MOLD emergency!! Help!!!

[schlafa]

Hi! I'm the recent owner of an L3 ghost mantis nymph named Queenie. I welcomed her last Friday, her enclosure's substrate is made of coco bark, and she has a bamboo perch to hang out on (or under). I lightly misted her house and herself with distilled water, twice a day for the first two days, and once a day until last Monday, when I noticed a really bad case of mold on the perch. I haven't misted ever since, and in order to increase ventilation I placed the enclosure in the path of my AC unit set on 78 degrees.

Also, I am not sure but I think I spotted mold on her, which terrifies me because i wouldn't even know how to possibly clean such a minuscule and fragile creature without damaging her in some way. Displacing her from the enclosure is another one of my concerns, and I wonder whether i should clean the perch (and how, if so) or get rid of it altogether, and also what i should do about the substrate.

She has been feeding on 2 flies and a bit of honey since last Friday, however, as soon as i noticed the mold, I let the other fly out of the enclosure, fearing it might be tainted. There are still 2 pupae hatching in the enclosure.
Luckily, so far Queenie seems very active and not acting odd or sickly. I moved her on a little mold-free plant in the enclosure.

What's the best course of action to restore a hygienic and safe environment for my little ghost mantis? Is there a specific procedure I'm supposed follow? Am I doing anything wrong?
Some guidance and advice would really help, as I am a complete novice. Thanks everyone!

I am attaching a bunch of pictures for clarity's sake (PS: I do realize I may have made a mistake with the positioning of the enclosure, as the ventilation might not be supposed to be at the top)

 

[Vlodek]

High moisture + low ventilation = mold

For now remove the bamboo stick and replace it with a plastic plant. I get mine from my local $1. Those fake plants can survive anything.

I don't think you need to spray your mantid's contaier so much. I just miss my ghosts once a week.

You can also make more air holes on the sides to increase ventilation.

 

[czlu]

ah one of them kits from mantispets.com

 

[schlafa]

Vlodek: will definitely do, thank you for the advise!

Dr Mantis: that is correct, sir!

Any idea how could one clean an L3 little nymph?

 

[LAME]

You could also look into a cleaning crew for your tank/setup. Personally I use any nice looking stick I can find and cut down to sections i'd actually use.

 

[sgtkeens]

You could also look into a cleaning crew for your tank/setup. Personally I use any nice looking stick I can find and cut down to sections i'd actually use.

Cleaning crew?

 

[CosbyArt]

Hi! I'm the recent owner of an L3 ghost mantis nymph named Queenie. I welcomed her last Friday, her enclosure's substrate is made of coco bark, and she has a bamboo perch to hang out on (or under). I lightly misted her house and herself with distilled water, twice a day for the first two days, and once a day until last Monday, when I noticed a really bad case of mold on the perch. I haven't misted ever since, and in order to increase ventilation I placed the enclosure in the path of my AC unit set on 78 degrees.

Everything sounds right. I mist my mantis habitats/enclosures once per day (or more if needed). The real question is how much water do you use each time?

If you are using a simple spray bottle one squirt is more than enough. It's said ideally the moisture should evaporate in 30 minutes or less.

As I wanted a finer mist, and to get rid of leaky water around the bottle trigger and such I use a simple 1 gallon sprayer (usually sold for under $10 at hardware stores). It really helps when you have lots of habitats to mist too. When using this type of setup a one second squirt is enough daily.

Just spray the habitat wall itself. It will provide humidity and if the mantis needs a drink she can get it from the water droplets. Some mantises like getting a little spray, but most will be annoyed and is not necessary - as anytime you spray the habitat itself, some over-spray will typically get the mantis wet anyway.

Do not quit misting even if you have mold as the mantis needs the humidity and possibly even water droplets to drink. Just keep the water misting to a minimum, avoid areas that have/had mold growth, and perhaps do it every other day until you get the mold under control.

Also, I am not sure but I think I spotted mold on her, which terrifies me because i wouldn't even know how to possibly clean such a minuscule and fragile creature without damaging her in some way. Displacing her from the enclosure is another one of my concerns, and I wonder whether i should clean the perch (and how, if so) or get rid of it altogether, and also what i should do about the substrate.

Most likely it is some sort of "dirt" on her, her coloring, or such. Can you provide a photo of the mold on your mantis?

If it really is mold it can be cleaned, but you have to do it extremely carefully to avoid damaging Queenie. There are two ideas of cleaners to use here at this topic, but I would avoid it until it is proven to be mold.

