system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If mold spores are in the air everywhere and generally only require as little as 24 hours of a relative humidity at or above 60% to start colonizing, why are structures in humid places not absolutely rampant with it? (Or are they?)

I'm in the North-East US and had some mold in our basement which is now taken care of. But after reading all about mold in general, I don't understand how buildings in places like Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and other extremely humid places around the globe aren't consumed with mold everywhere.
gpt
Right, so.
1) mold *is* somewhat more prevalent in these areas.

2) these areas tend to receive a lot of direct sunlight. Light of any kind can act as a deterrent to mold growth by drying out surfaces and evaporating standing water

3) interior spaces tend to benefit from climate control, typically resulting in lower humidity.

4) exterior spaces devoid of climate control tend to see a prevalence of micro and macro organisms competing for the same resources that mold does.

There's a reason that mold tends to be found in dark places that do not see much traffic.