What do aphids eat? How to fight aphids: a review of folk methods and chemical preparations. Reproduction and air migration

Often in summer cottages, aphids damage many trees and bushes, thereby causing irreparable damage to gardeners. This small insect harms not only garden plants, but also indoor plants. You can even see it with the naked eye. Vegetable, fruit, berry and flower crops are damaged by various types of aphids. Often, many gardeners do not know how to heal already diseased plants. Let's figure out what kind of insect this is - aphids, and how to fight it?

Colony of Green rose aphid (Macrosiphum rosae) on a young rose shoot. © Lucis

Description of aphids

Aphids ( Aphididae) are insects of the order Hemiptera ( Hemiptera) ranging in size from 0.5 to 2 mm. The body is ovoid, soft and easily crushed, the legs are long, but the insects move slowly. There are wingless and winged individuals.

The wingless female is oblong-oval in shape, the mouthparts are long, thickened in front. Winged insects have two pairs of wings; they fly and infect other plants. The rapid reproduction of aphids is explained by the fact that a wingless female only needs one fertilization to produce offspring of up to 150 larvae 10-20 times every two weeks.

An adult aphid is a small green or black insect. In mid-summer, some individuals grow wings. Thus, pests move long distances to find new sources of food. Aphids live on buds, stems and the underside of leaves, on the tops of young shoots, giving preference to fattening branches (tops).

Aphids are an exceptionally numerous group of insects. According to the most conservative estimates, it unites about 4,000 species, of which almost a thousand live in Europe. Every year more and more new species are described.

Reproduction and aerial migration of aphids

Aphids lay eggs, and some species have viviparity. Most aphid species reproduce over several generations using parthenogenesis. A certain generation is born winged and of different sexes. In species that change hosts, this occurs before colonization of a new plant or when the colony grows too quickly and the resulting overcrowding. Winged individuals are able to travel long distances and create new colonies in new places.

According to new research, the birth of winged aphids may also be caused by special aromatic substances that aphids secrete when they are attacked by enemies, such as ladybugs. These warning substances cause great anxiety and increased movement in the colony. This creates an overpopulation effect, which causes rapid production of winged offspring.

Damage from aphids

The damage caused to plants by aphids is underestimated by many, but in vain. Aphids suck plant sap from stems and leaves, buds and buds. The leaves of the affected plant curl, the buds and shoots are deformed, growth slows down, and the fruits do not ripen. The affected, weakened plant may not survive the winter. In addition to direct damage, aphids transmit viral diseases; black sooty fungus (black sooty mildew) settles on the sugary secretions of aphids.

Aphids pierce the integument of the plant and suck out the juice. In areas of massive bites, tissues become deformed and then die. Flowers on the affected peduncles do not develop and wither as soon as they open. The peduncle itself quickly fades. Aphids, like mealybugs, rootbugs, whiteflies, leafhoppers, scale insects, and false scale insects, suck much more juice from the plant than they need to maintain vitality.

Excess moisture and carbohydrates are excreted from the body of aphids in the form of sugary secretions called honeydew or honeydew. This sticky, sweet liquid coats the plant, making it difficult for it to breathe. Honeydew is a good substrate for the development of various fungi. Sooty fungi, for example, can cover a leaf with a continuous layer, reducing the intensity of photosynthesis, which depresses already weakened plants.

External signs of damage

Along with insects clearly visible to the naked eye, aphid infestation is indicated by deformed shoot tips, curled leaves, as well as sweet discharge (honeydew) on leaves and shoots. Subsequently, a sooty fungus settles on these secretions. If you see ants running around the plant, be sure to check for aphids. Typically, ants are attracted to honeydew produced by aphids.

Aphids have a symbiosis with ants. Some ants protect (“graze”) aphids and receive sugar-containing secretions from them in return.

Aphids live in large groups on the underside of leaves, around growing points, on young shoots, buds, and pedicels, feeding on plant juices. They pose a danger because they weaken the plant, reduce its resistance to disease, and can also be carriers of viral diseases.

In damaged plants, the leaves curl and turn yellow, form nodules, buds do not develop or produce ugly flowers. A sticky coating appears on mature leaves, in which fungus can settle. Roses, carnations, fuchsias, and many aroid and forcing bulb crops are especially affected by aphids.

Many species of aphids are capable of spreading plant diseases in the form of viruses and causing various abnormalities in plants, such as galls and gall-like formations.

