The American Midwest is warm and soggy this summer. That means more wild mushrooms grow. And more wild mushrooms mean more calls to poison control centers.

Has your mom or dad ever called a poison control center? These centers help when a person accidentally eats or drinks something dangerous. Operators on the phone line can look up exactly what the person ate. Then they give instructions about what to do.

Wild mushrooms are often poisonous. People should never eat them unless they really know their fungi.

At the Minnesota Regional Poison Center, the phone is ringing off the hook. Between April and July, it received three times as many calls as during the same period last year. 

Who is calling? Moms and dads of kids who didn’t know what they were eating. Foragers (food finders) who mess up.

Samantha Lee is the center’s director. She says a lot of the calls are about mushrooms found in yards and parks. “Many of these cause upset stomachs, vomiting, and diarrhea,” she says. “Every year we do get some cases with serious outcomes.”

It’s not just Minnesota. Poison center calls were up across all states and territories for April through June.

The Minnesota poison center issued a warning this month. Remember, mushrooms can be hard for untrained people to identify. Don’t eat any wild shrooms unless an expert tells you they are safe to eat.

Watch for little brown toadstools that grow in yards and the small white mushrooms that can form “fairy rings.” Both will make you sick. The white mushroom called “death angel” or “destroying angel” can cause liver failure.

Foraging for edible wild mushrooms has grown more and more popular. But to do it safely, you need to learn from an expert. An experienced fungi hunter can teach you what to avoid. What about identification apps? They can be inaccurate. And AI-generated guide books? They often lead people into making serious mistakes.

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. — Proverbs 19:20