WK17

This week we are going to talk a bit about the dreaded "cannabis aphid" and the best control measures we have found to combat this pest.

Cannabis aphids are a tricky pest because they are able to reproduce extremely fast. An adult aphid can produce about 80 offspring in a week and each offspring will take about 7 days to become an adult itself. Aphid populations can increase very fast in ideal temperatures (spring through fall). These pests are able to disguise themselves well in a cannabis crop through camouflage and using the dense canopy to their advantage. Once the plant begins to flower the aphids will speed up reproduction and begin taking control of the plants. At flower stage in a cannabis crop there are very few chemical options to use and bios will not work well on a sticky plant. Even the approved chemicals may not be ideal to use because of risk to the developing buds.

Controlling the cannabis aphid starts with prevention. This is the most important part of your bio program to combat this pest. Start your crop clean by making sure to dip all cuttings in a soap or oil product and begin applying preventative bios as soon as it's safe after the dip treatment. Once your crop has been planted out for its vegetative cycle continue to diligently apply preventative bios at the correct rates every week. Make sure to scout the crop weekly and if any aphids are found increase the bio rates and/or integrate bio safe chemical applications into your program. Getting to the flowering stage clean is the goal. Once the plant begins to flower stop the bio program and use plant safe chemical applications to control any aphid outbreaks that may be found.