Catterpillar Help!

[Hooprules]

I just found catterpillars way sooner than expected. I lost some good buds. These are the products I have on hand, what is most effective?

Also, I get this every year in Mass. Is there anyway to pre-treat for this problem?

 

[BeezLuiz]

I would get this product:

20220903_072448.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 3, 2022

Bacillus Thuringiensis

It's pretty effective for me. I spray it once per week at the recommended concentration. I start spraying once the plant is in flower and I can smell the buds. If I can smell it, the moths can smell it and will lay eggs. My plants were about 30 days into flower when I sprayed the first application.

 

[Hooprules]

Yes, I have that on hand. Thanks for the quick reply. I will start tonight.

 

[Hooprules]

I guess I should have asked last year if it could be used preventively Live and learn. Thanks again

 

[zigzagman1960]

Monterey and capn jack are both good. Spinosad is the stuff that kills em..i spray every week till harvest than wash buds in an h2o2 soln.

 

[Hooprules]

Ive never done a bud wash. What is your technique? So, are you saying that Monterey will not solve my problem and I should buy the Spinosad?

 

[SmokingWings]

If you have just a couple of caterpillars then just pull them off and check every couple of days. If you are checking the plants on a regular basis it will not add all that much extra time. Certainly a lot less time than mixing and spraying every couple of days.

If you go with any of the B.t. products check to be sure that the active ingredients are just the two letters "B.t. because there is a very similar product called B.t.i. which works on insect larvae and will have very little if any effect on caterpillars. You want the one without the i in the name of the active ingredient.

Ive never done a bud wash. What is your technique?

Check out the thread on Bud Washing. Start at the front to get the original method and then read the rest to get some of the newer methods. But, what ever method they all are based on washing a couple of times and then some extra drying to get rid of excess moisture.

https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/bud-washing.200881/

 

[bluter]

just be aware that most food safe chemicals are for ingestion through eating once the produce is washed.
many can become toxic with heat as the chemical structure will change. there are very few things that are safe to spray in flower.

spinosad and a host of other chemicals are banned here due to that.

 

[zigzagman1960]

Ive never done a bud wash. What is your technique? So, are you saying that Monterey will not solve my problem and I should buy the Spinosad?

Monterey garden spray —somebody showed a bottle—has spinosad and the captain Jack I have (they were out of Monterey) has spinosad as well.
Somebody directed you to a bud wash thread—so check it out.

 

[Hooprules]

Thanks!