Marijuana is undoubtedly one of the most abundant cash crops produced in the United States surpassing wheat and corn combined.
Anyone can grow cannabis, and with its recent legalization in many states, many people are getting into cannabis cultivation. If you’re thinking about producing it, you should be aware that a high level of commitment is necessary.
Among the various obstacles that may keep you from that sweet smelling bud harvest, is pests on your cannabis plant.
Common Pests on Cannabis Plants
Like death and taxes, pests and bugs are inevitable for any weed grower, and there is a need to recognize and control them if any harvest is to be achieved. It’s no surprise that cannabis has a long list of living things that enjoy its taste. Unfortunately, only human beings know the right plant care to ensure it stays healthy to maturity.
Cannabis cultivation can attract mealy bugs, moths, caterpillars and spider mites. You may be tempted to rush online and get the most potent pesticide you can lay your hands on, but that is not always ideal. They may kill the bugs but also ruin the quality of the buds – this is not what any grower wants.
Ideally, preference should be on preventive methods. This is trying to close possible channels they may use or discourage them from getting to your precious plant. Work towards making your plant’s surroundings as unfriendly as possible to pests.
And if necessary, there are organic deterrents you can use. They are safe and will not ruin the quality of the plants.
1. Caterpillars
Caterpillars have this destructive appetite for your cannabis crops and can leave significant damage before you even notice they are there. The borer varieties will penetrate the plant’s interior and ingest it from within. If not keen enough, you may end up with a dead plant and fail to notice you had a caterpillar problem.
But that does not mean that the external caterpillars are any friendlier. If anything, they also have a specific liking for the marijuana plant and quickly pick it out to satisfy their voracious appetite. Outdoor growers can get free extermination services from preying mantises and wasps. But there are also organic sprays and other methods to get rid of our wriggly enemies.
2. Cutworms
Cutworms will attack your cannabis plants while still young – they like their weed young and fresh. The pests use stealth and only come out to enjoy their meal under cover of darkness. You may never see them. But some signs will inform you of their presence.
If the top of your leaves looks trimmed, then there may be cutworms around. But it’s not an uphill task to get rid of them, and it shouldn’t worry you too much. Sometimes, they may go away on their own since they have numerous predators – this explains why they love darkness, apparently.
Other simple reactive measures include tilling the soil and planting a sunflower close to your cannabis plant.
3. Mealy Bugs
These little bugs actually take residence on your cannabis plant. Usually, they are no trouble when just a handful of them exist. They become destructive when their numbers swell.
Mealybugs are hard weavers of gauzy balls – the most definite sign that you have mealy bugs as guests on your plant. The presence of ants is another indication of a mealybug infestation – mealybugs and ants have some beneficial relationship going on there.
It’s easy to evict these free dwellers by wiping them off with a piece of cloth. And lemon juice will keep these guys from returning.
4. Spider Mites
These are probably some of the most significant problems you may face as a cannabis grower. Spider mites reproduce swiftly and are mature within a week. Within a short period, the little bugs can easily cover every plant surface.
Spider mites feed on plant nutrients until it dies. If nothing is done, the bugs may leave your entire crop in ruins and result in you nursing your losses.
You can naturally control mealy bugs by merely introducing ladybirds into your garden – they are natural predators of spider mites. Alternatively, you can also use a blend of water and neem oil to spay them off the plant. They will have challenges getting back on and quickly die of starvation – they have this colossal metabolism.
5. White flies
Among the qualities that make whiteflies dangerous is their mobility and affinity for spreading diseases. The little-winged creatures can spread diseases to your entire crop leaving you with an empty harvest – nothing to show for your efforts.
The easiest way of dealing with these marauders is preventing them in the first place. Introduce natural predators such as insects to prey on them – planting colorful flowers will attract hummingbirds. Furthermore, you can use a diluted garlic solution as a deterrent – they don’t like it.
6. Leaf Miners
These miner pests drill on the surface of the leaves and take away essential nutrients from the plant. So how do you recognize a leaf miner infestation? Well, you will notice brown and white streaks gracing the leaves.
Leaf miners place their larvae underneath the leaves. Upon hatching, these larvae burrow into leaves. The bad news is that these bugs are hard to get rid of. The commercially available insecticides are ineffective against them and may do more harm than good.
But these house-fly looking bugs are not too much of a threat to your cannabis. Their numbers continuously stay low, and the damage they leave is not significant. However, you can physically search the little maggots and squish the life out of them – requires some courage though. You can then cut off the affected leaf.
Well there you have it, six of the most common marijuana pests you should be aware of. It is not too hard to keep them away. Happy growing!
