Brother Sweetleaf
Well-Known Member
Before harvest, my Grape Stomper OG was infested with worms. I figured that I could maybe work around it, sacrificing 1/3 of the crop, but upon inspecting everything with a microscope, I've learned that pretty much the entire plant had been hit. Nearly every single bud-- even those that looked deliciously perfect during a thorough & detailed inspection-- had at least a piece or two of worm-poo hidden within it. All the common signs are evident on several branches of bud-- you know: brown spots on the branch; the dried, dead browning of the bud; single, super-thin, hair-like strands of webbing, and of course the worms themselves-- but there are also tiny pieces of black bug-poo that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.
Now, if the damage can be seen-- like dried-out bud, or even brown spots of rot on the stalk-- then I think that throwing-away the bud is a wise choice. That's what I did with about 3/4 of my crop; I threw it out (I actually gave it to the birds, who enjoyed dive-bombing worms off the buds).
But what about those remaining buds that-- to the unaided human eye-- seem pretty damn perfect, except that they have obvious bug-crap in them only when you look at it under a microscope??
The choice to throw-away bud that's been infested with bugs & their poo seems to be the wisest choice for anyone concerned with their health... No matter how it can be justified, consuming poop in any way is just gross... That said-- except for when we're dealing with pests & such, we never really look at our bud through a microscope, do we? I mean, honestly, I've been toking herb for over 30 years now, and I've never taken a new bag of bud & checked it out under a microscope. And we also never look at our food under a microscope... But I bet if we did we'd probably all stop eating most of it! On a similar note-- supposedly, the microscopic universe inside of our bed-pillows would gross-out anyone of us. But we all smoke our bud, eat our food, and sleep on our bed-pillows and-- as it turns out-- we're all quite fine.
My point is-- it might be unrealistic or unreasonable to just say that smoking a tiny amount of worm poop is obscenely gross & should be avoided, particularly if tiny amounts of bug poop are, in truth, just par for the course in outdoor-grown bud (or any kind of bud, in general). Like wading in a swimming pool someone has peed in, there is a "dilution factor" that makes it OK (or at least "less than problematic"). So I guess this begs the question, "What ratio of worm-poop to Marijuana is OK for consumption?"
Another question is, "Is there a simple, effective way to clean bug poop from harvested bud?"
Another is, "Is inhaling combusted bug-poo healthier than eating cannabutter edibles made from bud contaminated with bug-poo?"
I know these questions seem gross at face-value here, but anyone who has spent 3 seasons of the year growing outdoor bud all the way into October, only to have it disgustingly infested by worms, understands the desperation and the tragedy of being faced with throwing it all away. The subtext of my posting asks "Can I save ANY of my bud, and how?"
Again, the bud we're talking about here (my remaining bud) appears-- by reasonably close inspection with the naked eye-- to be pretty clean & good-looking. It is only in the microverse (almost like in the Ant-Man movies) that pieces of crap and the occasional strand of webbing can be seen. And in that microverse, it's enough to make me repulsed in disgust. But then when you come up from the microscope & look at the bud again, it looks fine. Yummy, actually.
Consider answering my questions above, and/or please share your thoughts regarding this subject. The bud I'm speaking of is not for others to consume & was grown as my personal stash of head-weed.
Thanks for your time, & thanks for your kind response.
Now, if the damage can be seen-- like dried-out bud, or even brown spots of rot on the stalk-- then I think that throwing-away the bud is a wise choice. That's what I did with about 3/4 of my crop; I threw it out (I actually gave it to the birds, who enjoyed dive-bombing worms off the buds).
But what about those remaining buds that-- to the unaided human eye-- seem pretty damn perfect, except that they have obvious bug-crap in them only when you look at it under a microscope??
The choice to throw-away bud that's been infested with bugs & their poo seems to be the wisest choice for anyone concerned with their health... No matter how it can be justified, consuming poop in any way is just gross... That said-- except for when we're dealing with pests & such, we never really look at our bud through a microscope, do we? I mean, honestly, I've been toking herb for over 30 years now, and I've never taken a new bag of bud & checked it out under a microscope. And we also never look at our food under a microscope... But I bet if we did we'd probably all stop eating most of it! On a similar note-- supposedly, the microscopic universe inside of our bed-pillows would gross-out anyone of us. But we all smoke our bud, eat our food, and sleep on our bed-pillows and-- as it turns out-- we're all quite fine.
My point is-- it might be unrealistic or unreasonable to just say that smoking a tiny amount of worm poop is obscenely gross & should be avoided, particularly if tiny amounts of bug poop are, in truth, just par for the course in outdoor-grown bud (or any kind of bud, in general). Like wading in a swimming pool someone has peed in, there is a "dilution factor" that makes it OK (or at least "less than problematic"). So I guess this begs the question, "What ratio of worm-poop to Marijuana is OK for consumption?"
Another question is, "Is there a simple, effective way to clean bug poop from harvested bud?"
Another is, "Is inhaling combusted bug-poo healthier than eating cannabutter edibles made from bud contaminated with bug-poo?"
I know these questions seem gross at face-value here, but anyone who has spent 3 seasons of the year growing outdoor bud all the way into October, only to have it disgustingly infested by worms, understands the desperation and the tragedy of being faced with throwing it all away. The subtext of my posting asks "Can I save ANY of my bud, and how?"
Again, the bud we're talking about here (my remaining bud) appears-- by reasonably close inspection with the naked eye-- to be pretty clean & good-looking. It is only in the microverse (almost like in the Ant-Man movies) that pieces of crap and the occasional strand of webbing can be seen. And in that microverse, it's enough to make me repulsed in disgust. But then when you come up from the microscope & look at the bud again, it looks fine. Yummy, actually.
Consider answering my questions above, and/or please share your thoughts regarding this subject. The bud I'm speaking of is not for others to consume & was grown as my personal stash of head-weed.
Thanks for your time, & thanks for your kind response.
ROFL! Thanks for piping-in, Xtsho. Yes, this thread is gross, but the reality of this problem in our lives, as growers, is even MORE disgusting. The amount of money lost is more disgusting. The amount of time & energy & (dare I say) love poured into our plants only to lose them because of the lifestyles of a frickin' bug is far more disgusting... Before long, people start talkin' aboutcha, sayin' you get your lady high on worm poo. 
Use a salad spinner?