 |
 |
 |
| |
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Below
you will find a list of the most frequently asked
questions regarding the products and services offered
by Sporeworks. Clicking on each question will jump
you to the answer. If your question is not answered
in the below list, please contact
us and we will do our best to answer your inquiry.
|
|
Ordering
and General Policies
How
do I place an order through the mail?
The
online shopping cart isn't working for me, do
I have other options?
Do
you have a phone number I can call to place
my order?
How
soon are orders shipped and what are typical
delivery times?
What sort of packaging do you
use and how is it labeled shipped?
What delivery options do I have
and will I receive multiple packages?
How do I know if my order has
been shipped?
My tracking number says my
order was delivered, but I never received it,
now what?
I am under 18, can I still order
from you?
Do you ship to countries outside
the USA?
Are there any ordering, item,
or shipping restrictions for international customers?
My order appears to be damaged
or broken after shipping, what now?
What is your return and refund
policy?
Why are Pressure Cookers and
Steam Sterilizers shipped directly from the
factory?
Can I have my order shipped
as a gift to someone else?
Do you include an invoice with
my order?
How safe is my credit card information?
Do you sell, trade, or maintain
any mailing lists?
How long has Sporeworks been
in business?
Culture
and Spore Related Questions
I
want to purchase spores to grow illegal mushrooms,
can you help me?
Why
are Psilocybe and Panaeolus spores
sold for microscopy only?
Do you sell Psilocybe
or Panaeolus spores to residents of CA,
ID, or GA?
What is the best way to view
my spores under a microscope?
What is the difference between
a spore print and a spore/culture syringe?
How should I store my cultures
and spores and how long will they last?
How can I start growing my edible
and medicinal spores or cultures?
Where do you get your cultures
and spores from?
How are spores handled before
I receive them?
Are these spores dangerous?
My
culture or spores appear to be contaminated,
now what?
Supplies
Related Questions
What
is Agar?
Why are there so many Agar formulas
and how do I choose the best?
Why is media anti-biotic only
for limited used?
If an item does not have a listed
quantity discount can I still save with a bulk
order?
What is the shelf life of my
Edible and Gourmet Mushroom Grow Kit Bag?
What are the Edible and Gourmet
Mushroom Kits made from?
I am a novice and don't have
much equipment, will using the Edible and Gourmet
Mushroom Kits require much time or effort?
What sort of mushrooms can I
grow with my Edible and Gourmet Mushroom Kit?
I got my Grow Kit today, now
what?
I do not see anything growing,
is my Grow Kit defective?
Does my
Grow Kit Bag need to be cased?
My Grow Kit Bag has finished
fruiting, is there something else I can do?
What is the difference between
pressure cookers and sterilizers?
|
|
Ordering
and General Policies
|
| How
do I place an order through the mail? |
Add
the desired items to your shopping cart using the
buttons provided on the item pages. When you are
ready, click the "Checkout" button located
in the left-hand column of your screen. Begin by
providing your shipping and billing address information,
you will need to fill in both fields even though
they will be the same for mail orders. Hit the "submit"
button at the bottom of the screen. A new screen
will appear allowing you to select your desired
UPS shipping option, select "Other Carriers"
from the drop down menu if you desire US Postal
or Air Mail services. Select the box for Mail Order:
Cash, Money Order, Cashiers Check payment at the
bottom of the screen and hit "continue."
Review your order details on the next screen and
hit "submit order." A printable invoice
will appear. Print this invoice and mail along with
payment to the address listed at the top of the
invoice. If you are unable to print your invoice,
simply send your payment along with your ORDER ID
number from the top of invoice. Make check and money
orders payable to "The Spore Works."
|
| Do
you have a phone number I can call to place my order? |
Yes,
we offer phone ordering support Monday through Friday
9am to 5pm EST. Please call us at 865-558-3002.
