I read many threads asking for help about pests, and this got me wondering what are the best practices for prevention? I’m sure it’s a keep-it-simple list of things to help steer clear of pests and be ready to treat when they do happen. How do you prevent? How do you keep an eye out for the baddies? What do you keep on hand to knock em out quick?
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The best cure is prevention. Start by cleaning your grow area thoroughly with H2O2 then use sterile medium to start your plants.
Start your feeding regime by adding beneficial microbes to your watering schedule. I use Hydroguard but there are others and if you’re into organics there are ways to brew your own.
If you do get pest I use a product that is safe for cannabis, like Neem oil based product.
But the best purchase I’ve ever made for pest control is….
Bug zapper with UV LEDs.
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I treat the empty tent with this…
Get it at lowes.
Just a light mist all over and then start my grow. Keeps anything I might bring in from outdoors from crawling into the tent.
Also if any gnats come from the soil and land on the tent walls they die.
Has worked well for the last 3 years for me.
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I use mosquito bits as a top soil dressing and captain jacks deadbug as spray for the leaves. I rarely use the spray but always use mosquito bits. Like above mentioned, I do a deep clean inside the tents after every grow. I use about a 25% peroxide to water mixture in a spray bottle and go to town on the entire tent surface inside. I wipe down the lights (don’t spray directly on them lol). Haven’t had any issues knock on wood.
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Thanks for the replies.
So I’m thinking:
- Clean tent thoroughly after each grow
- Keep a jug of mosquito bits handy
- Use some of those sticky insect traps for in and around the pots
- Don’t allow any standing water in the tent
Does anyone use the bits as a preventative, or just as a treatment? Are there any good detection methods folks use? What about organic soil growers - there are some natural predators that are good to have in your pots to prevent or reduce pests?
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Lol i have this!! Im totally gonna try this. Ive been fighting this infestation of fungus gnats & white aphids since summer!!! Never thought to usd this lol 
ive certainly used everything else with no fix… thank you for posting
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I also hang a bag of bits in all by buckets of de chlorinating water, so far im still infested
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Best prevention method I have come across is a product called Neem cake. You can get it from Amazon. It won’t stop pests that fly in but it stops them from reproducing. So the won’t lay eggs that will hatch and after the live out their cycle and die you are done. I don’t believe this would be effective for outdoors as pests can continue to come, but it does take up the natural defense through the roots and when they feed it’s working so indoors will be best as it will eventually kill everything if you start with the product mixed in the soil. As for something that will kill them instantly I’ve heard people mention capt Jack dead bug. But never used it myself. Hope thus helps
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I grow organic btw. Everything from my farm. I always keep a 50 gal with my personal soil mix. I do treat it with the neem cakes and it wokrs great. The problem with doing everything from my fatm is I always miss something and end up with pests. This time around did everything right. Then I grabbed some fresh worm casting from the top of my bin instead of the bottom. After I put my seeds in I looked closely and saw a couple hundred of the tiny little bugger crawling around. oh well first 3 weeks will suck. But eventually they will all be gone!
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You are tge second person I’ve heard mention the mosquito bits. I normally toss them in my pond. Never thought to use in the soil. Try the neem cakes too, as they offer some benefits.
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@Alien_Shore welcome mate.swik not do anything fungas nats who cares not eat the green,spiders cocroaches skink lizards who cares watch ya plants mate,what sorta pests do you have mate ? 
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YouTube video, described multiple types of Aphids.
Having different needs and termination methods may conflict.
I am using Lady-Bugs to rid my plants and have Neem for the soil.
Preventative, HELL YES, that would have been better. Turn loose 1500 in three weeks. Hunger Squadron of Lady Killers, I hope. 600 “scouts” deployed for recon, two days ago.
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I use this. Spray every week or 2.
Sample bottle is 10 bux andmakes a gallon. Fungicide/miticide/insecticide. Usable up to harvest day.
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Captian jacks dead bug can be used as a preventive and a bug killer. I also use Mosquito bits in my soil to prevent fungus gnats from reproducing. It kills the larvae not the adults. Captian jacks can be used up to harvest. Montery BT is good for caterpillars. This year I started using purecrop1 and really liked the results. You can add the BT and or the CJDB to it. Nothing kills grasshoppers except your fingers.
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Thanks, Aussie. That’s the thing, I haven’t started yet, so I have zero pests just yet. 
Just gathering up the knowledge right now, finishing up some construction for my grow room, then I am going to start my first grow. I just want to be as well-prepared as I can be. The spider mite infestation is something that I truly want to avoid…it looks like a #$%* PITA.
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Lol i have used ALL of the above 
i must have very strong bugs, even the lace wings & lady bugs couldnt get rid of them… i sprayed the tent with the ortho last night, ill keep the plants out 1 more night just as precaution. So far im not seeing any flying around. Fingers crossed ive wiped them out. I did forget to put neem cakes in this group 
but i did use ground up egg shells, ground up peas & D E . I woulda thought that all woulda worked but nope, ran havoc on all their poor new roots. Ill keep watching, so far this morning , its looking promising again… uggg been dealing with this since summer 
enough is enough lmao 
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Best knowledge i can share is, dont forget any steps lol miss one & they can start a war lol
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Get a UV-light/trap/bug zapper.
Electric wand works great, except fly was super fast.
Zapped him once and while doing a victory dance, he got up and flew away.
I smoked him fly last night after three days of chasing.
He danced on the wand and died.
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I have 2 lol & sticky tape
I dont wanna jinx myself but im not seeing them to much today… Hopefully the girls can withstand 1 more night on the cold porch before going back in the tent… sprayed the tent with ortho home defense… not organic, but girls arent in there
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@Alien_Shore Gday man, yeah i not as unlucky as some of the americans on here i not why but yeah i no worry about fungats nats,swik used to use sticky traps but is just another unneeded expense for the poor grower lol and spider mites another story mate do not freak out about bugs until; it happens rock on mate