Growing Marijuana: Protecting Your Grow from Pesky Marijuana Bugs

Like any other plant, cannabis is not immune to the pesky little critters that feed on and potentially destroy your plants. Therefore, pest control is a major concern for all growers. Gardeners, including cannabis growers, have been forced to contend with the likes of birds, mammals, insects, and even humans when attempting to shield our crops.

There are several kinds of little marijuana bugs and even larger critters that can totally ruin your entire crop. Here is a brief list: ants, aphids, birds, caterpillars, cats and dogs, cutworms, crickets, deer, fungus gnats, gophers, grasshoppers, leaf miners, mealy bugs, mice, moles, rats, snails, slugs, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies. These are the more common predators, but it is not a comprehensive list of the bugs you should be looking out for.

There are seven distinct methods that have been proven to aid in warding off dangerous bugs that love to feast on your plants. To add insult to injury, the chemicals many use for the purposes of dealing with insects is also harmful to your grow. This list of effective and safe repellents will keep bugs away from your plants.

Build a Fence:

Build a fence around your cannabis plants. This is a good way to repel larger animals as well as people, although some growers may not be able to afford this and the fence must be erected on private lands only.

Companion Plants:

You can scatter some naturally repellent crops throughout your grow in order to keep predators out. Especially pungent plants such as marigolds and geraniums will keep leaf eating critters like worms away. Although marijuana itself is a natural repellent, it is not strong enough in the early phases to ward off bigger predators like rabbits and deer. Consider the following companion plants to intersperse through your plants: basil, beans, garlic, marigolds, mint, and peppers.

Custom Organic Repellents:

Pungent organic repellents can fend off pests from both your outdoor and indoor plants. Substances like coriander oil, clove oil, and cinnamon oil have been effective in preventing insect infestation without damaging your plant. Go ahead and spray these directly on your leaves. Obviously, different strains will react differently to these remedies, but you shouldn’t have to worry about any negative reactions.

Natural Predators:

Make use of well-known pest predators. Ladybugs are extremely helpful for your outdoor grows since they thrive on larvae and other annoying pests. You can buy ladybugs from many online sites. They range from $8 and up for about 500 bugs. Certain birds can also be helpful. Go ahead and place some bird houses and bird feeders in the garden. Be mindful not to attract birds while the seeds are germinating, as many species like the taste of cannabis seeds.

Repellent Force Fields:

Permethrin-based repellents are effective at keeping bugs away from your plants without using harmful synthetic sprays. It is useful in repelling ticks, mosquitoes, mites, chiggers, and dozens of other plant killers. You can also make your own repellents. Here is a short list: Oil-based insecticides, soap-based insecticides, Neem oil insecticides, garlic-based insecticides, chili-based insecticides, diatomaceous earth, and tomato leaf insecticides.

Sterilized Soil and Fertilizers:

Sterilizing your soil is relatively simple. It sounds weird, but you should cook your soil in an oven up to 180 degrees. By growing cannabis in this soil, you will kill most invaders. Do not exceed 190 degrees. Make sure you consult the soil cooking instructions online. If you are cooking large amounts of soil, you should add 2.5 tablespoons of 3% peroxide for each gallon of soil. Be sure not to forget your fertilizer when sterilizing your soil.

Urine of the Pest’s Enemies:

A number of pests like deer have a strong sense of smell. Therefore, if they detect the urine of dangerous animals like big cats, bears, or wolves, they will steer clear. You can buy a number of scents at most of the larger outdoor sporting shops.

All growers are faced with these issues at one time or another. Diseases can be carried by living organisms that contain spores and/or viruses without you knowing that it is occurring. If you want to free your plants from these potential dangers, you should act early.

This list of prevention, eradication, management, and identification of the problem will save you a great deal of heartache from the devastating results of bug infestation. Proper treatment for your plants is critical to growing healthy plants.

The best pest management techniques are always best when you plant in environments that are naturally inhospitable to pests. All growers encounter the problem of insects and bugs, so err on the side of caution and act proactively by utilizing one of the methods outlined above.

Article by: Alfonzo Porter