Methods for dealing with cabbage scoop
Small brown or green caterpillars are often found in maturing cabbage crops. These are the larvae of a butterfly, a cabbage scoop. You need to start fighting a pest at the first signs of its appearance.
Methods for dealing with cabbage scoop
Pest appearance
The cabbage scoop is a nocturnal insect, during the day it hides in the leaves and sleeps. Adults of the species do not harm the crop, but they breed a large number of offspring at a time. During the growth period, the larvae are able to completely destroy the harvest of cabbage and other crops.
An adult cabbage scoop resembles a moth in appearance. It has large gray wings. The edge of the wings is dentate, darker than the main part. Butterflies vary in size.
Cabbage scoop butterflies breed several times during the harvest season. In the northern regions, eggs are laid 1-2 times, and in the southern regions - 3 times. It is difficult to notice the place of laying and destroy the eggs: the insect hides them on the inside of the leaves.
The eggs hatch gray or dark green caterpillars (larvae).
Insects hibernate underground. Caterpillars go down 10 cm and turn into pupae.
Harmfulness
After leaving the egg, the larvae of the cabbage scoop constantly need food, so they cause great damage to the cabbage crop, devouring its juicy leaves, rich in minerals and fiber.
- young caterpillars eat up large holes in the leaves, depriving them of their presentation;
- adult caterpillars eat up the leaf completely - only veins remain;
- climb inside the fruit, completely gnaw out the stalk (externally, the cabbage is whole and fresh, when cut it turns out to be empty);
- contaminate the fetus with excrement, causing its destruction.
Insects penetrate into the plant, gnawing small holes. They gnaw out the fruit gradually as it grows. Cabbage damaged by a cabbage scoop loses all its beneficial properties; it is better not to eat it.
The scoop is a polyphagous pest, but cruciferous plants (cabbage) and haze plants (beets, spinach) suffer most from it. In addition to cabbage, beets and spinach, the larvae damage potatoes, tomatoes, radishes, rhubarb, fruit tree leaves, flowers and leaves of chrysanthemums and carnations. If you do not start to fight the pest in a timely manner, you can lose your crop.
Pest control methods
The moths emerge after wintering in late spring or June. Butterflies reproduce very quickly: they hatch a large number of eggs at a time. Caterpillars hatch after 4-12 days. As they develop, they cause more and more damage to the crop.
The fight against the cabbage scoop is carried out using various methods:
- agrotechnical;
- mechanical;
- chemical;
- biological.
The methods are applied in a complex manner. Agrotechnical and chemical methods are used to prevent the development of pests.
Agrotechnical method
Caterpillar populations can be reduced
If you carry out agrotechnical work correctly before planting a crop, you can prevent the development of pests. To combat the scoop, the following measures are taken:
- Carrying out deep winter plowing. Weed shoots are destroyed, fertilizers are plowed into the depths, soil moisture rises. The root system of plants develops better, their general resistance to pests increases.
- Cultivation of row spacings. The method involves periodically loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Weed plants are a convenient place for laying eggs and also a breeding ground for young caterpillars, so weed control helps to reduce the population of caterpillars on the site.
Mechanical method
The easiest and safest way to deal with a cabbage scoop is mechanical, but it is convenient to use it only in small areas.
The mechanical method involves the collection of discovered caterpillar eggs by hand. After collecting, the insects are destroyed.
The collection of insects is carried out with gloves. The cabbage is carefully examined. Early varieties are damaged by young larvae superficially: they can be found on the leaves (usually on the inside). Late varieties are examined for insects immediately so that the caterpillars do not have time to get inside.
Chemical method
Treating cultivated plants with pesticides is the most reliable way to control the coleworm. The method is suitable for plots of any size.
To destroy the cabbage scoop, the crop is sprayed with pesticides:
- Organophosphorus compounds (FOS). Modern FOS are highly active against pests, quickly decompose in the soil, and have low toxicity to humans. Lack of pesticides - pests quickly develop resistance to them.
- Neonicotinoids. Substances have a selective effect, are safe for people and pets, and decompose relatively quickly in the soil.
- Pyrethroids. These are the most effective pesticides. They have high selective toxicity, do not cause resistance in insects for a long time.
Spraying is best done in the evening. If it rains outside, the treatment will be ineffective - the water will wash away the chemicals. Repeat pesticide treatment every week. The larvae emerge from the eggs gradually, so a single spraying is not enough to destroy the entire population.
Biological method
Biological control involves the use of biological pesticides. These include insect viruses, antibiotics, fungal and bacterial insecticides.
Biological insecticides are usually added to chemicals in small amounts. This increases their efficiency and allows you to quickly and reliably get rid of pests. The cabbage scoop is quite dangerous, therefore, measures to combat it should be as radical as possible.
The biological methods for the destruction of cabbage scoops include the use of predatory mites that devour caterpillars. Insects can be bought at specialized stores. Their cost is high, so the method is used only for small areas.
Conclusion
If the scoop has occupied the cabbage in a small area, it can be easily harvested by hand. On large areas, pest control becomes more difficult from a physical and material point of view. To save the harvest from cabbage scoops, it is necessary to observe preventive measures: regularly remove weeds, spray the crop with insecticides.