How Can I Prevent Caterpillars?

A couple of my plants last year had caterpillars, i went medieval on a few but i still lost a lot. This year i spent some $$ on seeds so i really dont want to get them. Is there any thing i can do to prevent caterpillars, ive heard of bt but does it work for the ones that cocoon's. thanks!

wiseguy316 said:

BT Spray work well

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Exactly, wish I would have used it during veg this last summer. Would have made all the difference in saving 4 of my Sour Diesels from cats.


You can find Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) spray everywhere. This kind is found at Lowes:

http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=164&idcategory=46

Spinosad(Monterey gardens) works as well, that's what I am using and not a single cat. I do have thrips or some other bug chillin in my buds. But they don't seem to be causing any damage. Either way, the spino is killing them (I need to spray again one last time then no more till harvest)

i pulled a half a pound off my last harvest even with the caterpillars (a lot got moldy during the cure) but id prefer not to deal with them.
Also has anyone growing outside tried planting a lot of seeds in a big pot around the end of june, picking out the males and grow lots of small sings buds of different varieties. i grew a smallish one last year that required pretty much no work from me. Im doing it this year with 4 way, mango kush, maui waui, skunk and a blueberry.

how do i aplly bt, on the leaves, on the buds, everything?

ILikeToGrow said:

how do i aplly bt, on the leaves, on the buds, everything?

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Everything. The cats chill in the buds.

Preying mantis. If they live in your area catch some and put them on your plants. If they do not live in your area purchase some from a gardening supply store or online. If you have caterpillars preying mantis will wipe them out. They are like Great White Sharks of the insect world. They will remain on your plants for as long as there is a food source, and that includes flies that land on your plants and any and all other insects that are not really tiny.

ILikeToGrow said:

how do i aplly bt, on the leaves, on the buds, everything?

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You want to generally apply BT spray to the entire plant....during the vegetative (before flowering) stage of the plants.

I wouldn't want to smoke, or my friends to smoke, BT sprayed buds.

*EDIT* I know BT spray is supposed to be an 'organic' insecticide, but I'm still leery of putting it on buds my friends and I will be smoking. You can spray them during flowering, but I'd use it very sparingly. IMO.

If you're gonna spray during flowering, have it be a continuation of spraying from vegging, and stop after the first few weeks of flowering.

After a few weeks of flowering, you're just gonna have to stay vigilant, and watch out for and pluck off those bastards when you see them.

I only yielded about an ounce or so off the 4 Sour Diesels I harvested early due to cat infestation. The Sour Diesel that finished properly yielded twice that.

So it makes a difference to take preventative steps, and spray your plants with BT earlier, during veg.

By the time you see them during flowering, it's pretty much already too late.

Just my two cents.

You can build a barrier against the moths/butterfly's. Then no cats.

I had 0% bud loss to cats this year. I used a screened carport.

peace
doublejj

Some people spray up until a few days before harvest. I guess its all personal preference. I am going to spray my buds one last time before harvest.(2 weeks before I chop.) I don't think I would spray them a week before though. I honestly pro don't have to, but its peace of mind.

Nocturnal1 said:

Some people spray up until a few days before harvest. I guess its all personal preference. I am going to spray my buds one last time before harvest.(2 weeks before I chop.) I don't think I would spray them a week before though. I honestly pro don't have to, but its peace of mind.

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Yea see I think that might just be overkill. By the time you're at 2 weeks to harvest, your buds are nearly finished. Whatever you spray on them now could very well present itself in taste when you finally do smoke those buds in the future.

Think you're doing more harm than good there.

The problem with cats can be prevented by spraying before flowering even begins. Once the cats have set in the stems, it's tougher to get rid of them.

There is also still a lot of mixed info on whether BT is actually safe to injest in long-term studies.

Sure you could have cats come at anytime, but I guess you have to weigh whether you want to smoke buds with BT sprayed on them, or take other preventitive measures like Brick Top mentioned.

See I'd tell my friends if I sprayed plants I grew with BT during flowering, because some people want to know their buds have abnormal chemicals embedded in them.

I sprayed them today. Not because I have cats. But because I have all other sorts of creepy crawlies(I think they may be thrips) in my bud. I have been finding some poop on the leaves. I am not to worried about the taste, stuff barely smells and I actually got some in my mouth accidentally, it wasn't that bad lol. I think in 2 weeks the sun would have degraded it already.

I'm also using Spino, not BT. I wonder if there is a difference on how fast they break down etc.

I was planning using it during veg throughout the first couple weeks of flower, like Someone Else said, and only spray during latter flower in an emergency.
What exactly is screened carport? like the same type of screen on a screen door?

Last year i used many homemade recipes to fight bugs and mould. Highly diluted milk with water works well on powdery mildew, using the tiniest but of pepper in a water spray works alright against bugs. Tweezers stayed close to me the whole time though.

Also i captured a preying mantis who went into beast mode on my plant, but left the next day. Probably because he ate everything on the first.