Note: this is not a toll free number. If we are
unavailable to take your call for any reason, leave
a message and we'll get back to you ASAP. We will
do whatever is in our power to make sure you can
successfully place your order and receive your items
in a timely manner.
|
| How
soon are orders shipped and what are typical delivery
times? |
Orders
are typically processed and shipped within 24-48
hours of payment receipt. Occasional product backorder
may delay your order for a few extra days. We will
do our best to inform you if your order is expected
to be delayed longer than 3-4 days. Transit time
depends on the delivery method chosen during checkout.
While we offer UPS Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, and
3 Day Select shipping options, this does not guarantee
your order will arrive the day after or two days
after it is placed. We place orders with express
shipping on priority fulfillment and do everything
possible to ship them as soon as possible. UPS express
shipping options do not provide Saturday delivery,
so orders placed for Next Day or 2nd Day service
on Thursday or Friday may not make delivery until
the following Monday.
|
| What
sort of packaging do you use and how is it labeled? |
Packaging
will depend on the items ordered. Orders for spore
prints are shipped in small 4 x 8 inch padded bubble
mailers. Culture and spore syringes are mailed in
small white cardboard boxes measuring 10 x 2 x 2
inches (larger for big orders). Supplies will be
packaged in different sized boxes depending on the
weight and bulk of the items ordered. Domestic packages
will only contain the needed labels for shipping
and will not display outside descriptions of the
packaged contents. International orders requiring
boxes for shipping (not spore prints) will be labeled
with a customs claim ticket describing the contents
of the package. The return address label will be
marked as "The Works" on all orders.
|
| What
delivery options do I have and will I receive multiple
packages ? |
Sporeworks
currently offers two carrier options: UPS and US
Mail. We offer all standard UPS shipping options,
and US Priority Mail or AirMail Express. These methods
are the most reliable and cost efficient available.
Each will allow you to track your package to some
degree (protecting them from loss in shipment).
Our items are shipped from the same location, but
you may receive multiple shipments if a single item
is temporarily backlogged and delaying the rest
of your order. All orders are shipped as requested
during the checkout procedure (unless otherwise
arrange prior to order placement by contacting
us).
|
| How
do I know if my order has been shipped? |
When
placing your order be sure to include a valid email
address we can use to contact you with tracking
information, or in the case any problems arise in
processing your order. As soon as your order is
processed and shipped a confirmation email will
be sent to the provided email and include your UPS
tracking number or Priority Mail delivery confirmation
number. UPS
tracking numbers can be used to track the progress
of your order. Delivery
confirmation from the US mail will only tell
if and when you have successfully received your
package .
|
| My
tracking number says my order was delivered, but
I never received it, now what? |
Some
shippers may leave your package at your door without
requesting signature. If your UPS tracking number
or US Priority Mail delivery confirmation number
shows delivery but you do not have your package,
there are several options. First, please check with
other members of your household to ensure your package
was not secured by someone else. If your order is
still not accounted for, please contact
us for additional instructions and to arrange
for replacement order to be mailed. We may ask for
you to file a lost package claim with the shipper
so we can obtain some compensation for the package
they lost or misplaced at delivery. After a claim
is filed we will then promptly reship a replacement
order free of charge to minimize any delay for you
to receive your order.
|
| I
am under 18, can I still order from you? |
Sporeworks
requires all customers to be over the age of 18
to purchase any material from our catalogue. Proof
of age may be required, or proof of adult permission
obtained if we suspect an order is placed by a minor.
We are very sorry if this causes any problems for
those wishing to purchase our goods, but if you
are under the age of 18 we ask you get your parents
written consent to buy goods from our catalogue.
|
| Do
you ship to countries outside the USA? |
Yes
we do ship to countries outside the USA. Our shopping
cart system is now setup to accept international
orders and delivery options are now available for
international customers. For Canadian customers
we offer UPS Standard as well as Air Mail Express
options. Those outside North America will need to
choose between UPS Worldwide or Air Mail Express.
