Leaf roll on an apple tree - how to fight and how to process

One of the most dangerous pests of apple trees is the leaf roll. It can destroy up to 70% of the crop. The pest is dangerous for leaves, buds and fruits. To know how to deal with a leaf roll on fruit trees, you need to have an idea of its life cycle and characteristics.

What is a leaf roll

The leaf roll itself is not dangerous. It is a small butterfly. The damage is caused by its larvae, which later turn into caterpillars. The leafworm lays its eggs in the crown of trees. Caterpillars emerge from them. Butterflies are most active in the morning and in the evening.

The leafworm is a dangerous insect for apples

Signs and features of the pest

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The manifestations of the defeat of apple trees by a pest will be as follows:

In the spring, you can find how the buds, flowers and leaves are covered with cobwebs.
In late spring, cocoons are visible, leaves curl
With the beginning of autumn, dark spots with egg-laying can be seen on the surface of the leaves.

Important! If there are too many butterflies, they can destroy up to 70% of the entire crop.

Description of the pest

There are many varieties of leaf rollers. But the main harm is done to the rose apple tree. A butterfly can be identified by the following characteristics:

it is up to 3 cm in size, outwardly resembles a mole;
wingspan up to 30 mm;
body with dense coverage of hairs;
the wings are gray with a brown pattern.

Caterpillars are green-yellow body with dots on the back, there are hooks on the abdomen, the head is brown or black.

The leaf roll looks like a moth

Geography of distribution

The leafworm lives on all continents, the only exception is Antarctica. There are more than 2000 species in Russia, of which about 100 are the most dangerous. Most often, the pest can be found in the mixed and deciduous forests of the northern part of the planet, as well as in the subtropical and tropical forests of Asia.

Stages of development

Insect development is determined depending on the species. A leafworm is born in April and its life cycle includes the following stages:

Mating two days after emerging from the pupa.
In spring, laying eggs on the bark of trees and branches.
Eggs hibernate on a tree, in spring caterpillars appear from them, which begin to feed on leaves, fruits and buds.
In summer, the larvae pupate.

An adult insect appears 2 weeks after the pupation process.

Important! Given the developmental stage of the pest, the apple tree should be checked every year in early spring for the presence of larvae.

The danger of an insect on an apple tree

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The pest can be not only on the apple tree, the leafworm appears on the pear and other fruit trees. But for an apple tree, it is the most dangerous, since under favorable conditions for development for an insect, it can destroy up to 70% of the entire garden.

What varieties of apple trees are not affected by the leaf roll

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The defeat by the pest does not depend on what sort of apple tree is planted on the site. All varieties are subject to attack, but insects try to bypass healthy and strong trees.

They only attack weakened cultures that are poorly cared for. To protect the apple tree from insects, you need to follow agrotechnical rules.

Any kind of apple can be attacked

Leaf roll on an apple tree - what to do

If a pest appeared on an apple tree or a leafworm on a pear, how to treat the trees in this case? Experienced gardeners choose depending on the degree of damage. An insect can be fought with three methods:

chemical;
biological;
mechanical.

Chemical

This is the most effective way to get rid of insects. The plant must be sprayed with special preparations that destroy caterpillars and butterflies.

But the pest gets used to toxins, so the product must be constantly changed.

Attention! Especially effectively helps to get rid of the "Koragen" leaf roll.

Spraying with chemicals is the most effective way to control pests

Biological

The biological method is based on attracting the enemies of the leafworm - tits. To lure these birds on the site, you need to hang out feeders with seeds and unsalted bacon.

Important! Do not put a lot of feed into the trough. For birds to start hunting the leafworm, they must be hungry.

Mechanical

The mechanical method is used if the plant is small. It includes:

removal of damaged foliage;
collection of caterpillars;
setting up traps for collecting and destroying leaf rollers.

