Molding Apple Sticks?

[Kathy_Bunny]

I got some apple sticks not too long ago from one of the sellers on here for the chins. I opened the package and gave one or two to the boys, and then I just put it back to where all my supplies were. I didn't touch them again for 2 weeks. Yesterday, I went to find them and they were all moldy with green stuff =( I ended up just tossing all of them. I also ordered mulberry twigs and they were fine. Has anyone else had this happen? Everything else in the container was fine and not moldy at all

 

[lauralynne]

How are you storing them?

 

[Kathy_Bunny]

I left them in the bag they came in and put it in and open cloth box. I have several of those boxes in a bookcase. No where near anything wet or moist

 

[Snickers]

Are you sure it was processed? I have processed wood in boxes sometimes about a year old with no problems of mold.

 

[AZChins]

If wood isn't dried well enough and it's stored in an enclosed little space, it can mold very easily. It just needs to have a little moisture either in the wood or in a container with it. Now, in your case, an open cloth storage box wouldn't hold onto moisture so the wood must not have been very well dried. The mold probably started in a little pocket of moisture and grew out from there. That can definitely happen, especially if it has been humid.

I'd contact the seller (if it was me, let me know ASAP and I will fix the issue) and tell that person what happened. If it happened to you, it might happen or have happened with other people. Hopefully it is an isolated incident, it just would be good for the seller to know.

Once (hopefully), I was in a rush and I wanted to get an order out first thing in the morning so I baked up some ocotillo wood and put it in a plastic bag right out of the oven. I didn't let it cool down so there was a little condensation in the bag. By the time it arrived at its destination it was lousy with mold...and I was absolutely mortified so I sent my poor customer about three times the amount she ordered and made sure that it was nice and cool before I sent it...and I put it in a paper bag so that it could breathe.

Wood has to breathe unless it is absolutely, 100% bone dry. Heat, condensation and humidity can all cause issues with it when it is stored.

 

[Kathy_Bunny]

Thank you for the explanation! I just emailed her about it. Since it was only 3oz of twigs it wasn't such a big deal =) I assume the wood was not completely dry and the mold happened. Thanks again!

 

[halfstache]

Are you sure it was moldy? Apple trees put on new growth during the spring that is kind of fuzzy and has a gray green appearance. I can't remember the name for it, but its totally normal and chin safe.

 

[Kathy_Bunny]

Are you sure it was moldy? Apple trees put on new growth during the spring that is kind of fuzzy and has a gray green appearance. I can't remember the name for it, but its totally normal and chin safe.

This was definitely mold. It was blue-green with this musty smell, and a starchy(?) feel to it. The mold created a thick spider like web. I also looked up pictures and compared them to the ones on the site and they do not look alike at all. Too bad I threw them away =/ I should have taken pictures first =(

 

[becky12883]

That sucks that your sticks got moldy, but I'm curious how your chins let you get away with not touching them for 2 weeks? My boys favorite wood is apple, and we go through so much! 3 ounce is probably not enough for one day for my three boys! Anyway, I'm sure whoever you got it from will make things right. The vendors that I have bought from here have always been great.

 

[Kathy_Bunny]

That sucks that your sticks got moldy, but I'm curious how your chins let you get away with not touching them for 2 weeks? My boys favorite wood is apple, and we go through so much! 3 ounce is probably not enough for one day for my three boys! Anyway, I'm sure whoever you got it from will make things right. The vendors that I have bought from here have always been great.

I had some extra twigs here and there I had to get through haha. Surprisingly, they like mulberry wood better! Still waiting for a reply, but it isn't a big deal to me since they have amazing customer service =)

 

[javachin]

At least it wasn't too much. Whenever I get a wood order, I make sure to put them in paper bags or keep them in open cardboard boxes. You never know when you'll have residual moisture so its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Kathy_Bunny]

I got an email saying she would replace the moldy apple =) She said she processes apple the fastest due to the high demand so it is understandable