About the Author
Michelle Whyte is a gardening enthusiast from North Dakota. She started having passion for gardening at an early age which may be due to the fact that she comes from a family of ardent farmers. At the early age of 15, she discovered how fulfilling it is to grow seed. She started her vegetable garden staring from the basics, with the help of her family. She started her blog about gardening, Gardening Leave, to help budding gardeners with the nitty-gritty of agriculture while providing the information in an easy-to-read format.
fenofibrate 200mg pill tricor 200mg pill buy generic tricor 160mg
ketotifen 1mg usa geodon 40mg price imipramine where to buy
minoxytop online buy pills for ed where to buy ed pills online
buy aspirin 75 mg purchase imiquad cream purchase zovirax without prescription
order florinef generic buy fludrocortisone 100mcg for sale pill loperamide
etodolac 600 mg us etodolac online order order pletal 100 mg online
buy prasugrel 10 mg for sale dramamine medication buy tolterodine generic
purchase ferrous online buy sotalol 40mg online sotalol online buy
vasotec buy online doxazosin 2mg pill buy duphalac bottles
buy generic xalatan over the counter capecitabine price buy cheap rivastigmine
where can i buy betahistine buy zovirax generic benemid without prescription
canadian pharmacies online respecting
order omeprazole online cheap purchase prilosec buy metoprolol online
buy premarin 600 mg generic buy cabergoline overnight delivery viagra
buy cenforce medication order generic chloroquine 250mg aralen 250mg cheap
order modafinil 200mg pill order prednisone 10mg for sale prednisone 20mg brand
buy omnicef paypal prevacid 15mg sale lansoprazole 30mg tablet
casino moons online casino buy lasix pill diuretic lasix without prescription
generic pantoprazole lisinopril 2.5mg brand order phenazopyridine 200mg online cheap
real money casino online usa doxycycline 100mg us albuterol pills
Brilliant information here! Hopefully you wont stop the flow of such magical material!
play blackjack online stromectol 6mg usa ivermectin india
order symmetrel 100 mg without prescription tenormin 100mg brand avlosulfon 100 mg tablet
family discount pharmacy
best canadian prescription prices
no perscription drugs canada
play roulette casino bonus levothroid cheap
buy medrol without prescription buy generic aristocort purchase triamcinolone generic
buy generic clomid online azathioprine oral imuran 25mg canada
aceon 8mg canada aceon 8mg price buy allegra 180mg pills
canadian pharmacy no prescription needed
cheap phenytoin cyclobenzaprine 15mg cheap generic oxybutynin 5mg
how to get loratadine without a prescription claritin for sale order priligy online cheap
baclofen tablet buy amitriptyline tablets where to buy toradol without a prescription
amaryl 4mg pills purchase cytotec for sale order etoricoxib 120mg without prescription
oral alendronate 70mg colchicine 0.5mg over the counter cheap macrodantin 100 mg
best mail order pharmacies
purchase inderal without prescription buy generic inderal online purchase clopidogrel without prescription
purchase pamelor generic methotrexate price order paracetamol generic
legit canadian pharmacy online
where can i buy coumadin coumadin 2mg canada reglan over the counter
order xenical 60mg sale diltiazem 180mg drug diltiazem pills
buy famotidine 40mg online hyzaar usa order tacrolimus without prescription
generic nexium 40mg order mirtazapine 15mg sale cheap topamax 200mg
how to get zyloprim without a prescription crestor 10mg drug crestor pills
buspirone 5mg oral brand buspirone buy cordarone generic
order tamsulosin 0.4mg for sale zocor for sale online simvastatin online order
how to buy aldactone buy proscar for sale proscar 5mg without prescription
buy a dissertation help writing essays college essay service
forcan pills forcan medication order cipro online cheap
order sildenafil 100mg sale oral estrace estrace 1mg without prescription
buy flagyl no prescription flagyl 200mg sale purchase keflex generic
order lamotrigine without prescription lamotrigine 200mg brand mebendazole brand
cleocin 150mg tablet fildena 50mg over the counter fildena 50mg tablet
tretinoin gel cheap order generic tadalafil 10mg order avana 200mg online cheap
order axetil online cheap where to buy bimatoprost without a prescription robaxin 500mg pill
cheap lamisil 250mg casino roulette online for real money
buy aspirin 75 mg generic online casino real money usa vegas casino online
need help writing a paper free money no deposit betting play online roulette for fun
trimox 500mg for sale trimox canada biaxin ca
oral rocaltrol buy trandate 100mg pill buy generic tricor over the counter
clonidine price catapres 0.1mg sale spiriva 9mcg pills
uroxatral 10mg generic piriton allergy tablets canada alternatives to paracetamol for headaches
prescription sleep meds for elderly sleeping tablets online shop get weight loss shots online
smoking cessation medication list disease modifying antirheumatic drug side effect buy medication online with prescription
cost medroxyprogesterone medroxyprogesterone 5mg cost hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg drug
antiviral drugs name list pharmapure sugar blocker reviews once a week pill for diabetes
periactin for sale order generic luvox 50mg order ketoconazole 200mg generic
does vinegar kill fungus on skin medication to prevent herpes outbreaks what to drink for hyopertension
stomach ulcer precscriptions chamomile tea for ulcer pain uti treatment guidelines for elderly
order azithromycin 500mg pills buy neurontin 600mg online order gabapentin 600mg sale
urso uk zyrtec generic cetirizine generic