Maggots in my cubes!

[-RC-]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced maggots finding their way into mushrooms they've picked.

Are they there already, or have they entered during the drying process?

I had a few slightly overripe ones that seemed to be the only ones affected, so does that mean they should've been left to rot and only the freshest and youngest mushrooms should be harvested? Or is age and stage of development irrelevant?

Cheers

[AndyAmine.]

More than likely they were there when you picked them.
Freezing or using a dehydrator is probabaly the way to go?

[-RC-]

I had dried them in the sun and then with a fan overnight. When I went to put them into a dessicant chamber I noticed the maggots, unfortunately on four of the 20g odd ones I found. I turfed them and checked the rest which were fine.

Then I went and picked another 80gs or so to make up for it

I freeze them with a dessicant packet when cracker dry btw.

[obtuse]

Those grubs are fine. not worth worrying about imo.

but maybe you mean real maggots given warmer climes .....

[Anodyne]

If they're the same ones I'm thinking of, then they were in the caps when you picked them, although they may have only been eggs at that point. If toy examine some squishy old caps out in the fields I'm sure you'll find them.

No need to turf the caps either (unless you're a strict vegan or Jain or something) - the grubs only cause minor damage, and the fungi should still dry ok as long as it's done quickly. Then again, with the yields you've been getting you can afford to be picky, lol.

[Anodyne]

If you examine the grubs closely some time you'll see that their bodies are semi-transparent, you can see straight through to their guts. So when they've had a diet of cubes, they end up looking like little blue streaks encased in a clear skin like a sausage. It's a strange sight.

[ThunderIdeal]

i'm sure at various times that some folk have attributed negative effects to the grubs. sorry i can't remember any other details except it might have been that guy who ate 30+ g of cubes then started scamming people for money.

edit: by no means conclusive!

edit: that guy = hunab ku aka chiral

it seems unlikely to me, that a small amount of insect larvae could account for negative effects. in my experience tripping comes with negative effects, especially if you have existing health problems. digestive upset and aching joints are amongst the common complaints.

Edited April 21, 2014 by ThunderIdeal

[trucha]

Although he was speaking of edibles a comment made by a good friend comes to mind "If a person can get over the idea of eating maggots it will dramatically expand the range of mushrooms that they get to enjoy."

Edited April 22, 2014 by trucha

[BCdude888]

When I grow cubes indoors I sometimes have to put up sticky insect traps to stop the flies from molesting the cakes. No flies=No grubs. The sticky pieces are yellow to mimic a dying leaf.

Edited June 25, 2014 by BCdude888

[sillysyban]

I once found I had maggots about 2 hours after eating quite a few subs.

That started a rather unpleasant mental state for me and my wife for a while.

No physical damage or anything bad came from it though.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

classic SAB thread