Crimson stains/mould in wet bran mix...

[toothlessjaws]

Lately i have noticed a very bizarre blobs of bright crimson colouration appearing in my maggot mix after its become flyblown. I have even noticed this crimson colouration is being absorbed by the maggots themselves. I can only assume its mould and it prevalence has coincided with my bran mix becoming increasingly infested with panty moths. it really is the brightest of colour a deep rich crimson colour.

Has anyone else experienced this and know what it is? It does not appear to have any negative effect on the birds but i'd like to be sure.

[E Orix]

Firstly what is your mix.
If it is just Bran, Milk Powder and water then you shouldn't have colour problems.
What containers are you using possibly metal and rust.
As for the moths, they seem to be in every bag of bran these days, we limit them greatly
by using a chest deep freezer(not the house one) The bran is poured into a plastic bucket
then into the freezer until next day. I guess it freezes the eggs of the moth as it really sorts
them out
I have seen large mite build ups in Mealworm colonies when old refrigerators are used without
ventilation but these are like pink powder but not red

[toothlessjaws]

the mix is pure bran, milk powder and water. I use plastic take away containers. it is not rust.
the colour is not there when the mix is dry but appears after it becomes flyblown and i remove it form the the box. it literally looks like someone poured splotches of food colouring in.

I'll upload a photo.

[Craig52]

Yes i have noticed it as well,not sure what it is but harmless imo. It is definitely not a mould but probably just a marker stain used by the manufacturer for some reason. I only use Laubky's? bran as any others tend to go mouldy when wet so maybe this is some kind of disinfectant that is harmless to animals but detrimental to mould spores.To answer your query just give them a call,there contact number is on the bag. Craig

[toothlessjaws]

here's a pic.

[SteveP]

I have also been having issues with my fly system this year. I'm in western sydney and it has been extremely hot and humid this summer. So hot that flies have been dying (at around 42 deg) and high humidity encourages the mould growth. I too am only using flaky bran, milk powder and enough water to mix to fluffy consistency - not water logged. Cheers