Don't Bring Them into Your Home! Unfortunately we see this too often in homes. The home owner or professional interior decorator finds an antique piece of furniture and brings it into the home. Unfortunately most of the time the item is mold-infected, hence introducing mold into a home  Every antique store I have ever visited has that old-musty smell. Well, there is a reason for that...it's mold. Often these antique pieces are neglected,  improperly stored in basements, garages or other areas before they are put in the showroom.  Material Considerations The most common materials of concern are wood and cloth followed by leather. Often times you will see growth on the wood and leather surfaces, but it's much harder to detect on/in cloth. The fabric of furniture including the padding were often made from organic material making them susceptible to mold harboring and growth.  Inspection Before you buy an item from an antique shop, have the salesperson help you in...

  2023 Woohoo! A few points. * Blog Reminder - This blog was and is still intended for the layperson, the average Jane. I try my best to relay information in a simple manner and with terminology 99% of the population can comprehend. This is not meant to be a scientific journal. This year I decided to open the comment section of this blog to allow people to share information and interact with the hopes it will amplify the beneficial nature of this blog. * Be Kind - Let's not forget we all share this world and we have to be mindful of everyone's opinion and beliefs. Being kind! * SARS / COVID 19 - You have probably noticed I have stayed clear of making any update posts related to the "pandemic". The topic is now way too toxic and political. We conduct our business and write content for this blog using scientific information based on facts. In this new world, opinions have become facts and everyone has an opinion. I'm damned if I give facts or my opinion, so I...

  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...

As you know I try to keep things simple in this blog. However, this post contains an actual scientific article which may be hard for some to follow. You are always welcome to ask questions. The study/science of mold (mycology) is an ever evolving, advancing knowledge every year. We know mold can be beneficial in basic ways such as the fermentation of libations and cheese. However, most of us don't think of mold being beneficial in any way in regards to our health. That mindset is changing. What if we can make beneficial drugs using mold. One of the leaders in drug research is Netherlands based Hubrecht Institute.  From Their Article Zebrafish Researchers from the group of Jeroen den Hertog at the Hubrecht Institute, in collaboration with researchers from the Westerdijk Institute and Utrecht University, have set up this library and screened it for biologically active compounds. They tested the biological activity of these fungal products first using zebrafish embryos. The resea...

  But, but, but..... I am often asked by people if they should avoid certain foods when they have or believe they may have mold-related health issues. Most of the time I get push-back on my suggestions due to their own food misconceptions. Often these misconceptions are based on learned information taken from mainstream consumer media. Want to have your cake and eat it to, you can't. Don't feed the monster inside of you!  If you do not believe in the phrase "you are what you eat", you should not read any further. If you do not think your diet directly reflects in your health status, you should not read any further.  I'm not going to get technical with this post and cite studies. Processed / Refined Sugars - If you go to the supermarket you will find aisle after aisle of products containing sugar in some variation (refined, corn syrup). Sugar manufacturing sales are over 10 billion dollars a year. Every year more studies are published linking health issues relate...