Peace all. I am curious to know how many ppl here have bad allergies and yet still do seed runs or breed new strains?? I am very interested in breeding and have been for most my life but I am allergic to pollen and dust and it didnt seem to be an option. But now I start thinking how many breeders have bad allergies and still do their work they do? I know ppl with allergies are common and so it shouldn’t be to hard to find some that do have and still do what they do.
THOUGHTS??IDEAS??
PEACE
I take reactine every day and it still bothers me at times for sure. I haven’t but maybe should wear a mask when I am collecting pollen.
Peace @MBVapester. I dont take any prescription drugs but I do know that if U cut lactose out of Ur diet U will see a significant change on ur allergies. This means cut the cheese (lol) put and any other dairy. Dairy helps to facilitate mucus and will also prolong mucus buildup. I have done the research myself on this matter as I have done this for years and dont suffer the same symptoms as I used to. But direct handling of and usage of will surely trigger me.
What sort of mask would U propose?? The “medical” ones we use everyday definitely dont work. I’ve sneezed more becuz of the mask than I have without.
Peace and thanks for engaging me in this convo
Ok so here’s a thought for ya. Make a little cab to stuff your males or flipped females in, cover the exhaust with a piece of MERV 8 filter material. You can get a furnace filter from the hardware store and just cut pieces out of it that are the right size.
@lefthandseeds chimed in on another thread the other day saying that a MERV 8 rates filter was sufficient to capture pollen, and he’s certainly chucked enough of it around to know.
So that keeps it from spreading around your house, but what about working with it? Well I prefer to harvest it and package it up into individual portions. You can cut it with flour that you bake in the oven on about 180⁰ or so for 30 minutes to dry it right out. Put it straight in an airtight container while it’s still hot and allow it to cool. You’ll want it to cool in a sealed container so it doesn’t reabsorb moisture from the air, you want to keep it as dry as possible. When it actually comes time to harvest your pollen wear a mask, even a cloth one that’s lightly moistened on the outside.
When you harvest your pollen you can mix it with the cooled dried flour. Just make sure not to include any pieces of plant matter. Not only will it help to spread out the millions of pollen grains into a more useable pile it will also help keep it from running wild on you when you use it. Split it up into individual portions, use micro centrifuge tubes, you can get em cheap on Amazon. Keep all the individually sealed tubes together in a ziplock with some dessicant and suck the air out of the bag. Put it in a jar and freeze it. When you ean to pollinate something take out one vial the day before and let it thaw. When you pollinate put a paper or plastic bag around the branch you’re pollinating, cut a tiny hole in a top corner and put the tube in and pop it. Shake, get a paintbrush in there, whatever. After it sits long enough put a spray bottle nozzle in through the hole and soak everything down. Remove bag and dispose.
Ta-daa! Minimal exposure, no pollen floating around your house fucking with your mucus membranes and your sinsemilla. You’ll really only have to be exposed when you first harvest it, and if you use a grinder it might help keep that contained as well. I did it in this thread, worked great…
Now get breeding!! 
I didn’t ever think about allergies and bedding being a problem until reading the topic; and then I was horrified! Maybe I can’t breed, because I can’t go to like the garden center height of spring because I’m allergic. But you changed my mind.
@7ANJA7OD As far as allergy mitigation I’ve found I need a full face mask, not just respiratory. It gets in your eyes. Usually because you touch your face, but sometimes just airborne. Let me know how it goes as far as symptoms, I’m eager to know.
You may find more info here:
Not sure on what type of mask. I do use merv 8 furnace filters already on all intakes and out pipes already. It’s really only bad when I’m messing with it and just put up with it at this point.
Peace.
Noted… thanks for Ur input.
Too bad they don’t make tents that have extra vent ports at arm level. With the exhaust fan going, Those would work just like sticking your arm into one of those “hoods” that contain and exhaust fumes in chem labs.
Peace @Seamonkey84. Yes this would be cool to have to breed in and I may try to manipulate a tent one day for this purpose. But the smaller tents like my 3x3 or even 2x2 can be used. U can get a stock in the hole and wack the boys around with all things sealed. Problem is the scale of that is small although I may make a good number of beans I’m speaking about breeding and if that is the case U need LOADS of beans so like at least a 5x5 tent or a 10x10 (a couple of each). Or even a whole room. But that’s where the problem lies. The larger scale things. I can make beans all day in a 2x2 but I was thinking on breeding so I feel a larger scale is more appropriate. Thanks for Ur input and engaging in the convo.
Peace and be well