Prevention of aphids

Aphids can settle on almost any garden and indoor plants; it is important not to miss the moment and start the fight on time. Fruit trees and shrubs, roses, chrysanthemums, and many indoor plants are especially attractive to green aphids. For black - legumes, garden cornflower, etc.

Carefully inspect all new plants brought into the house or purchased for the garden, as well as bouquets of fresh flowers - they may already have aphids. If you find an enemy, urgently take measures to combat him, otherwise he will occupy your plants and the fight will require disproportionately large efforts from you.

If we are talking about aphids in the garden: plant umbrella plants - carrots, dill, fennel, parsley and others. By doing this, you will attract tireless aphid eaters - hoverflies - to the garden. Place flower pots with wood shavings in the garden - earwigs can live in them; aphids are also big fans of aphids for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Attract birds to the garden - arrange feeders and birdhouses for them, do not destroy the nests found in the garden, birds eat aphids in huge quantities.

Lavender planted in a rose garden will repel green aphids.

Thyme (savory), sown next to legumes, will protect them from black aphids.

Sow nasturtium in the tree trunk of a cherry tree - it will attract black aphids, reducing the load on the tree, and it is easier to fight aphids on nasturtium than on a tree.

Do not overuse chemicals unless absolutely necessary - together with the pests, you destroy their enemies: hoverflies, earwigs, ladybugs, lacewings, ichneumon wasps, ground beetles and predatory bugs.

Balanced feeding of plants is very important - aphids prefer plants that are overfed or weak from a lack of nutrients. In addition to proper feeding, a strong, healthy plant requires the correct choice of growing location, sufficient light and water, good air circulation - all this is also prevention against pests. It is important to loosen the soil under the plants, or better yet, mulch.

Ways to combat aphids

Insecticides against aphids

Aphids are quite easily destroyed by insecticides. Insecticides against aphids are divided into preparations of contact, intestinal and systemic action.

Contact-acting drugs penetrate the surface of the insect’s body and kill it. An example of such drugs is the drug Fufanon (Karbofos).

Intestinal drugs enter the insect’s digestive system, causing poisoning and death.

Combination drugs with contact-intestinal action are most often produced: Akarin, Actellik, Bankol.

Systemic preparations penetrate into all plant cells, including fruits, and are contained in it for 2 to 4 weeks; they are not washed off by rain or watering. Systemic drugs have the longest waiting period, are convenient to use, but are the most dangerous. They must be used carefully. The most modern systemic drugs: Aktara, Biotlin, Tanrek.

Ladybug eating aphids. © davidh-j

Folk remedies against aphids

Decoctions and infusions of herbs against aphids

Decoctions of herbs and crops are effective, for example, shield grass, wormwood, tansy, tobacco dust, yarrow, hot pepper, dandelion, garlic, onion, tomato tops, potato tops, mustard, rhubarb (for black aphids). Requires 2-3 applications at intervals of 7-10 days.

An infusion of garlic or onion is quite suitable: pour 30 grams of chopped garlic (onion) and 4 grams of laundry soap into a liter of water. And if you water a houseplant with a liter of warm water in which you dissolve 80 grams of table salt, you can get rid of both aphids and mites. Spraying and watering should be carried out at least three times with a break of 10 days.

You can use an infusion of onion peels and tomato leaves. The treatment must be repeated 3 times with an interval of 8-10 days. If there is a strong infestation of aphids, small plants can be dipped into this solution after covering the ground. You can also place fragrant pelargonium near a plant infested with aphids for 2-3 days, and the aphids will disappear.

Malicious insects have a negative attitude towards the infusion of hot capsicum. 100 g of fresh fruits are poured with water and boiled for at least an hour in a liter sealed container. Then it is left for two days, the pepper is ground, and the solution is filtered. For spraying, the concentrate is diluted ten times with water and a tablespoon of soap powder is added.

Abundant watering with liquid nettle fertilizer can sometimes drive out aphids in a few days. Plants quickly absorb this nutritious, strengthening mixture and therefore, after a short time, become more resistant to pests.

Celandine collected during flowering (take the whole plant). 300-400 g of fresh or 100 g of dry crushed mass must be infused in 1 liter of water for 24-36 hours or boiled for 30 minutes. It also helps against false scale insects and thrips.

Dandelion officinalis (300 g of crushed roots or 400 g of fresh leaves are infused for 1-2 hours in 10 liters of warm water (not higher than 40 degrees), filtered and sprayed.

