How to deal with aphids on pepper
Every gardener is worried about the pest situation when growing vegetables. Even if the plant is resistant to disease, there is a chance of infection. Aphids on pepper are common in gardening. These insects suck out juice from vegetables, which slows down its growth.
Aphids are caused by ants. They are carriers of pests. You can understand that the plant is infected with these insects by the state of the leaves. They curl, dry out and fall off. From the back they become sticky, aphid larvae are visible on the surface. The fight is carried out by chemical, biological methods. Folk remedies will also help.
Folk methods of struggle
Effective if the pest is detected at the initial stage and has just begun to spread through the bushes. The advantage of folk methods of struggle is that improvised means are used. Also, this method is the most economical.
Laundry soap
A soap solution is made on its basis. You can use tar soap.
Cooking method:
- Take 1/3 of the soap bar.
- Grate it on a fine grater.
- Pour the shavings into 1 liter of water and wait for its complete dissolution.
- Add about 30 g (about 1 tablespoon) vegetable oil.
- Mix thoroughly.
Adjust the solution for at least 2 hours. Then strain.
Watering is carried out by drip irrigation. Only infected leaves are sprayed. For prophylaxis, gently and in a small concentration spray the leaves on the neighboring bushes.
You need to process the plant at least 4 times. Frequency - every day or every other day. Depends on the extent to which aphids are spread.
Ash
Ash infusion is effective in the fight against aphids on pepper. To do this, take 2 glasses of the substance and dilute in 10 liters of water. You can add 100-150 g of soap solution.
It is better to use the infusion immediately. After 24 hours, it is no longer usable.
Another recipe is a mixture of ash and tobacco saw. You will need 50-70 g of each component. They are mixed in 2 liters of water. You can process the stem, leaves and fruits.
Spruce needles
Spruce essence will help to get rid of harmful insects on peppers in a greenhouse. Enough 500 ml of needles. Stir in 2 liters of liquid. The infusion time is a week, no less. Otherwise, there will be no desired effect.
Before use, dilute 40 g of spruce essence in 1 liter of water. This is enough for 5-7 pepper bushes. You can spray not only the leaves, but the whole plant. If the aphid continues to eat leaves, repeat the procedure.
Soda
The safest remedy for aphids on pepper. It is used not in pure form, but in conjunction with liquid or laundry soap.
Proportions:
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soda;
- 50 g of soap.
The advantage of the solution is that it does not need to be insisted. Can be used immediately after preparation. To finally get rid of the pest, it is necessary to carry out at least 2 treatments. Frequency - every 4 days.
Ammonia
Treatment with them is effective, since ammonia causes paralysis of the lungs in pests.
To prepare this folk remedy, you need 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ammonia, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dish soap and a bucket (10 liters) of water. The solution is applied only to infected leaves.
Ammonia
Acts due to the evaporation of a specific odor. It scares off aphids. It has another beneficial effect - it fertilizes the soil and restores its fertility.
Better to use a mixture of ammonia and tar soap. Proportions - 50 g of soap shavings, 50 g of ammonia, a bucket of water. Mix everything and let it brew for 1-2 hours. Water the resulting mixture only the soil near the bushes that are infected with aphids.
Hydrogen peroxide
It will help if the plant is grown on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. If the pepper is growing outdoors, it is better to choose another remedy.
To prepare the solution you need:
- 55-60 ml of hydrogen peroxide;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of alcohol;
- 3 drops of liquid soap;
- 1 liter of water.
The main rule is that the mixture is prepared only before use. The order in which the components are mixed is not important.
Mustard powder
40 g of mustard is poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water. Mix thoroughly and leave to infuse for 3 days.
Before using the agent in the fight against aphids, the infusion is diluted in 10 liters of liquid. Only the soil around the bush is watered.
Garlic infusion
Chop the garlic. As a result, its smell will become pronounced and will repel pests.
Pour the crushed product with boiling water. 1 head needs 3 liters of water. The infusion time is a day. For the best effect, you can add 40 g of liquid soap. Dilute the concentrated infusion in 7 liters of liquid.
Hot red pepper
There are 2 ways to use it - in the form of a decoction or infusion. For the infusion, you will need 1 kg of chopped pods of hot bitter pepper. Mix them with 10 liters of liquid. Insist 10 days.
