Best outdoor pest management strategy?

[TomH]

Just getting to the point where the outdoor ladies change from veg to flower. There have been hints that it was happening now for a few days but today, 3 are definitely building bud sites. One (Skunk #1; has all the look, including a good stretch, but not showing any white hairs yet.

I have been spraying BT and Spinosad a couple times weekly, but don’t want to mess up the buds.

1 - As it begins to stack and bulk up, what is a good pest management spray?
2 - should I spray regularly through flower? If so, what schedule?
3 - During application, should I avoid hitting the buds ?

Thank you, any additional recommendations would be helpful.

 

[TomH]

This is all as a preventative mechanism, not currently doing battle with anything, but of course thats only a disaster away!

 

[MysticEpipedon]

This is all as a preventative mechanism, not currently doing battle with anything, but of course thats only a disaster away!

What kind of pests do you typically see? Beneficials work well for preventative measures.

I've had good luck with Nature's Good Guys for beneficial nematodes and a predatory mite that lives in soil.

Live Ladybugs and other Beneficial Insects to control Pest Insects

As an actual Beneficial Insect producing farm, NaturesGoodGuys produces Good Bugs to control Pest Insects in your Garden since 1986!

www.naturesgoodguys.com

 

[TomH]

What kind of pests do you typically see? Beneficials work well for preventative measures.

I've had good luck with Nature's Good Guys for beneficial nematodes and a predatory mite that lives in soil.

Live Ladybugs and other Beneficial Insects to control Pest Insects

As an actual Beneficial Insect producing farm, NaturesGoodGuys produces Good Bugs to control Pest Insects in your Garden since 1986!

www.naturesgoodguys.com

Last year there were some form of caterpillars. I believe it was sphinx moth larvae but not positive.
Green worms not much thicker than a pencil lead.

This year we have occasional grasshoppers, but not swarms (Yet).

I hadn’t thought about putting beneficials outdoors, I always thought they’d probably migrate away.

 

[freezeland]

Last year there were some form of caterpillars. I believe it was sphinx moth larvae but not positive.
Green worms not much thicker than a pencil lead.

This year we have occasional grasshoppers, but not swarms (Yet).

I hadn’t thought about putting beneficials outdoors, I always thought they’d probably migrate away.

Are you in pots or in ground? Some of the beneficials will migrate. Especially mantis for the grass hoppers. Nematodes won’t migrate off to quick as long as there is a food source present. Being in pots will help when using beneficial insects outdoors.

 

[TomH]

One in ground, three In pots..

I’ll have to look into the natural defense systems.

 

[steamroller]

I know this is what SSHZ uses indoor but it should still be fine outdoors.
Just spray after the sun goes down.

SSHZ- Lit Farms "Rainbow Marker" & GreenPoint "Purple Runtz"

I'm still deciding how to go since I hand water daily..........That's a lot of fertilizer if you don't cut it down some. I'll start slow, watch the plants and let them tell me how to proceed. The other issue, where I'm a bit different, is I like to keep the Nitrogen high until week 5 or so (in...

budbuilders.org

 

[TomH]

I know this is what SSHZ uses indoor but it should still be fine outdoors.
Just spray after the sun goes down.

SSHZ- Lit Farms "Rainbow Marker" & GreenPoint "Purple Runtz"

I'm still deciding how to go since I hand water daily..........That's a lot of fertilizer if you don't cut it down some. I'll start slow, watch the plants and let them tell me how to proceed. The other issue, where I'm a bit different, is I like to keep the Nitrogen high until week 5 or so (in...

budbuilders.org

I do have the tea tree oil, peppermint oil, peroxide and alcohol.
I’ll need to do this a couple times as things progress!

Thank you.

 

[MysticEpipedon]

Last year there were some form of caterpillars. I believe it was sphinx moth larvae but not positive.
Green worms not much thicker than a pencil lead.

This year we have occasional grasshoppers, but not swarms (Yet).

I hadn’t thought about putting beneficials outdoors, I always thought they’d probably migrate away.

You're right, you need the right plants around to keep the tiny beneficial wasps that lay eggs on caterpillars around. In fact, just growing the plants might attract them. Seems they like composites, like daisies and cone flowers.

 

[SSHZ]

Monterey Garden Insect spray is also a good one…….iuse it for mites because of the Spinosad in it but it controls or kills many pests.

 

[Moshmen]

Sorry I’ll be the ass - grow indoors and don’t get em.

