Good Morning,

This morning's photo is of a Dust Mite from an article published by EMSL Laboratories (www.emsl.com).

Take a look at this week's "For Fun." There's a website selling plush toy microbes. They've got athelete's foot fungus and dust mites.

Hot tips on mold? Please let me know. Send information to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Cynthia Coulter Mulvihihll, Esq Hyde Mulvihill APC 216 W. Foothill Boulevard Monrovia CA 91016.

He alleged he was unable to conduct business because of the excessive moisture and growth of mildew and mold in the leased space. The landlord, Chimney Sweep LLC, and the property manager pointed to the "exculpatory clause" in the lease which says the landlord shall not be liable for damage or injury due to fire, steam, electricity, gas, water, rain, breakage, leakage, obstruction or other defects of pipes, fire sprinklers, wires and air conditioning.

Click here for: Can landlord escape mold damage liability to tenant? (SouthCoastToday.com, MA - Feb 5, 2005)

Allan Vyhnalek, Platte County cooperative agriculture extension educator, said mycotoxins haven't been a big problem the last couple of years, but there is always potential for them to pop up if grains aren't managed properly.

Click here for: Seminar focuses on the dangers of mycotoxins (Duluth News Tribune, MN - Feb 6, 2005)

Employers, commercial landlords, and employees in Canada, the USA, and worldwide should suspect a mold health threat if any of these three mold warnings occur in the workplace--- (1) Visible mold growth appears on or in ceilings, walls, floors, heating/cooling ducts and registers, attic, basement/crawl space, and/or on furniture, equipment, and inventory of raw materials or finished products.

Click here for: How Employers and Commercial Landlords Can Maintain a Mold-Safe Workplace (WebWire, GA - Feb 6, 2005)

ANSWER: I would strongly recommend that you form an LLC (limited liability company) for each rental property. For example, if one of your rental properties has a serious mold problem and you have that rental property in an LLC, only that LLC would be liable for any multimillion-dollar judgment for the mold problem, as opposed to all of your rental properties and your personal assets. Even if you have liability insurance for the rental property, the coverage may be limited or non-existent for the mold problem, or the liability-insurance carrier may go out of business.

Click here for: LLC on each rental property limits liability (Arizona Republic, AZ - Feb 4, 2005)

Environmental Protection Agency certified Steve Moreland, an inspector from American Metropolitan Environmental Inc., visited the Belle Plaine Monday and found the mold, according to published reports quoting Belle Plaine Mayor Dave Talbot.

Click here for: Mold problem grows in Belle Plaine [Editor's Note: Good Discussion of CDC Report in this Article] (Wellington Daily News, KS - Feb 4, 2005)

Molds can start to grow and spread within 24 to 48 hours in structures where water collects. Many times water damage goes unnoticed because it is concealed behind walls.

Click here for: Menacing Molds - Are They Lurking in Your Home or Work Environment? (allergies.about.com - Feb 5, 2005)

One of the most strongly allergenic materials found indoors is house dust, often heavily contaminated with the fecal pellets and cast skins of House Dust Mites. Estimates are that dust mites may be a factor in 50 to 80 percent of asthmatics, as well as in countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic ailments. Common causes of allergy include house dust mites, cat dander, cockroach droppings and grass pollen. Symptoms are usually respiratory in nature (sneezing, itching, watery eyes, wheezing, etc.), usually NOT A RASH. However, there are reports of a red rash around the neck. Other allergic reactions may include headaches, fatigue and depression.

Click here for Mold Education: Dust Mites

County Administrator Mike Sutter told commissioners that in addition to the equalization department offices, black mold has been discovered in the computer room located across the basement on the courthouse's southeast corner.

Click here for Court Mold: County moves to rub out black mold (Cadillac News, MI - Feb 3, 2005)

"I've never seen (a gym floor) blow up this big before. It looks like somebody has a balloon under there, blowing it up," Mr. Donnelly said. According to facilities manager Robert Souza, custodians discovered water on the floor the Monday after the Jan. 22-23 blizzard and mopped it up. The floor did not show signs of buckling until two days later. Whether or not the school is occupied, a custodian inspects all the rooms every day, he said. No water was reported Sunday.

Click here for School Mold: Water damage displaces sports, gym classes at middle school (SouthCoastToday.com, MA - Feb 2, 2005)

"These policies now have numerous exclusions, so the face value of the premiums has ended up being cut by 75 percent," said Leahy, whose Beaverton company builds some 600 affordable homes yearly in three states. "We used to carry $2 million worth of that insurance; now we carry $500,000," the state's minimum requirement.

Click here for Mold & Insurance: Rising insurance prices hammer area contractors (MSNBC - Jan 31, 2005)

That's because he discovered mold throughout the home. Eastside has promised him a new home, which O'Bray appreciates. But after six months of inconvenience, he decided it was time to voice his frustration with the business.

Click here for Mold Litigation (coming soon): Frustrated, homebuyer protests (Kansas.com, KS - Feb 3, 2005)

(PRWEB) February 3, 2005 -- Black mold is becoming a growing concern, not just in America, but also around the world. Reports of various respiratory problems, skin rashes, bloody noses and headaches are just a few of the effects that black mold has on people. Black mold is most commonly found in homes or buildings that have sustained flooding or water damage from broken pipes, roof leaks, leaking window seals, condensation and other moisture invasions. Due to the mold infestation, people and businesses are being run out of their homes and offices, sometimes never to return. People are destroying their homes and shutting down their businesses just to rid themselves of the problem.

Click here for Mold & Technology: How Employers and Commercial Landlords Can Maintain a Mold-Safe Workplace (WebWire, GA - Feb 6, 2005)

Each 5-to-7 inch doll is accompanied by an image of the real microbe it represents, as well as information about the microbe.

For Fun (and this is for real!): www.giantmicrobes.com

Though we humans are the most advanced creatures and have weapons to fight the moldy menace, some scientists consider slime mold, our number-one enemy, one of the most successful organisms on the planet.

Click here for More fun: The Microbiophobic House