By Luke Sumpter

Learn how to defend your cannabis plants from leaf miners.


Humans have many uses for cannabis; it serves as industrial crop, a source of psychoactive cannabinoids, and everything in between. But we’re not the only species that has taken a liking to the versatile herb. Many insect species are drawn to cannabis as it serves as a succulent snack.

Cannabis growers encounter a wide variety of insects in their gardens. Some of these critters are considerably hard to spot, whereas others—including leaf miners—leave obvious telltale signs in their wake. Continue reading to learn a thing or two about leaf miner biology, how they damage cannabis plants, and how to prevent and counter invasions.

What Are Leaf Miners?

As their name suggests, leaf miners tunnel into the tissue of leaves. They chew their way through vegetation, leaving a visible feeding tunnel behind them.

Leaf miners are the larval stage of numerous species of insects, including many moths, sawflies, wasps and beetles. Each of these species goes through four major phases of the life cycle: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. It’s during the hungry larval stage where they inflict damage through mining leaves.

Leaf miners selectively target tissue within leaves, as opposed to munching on the surface, for several reasons. Firstly, chomping through the inside of a leaf fills their bellies and creates a safe haven and a place to hide from predators. Secondly, they specifically target juicier tissue with less cellulose—a fibrous structural component within plant tissue.

Very effective for larvae, this survival mechanism takes a heavy toll on plants. An aggressive leaf miner invasion can cause significant damage to leaves and affect plant growth and yield. Before we delve into ways to manage these munchers, it’s worth learning how they spread and what signs to keep an eye out for.

What Are Leaf Miners?

How Do Leaf Miners Spread?

Leaf miners start their lives as eggs, laid by female insects. Upon hatching, the young larvae start boring tunnels in leaves as they satiate their hunger. Eventually—if they survive the throes of early life—the larvae morph into pupae and eventually into an adult insect.

When a male and female wasp, beetle, moth or sawfly mate, they contribute genetic components to the next wave of leaf miner eggs. Although all of these species play important roles in the ecosystem, the key to preventing leaf miner damage lies in disrupting this reproductive cycle.

How Do Leaf Miners Spread?

What does Leaf Miner Damage Look Like?

Leaf miner tunnels look like white wining brushstrokes over a luscious green canvas. These trails spiral, turn, and twist through the interior of the leaf, leaving visible markings on the surface. At first glance, these markings appear worm-like, leading many gardeners to lay the blame on some sort of parasite. In reality, they are actually the telltale sign of a much smaller organism.

How to Treat a Leaf Miner Invasion

After spotting the obvious presence of leaf miners, you need to take action before these hungry fellows cause any more damage. Cannabis growers have a range of options at their disposal when dealing with these pests. Of course you can reach for a bottle of a chemical pesticide to put an immediate halt to the advance. Although effective, pesticides can leave residue on flowers and cause environmental damage in the garden and beyond.

Organic methods enable growers to tackle issues while preserving the delicate balance of their garden's ecosystem and keeping their prized flowers free of contaminants. Check out a few of the most effective organic methods of dealing with leaf miners below.

Beneficial Predators

Every stage of the leaf miner life cycle slots somewhere into the soil food web. Just as leaf miners can’t resist wrapping their mouthparts around your cannabis leaves, other insect species feel the same way about these troublesome tunnelers.

By introducing predatory insects into your garden, you’ll keep leaf miner numbers down while enhancing biodiversity. After these insects complete their job, they’ll serve as food for another organism and will help to fuel the soil food web. As one of the most effective predatory insects against leaf miners, the parasitic wasp Diglyphus isaea makes quick work out of many species of these ravenous pests. These wasps patrol the surface of leaves, locate tunnelling leaf miners and puncture them with a paralysing sting.

Once immobilised, these ectoparasites then lay their eggs on the stunned prey. After the larvae hatch, they attack the unfortunate leaf miner and feast on their insides. It’s gruesome, yet highly effective—as are the ways of nature.

How to Treat a Leaf Miner Invasion

Neem Oil

You’ll find a bottle of neem oil in greenhouses and grow rooms of most organic growers. Pressed from the fruits and seeds of an evergreen tree native to Indian subcontinent, neem oil contains several triterpenoid compounds that counter numerous insect and fungal species. Referred to as an organic pesticide, neem oil manages to deter pests such as leaf miners, while leaving beneficial species such as ladybugs and worms unharmed. The oil will rid your leaves of leaf miners after only a few applications.

How to Treat a Leaf Miner Invasion

Mix one teaspoon of neem oil per litre of warm water inside a mister. Add five drops of surfactant to allow the oil and water to mix. Shake the mister and cover the fan leaves of every affected plant. Neem oil works wonders against certain pests, but it does have some downsides. The oil can linger for some time and add an unpleasant taste. Only use this preparation during the vegetative phase, before the flowers start to bloom.

Sticky Traps

Sticky traps target leaf miner species in their adult stage. Place these sticky patches on the surface of the soil beneath your plants. Then use zip ties to hang a few up in the canopy. Adult leaf miners cannot resist the bright colours of these curious platforms. The sticky substance on the surface glues the pest to the trap. Frequently visit each site and remove traps when they become overloaded.

How to Treat a Leaf Miner Invasion

How to Prevent Leaf Miners

Stopping leaf miners from feeding on your plants in the first place will save you a lot of time and effort. The treatment measures above certainly work, but preventing an attack will allow you to keep growing in peace and avoid the hassle and worry. Use the methods mentioned below to prevent leaf miners from ever tasting the insides of your cannabis plants.

Row Covers

Mesh row covers provide a solid line of defence against leaf miner adults. These protective layers allow adequate light and airflow while still being small enough to block flies and moths from gaining entry to lay eggs. Row covers work well both indoors and outdoors. Just make sure to frequently check for any openings along the bottom of the cover where leaf miner species can sneak in, especially after strong winds.

Regular Observation

Regularly strolling through your grow room or garden to check for symptoms of invasions and disease will help you contain problems before they become major outbreaks. Go and check on your plants once each day. Look for changes in fan leaves and keep an eye out for those signature white trails.

If you find even the slightest sign of leaf miners, remove the affected leaves from the grow space. You might just prevent significant damage through an almost effortless act.

Prevent First, Treat Later

The key to protecting your cannabis crop from leaf miners lies in prevention. If you’ve experienced an attack before—or you’ve received accounts from local growers—erect row covers just in case.

If you happen to be halfway through the growing season and have just discovered those dreaded white trials, try the treatment methods above as soon as possible. You’ll be back on track in no time at all!




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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: