Here come the catapillars

jon2

Well-Known Member
I really hate these things, eating there way through the buds while leaving a trail of shit.

It sucks going out to check the plants thinking, "how much am I going to cut off this time?"
 

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
BT should kill them once they ingest it, atleast the thuricide i use does, i actually found a nice size once when spraying one day so i made sure i got him, about an hour later i checked to see if it was still there and it was dead with its insides spewing out, i think this is the same stuff.
Yes, mine is the Thurmicide or Thuricide. It's green right? I will give them a nice bath tonight...actually, early in the a.m. that way my buds aren't wet all night.

I was under the impression BT (which isn't its only ingredient) is a preventative measure...not a bug killer. Maybe the other ingredients kill on contact and explains my dead catapillars.

There is a tagged thread with a few hundred posts somewhere in either the Outdoor or Cultivation discussing BT at length. I've read the whole thing and read it every few months just cause. Right now I'm just planning on waking up everyday and checking my plants tops...really after the top 4" of each top I see no signs of catapillars.

It's like bass fishing. I've found a pattern...but it doesn't mean it's 100%. But I think if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll be alright. I don't know what these guys with (10) 8ft plants are doing. My four are keeping me busy. I guess if I had a 20lbs and lost 2 I wouldn't worry. I'm trying to yield a half P to a P so losing an Oz here or there is a lot. If you have one plant rolling you better make that your baby till harvest. Maybe even after.
 

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
I was under the impression BT (which isn't its only ingredient) is a preventative measure...not a bug killer. Maybe the other ingredients kill on contact and explains my dead catapillars.
nope it's the BT, a live bacteria culture (germ warfare !)
If you keep it refrigerated it will last for years BTW.
 

MediMaryUser

Well-Known Member
I read this thread yesterday and went out an found a couple still very small.what is the best and most effectice way to kill these guys other than picking'em out myself????Also where can i pick this stuff up?????
get any product with this in it Bacillus thuringiensis


they have stuff like this at home depot osh lowes and hydro stores etc http://doitbest.com/main.aspx?memberid=1875h&associate=true&pageid=64&sku=729361 i use this type i think it the one lol
 

MediMaryUser

Well-Known Member
Yes, mine is the Thurmicide or Thuricide. It's green right? I will give them a nice bath tonight...actually, early in the a.m. that way my buds aren't wet all night.

I was under the impression BT (which isn't its only ingredient) is a preventative measure...not a bug killer. Maybe the other ingredients kill on contact and explains my dead catapillars.

There is a tagged thread with a few hundred posts somewhere in either the Outdoor or Cultivation discussing BT at length. I've read the whole thing and read it every few months just cause. Right now I'm just planning on waking up everyday and checking my plants tops...really after the top 4" of each top I see no signs of catapillars.

It's like bass fishing. I've found a pattern...but it doesn't mean it's 100%. But I think if I keep doing what I'm doing I'll be alright. I don't know what these guys with (10) 8ft plants are doing. My four are keeping me busy. I guess if I had a 20lbs and lost 2 I wouldn't worry. I'm trying to yield a half P to a P so losing an Oz here or there is a lot. If you have one plant rolling you better make that your baby till harvest. Maybe even after.
yeah i got some small ass plants like maybe a half ounce per plant average if im lucky so i should probably spray like once every 5 days or so and how close to harvest do u use it?
 

damon bradshaw

Active Member
BT is preventative. It doesnt' kill anything. Grab a small flat head screw driver. Grab a chair while in good lighting and start digging. Start with the tops. Butterflies land on plants not in them.

If they are mature they look like stems and are green. If they are young and tiny they are brown. I find them anywhere from the top to 3" down. Right now they haven't eaten shit. They only dig in on my plants late in flower...like three weeks left.

If you have six weeks left they are there. Just waiting. Like they ordered Pizza but with a long delivery time.
BT does kill them.Thats why its called Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer.It does something to their digestive tracts and it kills them.After spraying you'll find shrivled up dead caterpillars.
 

Carl Spackler

Well-Known Member
I like to rotate the Safer Caterpillar Killer with the Green Light Lawn & Garden Spray w/ spinosad every couple sprayings. I spray every 10 to 14 days. So far no caterpillars found.





Slab is correct in the rotation if pesticides, caterpillars and many other skelontonizing insects can rapidly build up a resistant population, especially if they have a rapid reproduction cycle. Over-application of a given product can also give rise to resistant species particullarly if they harm a predator specie(s). I would stay within the limits of the label as far as rates go with any pesticide. Rotating to another type of control can greatly reduce pest populations as it is unlikely that a resistant survivor will show tolerance to the second treatment with another product .
Treating a area intended for your grow with a systemic insecticide(Imidicloparid or Bifenthrin) several weeks or even months prior to planting is a proven method for pest control with little or no risk of foliar absorption.
 

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
Look at this guy I found not too far from my garden. I since put him in jar with some various leaves and it has cocooned up.
Fuck that fuckin' fuck. Put him on a hook and catch a bass with him...not that I use live bait. But in this case I would.
 

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
Sprayed a solid dose of BT at about 7am. Came home around lunch found a few little guys not looking so good. Found a few healthy ones though. I'm going to spray for a few more days then just pluck them off. I'm less than two weeks from harvest. Tonight could be my last feeding on this strain. They aren't eating much at all as long as I check them every morning and afternoon.

I think I can hold onto a solid harvest by spraying and picking...my concern is after harvest. Do I just have to pick every little egg out and make sure this crop is clean as a whistle or what? I will die if I open a jar up and week old cured nugs have ten catapillars chomping. Yeah, I'm gonna go through this harvest like I never have before.
 

Roc

Member
I have a question. I'm a first time grower. I'm about 3-4 weeks into flowering and now have the caterpillar problem.

I just got some Safer Caterpillar Killer, but I'm afraid to use it because I do not want to ruin the flavor of the buds.

My question is: Does Safer Caterpillar Killer ruin the flavor of the buds?

Thanks in advance.:eyesmoke:
 

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
I have a question. I'm a first time grower. I'm about 3-4 weeks into flowering and now have the caterpillar problem.

I just got some Safer Caterpillar Killer, but I'm afraid to use it because I do not want to ruin the flavor of the buds.

My question is: Does Safer Caterpillar Killer ruin the flavor of the buds?

Thanks in advance.:eyesmoke:
I would read the entire thread. Someone in here is deep into flower and uses the same product you are talking about.

In general it appears the final two weeks of your grow is where you cut off the spraying.
 

Roc

Member
Thanks for the response.

I did read you can use it up to 2 weeks before harvest, but how does it effect the flavor?

My thing is I don't want buds that taste like pesticide.
 

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the response.

I did read you can use it up to 2 weeks before harvest, but how does it effect the flavor?

My thing is I don't want buds that taste like pesticide.
The entire outdoor forum basically uses all these things you talk about. They wouldn't be used if they ruined the flavor. I'm sure there is a way to ruin the flavor but regular usage shouldn't.
 
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