How to Spot a Grow-Op (Debunked)

Mogie

This was an article I found online titled "How to Spot a Grow-Op" written by a degreed real estate agent in Canada. IMO this article is inaccurate, exaggerated, and an outright invasion of any neighbors privacy! I was so mad I needed to personally comment on this content.

Below you will find the unedited version of the article in BLACK, including my added comments in RED. I hope you find it both interesting and educational. Oh, and to add, I am guessing that I have seen as many residential "grow-ops" and known as many neighbors as the contributing writer (if not more).

The following are characteristics of typical grow-op houses, many effects of which can still be visible after the house has been vacated:

1. Suspects do not appear to regularly attend jobs, but drive expensive vehicles.

Suspects? We were referring to your neighbor here? And what are you driving and where do you live? You have so much time to watch them you realize they are unemployed? Absolutely absurd. 11 expensive vehicles on my block.

2. There are dark coverings over some of the windows to prevent the escape of bright hydroponic lights.

There are dark coverings over my master bedroom, and as I walk down my street, there are dark coverings on some windows in every single house.

3. Rooms in the house or outbuildings seem to be illuminated all the time.

As I walk my street, rooms and entire houses seem to be illuminated all the time, even in the early a.m.

4. There is heavy condensation on the windows. Absence of frost or snow on the roof when other houses have frost or snow. Or growers put fans in the window to increase air circulation that blows the curtain around.

The reason some roofs show snow and some don't is based on insulation and not temperature. I did notice some neighbors with fans in windows on my walk to. Blows the dark covering around (curtain?) that is keeping the light and heat in?

5. There may be an unusual number of roof vents or unusual amounts of steam coming from the vents in cold weather.

I'm sorry, but walking down the street and counting roof vents could get someone to call the police on me. Are you checking your neighbors for these? What about real danger? Are they sexual predators or have gun collections? I could go on and on...

6. A variety of extra measures have been taken to protect the house, i.e., new fencing, guard dogs, bars on the windows etc. Entry is exclusively through the automatic garage doors. Residents are hardly ever seen out of their cars.

2 neighbors with new fences this year, 3 last year (and I had to go look) No homes with bars on the windows close to me, including mine. Many pets, almost every other home. Most of my block residents know me by first name, and see me if we're outside at the same times. I also use the door to my house to enter.

7. There is a strange odor emanating from the house (pungent and skunky).

Did you walk up to a window or really smell a dead skunk? I smell BBQ, I smell Windex, I smell garlic from my Italian neighbors with the fans, I smell pets too, I even smell curry quite a bit around town, should I be calling the police?

8. Sounds of electrical humming, fans or trickling water. There are also construction noises associated to accommodate a marijuana production facility.

Sounds of electrical humming, fans, trickling water? Every property I own has these common household sounds. Especially when my heat or air-conditioning, or laundry dryer are operating. There are currently more than 6 homes surrounding mine that have some type of construction or renovation going-on (I am calling the police as we speak, I should have known better).

9. There is unusual or modified wiring on the exterior of the house.
Every home I looked at had wiring outside the home that I could not readily identify. Does this qualify as as unusual or modified?

10. The hydro meter can be seen spinning unusually fast. Growers have most of their lights on for at least 12 - 18 hours at a time.
I'm sorry, I would not get close enough to my neighbors houses to look closely at their hydro meter. Like it's any of my business?

11. Localized power surges or browning - neighborhood residences or units experience unexplained power surges or decreased power that dims lights and slows down appliance use, with the return of normal power flow about 12 hours later.
(Images of Frankenstein's Castle) These are experienced all over the World and are explainable. My computer UPS (uninterruptible power supply) logs can show you electrical variations that are happening all day long, and that's just where I live.

12. Residents avoid all contacts with neighbors.
No longer suspects? Unfortunately, this applies to most areas, however, we do NOT avoid any contact with any neighbors. As a matter of fact, it's very good to know them.

13. Children's toys and bikes are left outside but there are no children seen at the residence.
Somebody had to make this stuff up... I have never seen this at any grow-operation, residential or otherwise. I do see it up and down my street and the stuff belongs to the neighbor kid who left it in the seniors yard on the corner.

