Aphids on the drain: how to treat and how to fight
Content:
Aphids are considered a fairly common pest that affects a wide variety of cultures. It can be found on apple trees, cherries, cherry plum. Plums are no exception. In spring, pests settle on trees, affecting the back of the leaves. If aphids appear on the plum, how to treat the tree? This question worries many gardeners.
Symptoms of the defeat of plum aphids
A large number of ants that run along the trunk of the tree help to detect aphids on the plum. If many anthills appear near the crop, this is also considered an important indicator of the damage to the plant by parasites.
Aphids quite often infect plums and other fruit trees.
To identify pests, it is necessary to carefully examine the culture, paying special attention to young branches. It can be very difficult to spot green aphids on a superficial examination. To identify it, you need to look under the lower part of the leaves. Identifying white or black aphids is much easier as they contrast with the foliage.
Identifying black or white aphids is much easier than identifying green aphids.
Infection provoking factors
Aphids develop best at a temperature of + 23 ... + 27 degrees. Moreover, her eggs are able to winter when the temperature drops to -10 ... -15 degrees. Air humidity parameters also affect the activity of insects. The maximum activity is observed with indicators at the level of 70-80%. This climate is typical for Western and Eastern Europe.
Ants contribute to the active spread of aphids. They absorb the sweet syrup that the pests produce. Ants literally raise aphids and take care of their eggs. They also protect the culture from other parasites and are near the food source all the time.
Ants increase the risk of aphid spread
Mechanical removal of aphids
This method of getting rid of aphids is suitable for a young garden in which mainly low crops grow. They can be easily examined and, when the first foci appear, shoots and foliage can be removed. Also, this method can be used in summer and autumn at the fruiting stage, when the use of chemicals for processing berries and fruits is prohibited.
Most often, aphids primarily affect the so-called tops. They are strong young branches that are formed in large volume after rejuvenating pruning. Therefore, they must be removed in summer or autumn in order to avoid active growth and thickening of the crown. In May or June, you can remove tops without tools. It is enough to break them off with your hands.
To minimize the risk of damage to the crop, it is important to prune the tree in a timely manner and form the crown correctly. If there are too many branches, it can be very difficult to see the affected areas. If the tree is lightly ventilated, all branches are illuminated by the sun. They are considered to be more resistant to defeat. In addition, it is much easier to identify the affected areas.
To avoid further spread of aphids, it is recommended to burn the removed shoots. Sometimes aphid colonies can be washed off with a stream of water. This can be done if the tree is small and has no berries on it.
It is important to take into account that after the life of the aphid, the leaves are covered with a sweet mass. It feeds on ants, which spread the parasites on young shoots. To minimize the number of pests, gardeners recommend avoiding the appearance of large anthills on the site. Of no small importance is the removal of cereal weeds, on which aphids often settle.
It is recommended to trim the affected fragments
Plum aphid chemicals
If there is more than 1 month left before the harvest ripens, it is permissible to use chemical insecticides. They help to get rid of pests instantly. In addition, such substances have a prolonged effect. They can be used at the stage of flowering culture.
It is recommended to process plantings in the morning or in the evening. In cloudy weather, spraying trees can be done throughout the day. If precipitation is expected, the procedure should be rescheduled for another day. The drops will wash off the drug from the surface of the leaves, and it will not have time to act on the pests.
How to deal with aphids on a drain? To destroy parasites, you can spray a tree with the following effective means:
- Aktara - with a minimum amount of precipitation, the drug protects plantings for up to 4 weeks. Its main difference from other insecticides is considered to be the effect on adults and their larvae. They completely die after 1 day.
- Biotlin - affects parasites after a few hours. The composition helps to stop the emergence of new parasites. It does not provoke addictive pests. Therefore, the substance can be applied several times during the season.
- Inta-Vir - the composition is used to process plantings a maximum of 3 times during the season. The substance is not used for prophylaxis. They can handle plums only when parasites appear.
- Commander - has an effect on adult pests and larvae. Aphids do not develop resistance to the chemical elements of this substance. The composition is effective in hot weather. In addition, it practically does not wash off.
Spraying with chemicals is considered an effective method of controlling parasites.
The distinctive features of biological substances include the following:
- after 5 days, the fruits can be eaten;
- insects stop their dangerous activity after 5-10 hours;
- complete death of pests occurs after a few days - after 2-7 days;
- funds are effective at certain temperatures, therefore, before use, you should read the instructions;
- the substances provide excellent results with preventive spraying and with a relatively small number of parasites;
- with large colonies, they are less effective than chemical agents.
How to deal with aphids using folk remedies
You can get rid of aphids with the help of folk remedies. There are many simple recipes for removing parasites.
Infusion of wood ash
To make this product, you need to take 200 g of wood ash and add 10 liters of water. Also, it is necessary to introduce a little soap shavings into the composition. If necessary, the solution can be replaced with dry ash.
It should be sprinkled evenly over the area of the trunk circle and sprinkled moderately with hot water.This safe method helps to rid the tree of parasites even in the most difficult situations.
Birch tar
This liquid has a specific aroma that repels aphids. In addition, it has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, which brings great benefits to the plant.
To make a useful solution, you need to mix 10 ml of tar, 50 g of laundry soap, 10 liters of water. The resulting tool needs to process not only the tree, but also the trunk circle. To prevent re-infection of the plant, containers filled with tar can be hung in the crown.
Ammonia solution
This solution also has a pronounced odor. As a result of its processing of wood, ants and aphids move to another place. To combat parasites, you need to mix a solution of 10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of concentrated ammonia and a soapy emulsion. With the finished composition, you need to process young branches and the top of the tree.
Comparison of traditional methods and chemical treatments
Folk remedies differ from chemical ones in less efficiency. Substances such as soda, ammonia, mustard must be used repeatedly. Moreover, they are usually used with a small nature of the defeat of the culture.
If there are a lot of parasites on the plum, chemicals have to be used. They help to achieve the effect in just a few hours. However, such substances can harm fetuses and worsen human health.
Prevention of diseases and the appearance of insects
To avoid the defeat of the culture by parasites, it is worth adhering to certain rules:
- Fight ants. Aphids are in close symbiosis with them. It is the ants that carry the parasites through the tree. When they are destroyed, it is possible to significantly reduce the number of aphids.
- Attract ladybirds. These insects actively eat aphids. For this, dill can be planted near a tree.
- Plant aphid repellent plants. These include mint, calendula, parsley.
- Prune trees systematically. This helps to reduce the risk of planting aphids.
- Dig up the near-trunk circle to a shallow depth.
- Weed under trees regularly.
Attracting ladybirds to the garden is considered an effective method of prevention.
The appearance of aphids on plums is considered a fairly common problem. Insects absorb the juice of the crop and can significantly worsen its condition. To cope with pests, you need to process the plantings in a timely manner. For this, it is permissible to use chemical and folk remedies.
