So I found a couple of these holes with, what looks like mold or maybe even “wood chips“ from whatever dug the hole.
I’m also finding these little guys in the recent harvest of an auto flower. Any relation?
Have any of you had these holes? The stem seems to swell slightly above the hole as well which makes me think the bug or larva is in there, whatever it may be. Nothings dying on the plant, plant seems to be doing just fine even after I tried to dig the bug out. I looked online and came to the conclusion that it was the hemp borer.
Any experience with these? It’s all outdoor ones in a pot, the others in the ground.
I have 1 plant just died from about 6 of these feckers in the branches and stem, found a branch on another plant with one in as well. They seem to create mould in the bud above the hole they create, my neighbor said all her plants were killed off last year from these bugs, so they must be very prevalent in my area.
Can you be a little more specific? I mean, I know you stick the pin through the stem or up the hole but the one I found in my CBD plant was very very small so I’m wondering how will I know if I actually killed him? Is there a specific way to do this, so I can be more effective?
The one in the CBD plant, I just cut the branch off. It was on the bottom of the plant anyway. And the plant is over 8 feet tall. It’s huge. I didn’t need the branch. The other one is on a small traditional THC plant, and he’s doing damage I want to get him!
The wee buggers were usually 1~2 cm above the entry hole. They caused the plant to swell around them and eventually they would chew through (late fall or spring?).
These were different plants as well (Rag Weed and Golden Rod…IIRC).
The stems (solid or hollow) would probably change things.
The stem where you found them at the bottom, would you call it solid or hollow?
I’ve had stem borers in pot plants. Not sure what kind they were, but they weren’t tiny. These always went up, too. Jamming a high e guitar string in the hole and upward did the trick. Feels so good to feel them pop, lol!
On that particular plant I found him in a branch, not the main stem. A branch that was growing out of the bottom of the plant. He was also, almost at the tip of the branch. Where that branches Cola would be.
The second plant they are in the main stem. About 3/4 of the way up the plant.
So I thought I had mold in a spot where I pulled off a fan leaf. So I took a razor blade and dug out that spot because I knew it would heal. And I’m not too concerned about the plant, it’s kind a of a runt from a dispensary bagseed. Nice little plant and good quality product though. So anyway, I find the second hole a couple weeks later. That’s when I determine it’s the hemp borer. Now I know the first hole was the same thing and not mold.
The stem is swelling above both holes. so I think there’s two in there. I’ve put pins and tacks up the hole because the holes always went up. Hollow stems of the cannabis plant. But I don’t think I killed anything. And I’m still getting what looks like tiny wood chips from the bugs destruction coming out of the holes. The plant is still doing perfectly fine though. I just want to prevent anything bad from happening. And no how to fix this for future reference.
Yep, I’m in Maine and had these nasty borers this year. I went away and came pack to holes with the poopy just like you saw. Had to splice up most of my plants and they mostly recovered but the harder hit ones on the main stems are WAY weaker than the plants I didn’t have to cut. Next time I might patch them up better with duct tape or ties. Those plants still aren’t looking great but I’ll push them and see how it goes. If you’re cutting, try to be more gentle than I was!
So the first one I found was incredibly small as you see in my earlier photo.
The second one, I was cutting the stem, poking it with safety pins and I still never got him out.
So today I took the wire out of a bread tie and kept sliding it up the hole over and over again and eventually, the little guy came running out of the hole and down the main stem into the dirt. I got him! And he grew substantially! He was about an inch long, but I think this plant is good to go now!
I appreciate all the advice guys! Because that’s how I got him out!
My wife used a medical syringe last year on a squash plant for vine borders. Shining a tactical flashlight helped see them through the vine, but that probably won’t help for weed.
I always spray the stalk and crown area of my squash with pyrethrin before they set fruit. That keeps the squash bugs away throughout the whole harvest. Otherwise I get squash bugs on and under the stalk base.
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