Choose the "Other Carriers" option from
the drop down menu of shipping options to retrieve
Air Mail Express rates as only UPS rates are initially
displayed. Please understand that some items are
bulky and weigh a considerable amount and therefore
international delivery may be impractical or very
expensive.
|
| Are
there any item, ordering, or shipping restrictions
for international customers? |
Ordering
and item restrictions may vary depending on the
country of destination. Some countries will not
allow the importation of live culture or spore material,
especially in hydrated syringe form. Australia
and New Zealand will not allow any pre-sterilized
Grow Bag Kits, spore syringes, or culture syringes
to pass through customs. Customers in these
countries are asked to restrict their spore purchases
to spore print samples only to ensure delivery may
be possible. We ask that all international buyers
consult their country's importation and duty schedules
to be informed of any additional taxes or restrictions
for importation of goods from our catalogue. Sporeworks
cannot accept responsibility for replacement of
seized or confiscated orders. Canadian customers
choosing UPS Standard delivery option may be responsible
for additional duty or importation brokerage fees
upon delivery. We will not process any
credit card payments originating in Russia or any
Russian Federation countries, or from the country
of Brazil. We ask customers in these countries to
please contact
us to make arrangements for their orders, or
to process their order via mail ordering.
|
| My
order appears to be damaged or broken after shipping,
now what? |
Sometimes
packages will receive rough handling during shipping.
If you find your order has been damaged or broken
in transit, please contact
us to make additional arrangements. We may ask
you to file a damage claim with the shipper so that
we can be reclaim some funds for the damage they
caused. We will then make arrangements for your
package to be reshipped ASAP so as to minimize any
delay for you in receiving good, clean, whole and
undamaged merchandise.
|
| What
is your return and refund policy? |
All
sales are final on pre-sterilized items. We do offer
a sterility guarantee on these items for 30 days
after purchase. A 20% restocking fee will be charged
on all returned items. Items must be in original
unused condition. No returns without written authorization.
No returns after 30 days. Shipping charges
are not refundable. Checks may take time
to clear, for fastest service use credit card, cashiers
check, or US Postal money order. If the
shipper for any reason returns orders to us you
will be billed for additional shipping charges.
$20.00 service charge will be charged on all returned
checks. Culture products are sold with cleanliness
and viability guarantee, should you find your cultures
to be unviable or contaminated please contact
us and we will make arrangements for replacement.
|
| Why
are pressure cookers and steam sterilizers shipped
directly from the factory? |
Pressure
cookers and steam sterilizers are shipped via UPS
ground directly from the factory. These items are
very bulky and weigh a considerable amount. Drop
shipping from the factory saves in delivery costs
and allows us to charge you a reduced price for
the item. Pressure cookers and steam sterilizers
MUST be shipped via UPS Ground and will arrive independently
of any other item ordered at the same time. Other
items contained in a pressure cooker order will
be delivered via the most economical method to help
keep shipping costs and product prices low.
|
| Can
I have my order shipped as a gift to someone else? |
Yes,
you may have your order shipped as a gift to someone
else, but we will require additional
steps to process the order. If you are sending your
order to any address other than the billing address
for the card, or sending it to any receiver name
that is different than that of the cardholder we
are required to obtain additional "proof of
cardholder participation" to complete your
order. You will be asked to provide a photo copy
or scanned image of your card via email or fax with
a signed note authorizing the shipment of your order
to the alternative name/address. You will receive
these additional instructions within 24-48 hours
via email after placing your order. As a result,
orders shipped to any name or address different
than the cardholder name or billing address may
experience a slightly longer processing and shipping.
