photo courtesy of Tim Jones There are a lot of questions and false information on the internet about mold, plume and how to season a desktop humidor. I'm going to tackle these topics and a few more. This post is definitely geared towards the cigar aficionado.  Let's start with the basics.   When we use the term mold we are referring to fungi/fungus. Here are a few bullet points. * There are over 100,000 species of mold. * Mold is not a plant nor is it an animal.  * Mold spores are the reproductive body of mold similar to seeds. (but not) * 250,000 spores can fit on the head of a pin. * Mold spores are everywhere indoors and outdoors in the air we breathe. * Mycotoxins are a secondary metabolite produced by active mold. (mold odor) * Mold requires 3 things in order to grow. Oxygen, Water and Organic Material. * If missing one of the three requirements for continued growth, mold will go into a state of dormancy. Mold can stay dormant indefinitely.  * Once mold g...

  Is mold smart? Oh, mold is not just smart, mold is wicked smaht!  I'm actually using the word wicked for a reason. Wicked meaning nefarious, wicked as in evil! On a basic level, do the terms "smart" or "intelligent" apply to mold? Does mold have a brain? Can mold actually learn? Do they have calculated behavior? Be prepared to be amazed by how "smart" mold can be. I'm just going to briefly touch upon a few instances found in nature. Additional information easily be found by using your search engine. Zombie Ants  Zombie Ants are victims of a parasitic fungus which controls their actions and ultimately leads to their death. * Once infected the fungus will force the ant to migrate to areas where temperature and humidity are suitable for the fungal growth. * Once in the proper location, the fungus will force the ant to climb up a plant onto a leaf. The fungus will then force the ant to close it’s mandibles biting onto the leaf. Now the mandible will...

    FREE MOLD & RADON EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS Happy 2022 everyone! As many of you know, we perform free mold and radon seminars to groups around the metro Boston and southern NH area. Those of you who have attended know they are fun and most of all informative! As I always state, my goal is to educate, not scare. Due to COVID, we paused our seminars in 2020. I know a lot of us are still practicing social distancing and want to be mindful of everyone's personal considerations not to mention local government mandates. That being said I'd like everyone know we are still offering and ready to perform seminars when you are! Both seminars consist of a visual slide show presentation with live narration. We go over the basics and how mold and radon play a role in our lives. We discuss ways to protect ourselves. Mold - Usually the Mold seminar is approximately 45 minutes depending on how many questions and attendee participation.  Radon - The radon seminar is approximately 35 min...