Tagetis (marigolds) during flowering (fill 1/2 of a bucket with dry raw materials, add 10 liters of warm water, leave for 2 days, filter and add 40 g of soap).

Other decoctions and infusions

Pour 100 g of dry citrus peels into 1 liter of warm water and leave for three days in a warm place. Then spray.

Tobacco, shag. 40 g of dry raw materials are infused in 1 liter of water for 2 days, filtered and another liter of water is added.

Also, when aphids appear, the plant is sprayed with a solution of tar soap (10 g per liter of water) or a settled and strained decoction of wood ash, prepared as follows: 300 g of sifted ash is poured with boiling water and put on fire for 30 minutes. Before use, add 10 liters of water.

Wood ash. 2 cups of ash are infused in 10 liters. water, add 50 g. laundry soap shavings.

Manual assembly

If several aphids appear on the plant, remove them with a damp cotton swab.

Aphids often plague gardeners and gardeners. It sucks the juice from the leaves and thereby destroys the plantings. The pest does not only appear in areas. It also attacks domestic flowers. To effectively fight it, you should know where aphids come from on plants.

How aphids appear in areas

Many people encounter an “invader” in their summer cottages and gardens. As soon as warm weather sets in, young leaves and shoots on trees and plantings are attacked. It seems like she appears out of nowhere.

But infection occurs in two ways:

1. She's being torn apart.
2. New individuals hatch from eggs overwintering in tree trunks.

During the cold season, ants carry aphids and their eggs from plants to their nest so that they do not die from frost and icy wind. With the onset of warm days, foragers place their “pets” on young leaves and begin grazing, jealously guarding the “food supply” from ladybugs. Aphids can appear on any plants and seedlings.

Interesting!

Little toilers feed on honeydew, a lice secreted by plant louses. They tickle the aphid's abdomen with their antennae, and the aphid gives them a drop of the sweet drink.

If there are too many insatiable pests on a tree or shrub, then worker ants begin to spread them to other fruit crops and weeds. So, thanks to the efforts of the garden species, aphids appear on plants.

But the insect is capable of independently taking care of the continuation of its kind. The eggs hatch into females that reproduce new offspring. In mid-summer, winged females and males appear from the next clutch. They fly to other plants and lay eggs in the bark of trees and shrubs, which must survive the winter.

With the onset of warmth, new individuals emerge from the clutches. The cycle repeats itself again.

Those who suffer most from aphid infestations are:

• (including , and );

How aphids appear on house flowers

Pests manage to spread throughout. This happens in the warm season, when flower growers send their “pets” to the balcony - and they are attacked by winged individuals.

On a note!

But this is not the only way the pest gets into apartments. Aphids are formed in the following ways:

• flies through open windows and doors;
• brought by people on their clothes and shoes;
• gets into the house with other plants, bouquets of flowers.

All purchased potted flowers are processed or kept in quarantine for 2-3 weeks, and wildflower bouquets collected in a field or forest are placed away from indoor plants.

Aphids reproduce quickly and spread throughout plants. It creeps from weeds to trees, bushes and fruit crops. Foragers often help her with this. To protect your garden, you need to fight not only aphids, but also.

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Aphids are the most common harmful insect that mercilessly destroys garden and home plants. Experienced flower growers are well aware of how important it is to regularly carry out preventive measures aimed at preventing the appearance of this insect.

The insect feeds on plant sap. An aphid infestation can destroy entire gardens or fields. It is difficult to say why aphids appear. It’s sad, but there is no hope that any gardener will be lucky enough not to encounter this pest.

Have questions?

Ask and receive useful advice from professional gardeners and experienced summer residents.

Appearance

The size of garden aphids does not exceed 8 millimeters in length. The domestic one is even smaller - the insect is no more than half a millimeter in length.

In nature, there are a huge number of varieties of aphids (you can see in the photo what aphids look like), but these insects can only be round or oval in shape.

If you examine this insect under a magnifying glass, you will notice that the body of the aphid has tubercles, growths and hairs.

The head has the shape of a trapezoid. It has segmented antennae - organs of touch and hearing.

Nature has awarded aphids with tiny faceted eyes of red, black or brown color. The insect sees quite well, even being able to distinguish some bright colors.

There is no oral cavity. Instead, the insect has a proboscis, which replaces not only its mouth, but also a “working tool” for obtaining food. It is with the proboscis that the aphid pierces the shell of plants and reaches their juicy pulp.

The pest moves on three pairs of short legs, and can even jump.

There are also aphids with wings, which are not a sexual characteristic. Both female and male aphids can fly.

