I always get a white mold on the soil surface (not botrytis) when I sow chives. It looks kind of like a spun webbing instead of a typical mold. Could this be the same you had? This stuff doesn't do the chives any harm and disappears on its own once the plants go under the lights.

Holes shouldn't be necessary, especially if the pots are drying out so quickly. The plastic is put on in order to keep the seeds and the soil moist enough to initiate germination. I usually can keep the plastic on until the seeds germinate whether that's a few days or a couple of weeks without needing to water. I always have my germination area dark and use heat mats so that probably helps with moisture consistency.

I always take the plastic off (humidity domes in my case) after the first signs of germination and then put the seedlings under lights. I know other people like to leave them on until the plants are pushing against the top. I don't see the benefit of leaving them on after germination. I like the newly emerged plants to get as much air circulation as possible in order to avoid disease problems. My technique allows the soil surface to dry out every day or two at the most. I rarely have any problems.

Unless the seedlings are in a very cold and drafty place, I take the plastic off shortly after germination. Due to germination rates, some seedlings are under plastic for longer than others, so it isn't really a detriment, per se. I take off the domes once a day so there isn't too much humidity build-up. Back when I used plastic bags I wouldn't seal them up tight, and again, opened them every day. Keep things consistently moist, not soggy.

There could have been a pathogen in your soil or it got there from some other source, that produced the mold. I too have seen what frances, above, describes as a webbed, white mold. usually it disappears when the soil surface dries out and there is more light. if you're getting it so quickly though, then it might worsen before you even get germination and adversely affect things later on.

I want to say that i've heard of some people here lightly spraying a VERY dilute bleach solution on top of the soil when there was the beginnings of mold (but not if there are seedlings present). What are other peoples opinions on this practice?