Mail order payments do not require these additional
requirements and can be shipped to any address legally
able to receive the material in the order.
|
| Do
you include an invoice with my order? |
Sporeworks
will not include an invoice with your order unless
specifically requested in the "Special Instructions"
field during order checkout. Having an invoice included
with your order can help in tracking potential sterility
or cleanliness problems (in the case of contaminated
spores or dirty spore syringes/cultures) and can
speed up the replacement process by having the original
order information on hand when you contact us.
|
| How
safe is my credit card information? |
Your
credit card information is safe with our SSL certification
protecting the checkout process and Authorize.net
protecting the credit card processing and transmission.
Our new system allows us to process your credit
cards using our own merchant account via protected
servers without 3rd party processing such as PayPal.
|
| Do
you sell, trade, or maintain any mailing lists? |
Sporeworks
offers our customers the option of signing up for
a product announcement list. The sign up for this
list is found in the left hand column in the "NEWS"
section of our Online Store. NO information from
subscribers of this list is sold to any other organization
or traded to any other organization by Sporeworks.
This list is maintained and managed internally by
our company. Anyone wishing to remove their name
from this list may contact
us and request removal. Subscription to this
list is recommended to stay up to date on new product
releases.
|
| How
long has Sporeworks been in business? |
| Sporeworks
was started in October of 1998. You can trust that
your order will be filled in a timely manner by
professionals with a long standing tradition and
investment in quality products and service.
|
|
Culture
and Spore Related Questions
|
| I
want to purchase spores to grow illegal mushrooms,
can you help me? |
Sporeworks
offers Psilocybe and Panaeolus genera
mushroom spores for microscopy purposes only. The
cultivation of many of these species will result
in mushrooms that posses the chemical Psilocybin.
This chemical is currently regulated as a Schedule
1 narcotic in the US and many other countries. Production
of these mushrooms is illegal in the US and many
other countries. It is not the intention of Sporeworks
to encourage people to break the law or to promote
the use of illicit drugs. We cannot offer any advice
explicitly directed towards the cultivation of these
mushrooms. We can, however, answer all your questions
regarding edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation
and culturing.
|
| Why
are Psilocybe and Panaeolus spores
sold for microscopy only? |
Psilocybe
and Panaeolus genera mushroom spores are
sold for microscopy purposes only because many of
these species will produce mushrooms containing
the controlled substance Psilocybin. Psilocybe
and Panaeolus spores are legal for sale because
the actual spores contain no Psilocybin and therefore
are not subject to regulation or control unless
specified otherwise by state or local law. Psilocybe
and Panaelous spores cannot be shipped to
Georgia, California, or Idaho without proper permissions.
|
| Do
you sell Psilocybe or Panaeolus spores
to residents of CA, ID, or GA? |
Sporeworks
will not process any request to these three
states for Psilocybe or Panaeolus
mushroom spores. California, Idaho, and Georgia
state law may restrict possession of these mushrooms
spores without first receiving proper permissions
from the applicable state agricultural or research
advisory agency. We regret that any order placed
requesting these items shipped to these states will
be refused, voided, or refunded. Residents of CA,
ID, and GA are not restricted from ordering any
other items sold on our site.
|
| What
is the best way to view my spores under a microscope? |
Spores
are best viewed at 400x or higher magnification.
Place a small amount of dried spores into a small
amount of water and then place a small drop of the
resulting solution on a glass slide and cover with
a glass cover slip. Excess water can be absorbed
with the corner of a paper towel to prevent the
cover slip from floating and drifting. Pre-made
spore solutions in hypodermic syringes can be conveniently
dispensed directly onto the slide. Spores can be
accurately measured with a stage micrometer (a glass
slide with a tiny engraved ruler).
|
| How
should I store my cultures and spores and how long
will they last? |
Culture
syringes should be stored in the clean ziplock baggie
in which they were packaged and placed in your fridge
until planned use. Spore prints should be stored
in the clean ziplock baggie in which they are packaged.
