recently constructed a dubia colony with ~100 mixed and 10 adults.

I went away for a few days and left them the only decent thing I had in my fridge at the time, a tomato.

Needless to say I come back to find there are mold spores ALL over the tomatoes, which are placed on a ceramic dish.

Obviously I took this plate out, but my question is, do I have to abandon the whole colony or is there some way of finding out if they are still healthy roaches for Sullivan?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, this is my first colony!

 

[reptilianboy831]

just give em time. If they are sick they will die off eventually, hopefully you caught it early on?

 

[Momto3boys]

You already removed the moldy food....just continue feeding healthy food and they should be fine.

 

[ChazzChew]

Thanks so much. I was worried I ruined the lot.

 

[romanfj]

Don't worry too much about the mold. If you removed the tomato, your dubia probably will not be overcome with fungus. It is possible, but unlikely.

Further, the mold is most likely penicillium, from which penicillin is made. If this is so, whatever microscopic amount may be on your dubias will cause your dragon no harm.

If you are super conservative, just wait a week and if the roaches aren't fuzzy, they're not infected.

Frank

 

[Ihaggerty1313]

I'm w/ Frank on this one. The only time I've really seen mold devastate a colony is when it goes unnoticed in between egg crates or when there's moisture in the frass. Clean your colony every few months, keep good ventilation through the colony and don't mist the colony. Those are the best ways to avoid/prevent mold outbreaks.