Regarding the molded perch - remove anything that has developed mold. Once it is removed you can clean it with hot soapy water. After it is clean allow it to dry completely and you can put it back in the habitat if you want, or replace it with something else. If it can't be removed wipe it clean with a damp paper towel or cotton swab (q-tip) using diluted vinegar, or cut/shave/remove the molded section(s).

If the substrate has mold scoop out the affected molded coconut and throw it away. Otherwise leave it, as it will absorb the excess moisture and provide humidity as it evaporates, keeping your habitat cleaner. Coconut (as you have) naturally resists mold growth.

Cleaning crew?

Yeah other insects that help keep the habitat clean, saving time and effort. The most common cleaners are Springtails and Isopods. I use both and they really can help.

Springtails eat mold (they don't seem to eat any food directly) and Isopods eat mites and decaying plant/animal matter (including feeder remains and mantis frass). The forum owner Peter talks about it a bit and sells them at his website here.

 

[schlafa]

CosbyArt: such a thorough and informed piece of advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this valuable information.

Today I resumed misting, lightly, the enclosure walls. The perch is glued to the walls of the enclosure, so I decided to just carefully clean the perch with a 25% vinegar/water solution as you suggested and now there seems to be no visible mold left. Substrate looks ok, although it'll probably need a closer inspection, as I also need to find and get rid of fly leftovers (tough task).

Speaking of inspections, I tried very hard to examine Queenie for mold stains, I see some whiteish on her back and abdomen but I can't tell what it is. Even her eyes look white. I really don't know at this point. Could it be an early sign of molting? I tried but it seems impossible to take a good picture of her, she'll always end up being out of focus. I guess I'd need a Macro. For now, I'd rather avoid venturing into cleaning her.

Thanks again CosbyArt, you have no idea how helpful your post has been!

LAME: I have been considering springtails (coincidentally I found out about it looking at this very forum a couple of days ago), I was thinking perhaps when Queenie becomes an adult?

 

[LAME]

CosbyArt is a great guy indeed.

Really I believe you can start using a clean up crew at anytime

Also, try taking your photo in a brighter room, or shoot next to a window during a sunny time of the day. Should help with getting better shots.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Springtails are completely harmless so there is no need to wait. I consider them a must have for set ups with substrate. I have a high humidity low ventilation set up for my roaches and thanks to the springtails mold is never an issue.

 

[Rick]

Get rid of that perch and mist less and your problem should be solved. I personally don't care for that container but its design probably isn't contributing to your mold problem.

 

[CosbyArt]

CosbyArt: such a thorough and informed piece of advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this valuable information.

Today I resumed misting, lightly, the enclosure walls. The perch is glued to the walls of the enclosure, so I decided to just carefully clean the perch with a 25% vinegar/water solution as you suggested and now there seems to be no visible mold left. Substrate looks ok, although it'll probably need a closer inspection, as I also need to find and get rid of fly leftovers (tough task).

Speaking of inspections, I tried very hard to examine Queenie for mold stains, I see some whiteish on her back and abdomen but I can't tell what it is. Even her eyes look white. I really don't know at this point. Could it be an early sign of molting? I tried but it seems impossible to take a good picture of her, she'll always end up being out of focus. I guess I'd need a Macro. For now, I'd rather avoid venturing into cleaning her.

Thanks again CosbyArt, you have no idea how helpful your post has been!

LAME: I have been considering springtails (coincidentally I found out about it looking at this very forum a couple of days ago), I was thinking perhaps when Queenie becomes an adult?

Your welcome, glad it helped. On Queenie it could very well be her getting ready to molt, or simply her coloring. A good closeup photo would tell for sure if it is something to worry about, but it sounds like nothing.

Springtails can be added at anytime. I actually add them in my nymph cups right before I put my freshly hatched nymphs into the cups. The Springtails eat mold (and preventing it as well), cause no issues to mantises, and actually can be a feeder insect for a mantis for the first several stages of their life. I have a L4 nymph that still likes to play with the Springtails in her cup.

Regarding Rick's comment on getting rid of the perch - that is because a perch that runs the length of the habitat like that can cause problems with your mantis molting. As some young nymphs like to hang from any perch or twig to molt, and often they do it so low on the backside of the perch they get stuck trying to shed the old exoskeleton and hit the substrate before they get out of the shed and can even fall off then - I've had that happen a few times myself originally.

My nymphs prefer a perch so the solution I do is to make my perches run nearly vertical (up and down). They will not try to molt from it anymore and they still can hang out on it and use it for climbing.

If you want to remove it you can use a small straight/slotted screwdriver and press it under the hot glue edges and pry it loose on both ends with some pressure it will pop off the plastic usually nice and clean. Then you could cut the perch with a hacksaw to the length to run straight up down. A bit of hot glue on the ends and you would be all set.