Composition and principle of action
The drug is considered an insecticide, which is characterized by an intestinal-contact effect. It helps control pests that attack berry plants, vegetables and ornamental crops. The active component of the substance is considered to be thiamethoxam, which belongs to the category of neonicotinoids. 1 kilogram of product contains 250 grams of this ingredient.
When processing cultivated plants, the active component quickly enters their structure through the leaves or during soil moisture. After this, it rapidly moves through the vessels of the plant.
Insects eat the chemical-impregnated fragments, which causes the insecticide to enter their bodies. In this case, the active component of the substance provokes the destruction of the nervous system of parasites, which causes their paralysis. After half an hour, the insects cannot absorb food, which leads to their death.
In addition to ingesting poisoned crops, parasites can die from drops of the drug solution. The substance gets on them when processing plants. Then the solution penetrates the insects’ body and begins to act there.
What is an actara?
As the most impactful method, in the opinion of many, it is worth mentioning such a chemical means of controlling plant pests as actara. It may be necessary to disappoint the supporters of this drug, who use it in the fight against spider mites; it has a very weak effect against them. And not because actara is a low-quality product, but because it is used against insects, and not against ticks.
If you look at the annotation of Aktar, you can see in black and white - an insecticide with enteric contact action. This means that the drug acts when it enters the digestive system of the parasite and penetrates through its outer integument. However, the key word here is “insecticide,” and in the fight against spider mites, an acaricide or, more often found on the market, an insectoacaricide is more suitable. Of the commercial preparations, products such as Actellik, Fitoverm and Neoron show good effectiveness. These products are used to treat both the green part of the plant and water the soil.
Aktara has quite good reviews among lovers of home vegetation; they say that if you water the ground with it, the spider mite disappears over time. To be honest, it’s hard to believe, but it might be worth a try.
Insects are capable of rapid reproduction, and fighting them takes a very long time. Aktara is often used against spider mites. There are many other methods, but none of them can give a 100% guarantee that the plant will not get sick again. The drug Aktara for spider mites is a registered insecticidal agent, and therefore inspires confidence among many gardeners. Does the drug cope with its task or is it just a cunning and clever move by advertisers?
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Application area
" Aktara " is an enteric-contact insecticidal agent that has a wide spectrum of action. It belongs to the category of neonicotinoids. The substance is considered an effective systemic drug. It helps destroy various types of pests. However, bad weather conditions do not have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the powder.
The product is recommended to be used to combat various types of parasites. These include thrips, the Colorado potato beetle, and aphids. The substance is also effective against scale insects, whiteflies, and scale insects.
M METHODS OF FIGHT
— Remove affected shoots, flowers and leaves on the plant.
— Carefully inspect the entire home collection.
— Rinse the plant thoroughly with a stream of warm water (under the shower) or wipe with soap or alcohol solution.
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— Move the attacked flower to a separate place.
— After the leaves dry, treat the indoor plant and the top layer of the substrate with a preparation or folk remedy.
- Rinse the potting tray in boiling water, and cover the flower with a bag for 2-3 hours.
— Treat all indoor flowers with anti-spider mite medications.
— Wash the window sill, window frame, glass, outside pots and trays with a soap-alcohol solution.
- After a week, carry out a new treatment.
— Rubbing with an alcohol or soap solution works well for plants with smooth large leaves (Dieffenbachia, calathea, ficus, etc.).
IMPORTANT! The difficulty of controlling with drugs is that the pest is incredibly resistant to the action of many chemicals. We recommend carrying out 4 treatments with different acaricides with different active ingredients with an interval of 3-4 days! Since the pest is an arthropod and not an insect, to destroy it it is necessary to use acaricides: specific acaricides or insectoacaricides, and not insecticides.
If the flower is not properly cared for at home or the pest is not completely destroyed, it will return. Therefore, it is better to immediately use proven chemicals, without hoping that you will be able to get by with folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages
The drug has certain pros and cons. The advantages of the product include the following:
- effective destruction of a number of parasites, including pests that are located on the bottom of the leaf;
- long-lasting insecticidal effect - it lasts 2 months;
- independence from weather;
- ease of use;
- resistance to precipitation;
- lack of habituation of parasites to the insecticide;
- accumulation of the solution in the foliage and stems of crops and the complete absence of hazardous elements in the fruits;
- the possibility of using the substance for treating above-ground plant fragments and introducing them into the soil;
- use in tank mixtures;
- no danger to human health - it is important to follow all rules for using the substance.
