iHerp Answers: Is there a safe way to treat moldy, but viable, eggs?

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Is there a safe way to treat moldy, but viable, eggs?

Posted By:

bwaffa

In Relation To:

Dagny [LTC1-06-F]

After candling, it appears at least four of my five recently deposited pueblan milk snake eggs look viabale. Unfortunately, one of the viable ones (the one precariously glued to the top of the three-viable-egg pyramid) is already beginning to grow mold. The eggs are currently in an egg box inside a Thelco scientific incubator which fluctuates daily between 81.7 and 84.1 degrees F, and the relative humidity seems to stay between 75-85%. The egg box is a shallow gladlock plastic container, filled 1/3 of the way with damp vermiculite (1:1). The eggs are covered by paper towels which are spritzed a few times a day with filtered water to keep things moist. I do not wet the eggs directly.

The incubator currently lacks a fan, so the air is not circulating ideally, but I do open the incubator door at least once a day to check on the eggs, plenty for gas exchange although perhaps not the best situation to deter mold growth. I'm in the process of cooking fresh vermiculite and transferring the eggs to a new, "clean" box.

At any rate, it seems mold is virtually a fact of life here in New Orleans. Even the newspaper cage substrates of my snakes have to be changed at least once a week because mold here is so prevalent. If this turns out to just be something I'm going to have to continually fight, is there a safe way to do so? I've heard anecdotes of people using listerine or salt water solution on a Q-tip to wipe mold away, but haven't verified any of these stories. Has anyone here tried such a thing or heard of other methods? I'm in the process of baking vermiculite (hoping to kill any spores) and transferring the eggs to a new, "clean" box in the meantime. Thanks in advance for any advice or insight!


Points:	250
Topics:	Infectious Disease , Disinfectants , Incubation
Tags:	Eggs, Mold
Species:	Kings and Milks > Milksnakes > Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Author Comment

7/31/2009 8:31:16 PM

bwaffa

Thank you to Nate who already recommended that I try to separate the moldy egg from the pyramid as a first step. While I agree it's a good idea, I must admit that I really don't feel comfortable trying to separate them, especially since all three seem to be viable anyway.

Member Comment

7/31/2009 8:51:28 PM

FyreFocks

Brad, there are too many "moldy egg" threads on MVF for me to find the one i want, but i did put up a question there hoping to find the person who started the thread im hunting for. Ill keep you up to date as i find things out.

Im glad the eggs candled good for you.

Accepted Answer

7/31/2009 10:05:19 PM

shellboa

I have wiped mold off with a damp q-tip (just water damp) and had them hatch fine. Some one recommended using some sort of fungal powder once (like foot powder) but after consulting a vet, who recommended not doing that as some chemicals can penetrate the shell, I just use water and the q-tip. I have had to wipe a few eggs more than once but have generally had good luck.

My thought is to ask you vet if there is some safe product that could be used if it continues to be a major (wipe a lot) issue. I have to wonder if there isn't some sort of herbal/holistic mold fighter...going to consult herbalist friend, will PM you on this one...

Author Comment

7/31/2009 11:55:45 PM

bwaffa

Thanks, Michelle. I actually spoke with one of my herp vet friends on the phone tonight. He admitted that he rarely ever sees a viable egg with mold growth so he was admittedly stumped. He suggested, however, that I wipe the egg clean and dab it very sparingly with a little miconazole powder (traditional foot powder) to the affected area. I'm going to try that and cross my fingers. I'm certainly open to other ideas and suggestions though!

Author Comment

8/1/2009 12:06:03 AM

bwaffa

Member Comment

8/1/2009 12:09:47 AM

FyreFocks

Brad, someone on MVF has stated that tinactin anti-fungal has worked, but i dont know how it was applied to the egg. Im waiting for more details on that.

Member Comment

8/1/2009 3:25:41 PM

FyreFocks

Brad, ive been told that the tinactin spray should be lightly spritzed upon the egg until the spray has consumed the mold. If you want more details, and i certainly would, you should contact Mike Rico. He is a member of iHerp.

Author Comment

8/1/2009 4:12:21 PM

bwaffa

Thanks, Nate, for your continued help with this. After two different people recommended a miconazole-based foot powder, one of whom is a seasoned reptile vet, I went with that. I separated the clutch of eggs as best one could without trying to peel the "pyramid" apart and set them up in three separate thoroughly-cleaned containers on COOKED vermiculite. I then wiped the mold away on the one bad egg with a wet Q-tip. I then dried the area with a fresh Q-tip and dapped a small amount of zeosorb foot powder to (and around) the formerly affected area. As of this morning all but the one seemingly infertile egg look REALLY good and mold free. I'm interested to see if that "solves" the problem, or if this will be an ongoing two-month battle. I'm leaving this thread open because I'm eager to hear of others' experiences, but I think for now I have the problem under control and it seems I've learned something new and very useful!

Member Comment

8/1/2009 4:22:58 PM

FyreFocks

Awesome! For my help, i take cash, check, full frontal nudity(women only), and hypo apricot pueblan milks.

Member Comment

8/1/2009 5:25:08 PM

amarilrose

Brad, what did you do to cook your vermiculite & how did that smell?? ;)

Assisted Answer

8/2/2009 4:40:38 PM

FyreFocks

http://moreliaviridis.yuku.com/topic/11173

Theres the thread, Brad. The owner of the eggs simply q-tipped them every couple days with listerine. You should give it a look, if for no other reason than to see how bad they looked before hatching.

Member Comment

8/2/2009 9:52:23 PM

FyreFocks

my experience is that dry powder antifungal powders are safer and work better on eggs for a # of reasons.
Its the safer option, eggs easily absorb the toxic liquid anti-fungal are made with.
I hope this helps

The above was PMed to me via MVF.

Member Comment

8/3/2009 3:00:42 PM

JohnJohn

For what it's worth, I have had good corn snake eggs right alongside nasty moldy ones in a pile and they have done fine. The mold did seem to spread to the good ones a little. I wiped them off occaisionally with an artists paint brush. I think if they are good eggs they will remain good. I had a friend who hatched some pine snakes out of eggs that looked downright moldy! He swore that they were fine and well, they did hatch out fine.

I would try not to be overly aggressive with the chemical interventions, other than wiping them off and spraying with water occaisionally near hatch time.

Member Comment

8/3/2009 9:01:35 PM

MegF

Good eggs rarely go bad from bad eggs. Eggs are quite good at keeping bacteria and such from them. I would not separate the eggs out. I've often had moldy dead eggs in the pile of glued together ones and the rest have hatched out just fine. Some people have used diluted listerine to clean mold off or tinactin anti fungal powder.

Member Comment

8/4/2009 9:49:18 AM

JohnJohn

I definitely trust MegF. I sent her an anxious message when I had some moldy eggs in a pile of good ones. She told me the same thing she just said here. I gritted my teeth and left them alone for the most part other than brushing them off some. Everything came out fine. By the time they hatched, the good eggs were still good and the moldy ones next to them had become a disgusting pile of goo.

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