You can make trapping belts from thick paper. In this case, it is permissible to use burlap as a material. Several belts need to be tied to a tree trunk, covered with garden glue on top, which does not dry for a long time. You need to hang such belts in the spring, and then take them off in late autumn.

Important! It is necessary to process not only already damaged trees, but also those that are located nearby at a distance of up to 10 m. The leafworm quickly moves from one tree to another.

Types of drugs

The remedy for leaf rollers on fruit trees can belong to one of two groups:

contact - they destroy pests if they get on it;
system - get rid of leaf rollers through processing.

Contact drugs are low-toxic, so they have a low effect.

Conditions for treating trees from pests

The leafworm moves very quickly from one tree to another. Therefore, with damaged trees, it is imperative to process neighboring bushes, as well as trees.

You need to start spraying before the apples bloom. But at the same time, the air temperature should be above plus 10 degrees. If the temperature is lower, the caterpillars will start to hide. The maximum temperature at which spraying will give a result is +22 degrees.

Processing time

The gardener chooses the processing time independently. If there were no problems with leaf rollers last year, then in the spring you can simply carry out preventive treatment. If there are too many insects, treatments should be carried out throughout the growing season. The threshold is the presence of more than 5 leaf rollers on one branch.

Processing should be done before bud break in May, the last in November. Processing is not carried out during the flowering period and a month before the apple harvest.

Attention! During the setting and ripening of fruits, only biological preparations should be used.

During the flowering period, processing is not carried out

In the spring before flowering

In March, it is necessary to conduct an inspection, to destroy all insects that hibernated in the bark. In April, the green cone is processed. In May, when the flower buds begin to turn pink, it is necessary to spray the egg clutches with Avant or Intavir preparations.

During fruit ripening

In July, processing is carried out only with biological agents (Fitoverm). During this period, treatment with strong chemicals is prohibited.

After flowering

In early summer, the larvae can be found in rolled sheets. During this period, you need to use the drug "Accord". Belts are glued to the trunks so that pests cannot climb over them.

Autumn care

At the end of summer, the collection of fallen leaves begins.

Important! It is very difficult to completely destroy the leaf roll, so you need to carry out processing and observe preventive measures constantly.

Folk remedies

With a small amount of leaf rollers, you can use traditional methods without using chemicals. The most effective remedy is bitter wormwood. It scares away butterflies and you can simply plant it on your site.

Wormwood decoction, potato tops

Apple leafworm is afraid of infusion from a decoction of wormwood and potato tops. To prepare it, you need:

finely chop a third of a bucket of greens;
pour water over it, boil for 30 minutes;
insist 4 hours.

Strain the resulting product and add water to 10 liters and 100 g of liquid soap. Plants are treated with this agent in the morning in dry, calm weather.

Infusion of tobacco

To prepare such a product, you need to boil a bucket of water, add 0.5 kg of tobacco dust. Leave for 3 days, then strain. Add twice the original volume of water and liquid soap to the composition. The solution cannot be stored, it must be used immediately for processing.

Decoction of tomato tops

You can treat the affected plants with a decoction of tomato tops. To prepare it, you need to cut 4 kg of tops and leave in a bucket for about 4 hours. Then boil for 30 minutes, strain, bottle. You can store it for a year. Dilute one to one with water before use.

Prevention measures

If a leaf roll appears on an apple tree, each gardener determines how to deal with it independently. It is important to remember that the pest attacks weakened plants first. Therefore, it is necessary to engage in the prevention of increased immunity of fruit crops.

Preventive measures include:

regular removal of dry leaves;
burning and destruction of hibernating larvae;
in winter and spring, dried bark and moss must be removed from the trunks, pests can develop in them;
cut dry and diseased branches before flowering.

In autumn, tree trunks need to be whitewashed with a solution of lime, watered and fed, remove weeds, and loosen the soil. In the spring, it is recommended to treat trees with a three percent Bordeaux liquid. Regular processing, preventive measures will help to grow a healthy garden that is not affected by pests.