Read more: Instructions for use of Actellik and insecticide composition, dosage and analogues
However, the insecticide also has some disadvantages:
- toxic effects on bees;
- the need to use personal protective equipment;
- short shelf life of the working solution – does not exceed 24 hours.
Spider mites - barely noticeable and ubiquitous
Spider mites are small creatures (up to 2 mm) with a round body covered with very small bristles. Ticks belong to the genus of spiders and have 4 pairs of legs. There are several types of ticks. They also differ in color: there are yellowish, brownish, greenish, red, red, gray or colorless (transparent) ticks; darker spots may appear on their body. The strength of these small pests is that they live in colonies (a hundred or more individuals) and are always carefully hidden: on the underside of plant leaves, under fallen leaves or simply under lumps of soil, etc.
Spider mites come in a variety of colors
Spider mites pierce the leaves and suck out the juice, as a result of which the plant weakens and can be susceptible to various infections. The fact that your plant has been infected by a spider mite can be indicated by small white dots or light spots on the leaves and white thin cobwebs at the base of the leaf and at the place of its attachment to the stem. If you missed the onset of the disease and suddenly saw that the entire flower is entangled in a web, and there is a moving mass of pests on the leaves, you will need to make serious efforts to save the plant.
If the plant is seriously damaged by pests, special preparations should be used
In addition to indoor plants, spider mites can also attack garden trees and shrubs. The signs of their infection are the same - yellow and white spots on the foliage.
Release forms
" Aktara " is easy to use, since it is produced in various forms. The substance is produced in the form of granules and emulsion concentrate. The form of release of the insecticide affects the type of packaging in which the insecticide is sold.
Thus, the granules are packaged in bags weighing 4 grams. Such packaging is usually sufficient for processing tomatoes that grow in protected soil. For large producers of agricultural products, bulk bags weighing 250 grams are suitable. In this case, liquid substances are sold in ampoules of 1.2 milliliters of the drug or bottles containing 9 milliliters of the drug.
The difference between Aktara in ampoules and powder
The effectiveness of liquid and dry products is the same, but for treating indoor flowers it is more convenient to use the drug in ampoules. It is easier to dilute and dose, all contents are used immediately. Insecticide consumption: 1 ampoule per 5-6 liters of water.
The granule solution is prepared in 2 stages. First, a portion of the powder is dissolved in a small amount of warm water and mixed thoroughly. The mixture is allowed to settle, then poured into a large container, the required amount of water is added and mixed again.
On a note! It’s okay if a small precipitate forms in the prepared solution.
Instructions for use of the pesticide "Aktara"
The insecticide can be used to treat ground fragments of plants or for application by the root method. Regardless of the use of the substance, you should first make a working solution. It is recommended to dilute the composition outdoors. You cannot prepare the product indoors.
It is better to mix the drug with warm liquid. Its temperature should be at least +25 degrees. This will ensure good dissolution of the granules. To water at the root, you should use 8 grams of the substance per bucket of water. This composition will allow you to get rid of thrips, scale insects, and aphids. It also kills mealybugs and rootbugs. The consumption rate of liquid insecticide per 10 square meters of planting reaches 10 liters.
To get rid of caterpillars, thrips, aphids and other parasites, it is recommended to take into account the type of crops being treated:
- To water tomatoes that grow in open ground and in greenhouse conditions, you should mix 4 grams of the substance with 10 liters of water. This will help get rid of whiteflies. The mixture successfully controls aphids and Colorado potato beetles. For spraying you need to use 1.2 grams per bucket of water.
- To protect eggplants and peppers from thrips and aphids, they need to be watered with a solution that includes 4-8 grams of product and 10 liters of water. To spray foliage, you should use 2-4 grams of the drug per 10 liters of liquid.
- To destroy whiteflies , aphids, and thrips on cucumbers, you should use 8 grams of “ Aktara ” per bucket of water. The beds need to be watered with this solution. To spray leaves, use 4-8 grams of product per bucket of water.
