A Patient's Guide to Mold, Mildew and Mites

[TheReleafCenter]

Just finished this and would love some feedback from everyone. I tried to keep it simple, concise and only a page long so it wouldn't be too onerous to actually bring in to a shop.

From our blog: A Patient's Guide to Recognizing Mold, Mildew and Mites in MMJ | blog.thereleafcenter.com (http://blog.thereleafcenter.com/2010/12/09/a-patients-guide/)
PDF format: http://blog.thereleafcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Patient-Guide-to-Recognizing-Mold-Mildew-and-Mites.pdf
.doc format: http://blog.thereleafcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Patient-Guide-to-Recognizing-Mold-Mildew-and-Mites.doc

To download the last two, simply right click and select "Save link as..." in most browsers.

[copobo]

that's a great start.

I'd like to see more pics of dried samples that have the issues.

maybe talk about what patients can use to view the nugs, a link to a pocket-scope, or what to look for in one...

[TheReleafCenter]

that's a great start.

I'd like to see more pics of dried samples that have the issues.

maybe talk about what patients can use to view the nugs, a link to a pocket-scope, or what to look for in one...

Scopes are going to be in the next one. I'm going mostly off of pics from the internet and that we've taken of samples that have come in. We're letting a bud mold to get pics at various stages, too. If anyone has any photos, it would be appreciated.

[khyberkitsune]

You will smell spidermite damage before you truly notice it (unless you're looking at every leaf for white spots where they've pierced cells.) It begins as a fresh cut grass smell and starts to turn into the smell of curing hay over a couple of days.

Every single time I smell it, it's a mite infestation.

[TheReleafCenter]

We were talking tonight about what exactly bud mold smells like. How do you guys describe it?

[copobo]

I think the basement analogy is good. I've smelled some that had a cat urine oder. back in the day, brick weed on the cat smell.

[copobo]

oops, sorry.

[khyberkitsune]

I think the basement analogy is good. I've smelled some that had a cat urine oder. back in the day, brick weed on the cat smell.

Musty basement, bingo!

[canniwhatsis]

Between the "Serinade" and Neem, My basement is pretty musty! :o

I use these products seldom (Only as a preventative measure, and never in flower but the scent lingers)

P.S. I have cats, and they produce a different smell than anything I've done to my plants! :eek:

[TheReleafCenter]

P.S. I have cats, and they produce a different smell than anything I've done to my plants! :eek:

This made me lol. It's almost like a basement that had a cat in it a long time ago. Or some wet pet smell.

[ThaiBuddhaMan]

I agree with the musty basement that had a cat go piss crazy in it for mold.
I don't agree with the earlier comment of curing hay for mite infestation. I've smelled some curing bud that for a short period smelled like hay but after a week or two - it completely changes and smells wonderful.

[SoCoMMJ]

It really angers me that somehow the patients have to protect themselves against dispensaries that will put marginal or dangerous bud on the sales counter.

THROW THAT SHIT IN THE TRASH WHERE IT BELONGS !

These are sick people, they don't need the additional problems associated with selling damaged, mite infested bud. If it's bad, have some backbone and take a loss, pitch it. It's business, sometimes you take a loss.

Grrrrrrrrr .... freakin' idiots are pissin me off now :mad:

[khyberkitsune]

I agree with the musty basement that had a cat go piss crazy in it for mold.
I don't agree with the earlier comment of curing hay for mite infestation. I've smelled some curing bud that for a short period smelled like hay but after a week or two - it completely changes and smells wonderful.

My hay mention was for unharvested plants still growing or flowering, not for harvested product.

[TheReleafCenter]

It really angers me that somehow the patients have to protect themselves against dispensaries that will put marginal or dangerous bud on the sales counter.

THROW THAT SHIT IN THE TRASH WHERE IT BELONGS !

These are sick people, they don't need the additional problems associated with selling damaged, mite infested bud. If it's bad, have some backbone and take a loss, pitch it. It's business, sometimes you take a loss.

Grrrrrrrrr .... freakin' idiots are pissin me off now :mad:

Agreed. I also released this in .doc form so if another MMC wants to use it, they can edit out all of our information. Hell, they can label it as their own. I just want it out there.

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

It really angers me that somehow the patients have to protect themselves against dispensaries that will put marginal or dangerous bud on the sales counter.

THROW THAT SHIT IN THE TRASH WHERE IT BELONGS !

These are sick people, they don't need the additional problems associated with selling damaged, mite infested bud. If it's bad, have some backbone and take a loss, pitch it. It's business, sometimes you take a loss.

