Aphids: Cannabis Garden Pests
Aphids: Cannabis Garden Pests
Aphids are incredibly small, soft-bodied pests that are known to take over a wide variety of garden plants, including cannabis. A variety of colors can be found on these guys as the seasons keep moving. These pests may or may not have wings and can be found on Cannabis leaves and stems; feeding off the fluids of plants with their “piercing-sucking” like mouth.
Signs of Aphids
During the feeding process, none to very little injury occurs to the leaves. While many other pests show obvious signs of intrusion, with white flecking or surface scarring, on the damaged area of the plant. Along with loss of fluids, a significant number of these pests can result in wilting, slowed growth, and even leaf discoloration.
The quickest way to diagnose aphids in your garden is watching for a sticky fluid, known as honeydew. Honeydew is excreted continuously as feeing occurs among the colonies. Tiny droplets of honeydew form and disperse along the surface of the leaf. This fluid leaves behind small, but noticeable, shiny spots.
During their life cycles, aphids continue to grow and periodically shed as they produce a new, larger, exoskeleton. These exoskeletons are referred to as “cast skins”, and collect around colonies of aphids before falling to the leaf below. This is another great sign that aphids have invaded your garden, if honeydew is not spotted.
Prevention Tips and Tricks
- Be mindful of over applying fertilizers that promote vegetative growth and flushes. As new growth draws aphids in.
- These pests are common in many gardens other than cannabis. If you tend to more than just cannabis in your garden, be aware of them potentially spreading from plant to plant if affected.
- Prune and trim off heavily infested buds and leaves off your plants.
- Depending on how many aphids are present, check out a cleansing solution to remove the pests from your flower.
- Research noninvasive insect species that are safe for cannabis but menacing to aphids. If you choose this route, please do heavy research – as importing invasive species, of any kind, to your area can be extremely harmful to the environment. This is recommended for the more experienced gardener and should not be the first step taken.
- Shop with our “pest resistance” tag online or instore for an additional layer of defense.