How to Keep Crickets Away From Cannabis Plants

Many people know that carrot peels and carrot tops are a favorite for crickets. But if you think that means they’ll leave your cannabis plants alone, you’re making a huge mistake. Crickets can also eat and destroy your cannabis, even if it’s not their favorite meal. But here’s the trick to keeping them away: recognize and spot the telltale signs of an impending cricket invasion and strike before they do.

Don’t know how? Don’t worry; we’ve got you.

 

Crickets, Locusts, or Grasshoppers?

First things first, crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers belong to the same order Orthoptera. They’re those weird distant cousins that you may mistake for one another. However, there are some noticeable differences between them.

First, crickets are typically 1 inch long, which makes them shorter than grasshoppers, which can reach 3 inches in length. While crickets eat plants, seeds, dead insects, etc., grasshoppers have a strictly herbivorous diet. Meanwhile, locusts are grasshopper subspecies with unique/vivid coloring.

 

How Do Crickets Damage Cannabis Plants?

When it comes to crickets destroying your Cannabis plants, only a few of them don’t pose any real threat. However, the risk of severe damage starts increasing as they grow in number.

Crickets love to attack seeds, flowers, leaves, and stems. Also, note that the ideal time to catch crickets is just before sunset because they prefer to strike at night.

Here’s how to know that crickets have damaged your Cannabis plant:

• Brown spotting
• Audible chirping
• Leaves with small holes
• Visible holes or tunnels around the plant’s base
• Missing or damaged roots
• Increased presence of birds, skunks, raccoons, and other cricket predators, etc.

 

How to Get Rid of Crickets on Cannabis Plants

Did you wake up to cricket-damaged Cannabis plants? There’s good news—all hope is not lost as there are a few effective ways of dealing with them. We’ll show you:

 

Set Cricket Traps

The first option for reducing crickets is by placing cricket traps carefully at strategic points. Even if using “traps only” won’t completely fix the problem, it’s a great way to start as traps can target the pesky ones.

You can also trap crickets with molasses. Molasses have a sweet smell that crickets find appealing. The crickets then get trapped as they move to soak in the smell.

 

Use Pesticides and Insecticides

There are many cricket insecticides and pesticides to explore when attempting to get rid of the critters. Spinosad is one of them. Spinosad is a natural substance that kills insects without harming pets and plants. Although it may not be as effective as other options, it makes for a great start.

Other amazing options include neem oil, organic insecticides (like Essentria IC3), and insecticidal soaps.

 

Leverage Natural Predators

Sometimes, you can just relax and let nature do the job for you. Only that you may have to give “nature” a little nudging by directing them to the crickets.

Common cricket predators include lizards, frogs, salamanders, parasitoid wasps, and beetles. You can also decide to use chickens if your garden is small and you’re dealing with multiple pests.

Another smart option is to surround your Cannabis garden with some hanging bird feeders. This makes it easy for many birds to cheerfully feast on the crickets.

However, each predator comes with its advantages and disadvantages. So, be sure to consider your unique circumstances to determine your best option.

 

How to Keep Crickets Off Cannabis Plants

One of the best ways to win the war against predators is to prevent them from accessing your Cannabis plants in the first place. You can do this through:

 

Good Housekeeping

Like many other insects, crickets are attracted to dirt. So, you can significantly reduce your risk of cricket infestation by constantly clearing debris and keeping your garden clean/tidy. You can do this by removing cuttings or dead leaves or sitting your debris piles/compost significantly away from your crops.

 

Floating Row Covers

Floating row covers are not only efficient, but they’re also cheap and simple. Although placing them above your cannabis plants may be a little inconveniencing, they remain one of the best ways to keep crickets at bay. That’s especially if your cannabis plants are small.

 

Companion Planting

Companion planting is a smart way to get rid of crickets while also producing food for yourself. Since crickets don’t like legumes and potent herbs, planting them among your cannabis plants will help keep the intruders away. Just be sure to avoid overcrowding when planting them.

 

Careful Observation

Here’s one thing you must not neglect in your war against crickets— spotting potential issues. Always keep an eye out for one or two crickets and remove them by hand once you see them. It helps to prevent them from growing into an army that you can’t control.

 

Wrap Up

There you have it—the best ways to ensure crickets don’t pose any threat to your beloved cannabis plants. You can thank us later!