How do YOU handle bugs and such?

[PlumberSoCal2]

So far this grow I’ve had mites, thrips, white fly, aphids, worms, grasshoppers, leaf hoppers and miners.

Aphids come early, so I’ll inspect daily and kill by hand, while spraying the big attractants like roses & nasturtiums with water & soap.

Thrips, leaf miners, & white flies I don’t worry about and just pull any infected leaves. (Don’t get a ton of any of these pest.)

Kill grasshoppers & leaf hoppers by hand.

If you have bud worms in your area you have to be proactive. If you don’t, it’ll be too late in flower. I’ve already started spraying Bt and will continue throughout the grow. When the cannabis plants are young they don’t attract a lot of worms, so I’ll also spray other yard plants that I know the worms are going after now. I have Jerusalem Artichokes (tall yellow daisy like plant) and I’ve been spraying them also.

For mites I’m also proactive in cleaning out leaf liter and removing plants that attract them. For instance the two spotted mites love cat mint and dandelions so I’ll make sure to remove any that pop up over the winter. I saw mites in my yard back in February - with the two-spotted spider mites the overwintering females are the ones that are larger and reddish in color. I’ll use spinosad and a home recipe of oil & isopropyl alcohol. Spinosad is only supposed to be used a limited number of times during a growing, so will use the oils in veg and try and save the spinosad for flower (August). Just pulled all my Nasturtiums a few days back, as they’re already fading and also a big attractant.

The worms are the only pest I’ll spray before seeing. Not a good plan to randomly spray stuff if you don’t know what the pest is and how much of a problem it’ll be. If you’re growing in the same area within a few years you’ll know what’s around. Most of the beneficial bugs will show up late to the party, so you don’t want to be killing all them before they can do the heavy lifting.

Sounds like you live next door

 

[PlumberSoCal2]

Forgot to mention yelling - which is an important tool for some pest.

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The yelling seems to be working well

 

[mancorn]

What do you use for the caterpillars?

Bt (SA-12).

Last year was the first year in decades I didn’t get any worms. But it wasn’t due to spraying, I have no clue. Guessing it was weather related as we had a very mild summer.

I picked a worm off one of my plants yesterday and seen them on other flowers. I notice that as soon as it gets warm I’ll get an explosion of Skipper butterflies. They’re not the problem, but when they show up, so do the bud worms (small moths) and I’ve been seeing a fair amount of the Skippers for months.

Think it’s going to be a bad year.

 

[BearWater]

Bt (SA-12).

Last year was the first year in decades I didn’t get any worms. But it wasn’t due to spraying, I have no clue. Guessing it was weather related as we had a very mild summer.

I picked a worm off one of my plants yesterday and seen them on other flowers. I notice that as soon as it gets warm I’ll get an explosion of Skipper butterflies. They’re not the problem, but when they show up, so do the bud worms (small moths) and I’ve been seeing a fair amount of the Skippers for months.

Think it’s going to be a bad year.

Hey at least you’re on to the pattern and what to look for! That’s a huge up in this game : )

 

[Galgrows]

I spray up till early flower then it's cross my fingers i don't get catapillar bud rot.

 

[RootFarmer]

My property has been unmanaged for years. The weeds have taken over the back yard. Ever seen a 6 ft tall thistle? Lol Someone said it was like living up in the mountains but hidden away in town. Fungus gnats and aphids are ubiquitous but the blackberry jungle provides plenty of ladybugs. I think soil microbes probably help keep them in check also. A lot of stink bugs around and I'm always finding their eggs on leaves. I smash most bugs and toss them in the soil. Surprisingly, grasshoppers have yet to be a problem. But we do have a lot of birds around. Last summer we had cicadas. I don't mind a few leaf choppers for the most part, except grasshoppers. I think a little bug damage stimulates plant defenses. But the sucker bugs I try to prevent. The biggest bug problem I deal with is the caterpillars. They like to inhabit the buds come fall to overwinter. I've seen 6-8 different kinds in my buds just in one season. They feed on the plant, causing damage/decay then it rains and soon after, mold/bud rot.

