The number one pest to look out for in cannabis is the spider mite. They are not insects, but a type of spider. They have 8 legs when fully grown, tiny bodies and no attennae.
They are hard to identify with the naked eye unless you have experience with them. They like it hot and dry – usually over 85 degrees. The need for heat tends to make them an inside threat, but they aren’t completely unknown outsde either.
What They Do
They spend most of their time underneath the leaves. The eggs are laid on the plants by the females. They can hatch within a few days or a couple weeks.
After hatching they feed for a few days then go into a new stage. The nymphs feed and then molt again into adults. They have a quick life cycle, which means they can populate quickly.
They cause damage by puncturing the leaf walls and sucking out enzymes. By doing this they weaken the plant and can cause death. It’s possible for them to quickly wipe out a complete garden.
How You Know You Have Spider Mites
Spider mites leave some telltale signs. They leave white or yellow dots all over the tops of the leaves. They leave spider webs behind as well.
If left long enough the leaves start turning brown and dropping off. Tiny white dots under the leaves are the eggs, which means you have mites. Last, if your eyesight is good or if you use a magnifying glass you can see them.
Treatment
Spider mites do lots of damage, especially with the quick life cycle. It’s important to treat them as soon as they are discovered. If you catch them right away you can kill them by hand. This is very time consuming, though, and not always effective.
An insecticidal treatment will be more effective. Multiple treatments are probably required. Apply it all over, especially underneath the leaves. Blooms can’t be sprayed with insecticide, however.
3) You can try using the spider mite’s natural enemy, Phytoseiulus persimilis, which is a predator mite. They can be bought through the mail from horticultural suppliers. If only one plant seems to be effected, take it out of the garden. Bag the plant so that the mites can’t spread.
Traditional soap and water mixes can be effective. Some growers use alcohol to control mites. Pyrethrins and miticides can be used.While slightly toxic, pyrethrins are not too harmful to humans and pets.
Prevention
The best approach is prevention. Don’t let the environment get infected. Mites like dry and hot, so keep it wet and cool, relatively speaking -over 50% humidity and under 85 degrees. Mist the plants, or hang wet towels in the garden enclosure. Before you begin, sterilize everything that you’re using. Keep the room clean, as well as your tools. Don’t transfer pests to your garden from other gardens.
If this information is helpful to anyone I’ve accomplished my goal. Spider mites cause lots of damage. The preferred approach to the problem is preventions, which maintains healthy crops but avoids pesticide use.
Learn about ways to grow marijuana? Castulo Zane knows all about it. If you want to talk marijuana seeds, or other topics, google www.growyourownstone.com.. Check here for free reprint license: The Spider Mite and Cannabis.
