Moeller staining involves the use of a steamed dye reagent in order to increase the stainability of endospores; carbol fuchsin is the primary stain used in this method. Endospores are stained red, while the counterstain methylene blue stains the vegetative bacteria blue. Endospores are surrounded by a highly resistant spore coat, which is highly resistant to excessive heat, freezing, desiccation, as well as chemical agents. More importantly, for identification, spores are resistant to commonly employed staining techniques; therefore alternative staining methods are required.