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It has been demonstrated that while honey is antimicrobial due to its high sugar concentration and low water concentration, which inhibits the growth of microbes, honey is not inherently pasteurized or sanitary. Low levels of molds, yeasts, and spore-forming bacteria can survive in honey and can begin to grow once the honey is diluted with water as it is in mead-making. It is thought that most of the microbes found in finished honey originate from the handling of the honey, and do not originate from the hive, although some microbes may be introduced from the bees . Honey can start to ferment when it contains as little as 17% water, and at 19% water honey is very likely to ferment <ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0168160596009701 Microorganisms in honey. Jill A Snowdon, Dean O Cliver. International Journal of Food Microbiology. Volume 31, Issues 1–3, August 1996, Pages 1-261996.]</ref><ref>[http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/veterinary/issues/vet-13-37-5/vet-37-5-20-1301-46.pdf Microbiological and parasitological quality of honey produced in İstanbul. Emek DÜMEN, Hayrettin AKKAYA, Gülay Merve ÖZ, Funda Hatice SEZGİN. 2013.]</ref>, including botulism spores that can cause death to infants under 12 months old <ref>[http://jfoodprotection.org/doi/pdf/10.4315/0362-028X-44.11.812?code=FOPR-site Incidence and Origin of Clostridium botulinum Spores in Honey C. N. HUBTANEN, D. KNOX, and B. SBIMANUK. 1981.]</ref><ref>[https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/infant-botulism/faq-20058477 "Infant and toddler health". Jay L. Hoecker, M.D. Mayo Clinic website. May 15, 2018. Retrieved 09/20/2018.]</ref>. While normal mead making procedures limit the potential of mold growth due to pitching healthy yeast and a fast start to fermentation, it is possible that mold growth can occur when attempting to ferment mead spontaneously by not adding any laboratory yeast because of the lag time for fermentation to begin <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2140692022625667/ Adam Johnson. Milk The Funk Facebook group post on preventing mold growth. 06/21/2018.]</ref>. To prevent mold growth during spontaneous fermentation of mead (also known as "wild fermentation" or "native fermentation"; see [[Mead#Alternative_Fermentation_Techniques|Mead]]), purging the vessel with CO² until the mead begins actively fermenting should help reduce the chances of mold growth. Lowering the pH to 4.5 will also help prevent mold growth, as well as a starting gravity at or below 1.070 because higher gravity must takes longer to start fermentation, which gives more opportunity for mold to grow before fermentation begins <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2140692022625667/?comment_id=2142696379091898&reply_comment_id=2144309682263901&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R8%22%7D Justin Amaral. Milk The Funk group thread on mold in spontaneously fermented mead. 06/23/2018.]</ref>.