Buggy hops

[fbold1]

I just picked my hops and put them in a gallon zipper bag. My next step was to put them in the dehydrator, but before I could do that my wife noticed some insects crawling around inside the bag and freaked out. I smashed the offenders that I saw, any further suggestions?

 

[allynlyon]

I just picked my hops and put them in a gallon zipper bag. My next step was to put them in the dehydrator, but before I could do that my wife noticed some insects crawling around inside the bag and freaked out. I smashed the offenders that I saw, any further suggestions?

Do you know what kind of bugs? I was reading a thread the other day that if you put them in a dehydrator (even though that isn't the best way to dry them) the heat will chase the bugs out.

 

[fbold1]

some looked like small spiders, a few looked larger and were brown with a racing stripe. the way I figure, a few bugs would be expected. I was told 95 degrees for 9 hrs. would dry the hops.

 

[allynlyon]

some looked like small spiders, a few looked larger and were brown with a racing stripe. the way I figure, a few bugs would be expected. I was told 95 degrees for 9 hrs. would dry the hops.

Does it look like the spider in this picture? I'm not sure about dehydrator times. I just know that several threads I have read on here don't recommend the use of them.

http://nehopalliance.org/2011/08/the-two-spotted-spider-mite-in-the-northeast-hopyard/

 

[fbold1]

Thankfully that is not the bug, found a few ants in there too.

 

[allynlyon]

Thankfully that is not the bug, found a few ants in there too.

I have a few ants around my one plant too. I assume that sweet lupulin smell has attracted them. When you mentioned having buggy hops I thought you had an infestation. If it's only a few bugs I wouldn't worry about it. These are basically flowers so the likelihood is that they are going to attract a few bugs. If the cones aren't crawling with hundreds of little critters I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[CaribouBrewmasters]

I have found by using a white bucket and loosely putting a lid on it will help flush them out of the hops. For some reason, things like aphids and whatnot are attracted to white. So by transfering the hops back and forth between a couple buckets for a few hours before drying seems to have removed most of the bugs for me.

 

[day_trippr]

Ants on hops are often there because they've been farming aphids. It's actually kinda fascinating to watch - the ants will literally stand guard over the "ranch". And larger spiders are often there because they've been feeding on other bugs (like those *&$%#! two-spotted spider mites).

In any case, in my modest three years of harvesting hops it's like a fire drill once the cones are stripped - the wildlife heads for the proverbial hills if you give them a half a chance. Once I have the oast loaded the critters are climbing the sides and bailing out. I rarely find any remains on the hops, but the shop floor definitely needs a good vacuuming afterwards...

Cheers!