Leaf miners

[crush]

I'm having some leaf miner issues with my photo-period confidential cheese and would very much appreciate input from you AFN big dogs. I've read all kinds of info online but a lot of it conflicts with itself so i figured i should ask the people I trust...

Question #1 - my plant is 3 weeks old and a few of the fan leaves have been infected. Do i leave them there or should i prune? since the plant is so young my first instinct is to leave them there - or do i need to cut em off?

Question #2 - Prevention? I have a couple 2 week old durrty dragons that are growing alongside the infected plant and i don't want them to get infected too...any advice?

Question #3 - Can leaf miners fuck with my buds once they start blooming or will they stay on the leaves?

Any input is greatly appreciated

 

[Po boy]

leaf minor is a difficult pest problem to resolve since the insects live between the top and bottom layer of the leaf. if you can get on them early, the best cure is to remove the infected leaves. pesticides cannot reach the insects and you certainly do not want to use systemics. remove the individual leaf, not the whole fan, for best results.. GL

 

[crush]

leaf minor is a difficult pest problem to resolve since the insects live between the top and bottom layer of the leaf. if you can get on them early, the best cure is to remove the infected leaves. pesticides cannot reach the insects and you certainly do not want to use systemics. remove the individual leaf, not the whole fan, for best results.. GL

Thanks Po boy...much appreciated. Any thoughts on prevention for future infestation?

 

[ashcream]

Timing of insecticide sprays can be done before the larvae enters the leaf surface . Leafminers are best controlled with applications of insecticides that are carried systemically throughout the plant. This activity allows the insecticide to be carried to the insect larvae, which otherwise are effectively protected within leaves. Make these applications during the egg hatch period or shortly afterwards, before the larvae and mines get very big. Insecticides with systemic activity include acephate (Orthene) and imidacloprid. Carefully read label instructions — certain insecticides can injure plants.

Control also can be achieved with an insecticide applied when eggs are being laid. Adults and newly emerged larvae can be controlled with these treatments, but they are ineffective after tunneling begins.

Check with your local nursery for a systemic insecticide there are some that can be added to the soil that will work good. These may be sold under some type of Rose name since this is the major plant that they are used on .Neem Oil is being used worldwide to control pest. I would keep your leaves being it so young and dip the whole thing in Neem Oil.
Neem Oil rocks!
1. Neem Pesticide is a natural product, absolutely non-toxic, 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
2. If required, it can be mixed with other synthetic pesticides ( in fact it enhances their action) .Gradually, the ratio of Neem content in the mixture can be increased and synthetics reduced till you reach a stage where synthetics become redundant.
3. Several synthetic pesticides being single chemical compounds cause easy development of resistant species of pests. Neem consists of several compounds hence development of resistance is impossible.
4. Neem does not destroy natural predators and parasites of pests thereby allowing these natural enemies to keep a check on the pest population.
5. Neem also has a systemic action and seedlings can absorb and accumulate the neem compounds to make the whole plant pest resistant.
6. Neem is harmless to non-target and beneficial organisms like pollinators, honey bees, mammals and other vertebrates.
7. Neem has a broad spectrum of action active on more than 200 species of pests.

 

[Po boy]

hello again crush, for future prevention Neem Oil is your best choice. Apply every 10-15 days on upper an lower parts of leaves. Do NOT use a systemic as it is absorbed by the foliage and you'll wind up smoking it. also, keep a sharp eye for new leaf minor damage and remove infected leaf soon as possible: this has always worked for me. Make sure you throw the infected leaves in a garbage can and not on the ground. GL

 

[Mr Piggy]

4. Neem does not destroy natural predators and parasites of pests thereby allowing these natural enemies to keep a check on the pest population.

6. Neem is harmless to non-target and beneficial organisms like pollinators, honey bees

I'm sorry ash, but these two points are incorrect. Neem harms most of the beasties in your garden, beneficial and detrimental alike. It's not like the compounds in it can tell the difference between a lady bug and a mite.

 

[ashcream]

If you spray it on them it does. It kills by drowning. Nothing more. It is not a poison. Just dip the plant and forget it. Unless you dip a ladybug also. If a bee lands on it no big deal it just fly's away. Unless you have a pool of it and it drowns.

 

[Mr Piggy]

Wrong again, I'm sorry but you're terribly ill informed. It is a poison, it is also a fungicide. It kills most exoskeleton invertebrates by mucking up their body chemistry and preventing molting, breeding and other basic functions. Please go do some research on neem, you have the wrong info.

Edit: yeah, i was wrong about the bees though.

 

[ashcream]

Wrong again, I'm sorry but you're terribly ill informed. It is a poison, it is also a fungicide. It kills most exoskeleton invertebrates by mucking up their body chemistry and preventing molting. Please go do some research on neem, you have the wrong info.

You are right Mr Piggy, but once agine Neem oil does not hurt beneficial insects. Only chewing and sucking insects are affected. It is certainly fascinating.

 

[ashcream]

Neem is non toxic for beneficial insects. The main reason is that insects need to ingest the neem oil to be affected, and beneficial insects don't eat your plants. But you can still kill beneficial insects if you smother them with neem oil, so please be careful.

Beneficial insects are most active during the day. The best time to spray neem insecticide is very early in the morning, so the spray can dry before the good insects become active. Also a good time is the late afternoon or evening. Once the spray has dried it does not harm your bees, ladybugs, lacewings, predatory mites and wasps etc.