Thanks man I hope so... starting to worry about these damn bud worms everyone talks about. The location of my garden is nothing but oak trees. This is my first outdoor in ca so ive never had to worry about them in the past. I have safer caterpiller killer aswell as another product with bt. When reading about these little fuckers online it seems like there is no preventatives. I have found a bunch of places claiming that spraying before hand does not do what mad people think..whats your stance on the subject? Do you think I should start spraying? And nice garden to you aswell man... those babies are getting big
From my understanding moths lay eggs in the bud, the larvae hatch and get fat while they eat their way out of the bud. A lot of people say to spray as soon as they start budding, (I assume to get Bt in/on the bud so as soon as the larvae hatch inside, they eat it and die. As, eating Bt is the only way it's useful). But, I have also read that Bt bio-degrades fairly rapidly in the sun. So it would seem to me that spraying as a preventative measure isn't going to do a whole hell of a lot. I could see if it lasted at least 3 days or something, so you have a window. But it seemed as though it broke down much faster than that.
Zero experience. Just from research. FWIW.
Here is one of my sources:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/ipmp/publications/fact_sheets/bt.htm (British Columbia .gov Website.)
EDIT: I also wanted to note, fdd2blk is my source on spraying as soon as buds start to show. Here is his post:
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/23996-stoned-caterpillars.html#post249058
Can anyone confirm or deny any of this?
Furthermore, do nematodes have any effect on budworms? If used as foliar spray? Which lasts longer in the sun, nematodes or Bt?
Once again, great thread.