There is no known control for verticillium wilt. Infected parts of the plant should be removed, and if the wilt persists over the years, remove the plants and start new plants elsewhere. Viral infections have no known cure and the best way to avoid them is to promote plant health and vigor. The most common insect pest is the hop aphid. It is a tiny, soft green pest that sucks the juices out of the plant.
Aphids tend to multiply when the weather is cool.
They should be controlled before the hops produce cones, because once they get into the cones a black mold grows on their secretions rendering the cones unusable. Plant flowers that attract ladybugs, such as Golden Marguerite. Insecticidal soaps and diatomaceous earth have been used successfully to control aphids. As a last resort, commercial insecticides can be used. The next most common insect pest is the spider mite.