It is best to store this baggie in a cool, draft-free
location with low humidity. Spore prints can remain
clean for many years if cared for properly. Spore
syringes should be stored in a clean ziplock baggie
(like the one used in shipping) and placed in a
refrigerator. Refrigerating the syringes increases
the length of time the spores will remain clean
and usable for microscopy (up to 4-5 months).
|
| How
can I start growing my edible and medicinal spores
and cultures? |
It
depends on the species you are attempting to grow
and the skill level of the cultivator. We have prepared
several cultures
in convenient syringes that can be injected into
pre-sterilized substrates for practically foolproof
cultivation. Each edible, medicinal, and novelty
species has its own requirements and should be well
researched before ordering. We offer easy
to use fruiting and spawn starter kits for most
of the edible and medicinal cultures in our catalogue.
Please check our Links
page for more information and methods on cultivating
our many edible, medicinal, and novelty species.
|
| Where
do you get your cultures and spores from? |
Edible
and medicinal cultures and spores are maintained
by our skilled and qualified employees in our US
labs. Psilocybe and Panaeolus genera
spores are collected from wild specimens or provided
via our research center at JXMI (Jamaican Xotic
Mushrooms Inc.) in Westmoreland Jamaica or via our
experienced and qualified research associates in
Europe.
|
| How
are spores handled before I receive them? |
Spore
prints are taken under sterile conditions are packaged
in sterile baggies. The spores are never removed
from their bag following printing. Spore syringes
are created from clean prints in our positive HEPA
pressure cleanroom laboratory and are shipped with
the needle sterile. Culture syringes are prepared
from a nutrient broth solution and stored at refrigerated
temperatures prior to shipping.
|
| Are
these spores dangerous? |
None
of the spores sold by our company are dangerous.
Some, like many Psilocybes and Panaeolus,
can produce mushrooms containing the controlled
substance psilocybin. These mushrooms may produce
hallucinogenic effects and it should be noted that
production of psilocybin and psilocin is illegal
within the US and many other countries. Spores from
these species are offered for microscopy purposes
only.
|
| My
cultures or spores appear to be contaminated, now
what? |
All
spores/cultures and pre-sterilized items are supplied
with a cleanliness guarantee.
Should you find any of our spore or culture products
be contaminated with mold or bacteria please contact
us with your original purchase information and
we will make arrangements to replace your spores/cultures
as per our sterility guarantee. If you have ordered
pre-sterilized supplies and found them to arrive
contaminated with molds or bacteria please contact
us and we will make arrangements for replacements
to be sent.
|
Supplies
Related Questions
|
| What
is Agar? |
Agar
is the standard material used in microbiological
and mycological culture work for gelatinizing
nutrient broths. It is derived from certain
seaweeds and cannot be directly digested by
most organisms. It is material, with the addition
of various nutrients, that is poured into
petri dishes. It is used to germinate spores
and isolate mycelium away from contaminates.
|
| Why
are there so many Agar formulas and how do
I choose the best? |
Different
species grow better on different agar formulas
but the vast majority do well with malt extract
agar (MEA) and potato dextrose agar (PDA).
It is a good idea to alternate between two
or more agar formulas to keep cultures vigorous.
Growing a specimen continuously on one formula
has been shown to cause a gradual decline
in vitality. Some agar formulas contain antibiotics
and/or antimold agents to inhibit competitor
organisms. These are very useful for working
with badly contaminated spore prints or cultures
but should not be used for long-term culture
maintenance.
|
| Why
is media anti-biotic only for limited use? |
Although
for the short term an antibiotic may stimulate
mycelial growth, extended use may cause genetic
damage to the strain. It is also possible
to create an antibiotic resistant strain of
bacteria thus rendering your antibiotic useless
for when it is truly needed.
|
| If
an item does not have a listed quantity discount
can I still save with a bulk order? |
We
have listed the most popular items available
at bulk discount on our Online Store. You
can take advantage of the bulk pricing by
using the drop down menus for each item and
selecting the desired quantity, corresponding
bulk pricing will then be displayed. We can
offer many of our other products and spore
items at bulk rates but circumstances may
depend on available stock or shipping options.
