Please help. Overnight plant death, 5 more plants wilting, gnawed trunks, voles? - Cannabis Growing Outdoors - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

Zarezhu · 08-14-2017, 09:38 PM

Hey all. The gentleman I'm renting landing from told me there weren't gophers on/around his large property. For this reason, I didn't add gopher cages preseason.

Roughly a week ago, I noticed a plant started drinking less and less. The hole stayed moist, while other plants around it were thriving. It looked like it had been overwatered. Mild wilt for a week or so. This plant went into complete wilt overnight. I then noticed the trunk has been chewed/gnawed on. And the underside of branches near the ground.

I saw what looked like a small mouse scurrying around the hole in circles as I peeled the straw away. I killed the mouse (i think it's actually a vole). I did not find any gopher holes in the plant, or around the plant, even though it showed symptoms of roots being eaten (the slow wilt/stopped drinking/quick death overnight).

Today I noticed around 5 more large plants with moderate wilt, drinking less, and gnawing around the trunks. There are no gopher holes in the garden, but there are 2 gopher holes around my rows of corn.

The biggest plant in my garden, a potential 8 or 9 pounder, is not drinking much water any more, and has wilt similar to an overwatered plant. Gnawed stalk. Wtf do I do guys, I'm mildly panicking. Could lose a lot of medicine in the next few days.

I don't necessarily care aboit being humane, I want to exterminate these motherfuckers. Advice is appreciated. Have a blessed day all

CannaFunk · 08-14-2017, 09:53 PM

Hit up a local with experience if you have anyone you could contact, that being said, hope everything turns out ok with the plants.

Try digging down into the soil right near the base of the root, try about 6-8 inches and look for a white grub.

Green Squall · 08-14-2017, 10:32 PM

I had voles and surprisingly they didn't touch my cannabis plants. I still decided to set mouse traps and after a week or so or catching them they were gone.

I'd post some pics of the plants to get a better diagnosis. Could be a million things.

bigganjabud · 08-14-2017, 10:36 PM

Moles, voles, rabbits squirrels? Could be any number of critters

Zarezhu · 08-15-2017, 12:28 AM

A few more picture of the sad larger plant.

I havent seen a single rabbit or squirrel around the property whatsoever (30 acres). There was a family of turkeys and pheasants around. There are quite a few ferrel cats on the property as well.

I mostly suspect voles because I actually found and killed one when I uprooted the first plant that died. It looked like a small mouse, I did some research, almost positive its a vole.

So far Im considering wrapping trunks with steel wool (although I have 98 plants, with remesh cages around them, making it hard to reach the trunks). Im also considering throwing out a bunch of mouse traps.

St. Phatty · 08-15-2017, 12:41 AM

Those first pics are great pics - in focus.

One approach is a home made electric fence. Of course you want to make sure you don't zap yourself.

I would start an electrical cord in a power strip with circuit breaker.

Just some exposed copper woven around the base branches where the Vole is chewing ... if that exposed copper is at 115 or 220 VAC ... the pest may experience a change of heart about eating your plants.

igrowone · 08-15-2017, 12:53 AM

i've had voles, in my neck of the woods they're bigger than a field mouse
though i suspect there may be different variants across the county

OldPhart · 08-15-2017, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by St. Phatty

Those first pics are great pics - in focus.

One approach is a home made electric fence. Of course you want to make sure you don't zap yourself.

I would start an electrical cord in a power strip with circuit breaker.

Just some exposed copper woven around the base branches where the Vole is chewing ... if that exposed copper is at 115 or 220 VAC ... the pest may experience a change of heart about eating your plants.

Still not sure if this is a joke; at any rate, it sounds like a really bad idea.

St. Phatty · 08-15-2017, 03:02 AM

One option, if the Do it Yourself Electric Fence is not an option (or do you know an electrician who could help ? sometimes they sell electric fence kits in farm supply stores)

is to make the 'trunk' of the Cannabis tree hard to climb.

For example 18 inches vertical of aluminum flashing wrapped around the trunk, and put together in a way that doesn't give animals climbing points. e.g. epoxy it, wrap it with wire, remove the wire when the epoxy is dry.

But your plant trunk looks beefy and as if it has multiple branches.

The plant main stem looks easy to climb because there so many cross branches. It might be too late for this season but it is possible to get a large plant with flashing to protect from critters (by making it hard to climb) but it's got to have 18 inches of single stem.

It depends a little on the critter that's eating the plant. It sounds small, so that 18 inches vertical would put the plant out of reach.

northstate · 08-15-2017, 06:50 AM

Damn it! We have pack rats or woodrats out here and they definitely do that when it gets hot and they are looking for water. Digger squirrels are also a problem. The thing that I have found to be effective is making a cage of sorts out of a 1' x 2' piece of chicken wire or metal mesh, making a collar about three or four inches away from the main stalk and folding the top in so they can't climb inside. sorry for your loss that shit is frustrating. Rat traps for sure! SNAP!