Where do aphids come from?

The insect lives in colonies. Their numbers depend on the abundance of food and how effectively people fight this insect. Surprisingly, each individual in the colony performs its own functions. If you want, it has its own rights and responsibilities.

In this respect, aphid colonies are a bit like anthills, where there is a strict order established by nature.

Colonies settle on young leaves and stems of plants. They also readily attach themselves to flower buds; there are even root aphids.

The domestic aphid includes several subspecies of aphids, differing from each other in body color. Most often, red, black, green and white aphids settle on indoor plants in houses.

What do aphids eat?

Often, aphid colonies settle in close proximity to anthills. There is a logic to this. The fact is that the waste products of aphids are a favorite delicacy of ants, as they have a sweetish taste. In exchange for tasty food, ants protect aphid colonies from ladybugs and hoverflies, which are the fierce enemies of these pests.

Mealy

Potato

The potato aphid is a wingless insect. The color of her body can be red or green. The insect has an oval body shape, the length of which does not exceed 4 millimeters. The antennae are clearly visible on the head, and the tail is on the opposite side.

Cherry

The greatest damage from cherry aphid colonies occurs in the spring, when the leaves on cherries and cherries are tender. Later, only the strongest individuals manage to bite through the rough surface of the leaves. The weak die of hunger; the vast majority of them turn out to be such.

Unfortunately, during the spring months, shoot aphids manage to cause colossal damage to trees. They weaken, bear fruit poorly, and begin to hurt. Trees affected by cherry aphids often cannot withstand winter frosts and die.

Cereal

Cabbage

The cabbage aphid lays its eggs not in forks, but in the remains of cabbage leaves, which always remain after harvesting. In mid-spring, insects appear and immediately begin to destroy the cabbage. They usually fail to completely destroy a vegetable, but they can make it weak, loose and small.

Apple

Apple trees suffer from three types of aphids.

Gall, red gall

The red gall aphid is extremely prolific; it not only goes through a full development cycle per season, but also produces four offspring. From the name it is clear that the head of this aphid is red. The rest of its body is dark brown with a gray coating. The size of the insect does not exceed 2 millimeters, but it causes enormous damage. The red gall aphid affects not only the leaves of apple trees, but also the fruits. Affected apples should not be eaten.

Leafy

This species is also called grass aphid because it affects not only bushes and trees, but also grass. Its appearance on seedlings entails their death. Leaf aphids are characterized by the presence of wings on females.

The females are painted a beautiful lemon color, and yet there is no greater abomination to the gardener than this winged aphid. Wingless males look sad, as their bodies are dirty brown in color. It should be said that this particular species is protected by ants with particular zeal.

Tobacco

It is incredibly difficult to discern the pest against the background of affected leaves. The body of the insect is yellowish with green color. Under the influence of tobacco aphids, plant leaves do not curl into tubes, but immediately begin to turn yellow and soon fall off. The waste products of this insect contain honeydew, a causative agent of fungal diseases. If tobacco aphids are not eliminated in time, most of the crop will die.

Pea

There are two types of pea aphids. In the first species the females are wingless, while in the second they have wings. The wingless pea aphid prefers to settle on perennial plants. The winged one lives anywhere. It is this species that is more dangerous, as it quickly spreads over large areas.

Bean

This species primarily attacks plants in the Apiaceae family. Colonies of the pest densely cover the leaves and stems of plants. Carrot aphids live in all corners of the planet where there is at least some vegetation.

Ways to fight

The easiest way to get rid of the pest is with insecticides or similar other chemicals. All of these drugs are potent and therefore poisonous. Few summer residents will want to use them, since not only real aphids, but also the entire garden will be poisoned.

Beneficial insects, even birds, including domestic ones, die under the influence of insecticides. The harmful drug permeates the soil, leading to the appearance of harmful substances in the fruits. The harm to humans from this is obvious. Use insecticides only in desperate situations when the area is severely affected.

It is wiser to regularly inspect all the vegetation on the site and promptly apply folk, that is, environmentally friendly, methods of control. What are aphids afraid of?

Any aphid, including melon aphids, does not appear near Dolmatian chamomile, onions, garlic, calendula, and wormwood. If these plants are planted next to fruit trees and bushes, then the pest most likely will not appear on the site.

As for birds feeding on garden aphids, there is no clear opinion on this issue. On the one hand, birds destroy aphids, but, on the other hand, they peck leaves, stems, and fruits of plants, thereby causing harm.

