Should I harvest? Ants are everywhere!

[Simone89420]

Based on these photos should I harvest? Ants have made my plant their home and have taken over. I’m worried they’ll destroy it! If it isn’t harvest time, what can I do to get rid of the ants? Thanks!!

[JDU]

Terro ant bait stations on the floor might help some. Oregon is ridiculous for ants too.

[RFheavy]

Fun little tip I got from another grower on here:
Ground cinnamon will keep the ants at bay! You could sprinkle some on the inside edge of that pot. When I grew in soil, I would rub it on the outside of my fabric pot. As for your plant, you have a ways to go. If the ants are moving in and bringing eggs into the soil, I would flush and then add the ground cinnamon.

[JDU]

I've heard that too but it didn't work for me. No organic hack has. Coffee is supposed to be effective too but I drank one the other day. My 1/2 cent & experience big gun toxic chemicals is the only way & around here even that isn't 100% Also... any eggs would be in the nest with the queen.

[Rwise]

Did not work for me either, they cut trails trough it

[RFheavy]

I'm wondering if a certain type of cinnamon matters? I've actually used this for keeping ants off counter tops as well.

[Rwise]

If you have ants it is also likely you have aphids, (ants would be the farmer and the aphid would be the cow)
I use poisons for ants

[dilvish]

try using diamataceous earth ("food grade" to be safe). sprinkle it liberally around the base of the pot and a thin layer on the topsoil in the pot. make sure the plant is not against a wall or other plant where the ants could climb up and drop onto the plant. This type of earth is razor sharp at the microscopic level and is quite effective at cutting up all kinds of pests when they walk through it.

beforehand i too would flush the pot first with clean water and if you can, spray the plant from the underside upwards with a pressurized "pump" garden sprayer filled with lukewarm water.

[dilvish]

Rwise what kind did you use? whether it be spidermites or ants, hell even cat fleas, DE has worked great for me. The food grade stuff is safe and effective. if need be when sprinkled around the pot (not in it) I have mixed it with boric acid powder and it is very effective. I was offering the OP an organic solution. You can also mix boric acid with a little water and sugar and then shove a bunch of cotton balls or scrunched up paper towels in a jar with holes made in a sealable lid. You then pour the mixture over the cotton balls and the ants will take piece of the cotton through the holes and bring them to the nest for consumption thereby killing the queen and worker ants. have a look at this...https://homeguides.sfgate.com/homema...cid-74569.html

[Rwise]

@delvish I like that idea and I will give it a try! I do use boric acid in places roaches could hide. When I use DE I do get food grade, though I will start reading the labels as the "safer" brand said 100% and the crap I got at Lowes (Garden Safe) is only 85%

[JDU]

Boric acid is the active ingredient in Terro.

[Korn]

Spectracide ant bait. Follow instructions. Bait is carried to queen by workers. Queen dies colony dies.

[Simone89420]

Thankyou everyone! I’m really thinking I should harvest, based on the colour. this is my second grow, I stuffed the first one up. Please help me, I need ur opinions 😫

[kingfish]

Ants is the least of your problems Simone89420 . You got Spidermites. If you think your plants are ready to harvest, then I would harvest.

[Simone89420]

How do you know I have spider mites? What’s that? I’m new to this

[Simone89420]

Oh god how did I miss this Thankyou for spotting this.

[Rwise]

Captain Jacks dead bug (so will spinosad) will get rid of the mites, and (both) claim to be safe to harvest (I dont like spraying bud either)
I cant see the trics in the pics, I use a 30x/60x jewelers loupe to see them. The trics should be cloudy (most THC) with a bit of amber to 50% amber whatever you like ((CBN) more amber = more couch lock)

[dilvish]

My solution about the garden sprayer and the DE sprinkled on the topsoil and around the pots will work for spider mites too. Just make sure you get a sprayer that has a decent amount of pressure like these https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors...8563,4726,8998

The plants don't look ready for harvest yet maybe another 2 weeks for best results. FYI harvesting still means you ought to spray the plants unless you like smoking ants and mites!!

The pressurized water pushes the little varmits off the plant...you could also try a little rubbing alcohol or neem oil (10% alcohol or neem, 90% water) in the lukewarm water .

[Rwise]

Neem oil should not be used on flowers.

[FunkyButtLovin]

Don't smoke neem, shit's nasty and probably not very good for you. I haven't found a bug killer yet that didn't affect the quality of the smoke when it was applied in flower. The flavor is negatively affected, coughing fits increase and you're going to end up smoking bugs anyway. Blasting them off the plant with pressurized water will get rid of some but then your buds are probably going to be nearly saturated and if you don't get that water out you get the mold and budrot. There are no free lunches when it comes to exterminating these pests from your garden, Nothing is going to be effective, harmless and easy all in one. One thing I've seen before too is if you don't get rid of them all and don't smoke too fast, you may get to the bottom nugs to find them all webbed up like a bunch of mini tokin' Spidermans have been playing in their for months. I'm not really trying to steer you away from anything except smoking bugspray. I think if it were me I would just harvest soon then wash real good after I cut them down to get off as many bugs as I could.