Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Two of the alterna eggs I am incubating have been growing fuzzy white fungus since the first week or so. They are a little over 4 weeks since laid.

It has not spread to the other eggs, and I have wiped it off, but it keeps coming back. The eggs look ok.

I think I remember someone saying to use listerine to kill the fungus. Has anyone tried that? Any suggestions? I just don't want to kill the eggs.

Thanks.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008 (and 14 eggs)

Anti-fungus foot powder works well I hear. I have heard about Listerine before, but have never personally used it before. I have used foot powder in the past though, and it kept the fungus at bay quite well.

It will likely kill the embryo's if it is allowed to grow most of the time. Especially when there is a decent anmount of time still needed for them to incubate and hatch.

good luck!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

Have you candled them? Do they look good with veins? What I have done in the past is covered the eggs with Vermiculaite on the parts that are molding. It seems to be anti-molding. If the mold is all over the egg, then my guess is it's probably bad. If it's good and the mold is like at one end then cover that end with Vermicilte to supress the mold. Good luck! I've never used anything else besides what I described, and just constant wiping everyday. I'll have to remember the foot powder, it may come in handy some day. I just have to think that anything on the shell will be absorbed into the egg?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I candled the eggs at about a week and saw veins. Can you still see veins at 4 weeks?

This fungus grows into the vermiculite. I think I will try the foot powder one, and maybe listerine on another.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008 (and 14 eggs)

Yeah the veins will only get more pronounced. Yeah try the two Doug suggested, and see what happens. Let us know the results, this is something we can all use.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

The Antifungal Foot Powder sounds like a good idea, maybe safer than the Root Tone I have been using. Once I even washed some lizard eggs in a very weak Clorox solution and saved them; the Clorox killed the fungus but was too weak to hurt the eggs. Then I rinsed them in clear water. They actually hatched. Obviously Clorox could not be used in cricket tubs, hence the Root Tone.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Badly moldy eggs usually mean that they are not good.

It is possible though, so here is what you need to do. Find some Lotrimin brand athletes foot POWDER. Go look like a tough guy and buy a soft make up brush. Maybe a blush applicator?

You will need to wipe fungus off the eggs and dust with a very light amount of powder for several days in a row. Then just keep you eye on them. They may still be gone.

Not sure if you are using an incubator, but if you are, be careful not to temp shock the eggs checking on them all the time. You may also want to separate them from the good eggs if possible.

I have never done it but I would be very hesitant to put listerine on eggs. Alcohol cant be good for them.

One time when I was incubating a clutch of lizard eggs a fungus began to attack a couple of them, but I dusted them with Root Tone powder and saved them. Also sometimes my cricket lay tubs will get a spot of fungus but a light sprinkle of Root Tone stops it. I keep a little salt shaker of Root Tone on hand.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.