Cannabis Growers 101: Detecting Bad Bugs

It should be no surprise that it is not only humans that are attracted to the enticing aroma of the cannabis plant. When growing, it is important to be keenly aware of the grows' surroundings, as there are a number of bugs and pests that could potentially destroy your chance at a decent yield. Though not all bugs are bad, here is a list of potentially harmful buggers to keep an eye out for.

Ants

Although ants do not directly threaten cannabis plants as they do not eat your cannabis. they are strong indicators however, of other, less noticeable issues such as the presence of other pests like aphids and white flies. If ants are present within your cannabis grow, make a thorough sweep of the area in order to rule out any other pests.

Though they do not eat the plant, they way that ants dig tunnels and mound up soil can damage root systems which makes it hard to get good nutrients and water circulation. 

How to get rid of Ants

An easy way to deter ants from making a home with your cannabis plants, is to spread cornmeal into the soil substrate.

Aphids

Aphids are tiny, pale and frustratingly easy to miss. They cling to the undersides of cannabis leaves and drain out the nutrients and reproduce quickly. If you have an aphid infestation on an indoor grow, which is a controlled environment without outside factors such as natural predators, then this can potentially be devastating.

Outdoors on the other hand, natural predators are your best friend as they help to protect your cannabis plants from the aphids. Further, as mentioned above if there is the presence of ants in your grow, then this is a strong indicator of the presence of aphids as well.

How to get rid of aphids

Used organically based spray to apply on the undersides of the foliage.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars, especially the ‘boro’ type caterpillars can be very bad for your plants as they are strongly attracted to cannabis. With an unwavering appetite and the fact they often go unnoticed until they’ve already feasted a plenty, the fact these buggers actively seek out cannabis is not good.

To make matters worse, the ‘boro’ type of caterpillars will literally borrow into the interior of the pant and eat it inside out!

How to get rid of Caterpillars

For outdoor grows, wasps are your friends.

Cutworms

Cutworms are most deadly to your grow when the plants are in the seedling stage and can completely destroy them. Although they are fairly easy to get rid of, the fact that hey only come out in the dark, at night makes it hard to catch these pesky critters. One indicator that you can look for whilst they’re hiding however is, if you notice that someone is cutting the tops of your plants.

How to get rid of cutworms:

1. Till the soil; Tilling is simply turning over and breaking up the soil
2. Plant sunflower seeds around the edge of your grow

Crickets/Grasshoppers

Crickets and grasshoppers a abundantly common around the world. If given the opportunity, these guys will make cannabis plants the foundation of their diet – yikes!

Most species and crickets and grasshoppers feast at night and in the darkness, which makes it difficult to root them out. Further, even birds and other predatory creatures have to dig and disrupt the sol to get to them – leading to damaged root systems.

How to get rid of crickets/grasshoppers

spray the area with a diluted dishwashing fluid in a spray bottle.

Leaf Miners

Leaf miners will literally dig through and mine the tops of cannabis leaves. This damages the cell and drains out vital nutrients your plant needs to flourish. Adult leaf minors, which resemble houseflies, plant larvae under leaves, which burrow into the interior when they hatch.

Indicators that leaf miners are present would be white or brown streaks running along the tops of leaves.

How to get rid of Leaf Miners

Unfortunately, leaf miners are extremely difficult to get rid of as most pesticides are ineffective. Those that would be effective against the bugs would do more harm than good to the livelihood of the cannabis plant. You literally have to manually seek them out and kill them by hand.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are soft little critters that hide in the nooks and crannies of the cannabis plant. In small numbers, mealybugs are harmless however it is important to keep an eye out for the population swelling out of control.

You will know that mealybugs are present with the occurrence of white gauze-like balls that are weaved by the insect. You may also see botchy patches develop and the presence of ants. Ants provide protection for the mealybugs from other insect predators.

How to get rid of Mealybugs

You can just clean the bugs off with a cloth and natural deterrent such as lemon juice.

Spider mites

Spider mites are the most common bug problem for cannabis growers. The reproduce extremely quickly, reach full maturity in less than a week and drain out all the nutrients and chlorophyll of the plant until it dies. Thankfully there are safe and natural remedies to rid your green of a spider mite problem.

How to get rid of Spider mites

Spider mites like the heat and hate a windy environment. A cool breezy grow space won’t get rid of spider mites, but it makes it harder for them to reproduce so your other control methods are more effective. From there, an easy next step is to use a homemade contact spray. Include one or a mix of several of the following: Dr. Bronner’s soap, garlic, hot pepper, canola oil, citrus oil, liquid seaweed, and milk.

Have we missed any bad bugs worth mentioning? Let us know in the comments below!