Well I got a little tired of the ever so easy task of changing out the cricket egg laying medium and knew it wasn't the only way so I took my large sterlite and filled it with peat/soil and soaked it then let it dry. So then I introduced the caging materials for the crix (paper, egg cartons, paper rolls, and some stacked slate. Then last week I started seeding and introducing crix. I've had hatchlings from the eggs, the weekolds are molting, and the full growns are laying. Anyways after about a week and one day the peat that made up the substrate was covered in a white hair-like mold. I picked it all out and then the next day it was back with a vengance. The crix are doing good and still eating and molting so my question is: Will vinegar keep the mold out if I mist with a diluted solution?

My understading is that ppl do this for fruit fly cultures, so I was wondering what others though. I also have a bunch of moss/herb/grass seeds I threw in the peat that are sprouting and the crix eat them

well why do u use subtate in the first place there is no point

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if reptiles could speak they would say my name

They have a place to get the moisture they need, I havent needed to provide crystals nor water. I do provide fresh fruits and veggies. And they have also begun to lay in the substrate and hatch. It has just cut down on maitanence and smell tremondously, so to me its worth it so far. But I cant get rid of the mold so I may just start over with a 'cleaner' batch.

I've got the same white hairy mold growing in the terrarium soil in Talyn's enclosure. I use the soil because I like the natural look of it and she sometimes likes making tunnels through it. But because I have to keep it hot and humid in there, the mold grows like crazy.
Monty's terrarium is much drier and I haven't seen much mold growing in there.
If you find some safe way of getting rid of it, I'd love to hear about it!! At the moment, I take it out and replace with fresh, but I'm sure the spores are still in there, because it always comes back!

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Andrea

We are also suffering from re-occurring mold in some of the T tanks, due to the humidity mainly. I'd also love to hear any suggestions to help prevent this, as esp with Ts, it is not preferable to clean them out frequently.

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

I've been looking and didn't have too much luck. Apparently when people are doing cultures for insects that are susceptable to mold they mix the culture with a 50/50 water vinegar mix, this helps to stop the mold, but I don't know for how long since they throw the culture away once it is spent. It's also just as important to try not to introduce the mold, once its there it's almost impossible to get rid of.

The only other thing I saw was diluted honey, I guess its a natural inhibitor and some people are toying with it but I don't think it would hold up in any of our situations.

Do you guys think the vinegar would hurt the crix?

It is a bit of a test, but you could always take one cricket and put it in a small container with soil treated with the vinegar/water mix and see how it does. That way you may lose one poor soul, but you'll have your answer and a possible solution!
Let us know if you find out.

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Andrea