My prevention plan involves a foliar rotation of Bti and Burkholderia, as well as Bacillus Amyloliquifaciens for mold prevention. Considering Metarhizium Anisopliae for caterpillars also but it's pretty damn expensive and may not be necessary as I've taken measures to keep them away entirely.

 

[mancorn]

I’m normally not all that concerned about moles, but I’ve got one young buck who’s been real busy and dug into a newly transplanted tomato. So just dug up and transplanted a gopher weed (Euphorbia lathris). No idea if the mole will notice, but easier than getting a wiener dog.

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[BearWater]

I’m normally not all that concerned about moles, but I’ve got one young buck who’s been real busy and dug into a newly transplanted tomato. So just dug up and transplanted a gopher weed (Euphorbia lathris). No idea if the mole will notice, but easier than getting a wiener dog.

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That wiener dog would probably make more of a mess trying to get the damn mole I mean the mole can mess stuff up for sure! I just think a weeny would expedite the inevitable

 

[Galgrows]

I’m normally not all that concerned about moles, but I’ve got one young buck who’s been real busy and dug into a newly transplanted tomato. So just dug up and transplanted a gopher weed (Euphorbia lathris). No idea if the mole will notice, but easier than getting a wiener dog

ya know i used to have that mole plant all over my yard at the old place it friggin never helped just lettin you know, maybe it will work for you but i doubt it LOL

 

[mancorn]

ya know i used to have that mole plant all over my yard at the old place it friggin never helped just lettin you know, maybe it will work for you but i doubt it LOL

I dug it up from my yard as they do continuously sprout up (just not where I need it now). Years ago the gophers were digging up my lawn & yard, and I was Bill Murray. Tried it all - traps, gas, flooding, and picked up the weed back then. Can’t say definitively it works, but haven’t had a gopher in decades and always attributed it to the Euphorbia. But have no clue about the moles (which are carnivores).

 

[Cape1]

I've ended up with B.T, Lost Coast Plant Therapy and Neem spray to try and keep my outside ladies healthy and bug-free. I'm wondering how you guys use what you use. Do you begin spraying/treating as soon as you put them outside? I've already seen insect activity after 2 days, so I'm thinking just go ahead and start treating now and get ahead of the little buggers.

Do you alternate what you use? I've heard bugs develop some resistance if you only use one method, if going organic. Is that true?

I'd appreciate hearing about how you outside guys and gals approach organic critter maintenance.

D

I'm an outdoor grower. Last year I used Dr. Zymes eliminator once per week. Got under and over leaves, stems, stalk, soil base. I avoided most bugs that seem to cause problems around here. I did not avoid Cats. This year I will use BT for Cats as a preventer. This step will hopefully prevent some of the Bud Rot from last year.

 

[Ninjadogma]

I would have to say using this has cut out 50% of the volume of pests, but only by making it inaccessible to them. Moths and all the other flying and larger jumping bugs can't get to them, but aphids, mites, scale, thrips and all the tiny assholes can still get in and out no problem and it does nothing to slow them down. I built it over the winter so I haven't had a chance to use it when the butterflies and moths are swarming but I plan to skip the BT in late summer this year if I don't need it for bud worms. Later this month I'll throw some predators in and see how it goes.

 

[Travis_McGee]

Marigolds & Basil are good companion plants in PNW for many pests & bugs. I don't think they faze your caterpillars though unfortunately.

 

[carlosescobar]

i grow corsican mint as a companion plant , its dense and has a strong peppermint smell which is supposed to keep insects away from the soil. i dont bother if i see the odd insect, like rootfarmer says insect attack on a plant stimulates terpine production , some people even buy chitin products to simulate an attack ,

 

[JIMKSI64]

Living here for over 30 years you see patterns. Moles are an issue big time 3-5 years after removing a large tree.
My guess is the roots die and attract bugs that eat the decay and that attracts the moles.
The last tree I had done I asked the guy about it. I specifically asked him if anyone has come up with something that you could dose the tree you are going to kill to make the decay unpaletable to bugs. Said the issue has never come up and suggested anything that can kill a decay eater will kill everything.
So moles..........