What could be those black dots on my clarinet reed?

Question:I play a Bb Clarinet and I use various reeds. The problem is that my reeds always get blackish things growing on them. I try not to eat before I play, I change reeds often, I even clean my reedguard. I wonder if it's bacteria. What is growing on my reeds?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I play a Bb Clarinet and I use various reeds. The problem is that my reeds always get blackish things growing on them. I try not to eat before I play, I change reeds often, I even clean my reedguard. I wonder if it's bacteria. What is growing on my reeds?

Yuk In short its mildrew from too much moisture on your reed and in your mouth. Wet your reed LIGHTLY before you play. Dont suck on it. You may be able to get rid of it by sanding it down using ordinary sandpaper. Ask your Clarinet teacher to show you how otherwise get rid of it and break in a new one. This is one of the joys of playing the Clarinet!

What you see growing on your reeds,is most likely,mildew.But it could be mold,bacteria,or even algae.I use to play saxophone when I was a kid,but I don't recall having this problem.But maybe you could try,this as fix
Maybe you could soak the reeds in listerine,or some other mouthwash.I don't know if that would damage them but if I had that problem then I would be willing to sacrafice a couple of reeds,to find out.Good luck to you