14. Quantities of growing equipment and supplies are seen to be taken into the house, shed or garage, yet there are no flowers or garden at the house. Often these supplies are purchased in Winter.
Where do I start? With the exclusive use of automatic garage doors by us growers? Or maybe with the fact that INDOOR gardening is one of the most popular and fastest growing hobbies today. We're unemployed remember, we can unload our stuff anytime and usually do when your way asleep pal.

15. There are pots, soil, hoses and nutrients scattered around the property.
On my walk, I find pots, hoses, wheel barrels, garden tools, and more - and that's from the sidewalk. Got to put the police on speed dial.

16. The house can appear to be vacant, the yard is not well tended, and flyer's are accumulating at the door. Residents are seldom seen (garbage is rarely put out to the curb).
I have 4 houses like this on my block. I know someone lives there as I have seen them, I have also seen their garbage out on garbage day. I'm pretty sure these 4 neighbors do not grow dope, but I could be wrong?

17. There are hoses running from doors or windows on the exterior of the house.
I have never seen this either. Is it because they take more care or the growers amongst my neighborhood are tidy?

18. Instances of visitors parking down the street and walking to the house. There is excessive vehicle and/or pedestrian traffic day or night at unusual hours.
Do you have kids? My one neighbor has a 17 year old daughter at home and I have seen all of what you described here with her and her Dad's house. Was this a dealer or a grower?

19. The occupants appear to have moved in at night.
Like this never happens, every time I have moved, it was nightfall before I finished. Every time.

20. It is never possible to see activity at the house but there is lots of garbage.
I thought they didn't have any garbage? And there was unemployed activity you were watching all the time?

WOW! Everyone in my neighborhood is growing pot! How could I have missed all these clues? Absolutely infuriating. - Come sniff around my window, garage or electrical box - I have rights too, and a LARGE one is my privacy - if it does not apply or exist at my home, then where? What is our Right to Privacy for?

Just about anything is being published today, it's getting harder and harder to dissect the truths.

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the.fatman.cometh

damn! yeah, thats all I could muster after reading that!

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ice#1

you must live in the big house down the street from me cuase thats what my block looks like to

Mogie

I think a lot of block look like this. I was suprized to learn that the houses that look like they are dope growers aren't and the ones that don't look like are on my block. I have met a few (we get together and medicate).

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bonghitter

I Live In The Middle Of Nowere I Have Been Here 20yrs And Neve Have Meet My Neighbors He Lives Half A Mile Away He's The Closet One.yea
Can't Do City,but That List Sounds Like A Crock Of Shi------ If Ya Ask Me,dude Had A Comeback For Everything The Person Wrote,good Going Bro

videoman

Hey Hey Hey, Why are you picking on Italians again?
Leave us alone, we've had enough bad press!

Hobo

nice, would make a good thread in the security section, cough cough contrary to the rebuttals to a lot of these items on the list. These are all ways for investigators to confirm suspicion, only after being tipped off usually. But certainly not obvious tells to your neighbors, unless you live in a neighborhood with uptight bitter people on neighborhood watch, taking it to an extreme level. I think they are things you can all be weary of to ensure your grow is as stealth as ever.

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MEDICATE \m/ >¿< \m/

www.greenlightnin.com - The best in Hydroponic Nutrients.

My Current Grow Journal...
http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/hobo...-welcome-2641/


PS i am a pathological liar, and have illusions of grandeur. I post pictures of pot plants i found on the internet and i have never nor will i ever consider the cultivation of marijuana, as it is illegal.

Hobo

HAHAHAH if you DO grow, and you have pots, soil and nutes.... scattered around your yard like in #16, you might as well cut "i grow pot" in your lawn with a mower.

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MEDICATE \m/ >¿< \m/

www.greenlightnin.com - The best in Hydroponic Nutrients.

My Current Grow Journal...
http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/hobo...-welcome-2641/


PS i am a pathological liar, and have illusions of grandeur. I post pictures of pot plants i found on the internet and i have never nor will i ever consider the cultivation of marijuana, as it is illegal.

Pappy

If that guy comes snooping around my place, I will have him planted along with my begonias.

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You can't believe anything I say, and only half of what you see me do.

green_nobody

oh come on, has profiling ever worked too well - NO. It never worked well as it goes after details that could be everything but surely will always turn out to be nothing - but always a good reason to call the cops on a neighbor you don't like or to clean out your cheap renters!

Harass and terrorize your neighborhood - they will love you too!

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Keep the gun oiled and the thumb green!

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp...Canada-eng.MP3