By Adam Parsons


Crickets will eat just about any vegetation, and that includes cannabis. While it's true that your beloved plants aren't their first food of choice, a cricket infestation can quickly lead to disaster. The key is spotting the signs of a looming cricket presence and knowing how to keep their numbers at bay.

What Are Crickets?

To beat your enemy, you first need to understand them. When dealing with crickets, the strategy is no different, as there are several different species, with some affecting plants in slightly different ways.

Generally speaking, crickets are roughly one inch (2–3cm) long, with large hind legs, two long antennae on the top of their head, and wings on their back. Colours vary from black to brownish-yellow, and because they are primarily nocturnal, they’ll start appearing in the late evening. Fortunately, the noise makes it easy to notice a cricket infestation! When crickets rub their wings together, they give off a loud and persistent chirp.

Two of the most common cricket species are the house cricket and the mole cricket. The former acts as you would expect a normal cricket to, living above ground while chewing on fresh leaves and flowers. The latter, however, resides underground in small burrows and prefers to eat a plant's roots.

How to Keep Crickets Away From Cannabis Plants

The Difference Between Crickets, Grasshoppers, and Locusts

Crickets belong to the order Orthoptera, which also comprises locusts and grasshoppers. However, despite being distant cousins, there are a few stark differences between the three insects.

Crickets are the smallest of the bunch and will eat plant material, fruit, seeds, and dead insects. Grasshoppers are strictly herbivores and are usually 1–3 inches long (2–8cm). Locusts are a subspecies of grasshopper and alternate between a docile grazing pattern and an intense feeding frenzy that can decimate crops. Locusts also tend to have much more vibrant or distinct colouring than the other two insects.

The Risk of Crickets to Cannabis

A handful of crickets isn't much to be worried about when it comes to your precious cannabis plants. As we've previously stated, they are omnivores, so unless there are no other food sources, they won't focus exclusively on cannabis.

However, once numbers start to build, so too does the risk that they'll begin munching on leaves, flowers, and stems. Crickets are especially fond of seedlings, and it only takes a few of the insects to destroy an entire crop. They also like to strike at night, so the best time to check for crickets is at sunset.

Signs of Cricket Damage on Cannabis Plants

Thankfully, the telltale signs of crickets damaging your cannabis plants are pretty obvious. They include the following:

  • Small holes on leaves
  • Brown spotting
  • Tunnels/visible holes appearing around the plant's base (mole crickets)
  • Damaged or missing roots
  • Audible chirping
  • Increased pre sence of cricket predators (birds, raccoons, skunks)
Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

How to Deal With Crickets on Cannabis Plants

If you've woken up only to realise that an infestation of crickets has started destroying your cannabis plants, the good news is you have a few options for dealing with them.

Cricket Traps

You can quickly reduce cricket numbers with a few carefully placed traps (although traps alone won't solve the issue entirely). Most shop-bought traps will kill the pesky critters, but you can catch and release them if you'd like a more humane approach. Just remember to release them somewhere far away from your crop.

Another DIY option for trapping crickets is molasses. The sweet smell of molasses attracts crickets, luring them to a slow, sticky death. To create your own traps, simply fill an open-top container with one cup of molasses and roughly two litres of water. Position the trap close to plants or near the tunnels and burrows of mole crickets. You'll need to check and remove any dead crickets daily, as you'll be surprised how quickly the trap fills up.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Insecticides and Pesticides

Encouragingly, the options for cricket insecticides and pesticides are plentiful. First up is spinosad—a natural substance that is safe to use on cannabis plants and won't harm pets. It's not quite as potent as some other options, so you'll need to give your plants a liberal covering; still, spinosad is an excellent insecticide to start with.

Next on the list is a staple of cannabis pest control—neem oil. You'll need to spray plants directly (avoiding buds), but the unpleasant aroma of neem oil should deter crickets from making a destructive return. Just don't forget to lightly soak the ground around your cannabis plants (to deal with any pesky mole crickets), repeating daily or until you're happy the infestation is dealt with.

Finally, there are also insecticidal soaps and the organic insecticide Essentria IC3. They are generally safe to use on cannabis plants, but we recommend following the manufacturer's guidelines to get the best results.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Natural Predators

Frogs, lizards, salamanders, beetles, parasitoid wasps, and even chickens can all be used to cull cricket numbers. In fact, a few chickens will make short work of the insect population in a small cannabis garden, so they're a great choice if you have multiple pest issues.

A low-investment option is hanging a few bird feeders around your cannabis garden. Most birds will happily chomp on small insects, helping to keep cricket numbers under control. Of course, there are pros and cons for each type of predator, so it's crucial to balance these against your circumstances to see which is the best fit for your cannabis garden.

How to Prevent Crickets on Cannabis Plants

It usually takes crickets a while to reach numbers that would spell disaster for your cannabis crop. Because of this, prevention is one of the best ways to stop the pesky insects from ever becoming an issue.

Floating Row Covers

Cheap, simple, and effective, floating row covers provide a cricket-proof barrier for your cannabis plants. It can be a little inconvenient positioning them above plants, especially if you don't have a frame to drape them from. That said, you can't beat the simplicity of row covers. If you're only cultivating a handful of small cannabis plants, they are invaluable at keeping crickets (and other insects) at bay.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Good Housekeeping

Keeping your cannabis garden tidy and debris-free is crucial to preventing a cricket onslaught. Because crickets are omnivores, they're attracted to areas with diverse food sources. And while cannabis isn't their first choice, it'll be hard for them not to indulge once numbers start to build.

The best approach is to limit vegetation, keep any nearby grass short, and remove debris such as dead leaves and cuttings. Also, be sure to keep any compost or debris piles far from your cannabis crop. A cricket's large hind legs can propel them over a metre, meaning it's only a short trip to your precious flowers if the compost pile is next door.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Careful Observation

Being able to spot potential issues is a skill all cannabis growers need. And, like all skills, you must practise before becoming proficient. Because it takes a while for cricket numbers to build, observation is crucial to keeping their numbers under control. You can easily remove a handful of curious crickets by hand, but an entire army is too much for one grower.

The nocturnal nature of crickets means the best time to check on your plants is around sunset, when they start to become active. Of course, if you don't spot any at first, hang around for a few minutes and keep your ears open. If any crickets are lurking around your cannabis plants, you'll hear them chirping away.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Companion Planting

If you're a fan of legumes (broad beans, peas, etc.) and potent herbs, we've got good news—crickets aren't! A few carefully placed companion plants can be a fantastic deterrent for crickets (and several other pests), so it's definitely worth considering as a preventative measure.

Legumes are nitrogen-rich, which irritates crickets, and they find the strong scent of herbs off-putting. You can also try alfalfa, but try to keep them in separate garden beds, as they root very fast and can cause issues with overcrowding.

Keep Crickets Away From Your Cannabis Plants

Crickets and Cannabis: Prevention Is the Best Defence

When dealing with crickets, prevention methods are far more manageable and less labour-intensive than trying to battle an infestation. Fortunately, a hoard of crickets rarely attacks overnight, so you'll have several days to take action.

Just remember that crickets can be helpful for your garden's ecosystem, so you don't need to focus on removing every trace of their existence. You do, however, want to prevent them from getting too close to cannabis plants, especially if they're still young, as nothing is more appealing to a cricket than some young, tasty seedlings.




Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

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: