CANNABIS PEST CONTROL: ROOT APHIDS

HOW TO ERADICATE ROOT APHIDS AND PASS LAB TESTS FOR RECREATIONAL GROWS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON

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Root aphids are a serious problem if you’re growing cannabis because these nasty cannabis bugs are buried deep down in your grow medium and not readily visible to the naked eye. That is why I always recommend using yellow sticky traps to monitor for root aphids and fungus gnats. Root aphids are narrow and long while fungus gnats are fat and short.

 

 

 

SIGNS OF ROOT APHIDS IN CANNABIS

In most cases, the first sign of a root aphid infestations is cannabis plants looking droopy. You’ll probably be wondering what went wrong until you see a few root aphids flying or several of them stuck on your yellow sticky traps. Then, you get that sick feeling in your gut because you know very well you already have a serious root aphid infestation!

A flying root aphid anywhere near cannabis plants is a clear indication that the root aphid population below ground has reached alarming proportions. In fact, 90% of the time flyers are a sign of overpopulation because root aphids are needing roots to infect. This simply means the infestation is so severe that waiting is no longer an option—YOU HAVE TO ACT IMMEDIATELY or risk losing your entire crop!

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO ERADICATE AND PREVENT ROOT APHIDS IN CANNABIS

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I know that sick feeling you get when you suspect a cannabis root aphids infestation. Root aphids are the worst cannabis pest to have. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place! At ANT & GARDEN ORGANIC PEST CONTROL, I can help you eradicate root aphids from your cannabis plants. It’s not easy work but you’ll get rid of them successfully with my clear and simply directions below.

I have eradicated cannabis root aphids using approved, minimum risk 25b insecticides multiple times without ever failing a lab test and I’m going to share with you some tips that will make a huge difference. There are a few things I know that I’m leaving out like nematodes because I can’t guarantee the quality of them along with other products I use with a short shelf life. I want to give clear and easy directions to save your garden from cannabis pests without having to use a 20-part solution like Advanced Nutrients. Let’s keep it simple with these 3 easy steps.

CANNABIS ROOT APHIDS FAQS

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Question: I harvested all my plants and clones I took from my mother plants and replaced my mother plants with new clones. Do I still need new containers, soil and sand for the next round?

Answer: Yes. For another six months after final plants are harvested, you will need to continue to use Met-52, new soil and containers topped off with one inch of sand. The reason for this is that root aphids leave eggs everywhere in your building and they can remain dormant for half of the year. So if you see a cannabis root aphid flyer three months after you took your last infected plant down, DO NOT WORRY—your plants are now in a non-penetrable fortress. Consider this a bad sign though, because it means there’s root aphids coming in from outside your building and you’ll always have to protect your plants with landscaping fabric and sand. However, BotaniGard will not be needed again if you just make sure nothing can fly into your propagation room.

Question: I just saw root aphids crawling around three months after last treatment. Will I always need to use landscaping fabric and sand?

Answer: No. These are from eggs that hatched from within your grow site and are looking for roots to attack. They will starve to death and cause no harm. If it’s been a year and you’re still seeing non-flying root aphids crawling around, then this is a problem and a full inspection is needed. Refer to my sanitation methods to prevent root aphids from entering your grow space to begin with.

Question: It’s been a year with no signs of root aphids. Am I in the clear?

If you’re following my sanitation protocols then yes, you have eradicated root aphids from your grow room and they are never coming back! Give yourself a pat on the back and use my sanitation guidelines so you’ll never have pests again!

ROOT APHIDS: WHY THEY CAN BE THE GREATEST THREAT TO CANNABIS

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NO PEST GUARANTEE• PORTLAND

If you have a cannabis grow room and suddenly notice your plants looking a bit off and undernourished, the first thing you would do is check for all the common quick fixes. So you make sure they’re adequately watered and receiving the right nutrients according to your feeding schedule. You’ll also ascertain that pH is in the ideal range and there are no visible signs of marijuana bugs in the stems and leaves of your plants. Finally, you take a look at the roots and your worst fear is confirmed—you have root aphid infestation.

 

 

 

 

Root aphids can be a pain in the neck for cannabis growers in the NW Oregon area. These pervasive and obnoxious pests destroy cannabis crops by sucking on the roots and leaving an enzyme that causes lesions that are not able to heal. As a result, nutrients from the roots are leached, leaves wilt, and overall plant growth is stunted.

In order to identify, treat and prevent a root aphid infestation, you must first get to know about them better.

WHAT ARE ROOT APHIDS?

Root aphids have been around for more than a century. They’re among the worst enemies of commercial crop growers, first decimating vineyards in France and almost destroying the wine industry in a scourge known as the Great French Wine Blight in the mid 1800s.

Root aphids belong to the phylloxera family of bugs and are native to the eastern and southeastern United States. First discovered in California in the 1850s, they found their way to French vineyards a decade later when American grapevines were exported to France to help fight powdery mildew. This led to two-thirds of the destruction of Vitis vinifera vineyards in Europe by 1900.

Part of what makes root aphids so prevalent is their prolific life cycle. As soil temperature rises in the spring, nymphs begin to feed on root sap and mature into adults in just two to three weeks. These spring and summer feeding adults are strictly females that can reproduce without male fertilization. A single female can produce 100-150 eggs over a period of six weeks and new nymphs invade other root areas to feed and cause gall formations. As they mature, they begin producing the next generation of eggs. The cycle goes on and between five to nine overlapping generations of root aphids can take place in a single growing season. Newly hatched nymphs in September and October usually hibernate for the winter.

With such a diverse and fertile reproductive cycle, it’s no wonder why both growers and hobbyists have such a difficult time eradicating these cannabis pests. Now let’s take a look at how to find out if root aphids are attacking your cannabis plants.

HOW TO SPOT ROOT APHIDS IN CANNABIS PLANTS

Now that you’re equipped with information about root aphids, you need to know the telltale signs of a root aphid infestation in your cannabis grow space.

It wouldn’t be wise to immediately dig up a plant to inspect its roots—that’s why it’s important to first rule out other possible causes that are making your plants look unhealthy.

Cannabis plants afflicted with root aphids will look undernourished and their growth will be stunted. If they’re flowering, the flowers will be smaller than usual. The leaves exhibit signs similar to iron and magnesium deficiencies, so they’ll turn yellow because the root aphids are sucking out these nutrients from the roots.

After you’ve ruled out other probable causes in plain sight, it’s time to get to the bottom of things—examining the roots. Cannabis roots that are afflicted with root aphids will turn yellow, swollen and hard. You’ll need to keep your guard up at this time because damaged plants will also become susceptible to other issues like root rot and fungus.

Root aphids are somewhat difficult to identify and often confused with other marijuana pests such as fungus gnats. These pear-shaped little nasties measure about 1 mm and range in color from white, yellow, orange, brown, and green. They have the ability to camouflage with particular roots they feed off, so in the case of cannabis you’ll find white, tan, brown or orange root aphids.

Root aphids begin to resemble fungus gnats when they start to grow wings. If you do get confused with the two, keep in mind that root aphids have shorter legs and are chunkier than the latter. Their wings are also longer and more slender. In contrast, fungus gnats have slimmer bodies, longer legs and rounder wings.

PREVENTING ROOT APHIDS IN CANNABIS GROW ROOMS

As the old saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” This is the ideal scenario if you operate a cannabis grow room because root aphids are so difficult to get rid of. So it’s best never to have them to begin with. Outdoor growers don’t have this advantage because root aphids could be thriving on plants along the perimeter of their grow space. But with an indoor grow room, you can apply extra measures to seal your grow space completely and keep it clean. Regular sterilization is vital since root aphids can lay their eggs in walls and remain dormant during the winter.

You can also be more stringent when sourcing out soil and grow medium so you can ensure you don’t get material that has been infected with root aphids. Make sure not to overwater your cannabis plants, too, as root aphids seem to love extra moist soil. And if you do bring in fresh, new clones, be sure to give them a good root drench first with organic insecticides. Furthermore, if you have pets around, make sure they don’t get into your grow room as they can be unknowing carriers of these pesky little suckers.

But what if you already suspect a root aphid infestation in your cannabis grow space? Well, it’s time you get in touch with an organic pest control expert like Ryan at ANT & GARDEN ORGANIC PEST CONTROL in Beaverton Oregon.

503-713-9590

OREGON CANNABIS PEST CONTROL FOR ROOT APHIDS