Leafhoppers

Does your cannabis plant have leafhoppers? These pests will happily munch on your leaves, leaving brown or yellow spots. They can sometimes spread certain plant diseases so get rid of them quick!

Cannabis leafhopper damage

There are at least 20,000 different types of leafhoppers, and they can come in lots of different variations from solid to stripes. Colors can range from bright red, green, yellow, blue, pink, torquoise, purple, brown, tan and even black!

The following leafhopper is a very common type of leafhopper known officially as Graphocephala coccinea but common names include: ‘candy-striped’ leafhopper, ‘red-banded’ leafhopper, ‘scarlet and green’ leafhopper and ‘red and blue’ leafhopper. This is a very common typeof leafhopper in North and Central America.

Leafhoppers are more likely to strike your plants when its dry, as they want moisture from the leaves.

This is a different type of leafhopper that is found on cannabis plants. Although it looks very different, it creates similar damage.

When it comes to getting rid of them, it doesn’t matter which type of leafhopper you have, because the remedies will work on all species. If you have leafhopper damage, it means you have some type of leafhopper and the remedies below should get rid of them!

More Leafhopper Damage Pictures
(leaf pictures byOvergrowDaWorld)

Leafhoppers make spots in leaves that usually in appear clusters

Leafhoppers actually suck out the sap from leaves, which leaves pale spots that turn brown or bronze over time. Unlike caterpillars, leafhoppers dont actually leaves holes in the marijuana plants leaves, just spots.

Different types of leafhoppers can look very different from each other so it can be difficult to identify them sometimes. To make things even more confusing, each species has different forms depending on the current stage of life.

The shape of their head and bodies can be different, but the overall structure of leafhoppers always stay the same no matter what species is attacking your marijuana plants.

• They have 6 legs. You can usually see two sets of legs from above, but often one set can appear hidden or more difficult to see. The back legs are often hairy or jagged looking, and are used to help the bug jump
• They have wings that lay flat against the body
• They sort of ‘slide’ sideways when they move, often hiding from you by flipping to the other side of the leaf when they catch you looking
• They also jump as Im sure you’d expect by their name‚

Other examples of leafhoppers (different species and stages of life)

Notice how with the following two examplesyou cant reallysee the third set of legs from above, so it looks like each bug only has four legs. This can sometimes be confusing if youre looking for an insect with 6 legs!

Now that you know you’ve got leafhoppers on your cannabis plants, how do you get rid of them?

Solution: How to Get Rid of Leafhoppers on Cannabis

Leafhoppers suck sap from your cannabis leaves. You don’t want that! If it’s just one or two bugs, you might not notice. But if your plants get infested, you’ll see lots of spots where they’ve bitten your leaves.

Leafhoppers will suck sap moisture out of cannabis leaves most often when it’s dry. This is because they get thirsty. So, that’s a good time to check.

Make sure to look under leaves and all around the plants. They will try to hide from you. Often, they glide across the leaf to the other side so you can’t see them.

2.) Spinosad (not for commercial growers)

Spinosad Products (safe & organic) Spinosad products are organic and safe for pets, children, and plants. They can be used directly to kill leafhoppers on contact. Spray them liberally anywhere you see leafhoppers and especially under the leaves.

Recommended:Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad

Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from a specific soil bacteria. It kills leafhoppers by affecting their nervous system. It’s good for organic and outdoor growers because it’s toxic to leafhoppers but not to many beneficial insects.

Note:Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water. Only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste.

You will need a mister (also called a ‘One-Hand Pressure Sprayer’) to cover all the leaves evenly when spraying them with spinosad products.

3.) Insecticidal soaps

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can fight leafhoppers. They weaken the outer shell of leafhoppers but are safe for your plants. They don’t leave much of a residue that could harm beneficial bugs in your garden.

With soaps, coverage is very important. It doesn’t stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be needed. Avoid getting any on your buds!

4.) Neem Oil

Neem Oil makes buds taste bad. It also smells bad. So, keep it away from your buds!

Some studies say Neem oil might be bad for humans. So, use it carefully.

But, Neem oil is good against bugs and mold. It works well against leafhoppers.

You’ll need a mister to spray leaves. This helps mix neem oil and water well.

5.) Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, parasitic wasps, lady bugs, and lacewings may eat large numbers of leafhoppers and are welcome guests in the garden.Although you can order ladybugs to release around your plants , they bad part is they do tend to fly away in just a day or two.

Ladybugs are good to have around the garden ‘”they eat leafhoppers and other annoying cannabis pests!

6.) Floating row covers

These may not be the best choice for all cannabis growers, but these are very cheap and effective against leafhoppers because it physically prevents them from getting to your plants, while still letting light in to your plants. You can also water your plants through the netting.These are sometimes used to make mini ‘green houses’ on the plants, or some grower will just drap them over the plant as they’re so light and airy they don’t really bother the plant.

However, these are much easier to use and are more effective with smaller plants, as it becomes difficult to fully cover larger plants. However, for young plants these can be great! They also protect your plant from wind and some harsh conditions.

Floating row covers look like thin netting or mesh

7.) Pyrethrin

Pyrethrinbased insecticides are not very toxic for humans, and therefore they’re commonly recommended for vegetable gardens. You will need a mister (also called a ‘One-Hand Pressure Sprayer’)to spray all the leaves evenly, since pyrethrin concentrate and water can separate easily.

Pyrethrin products break down quickly, over the course of just a day or two. The major problem with them is they are very toxic to bees. Although cannabis plants generally dont attract a lot of bees, please use this as a last resort, and also try to use it right after the sun goes down because bees sleep at night. This lets it start to break down before they wake up.

Use pyrethrin products as the sun goes down! Save the bees!

A popular example is Bonide 857 Pyrethrin Spray Concentrate . Use 3 tablespoons of concentrate per gallon of water.

Don’t confuse leafhopper damage with wind burn!

Leafhopper FAQs