caterpillar alert! please help!!

[geologic]

follow the poop trail, youll find em in your bud, then squish em

The idea is to get 'em before they're old enough to poop--

(that you can see)...

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addendumb to above post:

-> "power"
<- powder...

 

[vaporedout]

yeah the best solution is prevention, but it sounded like he was already past that point. i like safer soap in veg for those guys, i also spray it on the grass around the area my plants are

 

[geologic]

I've been seen stalking cabbage butterflies during egg laying season
with a squirt bottle filled with neem oil set on fullauto, er, stream--
I figure a little collateral damage is no ecological disaster...

 

[BuckP]

Happy Summer 2013 everyone! It's caterpillar time! Thus far the OD girls, planted a month late and just now starting to bust out in flower, seem to be relatively pest free. Famous last words, I know... I am keeping my Magic Organic Repellent (neem) mixture on standby using it as normal - at least once weekly even if no bugs present - but see no point in spraying with Safer/Azamax until I see evidence of pests.

The one thing I've learned is when you don't pay CLOSE attention you lose so this OD season paying really close attention to bugs and such. I think most of my past mistakes have come from looking away - not looking closely enough. Ya gotta pay attention so you know what's normal and what's not.

NO caterpillars - yet. This year I have Safer on hand and at any sighting of caterpillars - which seem to come more aggressively once buds are getting fairly well developed - I'll zap em.

Hope your summer is cat free!

BuckP

 

[BuckP]

Yoho Vaperedout... Just noticed your posts. Thanks for your input. When exactly do you use Safer soap? Before you see cats or once you see them? I'm not sure if Safer prevents cats or simply kills them once present?

 

[Seamaiden]

If you wait until you see caterpillars, you've waited too long. They don't start as caterpillars, they start as moths (IIRC), which then lay eggs (usually as your buds are just beginning to form and stack), which then hatch deep inside a nice, thick, protective bud of cannabis. If you spray starting at bud-set (I use a combination approach, Spinosad, Bt, aka Safer Caterpillar Spray, and compost tea) then you will be much less likely to lose buds to rot caused by caterpillars eating and shitting in a cocoon of canna-goodness.

 

[caregiverken]

the bummer is,the Caters have to be born, then they have to eat it. And
The Cater spray only stays poison for a 3 or 4 days:( ....so you got to keep spraying!
I spray at least once a week alternating from spinosad to BT and back.
Hopping to kill them while they are microscopic

 

[vaporedout]

so as i read this im picking off dead tops on a few of my plants. i sprayed safer soap all throughout veg and about a week into flower. im pretty far along into flower so i dont think i can spray again. but what is this ken about the 3 to 4 days? can i still hit them with safer soap or is it too late. im going to lay out some corn meal and see if that will stop them, but they are in the buds just like sea said, poopin and eatin. good thing it was only 2 plants but it still kills me to see that.

 

[caregiverken]

so as i read this im picking off dead tops on a few of my plants. i sprayed safer soap all throughout veg and about a week into flower. im pretty far along into flower so i dont think i can spray again. but what is this ken about the 3 to 4 days? can i still hit them with safer soap or is it too late. im going to lay out some corn meal and see if that will stop them, but they are in the buds just like sea said, poopin and eatin. good thing it was only 2 plants but it still kills me to see that.

Dude no. It's not too late, unless you live where it's really humid.. Yeah, I dont know whats in your safer soap. But
The BT and Spinosad have a really short half life and you can spray a couple weeks before harvest no problem.

Its hot and dry here right now so I am Drenching even my fattest buds
just sprayed this one (and the rest) yesterday

 

[BuckP]

I've been seen stalking cabbage butterflies during egg laying season
with a squirt bottle filled with neem oil set on fullauto, er, stream--
I figure a little collateral damage is no ecological disaster...

Thanks for this

If you wait until you see caterpillars, you've waited too long. They don't start as caterpillars, they start as moths (IIRC), which then lay eggs (usually as your buds are just beginning to form and stack), which then hatch deep inside a nice, thick, protective bud of cannabis. If you spray starting at bud-set (I use a combination approach, Spinosad, Bt, aka Safer Caterpillar Spray, and compost tea) then you will be much less likely to lose buds to rot caused by caterpillars eating and shitting in a cocoon of canna-goodness.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Seamaiden. But of course...so obvious I'd not thought of it. I'll Google these moths so I can get a visual - or maybe somebody has a link. This tidbit is HUGE. Serious thanks for this whack upside the head... Haven't seen moths thus far and I've been checking the girls several times per day, looking for pests. So far the neem mix seems to be working.

BUT I had bad cats last year SOO should I'd rather on the side of caution. Should I do a general spray-down with the mix you mention now during pre and early flower?

Thanks for sharing your insights!

buck

 

[Seamaiden]

As SOON as the buds begin to set, that's honestly the best way I've found to handle it, outside a physical barrier (which I have yet to purchase, gah! I keep forgetting!). Pre-flower it's not really necessary, but like I said, once you see those buds beginning to set is when it's time to start.

Ken, where did you learn about these products only being effective for a couple of days? I bet it's right there on the label.

