Aphids

Aphids are soft-bodied insects which can appear white, green, yellow, black, brown and red, depending on their stage of life and where you live. Because they’re so widespread they can be a cannabis pest almost anywhere in the world! Sometimes when growers see tiny “Black Fly” or “Green Fly” bugs on their cannabis, they’re actually seeing aphids with wings. the general body shape is usually pretty similar whether aphids have wings or not. Adults are usually small and oval-shaped and may have dicernable wings or antennae. Nymph aphids are thin/long and usually white. Aphids pierce cannabis leaves with their sucking mouth-parts and feed on the juices inside. They usually occur in colonies located mainly on the undersides of stems and leaves. Another problem with aphids is they produce large amounts of a sweet substance known as “hondeydew,” a sugary liquid waste. Honeydew drops from these insects can attract a type of fungus called sooty mold can grow on honeydew deposits accumulating on the leaves and branches of your plant, turning them black.

Solution to Aphids

Avoid using nervous system insecticides, such as malathion, Dursban (chlorpyrifos), and Orthene (acephate). They are labeled for use on many shade trees and ornamental plants for aphid control, but are not safe to use on cannabis. If something isn’t safe to be used on edible plants, then chances are it’s not safe to use on cannabis.

Insecticidal soaps

Spinosad

Neem Oil