But regarding beneficial insects, the answer is clear. The more ladybugs, parasites, ground beetles, lacewings and a number of other insects live on your site, the fewer even flying aphids there will be. In order for these insects to appear, plant fragrant plants (dill, parsley, carrots), as well as green manure plants (buckwheat, mustard, clover, alfalfa).

The sooner you detect the appearance of aphids, the easier it will be to destroy them. Inspect your property carefully in early spring, when you can get rid of the pest mechanically before reproduction begins. It is enough to wash the affected areas or spray them with a solution of laundry soap so that the newly hatched aphids will die. Remove the pest from trees and bushes with a tight stream of water from a hose.

Prepare a soap solution: dissolve a worn-out bar of laundry soap in a bucket of water. Spray the affected areas with this solution. However, getting soap into the soil is undesirable. Do not be too lazy to cover the soil under the plants with plastic film while spraying. This solution retains its value for seven days. So you can use it more than once.

You can get rid of black aphids on cucumbers using sifted wood ash. Sprinkle it on plants affected by aphids. Do this early in the morning, when the dew on the leaves has not dried. If you sprinkle plants at other times of the day, pre-moisten them with water from a spray bottle. This is done so that the ash remains on the leaves for as long as possible.

Many gardeners and flower growers prefer to get rid of green roseate aphids with an infusion of celandine. To prepare it, take 5 or 6 celandine bushes and chop them finely. Add three tablespoons of laundry soap shavings to the resulting loose mass and add ten liters of hot water. After five hours of infusion, the product is ready for use. After straining the infusion, spray the affected areas or dip the branches directly into a bucket of this infusion.

Instead of celandine, you can use hot pepper. Red cayenne pepper works best. Grind a dozen of its pods along with the seeds, add 50 grams of soap shavings to the mass, pour in a liter of hot boiled water. Infuse this remedy for a day. After this, strain the infusion and spray it on the affected areas of the plants. Pepper infusion is also suitable for combating other harmful insects.

Another environmentally friendly way to combat pests is spraying with garlic infusion. To prepare it, squeeze 5 or 6 cloves of garlic on a garlic clove, add one tablespoon of sunflower oil. Pour this mixture into 500 ml of warm water and leave for three days. Only 2-3 tablespoons of strained infusion are used directly for spraying. Dilute this amount in a liter of water, add one tablespoon of liquid soap.

Potato infusion is quite effective. To prepare it, chop 2 kg of potato tops and fill it with ten liters of warm water. Leave the mixture for four hours, after which you can strain the infusion and use it for spraying.

Instead of potato tops, you can use tomato tops, but the technology for preparing the product will be different. Pour 500 grams of chopped tomato tops with ten liters of boiling water, leave on low heat for half an hour. Then cool the broth at room temperature and strain. For spraying you need to use only one glass of decoction. Dilute it in a liter of water.

Aphids are considered one of the most malicious and dangerous garden pests. This insect in all its varieties easily occupied green spaces: from garden crops and flowers to fruit trees, to which it causes enormous damage.

What are the armies of such numerous insects? What methods of solving the problem are most effective?

What are aphids?

Externally, these are small insects of black or green color, from one to five millimeters in size, with an ovoid body, soft and easily crushed, thin legs, elongated mouthparts, thickened in front. Aphids live on fruit trees, the undersides of leaves, stems, and tops of shoots; they mercilessly suck out plant juice with their proboscis. Along the way, the insect secretes a poison that causes leaves to curl, deform, die off, shoots to stop growing, and tops to bend. In addition, sweet masses contaminate the leaf surface, thereby disrupting the normal functioning of plants and causing their death.

The created conditions of increased sugar content are an optimal environment for the development of black sooty mildew - a dangerous viral disease that interferes with the process of photosynthesis and inhibits already weakened plants. Insects cause the greatest damage to fruit tree seedlings.

What are aphids and why do they reproduce so quickly? A wingless female aphid only needs one fertilization to then produce numerous offspring every two weeks for six months (which is about fifty generations during the summer season).

How to detect the presence of aphids on the site

Determining what an aphid is and recognizing its appearance is quite simple:

• colonies of such an insect are visible to the naked eye - they are located on the shoots of the plant, on the underside of the leaves;
• the affected parts of the plants are covered with honeydew - a sticky liquid secreted by aphids;
• the leaves of the plant are curled and dry out, the flower buds do not open, and the fruits stop developing.

