Insects: The good, The Bad, and the Bugly

[Frosty Budz]

Hey guys....wanted to run something by you all..

Ive had to needle through the flowers on a daily basis and have found about a dozen and a half of these bastards of various sizes the past few weeks embedded deep in the buds. Have already had to trim off about an 1/8th worth of flowers due to these pests! They're really doing a number on my girls :-(

Does anyone happen to know exactly what type of caterpillar this is, how they spread/propagate (do they lay eggs within the bud or do they come externally, etc.), and the best treatment/prevention?

For my next grow I'm thinking of using this spray once the plants start flowering:

Monterey Lawn and Garden LG6344 Monterey B.t. Biological Insecticide

Link: http://a.co/1cSF7Xu

Any thoughts?

 

[Waira]

@Patalian @Jraven ..cool spiders guys! Patalian, that's a Crab Spider, they are ruthless ambush predators, usually bagging other bugs that come to flowers,... they can alter their color to cammo' out...
J', I'm not sure who that is, with that bright yellow abdomen,..almost looks like a juvie Garden Spider,...

@Frosty Budz ..sorry we didn't see this sooner mate! yes, we know those fuckers all too well,.. Bud Worms (caterpillars), usually attck flower bud, but they apparently can eat actual buds too, resin and all,.. worse they open up the bud to infection by mld, as well as crapping all over the place,... at this stage, nothing to do but scan the buds constantly and snip away the fouled buds at the stem, never just chop through a bud,.. dab some peroxide or alcohol on the open stem cuts to help reduce mold chances of starting,.. do during day so the cuts can dry and seal some as well,... Fighting these bastards is a real war,.. eggs are laid individually or in small clusters on leaf underside, very tough to spot,... during bloom, you are of course severely restricted in what you can use to treat and kill, and not all will snuff the eggs,... look into a product called SNS209, it's a systemic made form a form of rosemary oil,..it's worked very well for me outside! It's not strongly aromatics at all, and doesn't make the plant smell like rosemary, it makes the sap taste bad... Only caveat is that you have to stop treating 2-3 weeks before harvest so it can metabolize out, so there's a small window of vulnerability there where you have to hawk the plants like a freak,.. look up bud worms to see what the moth looks like so when you see them about you can waste them!

 

[Patalian]

@Patalian @Jraven ..cool spiders guys! Patalian, that's a Crab Spider, they are ruthless ambush predators, usually bagging other bugs that come to flowers,... they can alter their color to cammo' out...
J', I'm not sure who that is, with that bright yellow abdomen,..almost looks like a juvie Garden Spider,...

@Frosty Budz ..sorry we didn't see this sooner mate! yes, we know those fuckers all too well,.. Bud Worms (caterpillars), usually attck flower bud, but they apparently can eat actual buds too, resin and all,.. worse they open up the bud to infection by mld, as well as crapping all over the place,... at this stage, nothing to do but scan the buds constantly and snip away the fouled buds at the stem, never just chop through a bud,.. dab some peroxide or alcohol on the open stem cuts to help reduce mold chances of starting,.. do during day so the cuts can dry and seal some as well,... Fighting these bastards is a real war,.. eggs are laid individually or in small clusters on leaf underside, very tough to spot,... during bloom, you are of course severely restricted in what you can use to treat and kill, and not all will snuff the eggs,... look into a product called SNS209, it's a systemic made form a form of rosemary oil,..it's worked very well for me outside! It's not strongly aromatics at all, and doesn't make the plant smell like rosemary, it makes the sap taste bad... Only caveat is that you have to stop treating 2-3 weeks before harvest so it can metabolize out, so there's a small window of vulnerability there where you have to hawk the plants like a freak,.. look up bud worms to see what the moth looks like so when you see them about you can waste them!

Cool, good to know!

 

[jingo]

Insect predator? Beneficial? Harmful? All of the above on this one!! I used to let these buggers in my garden to shit and eats bugs(they love japanese beetles), until one day i caught one jumping and eating leaves!! So now these killers are banned from the garden
View attachment 792935

View attachment 792936

Want some interesting reading? Compare the contents of "nuke'em", with poultry wash. Chickens love to carry mites and poultry wash will kill all kinds of mites.

 

[jingo]

Well I know I get some interesting bugs sometimes. I tend to see a lot of juvenile mantis Critters on my plants, but they moved pretty fast and don't like to be photographed.

I spray about every 3 days with some sm-90 a rather weak solution just enough I think to kill off any soft eggs underneath the leaves if they get there at all. I think it makes the leaves a little less desirable to whatever seems to chew on them, because they only seem to eat the leaves that haven't been sprayed. Anyway, after I spray this morning I saw a little bit of web between a couple leaves and when I open it up I found this spider.

PS: I'm at about 49 degrees and the white specks on the plants are ash from forest fires in British Columbia.

 

[Waira]

I

Well I know I get some interesting bugs sometimes. I tend to see a lot of juvenile mantis Critters on my plants, but they moved pretty fast and don't like to be photographed.

I spray about every 3 days with some sm-90 a rather weak solution just enough I think to kill off any soft eggs underneath the leaves if they get there at all. I think it makes the leaves a little less desirable to whatever seems to chew on them, because they only seem to eat the leaves that haven't been sprayed. Anyway, after I spray this morning I saw a little bit of web between a couple leaves and when I open it up I found this spider.

PS: I'm at about 49 degrees and the white specks on the plants are ash from forest fires in British Columbia.

....I've had a few of these spiders before, one will roll the leaf to make a tube house- .... Today I found a very cool crab spider!

 

[Sit a Spell]

I wanted to post a picture of an assassin bug. I have many on my passion flower vine that I grow for the Gulf Frittlaries (butterfly) . It is their host plant. I always felt bad for the small caterpillars that didn't make it. However I have many large caterpillars that do make it past the point that they aren't food.
I noticed an assassin on my cannabis and thought well have at it little guy. I am now moving them from my passion vine to my ladies. I have had some leaf damage from teeny tiny caterpillars. I don't think that is going to be a problem now.
I don't know if you can see it but he has a small green something or other in his grasp. I say the less bugs on my ladies the better.

 

[Sit a Spell]

Here is another insect that I found on my passion vine. I know he is up to no good and wants to eat the caterpillars. I just hesitate to move him to my ladies just yet. I tried to identify him but no luck. All black with a big rump, long legs. I did think it was in the assassin family but have been unable to locate it. It's not the best picture.
Anyone have a clue?
Thanks

 

[Jraven]

Here's a cute spider I found in the greenhouse today

 

[Waira]

Here's a cute spider I found in the greenhouse today View attachment 956906
View attachment 956905

really interesting spider J', the colors and markings are pretty! Did she set up a web?