Predators And Pests

Predators and pests will always be a problem. Here are some Predators and Pests that you may encounter during your grow. Along with their names we have also explained how to get rid of the unwanted pest.

Also it must be said that a cat for a garden grow is the #1 defence system against most small predators, but an indoor cat will bring unwanted pests into the house! You can not have the best of both worlds. Cats also like to play with indoor plant so be very careful with your plants and pets!

MATTENTIONM !!READ THIS!!

Only use repellents and pesticides that are clearly marked for FOOD PRODUCTS USE on the label. If it is NOT FOR FOOD PRODUCT USE then DO NOT USE IT WITH YOUR PLANTS!!! You are going to be smoking your plants later. You do not want to end up in a hospital because of smoking poisoned bud. If it is safe for FOOD PRODUCT

USE then it will be safe to smoke. Read the products instructions clearly and carefully. Do not take short cuts. Do exactly as it says on the label. WOODCHUCKS

Figure 11.1 - Woodchuck.

Woodchucks will nibble your stems and collapse the plant. The way to solve this is by using predator urine (Also see Deer) or by building a very small mesh fence around the bottom of your outdoor plants. This will keep the chucks from eating your stems and branches. Use more than one rap of mesh and make sure that you keep it tight. Also planting Marigolds near your grow will also help keep the chucks away.

POWDER BUGS

Like to lay their eggs in your bud and stem. They can reduce your plant to nothing in weeks. You need a pyrethrum-based insecticide to keep them away. Ask your local grow shop for information on this product. It will also help keep away other insects such as mites.

RABBITS

RABBITS

Figure 11.2 - Rabbit

Rabbits can reduce a crop to nothing in a couple of days and will continue to feed from the same patch until they are stopped or the patch is destroyed. For more details See Woodchucks.

GROUNDHOG

GROUNDHOG

Figure 11.3 - Groundhog.

(Also see Woodchucks.) Dry chlorine helps keep Groundhogs away from your plants. Find any Groundhog holes near your grow area and apply the dry chlorine around the hole.

Figure 11.3 - Groundhog.

(Also see Woodchucks.) Dry chlorine helps keep Groundhogs away from your plants. Find any Groundhog holes near your grow area and apply the dry chlorine around the hole.

WILT FUNGUS

Fusarium Oxysprum is rare, but still a problem is some parts of the world. This fungus wilts your plants and will eventually kill them. You actually need to get a fungicide from your grow shop. If they don't have it, then you need to order it over the Internet.

DEER

Figure 11.4 - Deer.

Deer are so very curious that even electric fences will not stop them over time. In order to solve deer problems you need to get hold of predator urine from hunting shops. Find out which urine works best with deer to keep them away. However find predator urine which does not attract plant-eating animals. Simply spray the urine on your patch and this will help keep the deer away.

LEAF HOPPER

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Figure 11.5 - Grasshopper Harmless unless in large numbers. (Also see

Powder Bugs).

Figure 11.5 - Grasshopper Harmless unless in large numbers. (Also see

Powder Bugs).

CUTWORMS, CATERPILLARS AND LARVAE

Figure 11.6 - Caterpillar

The only sure way to get rid of cutworms is to use a cutworm repellent. Try to find a product that works on cutworms and cutworms only. All of these cutworm products work very well and can be bought in most grow shops.

WHITEFLY

Figure 11.7 - Whitefly

Deadly. Can reduce your plant to trash in days. Safer's soap helps to kill Whitefly. This can be bought in most grow shops. (Also see Powder Bugs).

SLUGS AND SNAILS

Figure 11.8 - Snail

Make a circle of table salt about 4 feet away from base of your plant. Then make another circle a foot in from that. Salt is deadly to snails and slugs and will keep them out.

MITES

Figure 11.9 - Mites

Deadly. Can reduce your plant to trash is 2 - 3 days. (See Powder Bugs).

GNATS

See Powder Bugs.

TERMITES

They don't like water. If you over water the soil around your plant they will leave. (See Powder Bugs).

ANTS

Figure 11.10 - Snail

Will make a home out of your grow for their nests. (See Powder Bugs). They are also a sign of Aphids - ants farm aphids!!! Ants can be removed using Boric Acid, or any popular 'colony killer' pesticide.

APHIDS

Figure 11.11 - Aphids, picture by Vic High. See Powder Bugs.

SCALE

See powder Bugs

MEALY BUGS

See powder Bugs.

CLEANING THE GROW ROOM

It does happen that sometimes the bugs win. No matter how much you might spray them or try to kill them, they keep coming back to your grow room. To solve this you will have to create a clean room, which means a total and complete cull of your harvest.

First set-up another grow room of smaller size. Enough to support some cuttings and clones. Take cuttings from what plants you have and move the cuttings to that room. You will use the cuttings again eventually in your clean grow room if you want to continue those strains.

Next up take all the grow equipment, bar electrical equipment, to the bathroom. Clean down the entire equipment with bleach. Fill a tub with water and bleach and let the grow equipment rest there for a day.

Back to the grow room. First start with the walls. Clean the walls down with bleach if you can. You will maybe have to paint them again after. Do the corners, up high and clean out any holes, extraction holes, fittings, pipes, etc. Then clean around the rim of the room. If your floor can be lifted up, then you can also do this to get in at the corners a bit better.

After this cleaning has been done you can consider smoking the room. Various pest killing smoke bombs can be bought in most grow stores. Follow the instructions carefully and smoke bomb the room. This will guarantee the demise of any bugs, eggs or larvae but remember eggs are usually safe from these sprays, that is why they recommend a reapplication 7-10 days after initial treatment- MAKE SURE TO READ THE LABELS!!!!!

Once this is done, clean the room again like you did the first time. Now you should have a clean room, free off pests. Repeat the process if needed. The more you clean it, the better it will be.

Electrical items should be dusted down before returning them to the grow room. Dry down your other grow equipment which was bleached and return this to the grow room.

Your cuttings need to be checked for bugs. Also you do not move the cuttings back to the grow room until you have taken cuttings from these cuttings. Grow the cuttings out for a week or two and check them everyday for bugs. If you find any then you may have to use a pesticide on the cuttings. When you are sure that your cutting are clean, take new cuttings and place them in new soil and clean pots. Take these to your grow room and watch their progress and look out for any signs of pests and bugs.

If you have done this correctly then you should have eliminated all signs of pest infestation in your grow room.

Mites and other small pests can lay their eggs in cuttings and these can be missed when you look for pests because they are not obvious. The pesticides should have killed them, but some pests like the powder bugs lay their eggs inside the stems and seem to always come back. If you can't get rid of bugs like this then you may have to toss your genetics away and get new ones. For breeders this can be a difficult task. A long term project can be terminated by a few bugs wreaking havoc in the grow room. Breeders should pay strict attention to keeping their grow rooms clean at all times. And remember - Never take anything that has been outside into your grow room.

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