Troubleshooting

Fighting such a pest is extremely difficult, because insects multiply very quickly, creating numerous colonies. Aphids can be removed by hand or washed off with a powerful water jet from a hose. In the vicinity of garden crops that are susceptible to aphid attacks, it is recommended to plant onions and garlic that repel this pest.

Natural predators of aphids include ladybugs, some species of wasps, hoverflies, lacewings and small birds. To attract such rescuers, it is recommended to plant fragrant herbs, green manure and nettles on the site. Birds and insects may not be able to completely destroy pest colonies, but their help will not be superfluous.

Traditional methods

An effective remedy for aphids is herbal decoctions and infusions. They are not chemicals, however, in strong concentrations they can cause burns to the plant, and in addition to aphids, they pose a danger to other types of insects. Therefore, it is recommended to use them carefully, having first tested the effect on a limited area of ​​land. Control of aphids on fruit trees with plant solutions is recommended during the budding period, after flowering and before harvesting, no later than 2-4 weeks.

Garlic infusion

To prepare it through a press, you need to pass five cloves of garlic, which you need to leave for 4-5 days in half a liter of water, then combine with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of liquid soap. The resulting preparation should be sprayed on plants affected by aphids.

Chamomile infusion

Infuse 100 grams of dried chamomile inflorescences and leaves in 1 liter of water for 12 hours. Spraying is carried out in a ratio of 1:3 with the addition of 4 grams of soap for each liter of infusion.

Dandelion infusion

Leave 200 grams of roots and 400 grams (during its flowering period) in a bucket of water for about 4 hours.

Tobacco infusion

In 5 liters of water, 200 grams of dried and crushed tobacco leaves should be infused for 2 days. Bring the volume of the drug to 10 liters, strain.

Pine infusion

Soak 1 kg of pine needles in 4 liters of water for 24 hours.

Potato infusion

Grind 1 kg of potato tops, leave for 3 hours in a 10-liter bucket of water.

Soap and tomato tops against aphids

Commonly used are vegetable oil and soap, the viscous consistency of which, combined with the enveloping properties of the oil, interfere with the insect’s respiratory process. Plants should be sprayed in the evening every few days.

An infusion of crushed tomato leaves (2 cups), which is recommended to be soaked overnight in water (2 cups), is considered quite effective. The resulting infusion must be filtered, poured into a container from which to spray the unwanted guest.

Leaf aphids of any species, green or black, feed on plant tissues, mainly young shoots, and eat leaf and flower buds.

The harm it causes is colossal, first of all, because leaf aphids reproduce very quickly, forming huge colonies in a matter of days and producing about 50 colonies per season.

In addition to the general weakening of the plant: deformation of leaves and entire branches, loss of peduncles, buds, ovaries and fruits, aphids secrete sticky secretions that clog the stomata of the leaves, or a fungus settles on them. When biting leaves, aphids can spread viral diseases.

Aphids can completely destroy young plants that have one or two growing points.

The damage from aphids is aggravated by the fact that they are not at all selective in plants; they devour everything: garden flowers, seedlings and mature vegetables, fruit trees, shrubs and herbs.

She has special preferences, for example, plums, cherries, roses; currants are one of the first to be affected by aphids. Here, different species of aphids have their own taste preferences; black aphids prefer fruits - currants, apple trees, plums, green aphids - roses, chrysanthemums and other flowers. However, this is not a general rule; sometimes it seems that aphids eat everything!

Where do aphids come from on plants?

A fertilized female aphid lays eggs on branches and bark of trees, in the root zone, usually in secluded and hard-to-reach places. The eggs overwinter quietly in clutches, or they are kept until spring by ants, and then dispersed among any of the most attractive plants.

In the warmth, the eggs rapidly develop into adult wingless females, capable of reproducing without fertilization - they produce the main hordes of enemies of our crop.

By the end of June, and in warm weather by the end of May, a new form of adult insects appears in the aphid colony - flying females. They are the reason for the widespread spread of pests. They are called disperser aphids, their task is clear and understandable - to cover as large an area as possible and lay the next generations of eggs. If we take into account the help of the wind, then the spread of pests is several tens of kilometers from the place of departure. After mating, females lay overwintering eggs and a new cycle begins in the spring.

You may have noticed a phenomenon where aphids either disappear on their own or are found again on plants - these are dioecious aphids, in the first half of the season they actively reproduce on some plants, and with the appearance of winged females they move to another group of plants, at the end of summer - early autumn, they return to the first bushes.

