by Greg Green
Index of pests
WOODCHUCKS – 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 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 – (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 – 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 – Harmless unless in large numbers. (Also see Powder Bugs).
CUTWORMS, CATERPILLARS AND LARVAE – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – See Powder Bugs.
SCALE – See powder Bugs.
MEALY BUGS – See powder Bugs.