 

[Habosabin]

Pests must die.

 

[TomH]

one solution to bugs that seems to be immediately effective, if not long lasting is a strong stream of water.

I’m truly hoping that the low RH is enough to keep budrot at bay, normal daily RH gets down to the teens from about 9AM to after 6PM. I’ve not been seeing any signs, but must remain diligent!

A good spray and shake removes most everything.

I’m finding ants climbing my plants, I haven’t seem them doing it yet, but I suspect they are the source of some aphids I saw on Thursday. Little bastages are irritating me. Sprayed them down and they were gone for a couple days, then back.

I also piled up some borax, powdered sugar and DE at the trunk of each plant.

I’ll reply back after harvest and trim when I can determine if this was a good idea or a terrible one!

 

[steamroller]

The ants may actually be growing/farming the aphids~!

Aphid-Eating Ants: Are They Real Or Not?

If you’re seeing ants and aphids on your plants or trees, you’re probably wondering if the ants are there to eat the aphids. Well… Ants farm and take care of aphids because aphids give ants

www.backyardpests.com

They like the 'honey dew' the aphids make.

 

[midwestcannaman]

one solution to bugs that seems to be immediately effective, if not long lasting is a strong stream of water.

I’m truly hoping that the low RH is enough to keep budrot at bay, normal daily RH gets down to the teens from about 9AM to after 6PM. I’ve not been seeing any signs, but must remain diligent!

A good spray and shake removes most everything.

I’m finding ants climbing my plants, I haven’t seem them doing it yet, but I suspect they are the source of some aphids I saw on Thursday. Little bastages are irritating me. Sprayed them down and they were gone for a couple days, then back.

I also piled up some borax, powdered sugar and DE at the trunk of each plant.

I’ll reply back after harvest and trim when I can determine if this was a good idea or a terrible one!

You might want to try tangle foot around the stem, that stuff seems to catch them before they can get up the stem. The ants actually farm the aphids Just a thought, but ive seen a few others use it with pretty great results.

 

[midwestcannaman]

The ants may actually be growing/farming the aphids~!

Aphid-Eating Ants: Are They Real Or Not?

If you’re seeing ants and aphids on your plants or trees, you’re probably wondering if the ants are there to eat the aphids. Well… Ants farm and take care of aphids because aphids give ants

www.backyardpests.com

They like the 'honey dew' the aphids make.

You beat me to that by a minute steamroller, good call!

 

[TomH]

Looks like I’m going shopping on amazon!

thank you for the recommendation!

 

[steamroller]

Looks like I’m going shopping on amazon!

thank you for the recommendation!

@Stoneyluv and @Bandit420 both use tanglefoot and say good stuff about it I believe.

 

[willie]

Doing my last BT spray today or tomorrow. The occasional Monterey Insect and weekly Garden Friendly Fungicide going forward. I think the GFF is an excellent hedge against bud rot and mold. No PM present but I'd be spraying that with milk if it shows.

Slap Hammer (blunt force trauma x jenny kush) close to 9'

 

[Stoneyluv]

Looks like I’m going shopping on amazon!

thank you for the recommendation!

for outdoor and coating wood and other textures and elements i like the yellow tubs... ▼



for card traps and thin applications i like the green can... ▼



Bandit posted some spray one time but not sure how it worked out. i overspray spray paint like a mutha so i didn't even wanna try!! haha

 

[willie]

Tanglefoot is the number 1 solution for keeping ants out of my hummingbird feeders. Ants will not cross a line of that.
Of course that balances out when you get some on you (and you will) It is the most awful shit in that regard.........hard to get off.

 

[TomH]

Tanglefoot is the number 1 solution for keeping ants out of my hummingbird feeders. Ants will not cross a line of that.
Of course that balances out when you get some on you (and you will) It is the most awful shit in that regard.........hard to get off.

That last line hit home.

I’ve been stuck to one of my plants since yesterday

Even alcohol barely touched the stuff.

I hope it works.

Is it bad to use without an under layer of tape?

I just put it right on the trunk of each plant Then saw the stuff about horticultural tape.

 

[willie]

That last line hit home.

I’ve been stuck to one of my plants since yesterday

Even alcohol barely touched the stuff.

I hope it works.

Is it bad to use without an under layer of tape?

I just put it right on the trunk of each plant Then saw the stuff about horticultural tape.

It won't affect the trunk, no worries, just remember it's there when you take it.....it's miserable stuff to get off.