Ants also contribute to the spread of aphids - they feed on the sweet syrup that aphids secrete (honeydew). Ants, like proper farmers, grow aphids, take care of their eggs, protect them from other insects and are constantly near the food source, trying to increase the plantations.

Prevention of aphids

Need I repeat the platitude that preventing an aphid infestation is easier than fighting it? However, any gardener will say that he has noticed how aphids progress on some plants, while on others they are rather sluggish and few in number.

The point is in the condition of the plants themselves, if they are healthy, the trees and shrubs are whitened, there are no aphids on them or there are very few of them.

Starting in the fall, remove leaf litter from the garden area and mow down the weeds in the tree trunks. During this time, cut out the tops and root shoots on which the eggs can overwinter.

Contain or destroy anthills during the spring and summer. Complete destruction of anthills, as a rule, is not justified, since in cold, windy or rainy summers, ants remain almost the only pollinators of plants (for bees and bumblebees, non-flying weather sets in).

To protect trees from ants, you need to destroy anthills located in close proximity to fruit bushes and trees. Then, to prevent the ants from making a new path, a strip of dry wood ash should be poured around the trunks - it will protect the approaches to the trees, like a Chinese border. If rain washes away the ash, you need to renew the topping.

Whitewash against aphids

It is necessary to bleach the trunks of fruit crops not in the spring, as is customary for most gardeners, but in the fall, preventing the laying of pest eggs and destroying spores of pathogenic fungi.

First you need to clean the trunks of lichens, mosses and loose bark with a brush - for old trees with a metal brush, for younger trees - with stiff bristles. Wash all damage to the bark and cracks with iron sulfate and cover with garden varnish.

For whitewashing with 20% lime mortar you need to take:

• 2 kg of slaked lime and dilute in 10 liters of water or
• Dilute 1-1.5 kg of quicklime in 10 liters of water

In addition, there is another recipe for whitewashing: dilute 2.5 kg of lime, 1 kg of clay and 0.3 kg of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water.

In garden centers you can purchase ready-made whitewash based on lime and adhesives.

When whitewashing tree trunks, in addition to direct toxic contact, you seal the already laid eggs of aphids or their possible hiding places. But in the spring, whitewashing needs to be repeated.

You may argue that aphids are flying insects and can settle on trees even with whitened trunks. However, the most dangerous time for plants is the opening of young leaves, flowers, and the formation of buds, and this is early spring. By the time the aphids develop females capable of flight, the trees protected by whitewashing have time to flourish, the leaves open and harden, becoming too tough for the aphids.

Improvement of berry bushes

To prevent berry bushes from being affected by aphids, proper agricultural practices must be carried out:

1. Do not overfeed them with nitrogen - nitrogen-rich fertilizer makes plant sap sweeter and more attractive to aphids. It is especially dangerous to apply nitrogen fertilizers in the second half of summer.
2. Add more ash - the need for potassium in fruit crops is very high. Potassium strengthens plant cell walls and increases the overall resistance of plants to stressful situations, such as cold. Aphids are only able to bite through the thin, delicate epidermis; they cannot gnaw through leaves with thick skin.
3. Do not overfeed the trees, but use fertilizers containing not only nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, but also microelements (boron, zinc, molybdenum, iron).
4. Strictly monitor the acidity of the soil - plants absorb nutrients only at the optimal soil pH for them.
5. Replenish consumed calcium in a timely manner. Apply lime on soils rich in humus or peat bogs (1-2 kg of fluff per 3-4 year old currant bush for digging), and on sandy and sandy loam soils - dolomite flour. Let us recall the approximate application rates of dolomite flour (less on light soils, more on heavy soils):
   • acidic soils (pH< 4,5) 500-600 г/кв. м
   • medium acidic (pH 4.5-5.5) 450-500 g/sq. m
   • slightly acidic (pH 5.5-5.8) 350-450 g/sq. m

Fighting aphids

Watering with boiling water

You can water currants and gooseberries with boiling water when there is still snow on the site, and in the trunk circles of the fruit bush the snow has thawed (about 70 cm in diameter). Those. the snow on the branches has already melted, but the buds are still dormant and have not swelled!

Heat water to a boil, pour into a watering can with a sprinkler attachment. Then immediately water the bushes along the branches and the soil around the bushes. It takes about one watering can for a small bush. When pouring boiling water into a cold metal watering can, the water temperature drops to about 80 degrees; when watering the branches, its temperature drops to 70 degrees.

