# Mold again!



## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

Out of the last 6 cultures I made 4 of them have mold in them, green fuzz and black. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I do add vinger and water to the mix. Any ideas?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

If you are making cultures with flies from a culture that mold it will continue to show up. 
Your media or other items used in culturing could also be contaminated. 

Ed


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## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

I am using the flies from cultures that do not have mold.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Are you adding baker's (live) yeast to the cultures before you add the flies?

Then your media or something else you are using is contaminated. Possibly anything else you are putting in the cultures like coffee filters, excelsior... 


I would suggest microwaving the cultures when you make them. I run mine through the microwave for about 2-2.5 minutes/4 cultures. 

Ed


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## heatfreakk3 (Oct 15, 2008)

What kind of media do you use? I use joshes frogs media and have never had a problem.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

the problem is that contamination can occur when you get the first case and open the container spraying spores everywhere. 

Ed


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## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

I am using live yeast...interesting.....I am using coffee filters...I bet you that is it.....


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## kinison (Jul 1, 2010)

I use coffee filters in all of my cultures and never get any mold. I use to make media with vinegar. The smell drove me crazy. Now I make my own dry media and use methylparaben. It works better, no smell, no mold, and cheaper in the long run. I think im down to about 7 cents a culture. And my fly production is far superior than any of my vinegar cultures ever were.


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## heatfreakk3 (Oct 15, 2008)

I use coffee filters as well, never had mold before.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Whether or not one person is getting mold issues from the substrate they add for the flies, does not mean that this is automatically extendable to anyone else as contamination could occur in a person's house. House dust can easily contain spores and if the coffee filters (or excelsior, etc) become contaminated this can be an easy source of the problem for that individual. 
The only way to be sure is to make some changes to eliminate the potential source of contamination. 

Ed


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## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

Agree.....I have used cofee filters in the past without issue.


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## jackj921 (Apr 17, 2008)

I am using a pinch of bakers yeast to my cultures, the medium coming from Brian's Tropicals in Ohio. I did notice a while back that I get mold on occassion when the cultures are housed on a counter but I almost never get mold when the cultures are housed INSIDE a cabinet in a dark environment.


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## kinison (Jul 1, 2010)

jackj921 said:


> I almost never get mold when the cultures are housed INSIDE a cabinet in a dark environment.


This could be a good point. My cultures only see light when I go in for feeding time. They are almost always kept in the dark.


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## rlove250 (Dec 29, 2009)

I keep my cultures in a dresser in the basement and they have gotten mold in the past. However, that was when I would add 1/2 mix, 1/2 cup water + 1 table spoon of vinager. Now I've done 1 cup mix, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup vinager and there is no mold yet.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

kinison said:


> This could be a good point. My cultures only see light when I go in for feeding time. They are almost always kept in the dark.


There are a lot of potential vectors for mold to get into a container but very few if any are going to be after the culture has been closed up... (unless you are opening the lids and closing them again before the yeast and flies are established). Black mold (usually Aspergillus niger) is a mold that is found in virtually all areas of the countries and is a very common indoor mold (it should be considered ubiquitous). 

Major sources of contaminents are going to be 
1) contaminated cups (dust/spores in/on cups for example)
2) contaminated lids (see #1)
3) contaminated media (contaminents can occur after the media is recieved and opened, particularly if you open a contaminated culture near the open media)
4) contaminated media additives (like spirulina, fruit)
5) contaminated structures added for the flies
6) contaminated flies 

The only way to determine the source of the infection is to one by one eliminate potential causes as the spores are found virtually everywhere and could have contaminated virtually any of the steps used in establishing cultures (as noted above). 

I am going to add, that there is no difference in housing the cultures in the light/dark on mold growth. 

I am also going to add that housing the flies in the dark prevents them from converting beta carotene to vitamin A.. so you are actually providing a less nutritious fly. 

I am also unconvinced that vinegar plays a part in prevent A. niger overgrowths as this mold does very well in acidic enviroments (in fact it acidifys the growth media to reduce competition).

I microwave my cultures to sterilize the cups and media..... 

Ed


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## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

Ok, good info. I am leaning towards the coffee filters as the issue. They are old ones I had found in my frog bin. How long do you microwave for? nuke filters too? Thanks!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Ed, do you pretty much get zero mold now?


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## kinison (Jul 1, 2010)

I get 0 mold. Must be doing something right.


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## NathanB (Jan 21, 2008)

> 5) contaminated structures added for the flies


I had this problem in the past with excelsior that was contaminated.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

ChrisK said:


> Ed, do you pretty much get zero mold now?


 
I haven't had a case of mold in years. I do see cases of yeast overgrowth (a slimy white coating). 

Ed


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Agree with Kinnison. I switched away from vinegar, to Methyl Paraben, years ago. Production went up. Never had a problem with mold again. Josh's frogs has a great price on Methyl Paraben.

Also agree with Ed. I either nuke all my cultures, or start them with boiling water. This also eliminates on possible contamination of grain mites riding in on your media. 
Doug


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