Stoned Caterpillars

UncleSunny

UncleSunny

Well-Known Member
I have a plant that is a few weeks away from harvest, and I noticed some of the tips of the buds were turning brown and flaking off. After a close examination, I discovered that small caterpillars (which I later discovered to be called Cabbage Rollers) had burrowed into my buds. I went to Home Depot and got some vegatable safe pest killer, and I'm also prepping a bottle with cigarette butts in it for a nicottine spray to use also.
I did go through the buds systematically, and I pulled out about 7 or 8 more little caterpillars, and although I really didn't see any more, that doesn't mean that there isn't. They look alot like seed pods when they're all curled up.
I used liquid Sevin on the plant, and I don't plan on using it on this same plant again. From what I read, the chemical compounds in Sevin break down to water after two weeks, but of course I am concerned about using a pesticide on my marijuana, especially so late in her growth. I did it because panic set in, I will admit.
I am pretty sure that the caterpillar infestation is new (less than a week), and I'm also fairly certain that I got most of the buggers out by hand. Does anybody have any experience with this type of infestation??? Have I destroyed all that good weed by using Sevin??? Is 7 or 8 caterpillars a sign that my dear plant is a goner??? HELP!
 
MIKE JONES

MIKE JONES

Well-Known Member
they do more damage than spidermites!, there is no help now its two late in flowering to spray on the buds, iv lost half a crop to them, wait til you start to clip your leaves and you see those damn lil green worms twisted in between you buds, the only thing you can do is look inbetween your buds and use some tweezers and remove any u see, but you have to be quick , because if they see you thell hide back in the bud, and if that doesnt help, harvest the buds with bugs, i know its early but if you dont the worms will ruin them compleatly, it seems every year i grow out doors i run in to those lil fuckers, they love bud more than we do, but early detection will elemate the worms in late flower, the gross thing is when your mancuring your buds and you cant tell from worm guts from the reson on your sissors!,
 
UncleSunny

UncleSunny

Well-Known Member
Thanks Mike,
That's prety much what I've been doing all day, hunched over with tweezers, pulling out those little jerks. Actually, I think I did a pretty good job getting them, but I'll watch for a day or two to see if there are any more. I'm pretty obessive about my plants, and I watch, so I'll notice if I didn't get them all. If not, I'll take your advice and *sniff* harvest early.
Thanks again, bud. I need all the advice I can get.

PS. have you ever tried that nicotine spray(a cigarette soaked in water for a day) on caterpillars? I read that it worked well...I'll try it and let you know. Nicotine might be a poison, but it's one I'm pretty used to by now.
 
F

fdd2blk

Well-Known Member
if you save those caterpillars. dry them out and smoke them. whew, they get you stooooooooooned.
 
UncleSunny

UncleSunny

Well-Known Member
I think we've come across our own little black market...caterpillar ghanja...would that be legal???THC bugs, man. Wave of the future.

But seriously, I did spend all day digging them out, and things actually look clean. Nabbed around 20 of the suckers, all told, and this morning the buds seemed to be getting some color and shape back. I sprayed a tobacco and pepper mix on it, and the last bug I caught, a few hours after the spray, looked pale, with brownish markings instead of green, and didn't struggle like the other ones. I think that spray really works, at least to get big ugly predators to come to the surface. That, a pair of tweezers and a whole lot of gentle prodding...I think my plant is gonna make it!
 
F

fdd2blk

Well-Known Member
i get them every year. i am spraying Bt this year. i see them in my sunflowers and i see the moths every night. i hate them!!!
 
F

fdd2blk

Well-Known Member
Bt is an organic caterpillar killer. you mix it with water then mist your plants with it. when the caterpillars eat the leaves that have been misted with it they die within a few days. i started misting just as flowers started to form. i've misted twice in the last month. once every 2 weeks. i will mist one more time this weekend.
 
MIKE JONES

MIKE JONES

Well-Known Member
glad to hear your plants are healing!,if that cig wash works go for it, just be carefull of what you spray on the buds, dont want toobacoo bud,lol, i tried bt spray, had no luck with it, maybe because it was too late by the time i got to the bt spray, and that bt spray stinks, but if will keep your crop bug free then its worth the smell, we can call them chronic bugs and sell them at the farmers market,lol
 
SDgoonie

SDgoonie

Well-Known Member
I am in the flushing phase of my grow and I've just recently found 3 of these little suckers in my crop! I removed them and burned them!!!