This technique allows you to destroy not only aphid eggs preserved on the shoots, but powdery mildew spores and mite clutches.

You can add 3 drops of iodine per 10 liters of water to the water for other diseases. It is important not to keep the watering can strictly in one place when watering, i.e. you need to scald, and not rinse the branches in boiling water!

Ash dusting

In the spring, before the leaves fully bloom (you can at the stage of bud opening), wet the branches with water and dust the moisture with sifted wood ash.

Soap and ash solution for aphids

Pour 300 g of ash (2 cups) into a bucket with 10 liters of boiling water, add 50 g of laundry soap shavings and leave to steep overnight. Pour the solution into the sprayer through triple gauze so as not to clog the sprayer with grains of ash. Treat all branches during bud break, at the stage of young leaves (salad greens).

Treatment against aphids with soap and Domestos

For 10 liters of water, take 100 g of tar or black laundry soap, add 5 drops (with a pipette) of Domestos (or any preparation containing chlorinol). You can spray on bare branches even at the moment when the leaves have already blossomed. 10-15 minutes after treatment, wash off the leaves with clean water from a hose. The procedure can be repeated after a couple of days.

Ammonia

Another proven way to combat aphids is ammonia. Two tablespoons per bucket of water, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of liquid soap. Helps almost instantly. No need to rinse off.

Dog shampoo against aphids

Flea shampoo for dogs and cats contains active ingredients of the pyrethroid class, they are toxic to aphids, i.e. the composition of the solution will be the same as, for example, a solution of the insecticide Iskra. The only difference is that the shampoo contains surfactants, i.e. adhesives. It is quite difficult to calculate the dose of shampoo (the concentrations of the active substance are different).

The safe dosage for plants is approximately 1 tbsp. spoon per bucket of water (10 l). Higher concentrations may cause leaf burn!

Preparations for aphids

There are many drugs against aphids, the question is how effective they are. You need to understand that systemic drugs (solutions or tablets stuck into the ground) act from the inside - when plants are absorbed by the roots.

Enteric-contact drugs will help only if the leaves and branches are thoroughly moistened. When aphids collect a colony, the leaves become shriveled, curled up, and the solution does not reach them. In this case, before spraying with aphids, you need to cut off the tops of shoots with deformed leaves. This is possible on currant or gooseberry bushes.

On large trees and tall bushes, it is technically impossible to pick out aphids manually or cut off nests, so the success of the enterprise depends on how well you carry out the spraying.

Aphid spraying time:

• along the branches until the leaves open
• before flowering in the beginning of budding phase
• after flowering during ovary growth
• 30 days before harvesting fruits and berries

In general, there are three classes of insecticides that work against aphids: pyrethroids, organophosphates, and neonicotinoids.

It is best to use systemic neonicotinoid drugs:

• (thiamethoxam) or Confidor (imidacloprid) - they can be watered and sprayed. They help with a bang. The problem with these drugs is that they are incredibly expensive for the average gardener: for example, for the summer of 2016, a 4 g bag of actara costs about 100 rubles - this is for 5 liters of water. If there are a lot of aphids in the garden and few trees and shrubs, treatment is very expensive. Watering is advisable only on vegetables (cucumbers and tomatoes); on trees “from the inside” (with watering) the efficiency is low.
• Tanrek is also a neonicotinoid, the active ingredient is the same as that of confidor - imidacloprid, but the cost is lower, more affordable and very effective against aphids. Consumption of 3 ml per 10 liters of water - 5 liters per tree.
• Spark Gold - also the active ingredient imidacloprid, for spraying 5 ml/10 l of water.
• Other analogues of Tanrek and Confidor: Biotlin Bau and Biotlin, Zubr, Imidor, Kalash, Commander, Confidelin, Korado, Monsoon, Prestige, Respect, Taboo, Tsvetolyuks Bau. The principle of operation is the same, the prices are different, choose any one.

The organophosphorus compounds Actellik (pirimiphos-methyl) and Karbofos, as well as their analogs - Antiklesch, Alatar, Fufanon, etc. also help against aphids, but recently there has been increasing resistance to these drugs, so they are less preferable.

Of the permethrins available and effective to us, Kinmiks, .

Bio-preparations for aphids

The drugs and Akarin are very popular in gardening. The advantages of their use are obvious - the active substance does not penetrate through the cell membranes into the fruits and leaves, i.e. does not accumulate in plants. The preparations are non-toxic to bees already 4 hours after the sprayed leaves dry.