As promised, here's the low-down for the Friday "check-up." The guy took 14 leaf samples, put them under the microscope, and we found a bunch of dead mites but 1 that seemed to be struggling around (he looked kind of fucked up, like he had been half dissolved -- creepy!). So he fogged again. I had ordered a 3-part treatment (or 3-visit) plan for $80. So he comes over and fogs up to 3 times and does a microscope check each time to see how bad the problem is.

I know a bunch of you commented about Avid and Floramite. That stuff is super toxic. Sure it kills mites, but what is it doing to my lungs? To my mom's lungs? What if those chemicals stay on the flower and she ingests them and they interact with the meds she's already on?

I didn't want to go that route. So I hired this guy because he has stuff that just carries an electric charge in an oil base - no toxic chemicals. And really $80 is such a small price to pay to have someone else supply the pesticide, cover the lights, and fog for me. It would take me all day to spray -- this guy comes in with his equipment and is gone in an hour. The next check-up is Tuesday.

It kind of creeps me out to buy mmj from dispensaries or people on Craigslist because I suspect they're probably using Avid, Floramite, or some other super-toxic pesticide when other safer methods could work just as well. There's no way to know what they treat their plants with - it's not like your meds come with a nutritional information tag. That's why I grow my own -- so I know what goes into it. It's definitely an expensive, time-consuming "hobby," but it's worth it to me. Some people grow their own vegetables to avoid pesticides; I grow medicine.