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Integrated Pest Management
Cannabis IPM: What to Do and What to Look Out For
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How to properly manage your medical marijuana grow with thoughtful insect and pest management strategies.
There was a time when the worst thing you could see attacking your cannabis grow was a DEA agent.
Nowadays, as the legalized industry continues to expand, the DEA hasn’t quit, but most growers have other problems to deal with.
You’re here because you’re looking for the best way to protect your cannabis plants against insects, mites, and other pests.
The Creatures to Look Out for When Managing Your Medical Marijuana
When it comes to IPM and cannabis, there is a wide variety of creatures to stand guard against.
For example, a non-exhaustive list of the insects that attack cannabis includes:
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Spider mites
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Aphids
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Leaf miners
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Root aphids
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Bees
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Wasps
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Cutworms
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Borers
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Thrips
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Whiteflies
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Caterpillars
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Maggots
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Ants
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Grasshoppers
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Beetles
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Slugs and snails
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Mealybugs
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Nematodes
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Fungus gnats
It’s not just insects, however, that will threaten your cannabis grow.
Beware of certain mammals getting into your cannabis, such as:
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Bear
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Mice, rats, voles
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Boar
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Rabbits
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Gophers
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Deer
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Moles
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Birds
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Squirrels
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And even cows
After reading these lists, it might seem like anything that lives outside might attack your medical marijuana crop.
Thankfully, there are thoughtful IPM management techniques that offset these risks as much as possible without damaging the integrity of your plants.
How To Stop An Invasion of Your Marijuana
What threats your crop will face will depend in part on where you are located. Research your area and understand the flora and fauna of the region so you have an understanding of what you should do to prepare for any threats.
Of course, there’s no one way to prepare for every threat possible.
So, here are a few of the most common techniques you might use in your IPM approach to cannabis.
Spider Mites
These miniature pests love a hot environment. By dropping the temperature of your crop to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll create an environment hostile to spider mites. A jet of cold water should help remove the most stubborn of them.
Aphids
Stop aphids from sucking the life-giving sap out of your cannabis plants by manually removing them. Aphids are also susceptible to predation. Releasing a few ladybugs could put nature to work for you.
Mammals
They’re smarter than you think and driven by hunger. Chickenwire will keep some of them out, deploying hot pepper spray on the leaves may deter others from chewing on them.
Spider Mites
What To Do About an Invasion of Your Medical Marijuana Crop
By regularly visiting your crop and inspecting for signs for pests, you’ll be best situated to manage the problem.
Removal of the pests is of the utmost importance.
If the damage is too great, the plant may need to be sacrificed.
Otherwise, gently cleaning the plant and carefully removing potentially infectious parts may prevent too much damage from being done.
After reading this post, you should be better prepared to protect your cannabis harvest against pests, mites, and insects.
If you found this article useful but need more help, download this FREE grow guide for further guidence on ridding your garden of these pests.