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small bugs all over my leaf

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davek14

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I haven't grown in a some years. I used to work in Kentucky and I could usually get some burley plants from co-workers pretty easily, so I've grown a few times. I'm wanting to grow again and I remember a problem I had.My plants would end up with the leaves covered in small, dead bugs. The tobacco grew fine with no damage. I guess the bugs would die from the nicotine and stick to the sticky leaf.Brushing them off after drying was very labor intensive, almost to the point of making growing more than a few plants too much.Any tips or thoughts?
 

Knucklehead

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Were they aphids? If so, you can add Admire or generic to your transplant water to stop them from appearing. One time and done.
 

burge

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Honestly just buy some leaf. Dons Is aged and properly cured
 

davek14

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Were they aphids? If so, you can add Admire or generic to your transplant water to stop them from appearing. One time and done.
It's been too long since I grew to know. I looked aphids up and it's possible. Admire is a systemic insecticide. How long does it last in the soil/plant? I actually read in one place up to 150 days in the soil. (I've just quickly skimmed this morning so far though)
 

Knucklehead

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It's been too long since I grew to know. I looked aphids up and it's possible. Admire is a systemic insecticide. How long does it last in the soil/plant? I actually read in one place up to 150 days in the soil. (I've just quickly skimmed this morning so far though)

That sounds about right. Bigbonner is a commercial tobacco grower from Kentucky and uses the Admire. I used it last year with great results. One cup of water in the Admire at transplant and no aphids all season. We use BT or Spinosad for Hornworms about once every two weeks.
 

davek14

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That sounds about right. Bigbonner is a commercial tobacco grower from Kentucky and uses the Admire. I used it last year with great results. One cup of water in the Admire at transplant and no aphids all season. We use BT or Spinosad for Hornworms about once every two weeks.
I'm worried about smoking it though.
 

deluxestogie

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I'm worried about smoking it though.

When used properly (following directions carefully), there are no residuals of imidacloprid ("Admire", etc.) in the harvested tobacco. BT is a bacterium that dies from sun exposure within a few days to a week of application.

These are safe for humans. Inappropriate use of imidacloprid can be harmful to many other insects, so please follow the directions for use.

Bob
 

buck

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Is this what the bugs look like, I get these and I just leave them, they probably fall off while curing and I don't see any in the final product.
In any case I don't think it would hurt if a few are burnt up while smoking.


View attachment 19238


<Edit> After a few searches, these seem to be winged aphids but I don't get too many of these to worry about them.
 

deluxestogie

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Bugs contain proteins. I think it's a good idea to brush or pick them off, prior to smoking the leaf. Think "burning hair."

Bob
 

buck

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If I see any I'll brush them off after color cure, and I flatten leaf by hand before kinling so the majority of the bugs are probably off by then. I guess if there are a lot it will impart unpleasant taste to the smoke.
 

deluxestogie

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You can gather a small pile of dead bugs and put them into a pipe. This will allow an objective evaluation of how their presence may affect the taste of your tobacco. I've never done this, but I expect that, with a few exceptions, the taste is just a little off, rather than truly foul.

Bob
 

buck

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Yes agreed that putting a bunch of bugs in a pipe and smoking them will taste rather awful, but after a few weeks of curing and then handling/flattening and killning for a month I imagine those tiny bugs have probably fallen off or decomposed. Of course if some traces are seen after this by all means brush em off.
 

Gavroche

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I have just washed a prize(lot) (young) with 10 % of vinagre of alcohol then rinsing in the water and the wringing in a machine with salad.


More insect and more grey mould
There is nothing more

je viens de laver un lot ( petit ) avec 10 % de vinagre d'alcool puis rinçage à l'eau et essorage dans une machine à salade.


Plus d'insecte et plus de pourriture grise
 
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