Q: We had a good question from Kami K. about increased mold count in her mom’s house. “My mom was wondering if it was because they had the windows open during the weekend and she said there was some black dirt that was put outside the house in the backyard that came from a farm. Is the outside air affecting this?”

A: Fungus is nature’s method of breaking down dead matter. If you have received a load of black soil the air around the home will likely be filled with mold spores from the disturbed earth for a while. Farm and gardening soils are particularly rich because they have composting material mixed in them. That material is a fuel source for mold. In fact, when planting season comes around the air mold counts can reach into the millions as thousands of farmers are turning the soil.

If you leave your windows open at any time that is certainly a way for spores to come into your home. With a load of farm dirt newly dumped on your property, there is a high likelihood that an open window would allow a lot of new spores into the house.