Aphids and Marijuana

Aphids are a commonly found insect in cannabis gardens. They are small and pear-shaped. Aphids are usually about 1 to 3 millimeters long. Although there are many varieties of aphids with different characteristics, they all have a thorn-like structure that extends from their abdomen.

They range in color from black and brown, to green and yellow. Aphids like to set up shop on the undersides of leaves. Aphids, like spider mites, live by sucking the juices from plants leaves, branches, and stems.

Aphid’s mouths act like a straw, sucking up the juices from the plant. They excrete a sugar solution from the plant and leave it on the leaves. This is sometimes called “honeydew”. The honeydew in turn attracts ants that form a herd around the aphids and help protect them from other insects.

Aphids can delay the production of flowers, cause wilting on the leaves, and a noticeable decline in plant vigor. Leaves will curl up and turn light in color. This is a very bad sign. Aphids have a very fast reproduction rate, sometimes laying 100 eggs at a time, and becoming thousands in just a few days.

 How To Prevent and Control Aphids

•  The use of a fine dust filter in the air intake is highly recommended to help prevent aphids from entering a grow room.
• Predator insects are often helpful, such as parasitic wasps and ladybugs. Outside in nature, parasitic wasps will show up if aphids are present and will lay their eggs right into the aphid’s body.  This will cause the aphids to eventually turn into a shell-like form and die.
•  Aphids can also be sprayed with water to try to kill some of them. If it doesn’t work, try adding garlic oil to the water. Garlic oil helps get rid of pests and also acts like an antibacterial and fungal agent.

Other popular ways to get rid of aphids are by using:

• Cloves
• Garlic
• Insecticidal Soap
• Neem oil
• Pyrethrum

For insecticidal soap we recommend Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap Concentrate.

Aphids and Marijuana Conclusion

It is important to keep an eye out for the presence of aphids on your cannabis plants and remedy the solution as quickly as possible. To learn more about growing cannabis visit Cannabis Training University.