Cannabis and Spider Mites: How to Prevent and Eliminate Them?
Spider mites are probably one of the most common and most annoying pests that can attack cannabis plants. Although small, they can cause significant damage and threaten the entire crop. In this article, you will learn what are the signs of spider mite infestation and how to protect cannabis from this pest.
Spider Mites: What Are They and What Do They Look Like?
Spider mites are winged insects from the Hymenoptera family. Actually, there are about 1,500 different spider mite species, with the greenhouse spider mite being the most common. This insect is about 1-1.5 mm long (males are even smaller), has three pairs of legs and two or four wide wings.
They most often occur on the underside of leaves (where they lay eggs) and, like other sucking insects such as aphids or mealybugs, they feed by sucking plant sap. They reproduce quickly and in large numbers. Female spider mites can lay 80 to 300 eggs on the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch in just 6 days, and in another 28 days, they become adults, which is why it is often difficult to deal with spider mite infestations.
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