What's the possibility that more will pop up? how do they even get there? i have my plants in pots that i leave outside (on concrete a few feet away from the rest of my garden). Do they lay eggs?
 
F

fdd2blk

Well-Known Member
SDgoonie said:
I am in the flushing phase of my grow and I've just recently found 3 of these little suckers in my crop! I removed them and burned them!!!

What's the possibility that more will pop up? how do they even get there? i have my plants in pots that i leave outside (on concrete a few feet away from the rest of my garden). Do they lay eggs?
Click to expand...
moths come and lay eggs within the buds. these eggs hatch into caterpillars. :evil:
 
SDgoonie

SDgoonie

Well-Known Member
ahh i see. ive found some tiny black pebbles in groups...perhaps those are the eggs.....gonna have to find em and eliminate them!:evil:
 
N

norcalsgift

Active Member
pretty sure the black dots are the little aholes shit, im dealing with them right now and usually if you see the black dots one of the caterpillars are close by. im using the Safer brand bt stuff called "caterpillar killer" and so far it seems to be working and doesnt affect the smell noticeably. i hate those things worse than any other pest and find great pleasure squishing them between my fingers:mrgreen: find them when they are small or else they will eat all the beautiful colas, mfers are hungry:cry:
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Well-Known Member
UncleSunny said:
I have a plant that is a few weeks away from harvest, and I noticed some of the tips of the buds were turning brown and flaking off. After a close examination, I discovered that small caterpillars (which I later discovered to be called Cabbage Rollers) had burrowed into my buds. I went to Home Depot and got some vegatable safe pest killer, and I'm also prepping a bottle with cigarette butts in it for a nicottine spray to use also.
I did go through the buds systematically, and I pulled out about 7 or 8 more little caterpillars, and although I really didn't see any more, that doesn't mean that there isn't. They look alot like seed pods when they're all curled up.
I used liquid Sevin on the plant, and I don't plan on using it on this same plant again. From what I read, the chemical compounds in Sevin break down to water after two weeks, but of course I am concerned about using a pesticide on my marijuana, especially so late in her growth. I did it because panic set in, I will admit.
I am pretty sure that the caterpillar infestation is new (less than a week), and I'm also fairly certain that I got most of the buggers out by hand. Does anybody have any experience with this type of infestation??? Have I destroyed all that good weed by using Sevin??? Is 7 or 8 caterpillars a sign that my dear plant is a goner??? HELP!
Click to expand...
I really wouldn't suggest using ciggie butts. For one thing, I'm guessing that all they have in there isn't what or as much as what you really need. For another, ciggies are loaded up with a bunch of other crap.

Quick tobacco tea recipe, you can make it stronger if you feel the need, but you must be certain to saturate the whole plant, every nook and cranny, and hit the soil.

Basic recipe:
10 grams loose tobacco (I use American Spirit or Bali Shag)
1 liter HOT water (not boiling)
A few drops non-antibacterial/antimicrobial soap

Put the tobacco in the hot water. Let it steep overnight. Strain. Add the soap, load it up into a sprayer. Apply as a fine mist. Take care, especially if you up the ante, to not get too much of this on your skin. You can make it 15 or probably even 20 grams of tobacco/liter, but I doubt you need to make it too strong.

(sigh) For fuck's sake, I REALLY need to start looking at post dates. :roll:
 
Hodgegrown

Hodgegrown

Well-Known Member
I found 1 yesterdayn had the little buggers like mad last year and had to spray (safer caterpillar killer) but the weird thing was their preference of strains. Wouldn't touch the maui but ate the crap out of my GDP-BB was a strange year.
 
F

fdd2blk

Well-Known Member
norcalsgift said:
pretty sure the black dots are the little aholes shit, im dealing with them right now and usually if you see the black dots one of the caterpillars are close by. im using the Safer brand bt stuff called "caterpillar killer" and so far it seems to be working and doesnt affect the smell noticeably. i hate those things worse than any other pest and find great pleasure squishing them between my fingers:mrgreen: find them when they are small or else they will eat all the beautiful colas, mfers are hungry:cry:
Click to expand...

we should start a caterpillar haters club. go on torch lit hunts. :twisted::twisted:
 
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