CANNABIS PESTS: HOW TO GET RID OF SLUGS AND SNAILS?

Cannabis grown outdoors faces many threats during its life cycle. Pest control is a very important part of growing hemp. While slugs and snails play a beneficial role in garden ecosystems and their presence in the garden is very important, as their numbers increase they can cause significant damage to cannabis plants and even consume entire seedlings. In this article, we will share with you the best tips and tricks to protect your cannabis plants from slugs and snails.

How to tell if cannabis plants are infested with slugs or snails?

Slugs and snails are the first pests that can appear during the growing season. They appear in spring, which coincides with the growth of the cannabis plants. These pests are usually most active at night, although they can also be seen during the day. Even so, it is very easy to tell if your plants are being attacked by these animals at night. If you want to catch them, pay attention to these signals:

• chewed leaves: large and torn holes on the leaves,
• spots of silver slime on bitten leaves and on the ground,
• slug eggs in damp soil or compost.

Prevention against slugs and snails

As with other pests that can attack cannabis plants, it is best to prevent them. With these tips, you can easily prevent the spread of slugs and snails in your cannabis garden:

Do not water at night

Slugs and snails are nocturnal creatures and seek out moist environments. Do not water plants at night. Instead, water them in the morning.

Try companion planting

Companion planting is not only environmentally friendly, but it also helps create a strong ecosystem that benefits the environment. Companion planting uses natural terpenes to prevent pests. Plants such as lavender, basil, chamomile, coriander and dill produce very strong terpenes that naturally repel many cannabis pests.

Build barriers

Another simple but effective way to keep slugs and snails out of cannabis cultivation is by creating physical barriers. Create a dry area around the plants and spread lime, diatomaceous earth or salty sand around the plants . Any kind of dry, gravelly mix helps keep slugs and snails away from the cannabis garden, as the dryness repels these animals. You can also use coffee. Sprinkle coffee beans on plants or pots. This repels slugs and snails.

How to get rid of slugs and snails?

If these molluscs are already feasting on your cannabis plants, act quickly and effectively to stop them. There are several ways to deal with them:

Remove them by hand.

This method is clearly the easiest way to deal with these pests. Many growers defend their plants by picking them up and moving them elsewhere. They need to be caught at night when they come out of their hiding places to find food. As a preventative measure, you can also target slugs and snails during the day by lifting pots, bricks and similar covered areas where they can hide.

Attract predators

Attracting predators is probably the best option, as it will turn your garden into a functioning ecosystem while protecting your cannabis plants.

Common predators of slugs and snails include:

• Beetles,
• toads,
• frogs,
• mice,
• hedgehogs,
• squirrels,
• birds.

If you want to attract frogs, you need to create a moist environment for them. Small wetlands, including ponds, can attract them. If you have dense and varying levels of grass in your garden, this is attractive to hedgehogs, which like to feed on slugs and snails.

Set traps

If you don't have the time or energy to hunt snails by hand, it is possible to attract them and then catch them in a trap. A traditional snail and slug trap is a beer trap. Dig a hole in the ground and place a container of beer in it, the slugs and snails will not be able to resist the smell and will fall in and drown in no time.

For more tips on cannabis pest problems, check out the articles in the growingsection ofour blog. For example , read about themost common cannabis pests.