08-14-2017, 09:38 PM	#1
Zarezhu Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 346	Please help. Overnight plant death, 5 more plants wilting, gnawed trunks, voles? Hey all. The gentleman I'm renting landing from told me there weren't gophers on/around his large property. For this reason, I didn't add gopher cages preseason. Roughly a week ago, I noticed a plant started drinking less and less. The hole stayed moist, while other plants around it were thriving. It looked like it had been overwatered. Mild wilt for a week or so. This plant went into complete wilt overnight. I then noticed the trunk has been chewed/gnawed on. And the underside of branches near the ground. I saw what looked like a small mouse scurrying around the hole in circles as I peeled the straw away. I killed the mouse (i think it's actually a vole). I did not find any gopher holes in the plant, or around the plant, even though it showed symptoms of roots being eaten (the slow wilt/stopped drinking/quick death overnight). Today I noticed around 5 more large plants with moderate wilt, drinking less, and gnawing around the trunks. There are no gopher holes in the garden, but there are 2 gopher holes around my rows of corn. The biggest plant in my garden, a potential 8 or 9 pounder, is not drinking much water any more, and has wilt similar to an overwatered plant. Gnawed stalk. Wtf do I do guys, I'm mildly panicking. Could lose a lot of medicine in the next few days. I don't necessarily care aboit being humane, I want to exterminate these motherfuckers. Advice is appreciated. Have a blessed day all
	Quote

08-15-2017, 12:28 AM	#5
Zarezhu Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 346	A few more picture of the sad larger plant. I havent seen a single rabbit or squirrel around the property whatsoever (30 acres). There was a family of turkeys and pheasants around. There are quite a few ferrel cats on the property as well. I mostly suspect voles because I actually found and killed one when I uprooted the first plant that died. It looked like a small mouse, I did some research, almost positive its a vole. So far Im considering wrapping trunks with steel wool (although I have 98 plants, with remesh cages around them, making it hard to reach the trunks). Im also considering throwing out a bunch of mouse traps.
	Quote 1 members found this post helpful.

08-15-2017, 12:53 AM	#7
igrowone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NY Posts: 3,980	i've had voles, in my neck of the woods they're bigger than a field mouse though i suspect there may be different variants across the county __________________ current grow: www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=7872194
	Quote

08-14-2017, 09:53 PM	#2
CannaFunk Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Earth Posts: 87	Hit up a local with experience if you have anyone you could contact, that being said, hope everything turns out ok with the plants. Try digging down into the soil right near the base of the root, try about 6-8 inches and look for a white grub.
	Quote

08-14-2017, 10:32 PM	#3
Green Squall Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 2,764	I had voles and surprisingly they didn't touch my cannabis plants. I still decided to set mouse traps and after a week or so or catching them they were gone. I'd post some pics of the plants to get a better diagnosis. Could be a million things.
	Quote

08-14-2017, 10:36 PM	#4
bigganjabud Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: In the land of the giants Posts: 3,312	Moles, voles, rabbits squirrels? Could be any number of critters
	Quote

08-15-2017, 12:41 AM	#6
St. Phatty Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 2,377	Those first pics are great pics - in focus. One approach is a home made electric fence. Of course you want to make sure you don't zap yourself. I would start an electrical cord in a power strip with circuit breaker. Just some exposed copper woven around the base branches where the Vole is chewing ... if that exposed copper is at 115 or 220 VAC ... the pest may experience a change of heart about eating your plants.
	Quote

08-15-2017, 03:02 AM	#9
St. Phatty Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 2,377	One option, if the Do it Yourself Electric Fence is not an option (or do you know an electrician who could help ? sometimes they sell electric fence kits in farm supply stores) is to make the 'trunk' of the Cannabis tree hard to climb. For example 18 inches vertical of aluminum flashing wrapped around the trunk, and put together in a way that doesn't give animals climbing points. e.g. epoxy it, wrap it with wire, remove the wire when the epoxy is dry. But your plant trunk looks beefy and as if it has multiple branches. The plant main stem looks easy to climb because there so many cross branches. It might be too late for this season but it is possible to get a large plant with flashing to protect from critters (by making it hard to climb) but it's got to have 18 inches of single stem. It depends a little on the critter that's eating the plant. It sounds small, so that 18 inches vertical would put the plant out of reach.
	Quote

08-15-2017, 06:50 AM	#10
northstate IC Mag Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: There is a town called Weed? Posts: 587	Damn it! We have pack rats or woodrats out here and they definitely do that when it gets hot and they are looking for water. Digger squirrels are also a problem. The thing that I have found to be effective is making a cage of sorts out of a 1' x 2' piece of chicken wire or metal mesh, making a collar about three or four inches away from the main stalk and folding the top in so they can't climb inside. sorry for your loss that shit is frustrating. Rat traps for sure! SNAP!
	Quote