On clear May days, even in a big city, not to mention the forests and meadows, one can notice slowly flying small tender green insects - spreading aphids.
The most famous aphid eater is the ladybird larvae. This insect is one of the most useful at the summer cottage and protects a person's harvest from many problems. Often in the spring on plants you can see clusters of small insects that are either on young shoots, or on the underside of the leaves. This is one of the main enemies of the gardener - aphids.
Characteristic
Aphids or "aphids", as they are often called in everyday life, are small insects (usually no more than 3 millimeters) that feed on plant sap (for more information on what aphids feed on in nature, you can find out here).
The plant affected by aphids has characteristic signs:
the mass presence of these insects;- growth retardation;
- twisting and dropping leaves;
- white "tracks" on the foliage;
- lack of flowering and fruiting.
the mass presence of these insects;Aphids cause irreparable damage to the garden, if you do not secure your plot on time, then there will be a risk to say goodbye to all the plants, because sucking vegetable juices, aphids draining shoots, depriving them of nutrients and moisture. There is also the threat of gall formations - nodules on the foliage appearing from insect bites.
Prevention
In order not to frantically search for a variety of aphid control methods in spring and summer, it is necessary to carry out health procedures from autumn. Initially, a well-kept garden will play you only on hand.
In order for aphids to settle less on your site, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the trees. Whitewashing for the season is also a prerequisite. Remove leaves and dead wood that has accumulated on the ground. Reduce the number of anthills. Plant care is the main pest control method..
Natural ways to fight
If the need arose to get rid of aphids, but there is no desire to use chemical means, then you can turn to their "natural enemies."
So, what does I eat?
Who is the most dangerous enemy of the pests?
Natural eaters of aphids, that is, those for which they are the main food:
- ladybugs - small bugs that inhabit almost the entire Earth. They have an unusual color: the scarlet body is covered with black round spots.
They prefer to live in an open area, meadows, gardens or steppes are perfect. To protect the use of fluid excreted by the joints of the legs, it has a sharp, unpleasant smell that scares off enemies.The main food of ladybirds is aphids (more details about eating aphids of ladybirds can be learned from this material). The most active period of their extermination falls on the interval from spring to late autumn. To attract such beneficial insects to the garden, plant a daisy, tansy, yarrow, dandelions or dill on the plot. In order that adults do not fly away, provide them with a constant feeding.
For example, the drug "Wheast" is suitable, it can also be made at home, for this it is necessary to mix yeast and sugar in a 1/1 ratio and then dilute with water.
Gold-eyed - retina insects known from ancient times. Adults prefer plant food, however, the genus Chrysopa and all the golden-eyed larvae are predators.The basis of the diet consists of aphids and listbloshki. Most active at night.
To attract gold-eyed fit tansy and cumin.
Sand Wasps or as they are called "digging wasps".Most do not feed on aphids, but the subfamily Pemphredoninae is known for its hunting.
Usually gardeners do not give preference to wasps in the fight against aphids, but note that to attract you will need a comfortable place to live for the future wasp family.
They prefer to live in an open area, meadows, gardens or steppes are perfect. To protect the use of fluid excreted by the joints of the legs, it has a sharp, unpleasant smell that scares off enemies.
Gold-eyed - retina insects known from ancient times. Adults prefer plant food, however, the genus Chrysopa and all the golden-eyed larvae are predators.
Sand Wasps or as they are called "digging wasps".Optional group
Who else from insects eats pests? It:
Earwigs - omnivorous insects, often settle near residential areas where they feed on plants, but also eat garden pests, preferring to sedentary individuals - mites and aphids. Because of the gluttony of earwigs in the garden, they prefer to get rid of them.Nippers perform a number of vital functions, including the retention of food objects, and protection from threatening factors.
In a frightened state, the earwig arches the trunk, puts the tongs out and highlights a special secret. In this form, it is very similar to a scorpion.
Crickets also omnivorous insects, the most common field cricket.Prefer plant food and belong to garden pests.