 

[caregiverken]

Ken, where did you learn about these products only being effective for a couple of days? I bet it's right there on the label.

I read it somewhere...I cant find it now...but I found this

Similar to Bt, spinosad breaks down in sunlight, so late-day applications will better expose insects to the toxins. Spinosad has a longer period of residual effectiveness compared with Bt, often providing good protection from pests for five to seven days. Generally, spinosad is most effective against insect larvae, so it’s important to look carefully for eggs and feeding insects before you spray.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/spinosad-zmgz11zrog.aspx#ixzz2dHHnuPGi

 

[Mr.Metal]

Let some mantises lose and enjoy the show. Also if no one has mentioned it you could try organocide. They sell it at Home Depot and it says harvest the same day you spray. It does have spinosad.

I like using things like OREGONISM XL in my tea's because its got things like BT so you don't have to spray.

 

[Seamaiden]

I thought Organocide was for fungus/disease, not bugs. I wish we had a Home de Pot nearby. The Lowe's *is* better than nothing, but it's not even a complete Lowe's, for example, mine does not carry a single Espoma product.

 

[Mr.Metal]

I thought Organocide was for fungus/disease, not bugs. I wish we had a Home de Pot nearby. The Lowe's *is* better than nothing, but it's not even a complete Lowe's, for example, mine does not carry a single Espoma product.

When i picked up my first bottle from home depot it was for fungal disease but they also say this:
"Organocide is a nature-safe organic insecticide and fungicide effective on a wide variety of insects, mites, armored and soft scales, and certain fungal diseases."

Which i hadnt realized until a little later with some reading on the good ol web. And no home depot? Thats jusy crazy.. liteally have 3 in about an 8 miles radius. My OSH carries a whole gang load of EPSOMA products, and if you join the ORCHARD club, which is free, you get a bunch of discounts.. so i dont feel like scum over paying for garden supplies :p

Oohhh and what about some predatory wasps?? I have heard about them before but not too familiar with their turn out? But like SEA said before, If the caterpillars have already been impregnated into the buds would the wasps even be able to get down in there? Or even a mantis? maybe with those ninja cutting saw hands huh..

 

[Seamaiden]

Yes, I already do have some predatory wasps, but I'm going to be hitting... Arbico I think it is, for a whole suite of beneficial insects.

That's some good info you gave there, Mr.Metal, thanks! I may discover that my local Lowe's carries it. I should say that prior to Lowe's coming in, all we had were some small local hardware shops, and if we needed the sort of thing or prices one gets at Home de Pot, then we'd go down into Folsom, about 45mi away. So, getting the Lowe's (and the 'new' Safeway, and a Staples) was a pretty big deal out here. Wanna find where all the locals at? Go to Wal-mart. But, not during dinnertime, after school is when. Or, go to Costco in Folsom and do the rounds, we run into lots of locals doing that.

 

[Mr.Metal]

It's very mind boggling to me that in a place, where most people seem to be self sufficient, there's not many sufficient hardware stores; and its pretty impressive to me that everyone still does it so well!

Sea PLEEEASE PLEEEASE PLEEEASE if you don't mind sharing your all star list of insects your going to employ; I know I would greatly benefit and LOVE to see whats in your "clean up crew" :D

 

[Mr.Metal]

Dude no. It's not too late, unless you live where it's really humid.. Yeah, I dont know whats in your safer soap. But
The BT and Spinosad have a really short half life and you can spray a couple weeks before harvest no problem.

Its hot and dry here right now so I am Drenching even my fattest buds
just sprayed this one (and the rest) yesterday

Read this and had a question, if brewed into a tea and fed to the ladies will sunlight have the same effect as it does if BT and SPINOSAD are applied through foliar feeding???

Im thinking a systemic tea AND foliar fed would probably be a good plan.. I have read people's horror stories about BT making buds smell funny after harvest and it just scared me.. But KEN my good man I've got fai in you!! Lol

 

[caregiverken]

I have always liked the way my buds smell and taste :D

I did not know you could feed BT and spinosad to plants :confused:
They work as a systemic?
Hmm...i didnt know that

 

[Mr.Metal]

I have always liked the way my buds smell and taste :D

I did not know you could feed BT and spinosad to plants :confused:
They works as a systemic?
Hmm...i didnt know that

Hahaha excuse my caveman-ness I meant SYSTEMATICALLY and got an auto correct for SYSTEMIC. I brew my teas using the roots organic OREGONISM XL which contains BT along with other bacteria. I used a BT spray initially pre flower for the caterpillars but stopped after buds started to form and keep with my tea's as usual using the OREGONISM XL and I've had my best luck with the caterpillars ever! Past years the caterpillars have raped my crops and this year I have no sign of em.. I'm givi credit to the OREGONISM lol well there's signs of them.. And signs of them leaving my plants alone!! Haha

"Endo/ecto-mycorrhizae, beneficial bacteria, and Trichoderma" trying to find the label to post so I don't have to type it all out. Also contains contains yucca, kelp, and humid acid.. So heeeeeeeeeeey lol I'm mostly wondering about the BT