Please contact
us if you are seeking bulk purchasing
or wholesale purchasing information for any
item not already listed with bulk rates and
discounts.
|
| What
is the shelf life of my Edible and Gourmet
Mushroom Grow Kit Bag? |
Our
tests have proven the shelf life of
Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Grow Kit Bags to
be at least 4 months from the time of product
arrival before possible expiration. If the
bag is stored in a relatively stable environment
with normal humidity (dry air could dry out
the substrate mixture) then there is reason
to believe the bag could store as long as
6 months. All bags shipped from our store
are from recently sterilized batches, so you
can be guaranteed to receive a fresh product
with a full shelf life expectancy.
|
| What
sort of mushrooms can I grow in my Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Kit? |
The
Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Kits have been constructed
with a substrate mixture specifically formulated
for the production of different types of fungus.
Most kits are listed with the applicable culture
for the fungus most appropriate for the mixture
contained in the Kit's Bag. For example, the
straw and grass based bag used for the Oyster
Mushroom Kit is best suited for the production
of oyster mushrooms. Many species specific
bag based grow kits will be introduced in
the coming future, so stay tuned.
|
| I
got my Grow Kit today, now what? |
Once
your Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Kit arrives there
are only a few steps before you can begin
to enjoy the wonders of mycological study.
Simply follow the directions outlined on the
Kit's
Page. Once your bags have been properly
inoculated simply wait until they become fully
colonized with mycelium before exposing them
to indirect light on a daily basis. Once fully
colonized, exposure to indirect light for
12 hours a day is best to initiate pinning.
|
| I
do not see anything growing, is my Grow Kit
defective? |
The
Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Kits have been extensively
tested and are prepared using very strict
quality control guidelines. As such, we do
not expect many of our customers to have problems
with this product. If nothing appears to be
growing in your bag (i.e. it looks just as
it did the day it arrived, even after culture
inoculation) then chances are the culture
used to inoculate the bag may have become
unviable. If your cultures have been purchased
through our site we can offer to replace any
defective or contaminated MycoBag(TM). However,
we cannot extend this guarantee to cultures
purchased through other vendors and used in
our bags. If you find your Grow Kit to be
unproductive then please Contact
Us to make arrangements to receive either
replacement bags or replacement cultures.
If no growth is apparent in the bag then chances
are you just need a fresh culture syringe
to start growth.
|
| Does
my Grow Kit Bag need to be cased? |
The
Edible
and Gourmet Mushroom Kits are designed
to work without any additional casing procedures
or removal of the substrate from the bag.
However, many customers have noted success
in removing the colonized substrate from the
bag, placing it in fruiting trays and applying
traditional casing mixtures. Doing this will
undoubtedly increase the productivity of the
bag substrate and may allow you to successfully
grow species unsuited for the traditional
Myco Bag grow procedure.
|
| My
Grow Kit Bag has finished fruiting, is there
something else I can do? |
Once
the substrate contained in the Grow
Kit Bag is exhausted and finished producing
fruits there are several options you can explore.
Many customers have noted success by injecting
sterilized or distilled water into the substrate
through the injection port. Recharging the
bags in this manner may allow more flushes
to develop. Other customers have noted further
success by removing the spent substrate from
the bag and placing in traditional fruiting
chambers and supplying supplemental humidity
and air exchange. The spent substrate may
also be used to spawn bulk mediums given the
myco bag substrate has been handled in fairly
sterile surroundings when opened for harvest.
|
| What
is the difference between pressure cookers
and sterilizers? |
Unlike
pressure cookers, a sterilizer creates a seal
inside the chamber as it cools preventing
any unclean outside air from entering the
chamber during cooling or while your material
awaits use after cooking. Sterilizers offer
a very affordable solution to high priced
autoclaves for the home lab. For most uses
a pressure cooker will provide all the sterilizing
power you need for home mycological experimentation.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
