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Mold requires nutrients water and oxygen along with favorable temperatures to grow. Florida has the ideal conditions for the devlopment of mold. Nutrients for mold are present in organic material such as wood, paper or fabrics; mold can also derive nutrients from some synthetic products such as paints and adhesives.

Mold requires moisture, although some mold species can obtain that moisture from moist air when the relative humidity is above 70 percent.

Many molds thrive at normal indoor temperatures; few if any molds are able to grow below 40 F or above 100 F. Outside this range molds may remain dormant or inactive; they may begin to grow again when the temperature is more favorable. Temperatures well above 100 F will kill mold and mold spores, but the exact temperature required to kill specific species is not well established.

Additional Resources:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy922