Growing cannabis in the great outdoors comes with plenty of perks – from having more space to expand your dank collection to producing bigger yields the next harvest season. Of course, the outdoors also has its drawbacks, most of which involve fending off pest infestation from feasting on the green crop.
Infamous pests like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites are one of the most feared critters that can wreak havoc on your garden, but encountering caterpillars on your cannabis can be just as destructive.
Caterpillars describe a larval stage in either moth or butterfly species, but the soft-bodied insects can leave gaping holes scattered throughout your weed’s fan leaves, leading to fatal results like stem damage, chewed buds, leaf yellowing, and stunted growth.
Seeing as it can stress your plants and compromise your harvest, the tips below should help you quell the invasion without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides:
Tip #1: Use a Safe Biological Insecticide to Kill Infestations
Far from your harmful insecticides, biological insecticides like the caterpillar “BT” spray contain beneficial bacteria called the bacillus thuringiensis, which can help solve your problem by killing the larva and keeping caterpillars from eating.
Cutting off their food source is one of the most effective and environmentally friendly ways to eliminate cannabis pests like caterpillars, along with other unwanted guests like fungus gnats, worms, and moths. Not to mention, it poses no risk of dampening the potency, quality, and safety of your cannabis plants.
To that end, you can apply BT spray as soon as you spot the tell-tale signs of an infestation, such as leaf damage, poop sightings, yellowing leaves, and curious holes scattered around the leaves.
Tip #2: Get Help from Beneficial Insects
Not all insects have a devastating impact on the growth, development, and overall life of your cannabis plants. Some pest species can be a welcome addition to your garden as they can keep infestations at bay by driving away unwanted critters.
Parasitic wasps, for instance, can take the drudgery of removing caterpillars for you as they are naturally engineered to prey on the soft-bodied insects. Adding praying mantises to the mix is also an excellent way to drop the caterpillar population in your crop as the deadly assassins can stealthily take the pests down.
If using biological or bacterial sprays take too much of your time, let nature run its course.
Tip #3: Physically Remove Caterpillars From Your Garden
If you’re only dealing with a handful of caterpillars, it’s easy enough to physically remove them by hand seeing as most are easy to spot. Keep in mind that most species are nocturnal, so get ready for some hunting under the stars with this method.
Caterpillar and Cannabis Don’t Make a Good Match: Keeping the Pesky Critters Out of Your Dank Garden
A handful of pests like caterpillars can have catastrophic results for your cannabis garden, so it’s best to equip yourself with the basic steps on how to defend your crop against the critters. Of course, prevention is always the key, so keeping your garden safe by adding barrier fabrics or introducing beneficial insects should nip potential problems at its bud.
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