Fight against apple blossom beetle
A dangerous pest for the garden is the apple blossom beetle. It is a small dark beetle.
Fight against apple blossom beetle
It is the larvae that bring the most significant damage to the economy - because of them, the tree cannot bear fruit. The pest multiplies quickly, it affects not only apples, but also pears.
Signs of the appearance of a flower beetle
The weevil (apple blossom beetle) does not appear on the bark or leaves. You can notice it by the characteristic appearance of the buds before they should bloom:
- the buds dry out like dried flowers and turn brown;
- on the opened bud the leaves are brown, dry;
- a thin hole is visible on closed kidneys;
- observe mucous and sun-shining discharge.
You can see the parasite with the naked eye: a dark brown or gray beetle 3-5 mm in size. On the head is a tube-nose, with which he pierces the bud. In the cold season, it hibernates, wakes up at 6-9 ° C. Then it feeds on unripe buds.
Lays eggs inside, they turn into larvae. They destroy the bud from the inside, and it will no longer ovary.
Partially damaged flowers open, but the fruit will be characteristic keratinization or small in size.
Colonization of the flower beetle and its reproduction lasts 20-25 days. During the heat, they hide in the bark of apple trees, in the fall they look for a place for wintering.
Reasons for the appearance
The apple pest lives on wild fruit trees and fallen leaves. He is constantly looking for food for himself, hibernates in winter. There is no objective reason why the parasite infects a tree.
There are risk factors:
- a site near a forest belt or forest where there are many wild plantations;
- oversight of trees, pest spread;
- improper care or purchase of low-quality planting material;
- temperature conditions.
Why is the weevil dangerous?
When an apple blossom beetle appears, it is necessary to immediately take measures, if you do not fight it, then it infects the fruit tree again, therefore, the loss reaches 70-80%.
Get rid of the insect as soon as possible.
In the first year, it destroys up to 30% of the future crop. The damage is especially noticeable during lean periods.
From one type it applies to:
- cherries;
- pear;
- plum;
- hawthorn.
It is dangerous because it lives in wild trees, so self-garden on the site potentially threatens domestic crops.
In cold spring, when budding lasts more than 20 days, it manages to lay many larvae. The tree does not give ovaries, vegetative growth is enhanced. Chronically afflicted apple trees are not expected to harvest in 2-3 years.
How to get rid of an insect
There are several ways to fight the flower beetle on an apple tree: using chemicals or manually, by shaking off.
The preparations will be more effective, but many do not want to use them for fruit plants.
Chemical protection
Effective methods of combating the flower beetle - spraying the apple tree with substances:
- Decis Expert.
- Calypso.
- Fastak.
- Novaktion.
- Fufanon.
These chemicals have a different mechanism and time of action.
When to conduct
Trees are processed in spring
Processing is recommended in spring and autumn. In the spring, the budding phase is selected, sprayed in a protective suit, in calm and cool weather. The dosages are indicated inside the packages.
In the summer, processing is not carried out. It is transferred to late autumn, when the apple trees no longer have any fruits.
It happens that after processing, they reappear on the trees. The fact is that the parasite flies from other areas. To make the tree unattractive, it is sprayed with a solution of lime, incl. leaves and fruits. It is harmless to the bark and fruits.
Funds overview
Decis Expert acts in 60 minutes, destroying the apple blossom beetle, is compatible with other preparations. Protects against weevils for 14-20 days.
Calypso guarantees relief in 3-4 hours, protection up to 30 days. Novaktion and Fufanon relieve the flower beetle for 15 days, it dies from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
The most effective fight is Fastak. It works instantly, is moisture resistant, safe for beneficial insects and other plants. However, it only gives immunity for 14 days. They are advised to alternate so that the parasite does not get used to it.
Mechanical methods
These methods are used if the weevil did not have time to spread. When more than 20 are found on an apple tree, chemicals are used.
Several effective ways to deal with the apple blossom beetle:
- Polyethylene, tarpaulin, oilcloth are spread under the crown. They knock on the trunk with a stick or a mop, parasites fall on the coating. They must be swept away and burned. The procedure is repeated until complete destruction every 2 days.
- Straw moistened with karbofos is tied to the top of the tree. This will help scare off new individuals and get rid of old ones: it is unpleasant for them to reproduce with this smell.
- Trap or belt. A strip 20 cm wide is made of cardboard, attached to the bottom of the trunk. A 3-5 cm wide strip of non-drying epoxy resin is applied to it. Every day, the stuck beetles are removed and destroyed.
Mechanical methods can be combined, but they will not work immediately and do not provide long-term protection. It is recommended to process all fruit trees at once in order to prevent the parasite from flying over the site.
The most effective scheme: get rid of insecticides, and then use mechanical methods. The complex will help to better protect the garden and get a stable harvest.
Preventive actions
Painting the bark with lime will save you from insects
Prevention measures are much more effective than pest control. In the fall, after the leaves have fallen, they are cleaned of the keratinized bark, the areas are treated with lime. Leaves and organic waste are burned.
It is important to dig up the ground under the tree. After these measures, it will be difficult for the beetle to winter. In the spring, before the formation of buds, the bark is again treated with lime, the cracks are covered up. They carefully examine and cultivate the land near flowering plants.
Traditional methods
Spraying solutions are prepared from affordable and environmentally friendly products.
Consider effective:
- Chamomile infusions with laundry soap: 150 flowers 50 g. 10 liters of water.
- Tomato tops tincture: 1 kg 50 g soap 10 l water.
- Decoction of dried wormwood - 400 g per 10 liters, boiled for 30 minutes. with 50 g of laundry soap.
Processed during budding and flowering.
Also, to protect against the flower beetle, marigolds, lemon balm, tansy, nasturtium, St. John's wort are planted near the apple trees. This is a natural struggle.
The pest is not eaten by other insects, only birds. Parasitic wasps can lay their eggs on the tree, interfering with reproduction.
Conclusion
Weevil is a dangerous apple pest, it is fought with mechanical and chemical methods (Spring is the best time for processing).
But it is much more effective to carry out preventive measures: remove residues, dig up the ground, and process the bark. The pest significantly harms the crop, leads to the sterility of the tree.