The fight against aphids in the garden, the vegetable garden is not a very pleasant process, but after all, do not give your crop to eat. I came yesterday, as usual, to the country with my granddaughter. I tore off a few cucumbers in her garden and noticed that some of the lower leaves at the shoots, as if wrapped inside. I looked at the sheet from the back, gasped - aphid! Yes, so much! How to deal with aphids? I decided to check out the rest of the plants in the garden. What did you see ?! Aphids on cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins! Aphids on raspberries, roses! On the sink! Guard! Actually, the weather we have now is favorable for the development of all types of aphids - it’s hot and the humidity is high, since it rains almost every day. Well - I went and went, but I need to do something.
Aphids cause leaf deformation:
Yes, aphids not only feed on plant sap, but also transmit various diseases. Plants damaged by aphids do not develop well, are stunted, leaves are deformed, various spots appear on them.
I walked around the site, looked almost under every leaf - everywhere aphid. How could I miss her? After all, not in one day, she actually occupied my entire garden?
On dill inflorescences I noticed a lacewing. This is such a small fly of light green color with large transparent wings, long antennae. Refers to beneficial insects. Lacewing larvae feed on aphids. On some zucchini I noticed ladybugs, whose larvae also eagerly eat aphids.
Just in one of the issues of our regional newspaper for gardeners and gardeners, "Niva Kuban" read that before you start treating plants from aphids, you need to count these insects. If, for example, for 1 aphid, there are 5 laceworm larvae or 30 ladybug larvae, then it is better not to use any drugs to fight aphids. Like, beneficial insects will cope with pests themselves.
But, frankly, I do not know what the larvae of lacewings, ladybugs look like, and the eternal lack of time, as well as the lack of skills, does not allow us to estimate their ratio to the number of aphids. I just learned one thing - since they are (our natural helpers), it’s better to use biological preparations that do not harm the lacewings and ladybirds to fight aphids.
In the same newspaper, a plant protection specialist advises using the biological drug bitoxibacillin.
The proportions for the preparation of the solution are as follows - 40-100 g of the drug is dissolved in a bucket of water, sprayed with vegetable or fruit plants.
The specific amount of bitoxibacillin powder to be dissolved depends on the type of plant and the type of pest. This drug is effective not only against aphids, but also the Colorado potato beetle, various caterpillars, spider mites. One caveat in the preparation of the solution is to first dilute the powder in a small amount of water, let it dissolve, and then add it to a bucket of water.
In addition to bitoxibacillin against aphids, other biological insecticides can be used - acarin, phytoverm.
I already have cucumbers hanging and turning green, zucchini is being poured, raspberries are singing - to process with chemistry, my hand does not turn. How to sprinkle cucumbers, zucchini from aphids? Therefore, until biological preparations for fighting aphids were purchased, I decided to prepare an infusion of celandine - since it grows a lot in secluded corners of the garden. It is a powerful aphid remedy. Narwhal was celandine, filled the bucket by 2/3, poured cold water. Left to insist until the morning.
By the way, about other folk remedies for the fight against aphids can be read here.
I processed everything this morning with celandine infusion, and in the evening I walked around the garden again - it seemed to help. At least I don’t see on an cucumber, a drain of ants. And since the ants left, the aphids died - they have nothing to eat.
But I must warn you if development conditions favorable for aphids remain, then you may have to treat garden and garden plants more than once or resort to chemicals.
For example, roses, raspberries after harvest, young fruit trees, if they do not have fruits, can be treated with chemicals. Effective in the fight against aphids - Fufanon, Kemifos, Iskra-M, Alatar, Inta Ts-M, Confidor Extra, Aktara.
Tomatoes, cucumbers with fruits can be treated from aphids by Fitoverm - a biological insecticide - it does not accumulate in the fruits, is not dangerous to humans.
I wish you success in the fight against aphids!