Yeah! It's Bud Worm Season. Pics

[ThailandBound]

Been watching doplar like a hawk myself. Lot of pop up storms in the NE, was 92 degrees today. I have a massive tent but unfortunately have to work for a living so I can't get them out of the way all the time.
Just trying to make it to the finish line. I'm like two weeks into flower with a few still stretching before full flower.

Just got back from someones medicine grow, he had told me he had a worm invasion so I had to check it out. Evidently they have picked somewhere around 400 of those off their plants over the past three days. This morning while I was there, I found 7, his girlfriend found probably 20 or more, and he was at 10ish. That is a lot of bud worms. Told him to use BT and hit them 3-4 days apart for two applications, then once a week up to 2 weeks before harvest. But with that said, I have also read you can use it right up to harvest too. He has another 4-5 weeks until harvest time. Me, I've got 8 weeks give or take a week, this is my first week of flower. We are both growing under plastic outdoors in Hawaii. Hope you spot them if the come!

 

[SuperNutz]

Been watching doplar like a hawk myself. Lot of pop up storms in the NE, was 92 degrees today. I have a massive tent but unfortunately have to work for a living so I can't get them out of the way all the time.
Just trying to make it to the finish line. I'm like two weeks into flower with a few still stretching before full flower.

Little shits are driving me Nutz lol. Everyday I go out and the first bud I see has one on it, then I'm going crazy searching the whole plant and find no more... but it's always the 1st bud I see for some reason.

 

[CanadianJim]

Can you expand on that? Milkweed?

All I know is cabbage worms born of the brown moth love to eat my plants. I've witnessed BT stop infestations so I'm going to keep spraying cause the alternative is to lose all my plants to these nasty suckers.

Milkweed is usually about two to three feet tall, with single bladed leaves that grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs only on milkweed, and it is all their caterpillars will eat as it contains a toxic substance which makes them toxic and unappetizing to predators. It has seedpods that are forming right about now that will open in a month or so, full of seeds attached to stuff that looks like dandelion fluff, and the seeds are spread on the wind. Monarchs are endangered, partly because people usually pull up milkweed in their gardens. Lots of people here in Canada are planting it now, as are some schools, to give them places to lay their eggs.

 

[CanadianJim]

Meant to add this...

 

[RipeLoud]

You don't need to move your plants around. You need a bottle of Monterey BT concentrate and you need to spray your whole garden with it. Next year you'll be ready.

My whole veg to flower pre spray was born out of your very problem. Lost my two biggest plants last year. You have to assume they will be present every season. Make the first bite the last...

Monterey B.T Spinosad

I sprayed with Monterey B.T Spinosad Thursday afternoon, no rain, I picked another 3-4 worms off the plant that day. Saturday because I realized the solution was incorrect, again no rain, and NO Worms found. This morning I reapplied after a very short misty rain last evening with 80% humidity and a low of 72 degrees during the night. I have not found any more bud worms, but I did see several pieces of frass which leads me to believe the bud worms are somewhere within the buds. I will as you recommended continue to spray every 2 days until a couple (2) days before harvest in approx. 2 weeks out.

I researched frass and found a site that sells it, pardon the pun, it sounds like some good shit, if purchased and applied as directed. Has anyone purchased and used if so did you see a positive effect? I’m very weary there is much snake oil out here and do not want to waste any hard earned money on a product that does not work.

A Big Thanks to everyone for all the valuable information and suggestions. The freedom of & exchange of knowledge here is unsurpassed on any other site I have visited in the past 10 years.

Pict’s included, for opinion time to harvest?

 

[SuperNutz]

I haven't been seeing any worms lately and I think I can thank the yellow jacket nest 15 foot from the garden for that. Didn't put it together till lastnight when I was trimming the small low and inside buds out and one was flying around in the same plant I was working on looking for dinner.

 

[Jeziah]

I was just thinking about worms on my plant after reading this yesterday. Then I go out this morning to water and spot a worm on the first branch I look walking right over a bud lol. I think its a cabbage worm luckily I knew to spray some BT thanks to this thread before it gets infested

 

[See green]

Yup, I think now and the next few weeks is prime worm time.

 

[SuperNutz]

Sprayed BT again cause I damned myself with that last post and found 2 worms today lol. Hoping the ladybugs stick around, if not still have the nematodes working, so... Does anyone know if apple cider vinegar spray for mildew will counteract the BT or peroxide spray(idk)? Trying not to spend hours a day being counter productive lol. But anyone know?

 

[RipeLoud]

I found a small lizard on a lower bud when I went out this morning to spray again with BT. I will give him until tomorrow to find and eat the worms, no I did not spray today.

 

[budsfordayz]

Sprayed BT again cause I damned myself with that last post and found 2 worms today lol. Hoping the ladybugs stick around, if not still have the nematodes working, so... Does anyone know if apple cider vinegar spray for mildew will counteract the BT or peroxide spray(idk)? Trying not to spend hours a day being counter productive lol. But anyone know?

Spray vinegar first then the bt after. The bt must dry on leaves and then the worms eat it. If u spray bt then the vinegar after the bt will simply get washed off.

Goodluck!

