I’ve got mould or eges ??

donaldduck
donaldduckstarted grow question 4d ago
I found this caterpillar today; it’s started nibbling at my plants. Is it responsible for my brown, mushy leaves, and are the tiny white specks in the photos its eggs? If so, what should I do – throw it all away? Or is there a solution?
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Qutro
Qutroanswered grow question 9h ago
That looks like a caterpillar or insect larva. I’d remove it and carefully inspect both sides of the leaves for more larvae, eggs and feeding damage. The brown, mushy areas could be damaged tissue or secondary rot. The white spots might be eggs, but it’s hard to confirm from the photo alone. I’d check whether the damage is spreading before deciding on any treatment.
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Nocone_Purple
Nocone_Purpleanswered grow question 4d ago
Those tiny white dots look like trichomes or residue, not eggs, though I can't be 100% sure from one photo. Caterpillars are a real problem because their droppings and chewed tissue invite bud rot, and brown mushy leaves are a warning sign. Remove the caterpillar and every mushy or brown part now, and cut away the rot with clean scissors, bagging it out of the room. Don't throw everything away, check the plants every day and keep humidity under 50% with good airflow. For caterpillars, hand-pick them in the evening and, in veg only, use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). Keep an eye on the damaged spots for 3-4 days.
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tjaym
tjaymanswered grow question 4d ago
I think you are dealing with a mite situation. Use a white A4 paper - tap a few time firmly on the infested leaf(s) and check if some small dots appear. In that case. up to you: either try and fight the battle or start cleaning up your setup. Sorry growmie - hope im wrong here.
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ndsgrow
ndsgrowanswered grow question 4d ago
Hi Donald, Caterpillar damage usually looks like small to medium-sized holes in the leaves. Also, caterpillars don’t lay eggs themselves — butterflies and moths do. They usually lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Unfortunately, I can’t make out the white specks clearly, but they’re not caterpillar eggs, at least not eggs laid by caterpillars. Get yourself a blacklight flashlight. It’s great for spotting caterpillars so you can pick them off by hand (I had to do that outdoors myself this year). As for the brown, mushy leaves, make sure your soil isn’t too wet. It could be a sign of too much moisture. It’s definitely not caused by caterpillars!!! Try wiping the white specks off. You can also treat the plant with neem oil, as long as it’s not in the flowering stage. Caterpillars don’t like water either, and neither do spider mites. If you have any more questions or anything isn’t clear, just ask! ;)
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