Grrrrrrrrr .... freakin' idiots are pissin me off now :mad:

can i get an AMEN...preach it

[ThaiBuddhaMan]

ReLeaf - I think some people have some questions for ya over at the other place (The Farm). Check the DOR thread

[TheReleafCenter]

ReLeaf - I think some people have some questions for ya over at the other place (The Farm). Check the DOR thread

I got perm banned from the farm for posting pics of our genetics (I believe). Still haven't heard back from the mods. Kind of taken aback by it. :wtf:

[ThaiBuddhaMan]

I'll see what I can do

[TheReleafCenter]

I'll see what I can do

Please... your help is greatly appreciated. Any TOS violation was purely accidental.

[ThaiBuddhaMan]

I checked out your posts. I'm guessing it's the one advertising clones for sale that got ya banned. Not like here where they allow MMCs/dispensaries to post menus & such.

I pm'ed a mod I know personally.

[quetzal]

Releaf,

I like your style, offering good info like this to patients.

Maybe in a followup you could talk about best practices for storing bud, in order to prevent mold issues, etc. And as copobo says, some tips on using scopes to check product. These are common questions I seem to hear.

Also, someone mentioned a hay smell... the hay smell can also be caused by a poorly cured/stored bud. I've seen it at a few centers.

peace

[TheReleafCenter]

That's a great idea. We're going to do something on scopes and advanced purchasing, talking about what to look for in terms of trichomes, a good cure, soil vs hydro, etc. I'll post it up as soon as I have it.

[khyberkitsune]

That's a great idea. We're going to do something on scopes and advanced purchasing, talking about what to look for in terms of trichomes, a good cure, soil vs hydro, etc. I'll post it up as soon as I have it.

If you would like, I will do a video review of the scope I recently bought. I am frankly impressed with the quality, and those in less-crowded rural areas should get much better range and detail because of this - I'm picking up X10 cameras inside other apartment homes within about 500 meters across two channels specifically - so I've had to tell the complex management to tell everyone to change their channels or call me so I can fix their stuff to some degree.

Those of you with fewer people around should get a near-perfect video signal from 5-7 meters away.

[puntacometa]

That's a great idea. We're going to do something on scopes and advanced purchasing, talking about what to look for in terms of trichomes, a good cure, soil vs hydro, etc. I'll post it up as soon as I have it.

I always bring my Dino-Lite with me along with a laptop.....

Dino-Lite Digital Microscopes, Coin Microscope at Microscope.com (http://www.microscope.com/digital-microscopes-dinolite-c-35_102.html?gclid=CNaTrd3ChaYCFQN7gwoduQy4qA)

......when doing center-to-center business. I was pretty amazed that some centers still don't have something along these lines to eyeball their purchases.

[MMJinColorado]

We just published a pretty comprehensive scoping guide, including advice on which ones to buy and actual scoping technique. It's talking about mites only for the moment, but we're working up the mold and mildew installment. Here's the link: KindReviews.com Spider Mite Guide Part 2: Scoping Your Meds (http://www.kindreviews.com/12/kindreviews-com-spider-mite-guide-part-2-scoping-your-meds/)

I haven't actually used Dino-Lite scopes, but I took a quick look and it seems that they're heinously expensive for the resolution and scoping specs from what I can tell... the Veho 200x is only $60 and does everything we possibly need to scope all the samples that come into KindReviews. Dino-Lite has a model selling for $129 that's only a 0.3 MP camera (didn't even know that existed)... the one I found that has similar specs to the Veho 200X (http://www.microscope.com/dinolite-am413tad413t-13mp-measuring-p-579.html) is a fairly insane $399.

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

We just published a pretty comprehensive scoping guide, including advice on which ones to buy and actual scoping technique. It's talking about mites only for the moment, but we're working up the mold and mildew installment. Here's the link: KindReviews.com Spider Mite Guide Part 2: Scoping Your Meds (http://www.kindreviews.com/12/kindreviews-com-spider-mite-guide-part-2-scoping-your-meds/)

I haven't actually used Dino-Lite scopes, but I took a quick look and it seems that they're heinously expensive for the resolution and scoping specs from what I can tell... the Veho 200x is only $60 and does everything we possibly need to scope all the samples that come into KindReviews. Dino-Lite has a model selling for $129 that's only a 0.3 MP camera (didn't even know that existed)... the one I found that has similar specs to the Veho 200X (http://www.microscope.com/dinolite-am413tad413t-13mp-measuring-p-579.html) is a fairly insane $399.

$60 and up man those are paychecks for us working class grunts. $399 would take me two weeks without any bills to pay for. gotta love full time with no benefits.

[copobo]

from what I've been reading here and on another forum - there needs to be a growers union in CO.