 

[budsfordayz]

Monterey B.T Spinosad

I sprayed with Monterey B.T Spinosad Thursday afternoon, no rain, I picked another 3-4 worms off the plant that day. Saturday because I realized the solution was incorrect, again no rain, and NO Worms found. This morning I reapplied after a very short misty rain last evening with 80% humidity and a low of 72 degrees during the night. I have not found any more bud worms, but I did see several pieces of frass which leads me to believe the bud worms are somewhere within the buds. I will as you recommended continue to spray every 2 days until a couple (2) days before harvest in approx. 2 weeks out.

I researched frass and found a site that sells it, pardon the pun, it sounds like some good shit, if purchased and applied as directed. Has anyone purchased and used if so did you see a positive effect? I’m very weary there is much snake oil out here and do not want to waste any hard earned money on a product that does not work.

A Big Thanks to everyone for all the valuable information and suggestions. The freedom of & exchange of knowledge here is unsurpassed on any other site I have visited in the past 10 years.

Pict’s included, for View attachment 4382512 View attachment 4382514 opinion time to harvest?

Stuff works like magic doesn’t it? I’m no expert but looks to me you have atleast a few weeks left. The calyx need to swell still and get real fat. After swelling I usually wait about a week or two for the proper trichome ripeness.

 

[CanadianJim]

Sprayed BT again cause I damned myself with that last post and found 2 worms today lol. Hoping the ladybugs stick around, if not still have the nematodes working, so... Does anyone know if apple cider vinegar spray for mildew will counteract the BT or peroxide spray(idk)? Trying not to spend hours a day being counter productive lol. But anyone know?

Peroxide will kill bt. If you're going to use both, use the peroxide the day before the bt.

 

[SuperNutz]

Supposed to rain Monday, think I should spray cider or peroxide sunday night then BT Tuesday? Found 1 worm today smushed it till it was a wet spot on my thumb lol.

 

[olaf687]

What state are you located in? Do you know if southern oregon has to worry about bud worms?

 

[SuperNutz]

What state are you located in? Do you know if southern oregon has to worry about bud worms?

If you have moths around you will have bud worms, they are the caterpillars hatched from moth eggs.

 

[olaf687]

If you have moths around you will have bud worms, they are the caterpillars hatched from moth eggs.

Ughhhhh!!! What month are they most active? I got the frame done on my greenhouse but havent got the plastic. I only planned on covering it for rain and high winds. But now I'm thinking to prevent the moths from laying eggs I might be better off covering them almost all the time. Which kindda sucks cause I wanted more direct sunlight not filtered through plastic. I'm currently waiting for my mantises to hatch. And luckily I have tons of yellow jackets around my plants. I wet the ground down everyday and they come to drink from mud puddles. I used know a place where there was ton of baby frogs and lizards but they moved. I wish U could get whole bucket full of frogs to eat the moth bastards!

 

[SuperNutz]

Ughhhhh!!! What month are they most active? I got the frame done on my greenhouse but havent got the plastic. I only planned on covering it for rain and high winds. But now I'm thinking to prevent the moths from laying eggs I might be better off covering them almost all the time. Which kindda sucks cause I wanted more direct sunlight not filtered through plastic. I'm currently waiting for my mantises to hatch. And luckily I have tons of yellow jackets around my plants. I wet the ground down everyday and they come to drink from mud puddles. I used know a place where there was ton of baby frogs and lizards but they moved. I wish U could get whole bucket full of frogs to eat the moth bastards!

They're active all season but don't tend to do damage till the buds form. I got lucky this year, there's tree frogs, wood frogs, toads, lizards, yellow jackets and starting to see tiny mantis that all came on their own.

 

[ThailandBound]

Ughhhhh!!! What month are they most active? I got the frame done on my greenhouse but havent got the plastic. I only planned on covering it for rain and high winds. But now I'm thinking to prevent the moths from laying eggs I might be better off covering them almost all the time. Which kindda sucks cause I wanted more direct sunlight not filtered through plastic. I'm currently waiting for my mantises to hatch. And luckily I have tons of yellow jackets around my plants. I wet the ground down everyday and they come to drink from mud puddles. I used know a place where there was ton of baby frogs and lizards but they moved. I wish U could get whole bucket full of frogs to eat the moth bastards!

I think they really only become a big issue once the plants begin to flower. I have a pretty decent sized "garden" and have picked 5 off so far, but mine are just about to begin the second week of flowering. Yesterday I picked two more. With that said, my neighbor who probably has 50 plants in the 6th week of flowering has picked over 400 of them off his buds. I just ordered some BT, so in another week, I'll start weekly sprays hoping to avoid what he went through. I am growing outdoors in a hoop stye greenhouse in grow bags, but the ends are open so anything can fly in. Just ordered some insect netting off amazon to hang, so hopefully that will help in the future. It won't get here for another 2-3 weeks, so who knows what will happen between now and then.

 

[deadjon]

Great thread, with a ton of great suggestions.

I'm giving all my plants a Montery BT treatment tonight / again this weekend. I have 3 autoflowers that are too close to harvest to spray however....

Other than manually picking them out & installing some bug netting, any other tips?

So far, I think I've been lucky, only found about 10-20 little worms total on the plants....