Bees and Wasps

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

Identify

Bees and wasps that sting are usually from a half inch to more than an inch long. Most have yellow stripes around their bodies and others have none. They are especially attracted to indoor gardens when weather cools outdoors – they move right in.

Damage

They cause no damage to plants but can become a nuisance in grow rooms and hurt like hell when they sting.

Controls

Occasionally a problem indoors, bees and wasps are most efficiently controlled with sprays.

Cultural and physical control 

They enter grow rooms through vents and cracks, attracted by the growing plants, a valuable commodity in the middle of the cold winter! Screen all entrances to the room. Install more circulation fans to make flying difficult. Wasp traps, sweet flypaper, and Tanglefoot impair these pests. Bees and wasps are also attracted to the hot HID and fly into it and die.

Biological

Unnecessary.

Sprays

Pyrethrum is recommended. Stuff small nests into a wide mouthed jar – do it at night when the wasps are quiet – and place the jar in a freezer for a few hours. Use Sevin, Carbaryl, only if there is a problem with a wasp nest.