On this episode of the CannaBS Detector our hosts are joined by Matthew Gates, Integrated Pest Management Specialist at Zenthanol Consulting, to talk about all things integrated pest management.  To start things off the newly formed three-piece digs into a lot of the BS surrounding the cultivation side of the cannabis industry. Matthew comes out of that gate firing with an in depth discussion surrounding the differences in the different schools of IPM. He notes some of the background behind the two schools of thought, and goes on to talk about his own experiences calling out BS in his own specialization.  A big piece of the equation Matthew digs in on are the ever present aphids. He goes into how aphids survive on a plant, and why they are responsible for a vast majority of viral infections in plants. According to Matthew, ants and aphids work together to protect their host plants.  Once the team has discussed the concept that ants and aphids are the tag team champions of cultivation, Matthew breaks down bio-controls and their uses. In short… this is like probiotics for your plants. This is a fragmented science with a load of opinions all driving towards truly understanding this science.  Once they get through this rather dense but exciting topic, the trio goes on to discuss something a little more lighthearted: Lady Bugs are savages, and nature is Metal AF. Those cute little red dots are actually incredibly voracious predators who can easily eat hundreds of aphids per day.  This is by far the most intense episode of anything you’ll ever hear that centers entirely around an otherwise mundane topic.   Key Takeaways:  Bugs isn’t a “real word” and insect or arthropods is probably more correct Aphids, in effect, farm plants, and ants actually work with them to do it by guarding the aphids.  Lady Bugs are actually terrifying… Follow Matthew Gates on Twitter and Instagram @Synchangel On Youtube and Linkedin Credits:  Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey Music - The Master by Flashing Lights Podcast Links: Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast!  Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners!  Itunes Spreaker Google Play Stitcher Tunein Iheartradio Amazon Talk to Us: Follow and engage with us on social media! We will be posting video episodes and live streams on youtube! Make sure to subscribe and turn your notifications on so you don't miss any of the action! Website Youtube Linkedin Instagram