Use the resulting infusion in a ratio of 100 g to 1 bucket of water. This is enough for 7 m2 of land.
Decoction recipe:
- Take 100 g of chopped red pepper pods.
- Boil them in 1 liter of water for about 1 hour.
- Insist 2 days in a glass container.
To spray 10-13 pepper bushes, you will need 50 g of infusion, diluted in 1 bucket of water. If after 1 application it was not possible to get rid of the aphids, repeat the procedure.
Biological methods
When insects first appeared, biological control methods will help. Birds and insects that will kill aphids:
- sparrows;
- tits;
- ladybugs;
- wasps.
Also, aphids are eaten by a hover fly. Care must be taken to ensure that birds and insects do not harm other plants in the greenhouse.
They lure them into the greenhouse with food and drink.
Chemicals
They are used when folk remedies have not helped or the degree of infection is high. The main thing is to apply in strict accordance with the instructions. Due to the high toxicity, chemical preparations are not always allowed to be used at home.
Karbofos
It is a potent insecticide. The main purpose is the fight against harmful insects, especially with aphids.
A solution is made on its basis. You will need a bucket of water and 30-50 g of the drug. This amount is sufficient for processing 8-10 pepper bushes. Watering is carried out by drip irrigation. It is advisable that the product does not get on the fruit.
Fufanon
Helps to quickly remove aphids. 1-2 waterings are enough. The main advantage is that it is harmless to humans.
Proportions:
- 1 ampoule of the product (it contains 5 ml of the chemical);
- 1-1.5 liters of water.
Used for plants planted in open ground. It is desirable that the weather be calm and dry.
Aktara
The product is intended to treat aphids from pepper at the beginning of the growing season. Spraying frequency - once a week, not more often. The main advantage is the speed of exposure. Begins to fight insects after 15 minutes. They refuse food, as a result of which they die the next day.
The substance is toxic, so 1 package (1.4 g) is enough for a solution. Dissolve it in 1 bucket of water.For 1 hectare of land, 5 liters of working solution is enough.
Fury
Does not allow you to fight aphids on the pepper during the flowering of the bush. In other periods, its use allows you to quickly remove pests.
The drug has a low consumption rate - 1 ml per 10 liters of water. Not hazardous to humans and the environment. Its effect lasts for 10 days. If after this time the aphids continue to eat pepper leaves, use the same dose again. No more than 2 treatments are allowed per season.
Intavir
Sold in pill form. For 10 liters of water, take 1-1.5 tablets of the drug. Its peculiarity is that it is effective in the fight against aphids not only in greenhouses or open ground, but also when grown as a houseplant.
When using, you need to adhere to the following rules:
- the maximum number of treatments with "Intavir" - 3;
- can be used before and during fruiting;
- the frequency of repetitions of the procedure is once every 10-14 days.
It can be used in parallel with other chemicals. Belongs to the 3rd class of danger, because of which it does not pose a threat to humans.
Actellic
Aphids begin to die immediately after contact with the chemical. The agent infects the intestines of pests.
1 ampoule is designed for 2 liters of water. In the fight against aphids, this amount is enough for 10 m2.
Effectively affects pests at home. The room temperature should not be less than 15 ° С. If it is higher than 28 ° С, it is better not to use Aktellikom, because the agent belongs to the 2nd hazard class and can have a detrimental effect on human health.
Prophylaxis
To immediately identify aphids, regularly inspect the plant. Especially the back of the leaves. If fruits have already formed on the bush, they also need to be examined.
The second preventive measure is to plant crops with a pungent smell near the pepper. These are garlic and onions. This will create an ecological balance and will repel not only aphids, but also other pests.
Examine the soil regularly for insects and bugs. Look especially for ant nests. You can fight them with kerosene, which is poured into the nest. Another effective way is to pour boiling water.
Conclusion
Aphids on pepper bushes are common in horticulture. The first signs are yellowed and fallen leaves. It is important to start pest control immediately after detection.
Initially, you should try folk remedies. They will help get rid of aphids when they first appear. If this does not help, use chemicals. If you follow all the instructions from the instructions, they will not cause severe harm to fruits and people. You can also try biological methods.