How to Deal with Mold Growing on Driftwood

[Will's Reptiles]

Hi,
So tonight I was taking my boa out of his enclose and I smelled and saw mold on the driftwood that he is always curled up against. I took it out and the bottom half is speckled with grayish/blackish/whitish and yellow-green mold:eek:. I couldn't believe it! I removed it immediately along with all of the bedding (cypress mulch) underneath it. I also removed the tinfoil covering the screen section of the top of the cage. Finally I washed and scrubbed the branch in hot water.

So, now that I am done freaking out, I have some questions:

1. Is mold even harmful to snakes? I have been reading on difference threads but can't seen to get a definitive answer on wether mold will actually hurt my snake. Maybe Im worrying about nothing. After all, he was curled up right against it whenI took him out and he seems fine.

2. How can I prevent this in the future? Hopefully the increased airflow will help but let me know if you have any tips or tricks to keep mold at bay.

3. How do I get rid of the mold on the log? Like I said before, this is my snakes favorite hid spot and I would hate to throw it away. I rinsed it and will let it dry overnight. Should I bake it? If so, at what temperature and for how long?

Here are some photos of the mold on the branch.
Thanks for the help in advance!

[EL Ziggy]

Id probably just throw it away just to be safe but I'd at least bake it for a couple of hours.

[Wingbeats]

Either toss it in a deep freezer overnight, or bake it in the oven at around 200 degrees F for a while? :) (not sure on how long, but that temp kills everything)

[chairman]

Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the mold. After about 20 minutes wipe off the area and reapply until it is all gone. You can let it dry overnight before sticking it back in the enclosure.

To prevent it in the future, either lower the humidity or flip the piece of wood every couple days.

[Albert Clark]

Just toss it man! I know it's your snakes favorite but he'll get over it. Driftwood is a harbor medium for mold and mites. Consider yourself lucky it's mold and not mites. Reptile basics has hides on sale. The black rectangular ones that are washable and easy to clean and disinfect. Mold can be a vector for respiratory issues and illnesses.

[Andy_G]

Some types of wood are very resistant to mold. That's apparently not one of them. I agree with Albert, toss it.

[IW17]

Just dry it out. Mold will die without moisture.

[Andy_G]

Some mold spores can survive dryness, and even if they didn't in this situation, wouldn't the problem just reoccur when the wood is placed back in there?

[trailblazer295]

Personally I'd just ditch it to be safe, wood can be replaced and to me isn't worth the risk. Yes throwing out a good piece of wood that fit your tank perfectly kind of sucks. I'm picky when it comes to picking driftwood.