Crickets are omnivorous insects that eat both plant food and can attack small invertebrates, eat other small insects, thus, they satisfy their need for protein supplements necessary in the diet of any cricket.
Ground beetles - predatory night bugs, most usually eat slugs, snails, worms and others. Some species have a more diverse diet and feed on a wide variety of insects, including aphids.It is simple enough to attract - the more pests on the site, the more ground beetles.
The common ground beetle is a family of beetles, which includes more than 25 thousand species in the world and more than 3 thousand species in Russia. The insect belongs to the order of Coleopterans, up to 60 mm long, differs in different color options from dark to metallic outflow.
Spiders, by virtue of their way of eating, they mostly eat only winged aphids. The aphid flew into the web remains there and becomes a natural food. Also, if aphids fell to the ground, and the ants did not tolerate them, the spiders can easily eat them.The role of spiders is very high everywhere: in gardens, kitchen gardens, in fields and vineyards, where they eat springtails, wormtails, bug-turtles, aphids and other insects.
It is very important that spiders are able to find pests, both on the ground and in the leafy tier.
Earwigs - omnivorous insects, often settle near residential areas where they feed on plants, but also eat garden pests, preferring to sedentary individuals - mites and aphids. Because of the gluttony of earwigs in the garden, they prefer to get rid of them.
Crickets also omnivorous insects, the most common field cricket.
Ground beetles - predatory night bugs, most usually eat slugs, snails, worms and others. Some species have a more diverse diet and feed on a wide variety of insects, including aphids.
Spiders, by virtue of their way of eating, they mostly eat only winged aphids. The aphid flew into the web remains there and becomes a natural food. Also, if aphids fell to the ground, and the ants did not tolerate them, the spiders can easily eat them.Other creatures may also eat aphids. Often they are eaten by small birds and hoverflies.
With a large accumulation of aphids, even very large populations of their eaters will not help you secure a plot. In this case, you will need to resort to other methods of exposure.
How to destroy with drugs?
The modern market provides many chemicals against insects:
Pesticides and insecticides are used to kill pests. The most popular are:- "Aktara".
- "Tanrek".
- "Admiral".
- Also among summer residents, biological preparations are widely used to destroy aphids. Often used "Akarin", "Actofit" and "Fitoverm". The advantages are obvious - the main substance is extracted from natural raw materials and does not tend to accumulate in plants.
But, unfortunately, not all of these drugs are not toxic, for example, "Fitoverm" is quite dangerous, especially for children.
Pesticides and insecticides are used to kill pests. The most popular are:- on orchids;
- on pepper;
- on roses;
- on fruit trees;
- on cucumbers;
- on indoor plants;
- on currants;
- on an apple tree;
- on indoor and garden plants.
Other methods
Despite the new and proven methods for the destruction of aphids, many prefer the popular methods. Among the most effective there are several ways:
- Spraying water. A jet of liquid can knock insects to the ground, from where they can no longer return to the plant.
This method is suitable only for early spring, when aphids only appear and do not have wings for movement, as well as large concentrations of ants are undesirable on your site, since they carry the aphids (for more about the symbiosis of ants and aphids, see here)
- Soap solution. Strong smells of soap will help to scare off pests, it is best to use economic and tar. Cooking: 100 gr. Soap dissolve in 10l.
- Infusion of ash. This method is effective in two directions at once: ash is an excellent fertilizer for the garden and at the same time combats pests.
- It is necessary to dilute 0.5 kg of ash in 5 liters of hot water and let it brew for several days under the lid.
- Then boil and cool.
- After it will be possible to spray the plants.
In order for you not to be disturbed anymore by the problem of aphids in the garden and you could regularly receive a good harvest and moral satisfaction from work, pay great attention to the care of plants, follow the basic rules of their prevention, pay attention to high-quality fertilizer of the soil and be sure to attract useful insects to the site.
All of the above methods will help you effectively prevent or destroy the development of aphids.
More information about the most effective folk remedies for aphids can be found here.