- To eliminate codling moths and copperheads on apple trees, it is recommended to spray the plants with a solution consisting of 3 grams of product and 10 liters of water. For pears, you should use 4 grams of the substance per 10 liters of liquid.
- To destroy onion flies and thrips on onions, mix 4 grams of the substance and 10 liters of water. The finished composition is suitable for spraying the above-ground parts of plants.
- When thrips appear on rose bushes, you need to mix 16 grams of “ Aktara ” and 10 liters of water. To destroy aphids you will need no more than 4 grams of product.
- If it is necessary to destroy flies and flea beetles on cabbage, the seedlings should be watered with the solution. To make it, 3 grams of the product are mixed with a bucket of water.
Read more: Instructions for use of Vofatox, insecticide dosage and analogues
Usually, for fruit trees and vegetable crops, the dosages of the drug are the same. On average, they amount to 4-8 grams of product per bucket of water.
The composition is completely distributed throughout the tissues of the crops 20 hours after watering. When using the substance for large plants, this may take 1-3 days.
The waiting period is the period after crop processing until the fruit is harvested. When spraying plants, you need to wait 14-21 days; in the case of watering crops at the root, the time interval increases to 40-60 days.
Description of the pest
Ticks are a rather dangerous pest; they need to be dealt with depending on their characteristics and location. Let's take a closer look at two popular types.
Spider mite
Adult ticks are distinguished by a solid, non-segmented structure with chaetae (setae) and a cuticle (can form scutes).
An adult spider mite.
It can be greenish-yellow, pale or reddish. It feeds on plant cell sap.
The common spider mite is an insect from the order Trombidiformes that eats vegetation and secretes cobwebs.
Gall mite
Gall mites are insects from the same order with a spindle-shaped body.
This is what a gall mite looks like.
It feeds on young deciduous leaves of trees. It is removed by timely clearing the bark of trees or by spraying.
Safety precautions when working with the product
" Aktara " belongs to hazard class 3. This means that it is a moderately dangerous drug. As when applying fertilizers, when using an insecticide, you should use protective equipment - goggles, gloves, a respirator. Also, when working with chemicals, you need to wear a special protective suit. Do not drink, eat or smoke while using the substance. It is also not recommended to talk.
It is recommended to keep the product in a dry place. It is important to ensure a temperature range from -10 to +35 degrees. The composition must be kept out of the reach of children and pets. It should not be kept near food or medications. It is recommended to use the prepared working fluid immediately. It is not subject to long-term storage.
Details about the product
They say about Aktar that this is the most successful remedy for combating spider mites. It is considered an effective and aggressive drug. And here we will have to upset many flower growers and dispel myths, because Aktara does not help against ticks. Unfortunately, many reviews are not in its favor. Perhaps the myth about the miraculous properties of the drug arose due to its chemical composition and popularity in the insecticidal market.
The product does not have the desired effect, not because it is a fake, it is simply aimed at killing other types of insects. If you carefully read the instructions, it will become clear that Aktara is an insecticidal agent, a poison of intestinal contact action. This suggests that the drug begins to work only when the parasite enters the gastrointestinal tract.
It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that Aktaru has been called an insecticidal agent for a very long time, and to combat ticks it is necessary to use acticides. But Aktara belongs to a different class of poisons, and its use in the fight against this insect will not produce results. Leading experts recommend using the following agents as an acticide: Actellik, Fitoverm, Neoron. They are suitable for mite control and can be used to thoroughly treat evergreen plants. They are allowed to cultivate flowers, as well as land.
Before you thoughtlessly spend money and believe every word thrown from the TV screen, you should read the instructions and think logically. There is an important note about the spectrum of action of this drug, so before each manipulation there is a thorough study of the chosen drug. And Aktara helps against many insects and pests, but does not save against ticks.
Actions in case of poisoning
If symptoms of illness appear during work, it is recommended to take immediate action. To do this you should do the following:
- Take the person outside when the first symptoms of intoxication occur. They usually manifest themselves in the form of nausea, vomiting, and general weakness.
- If the composition comes into contact with the skin, blot the affected area with a clean cloth. However, it is not recommended to rub it in. Then the affected area should be rinsed with water.
- If the substance gets into your eyes, they should be rinsed with running water. It is recommended to do this for a quarter of an hour.
- If the substance is ingested and the person remains conscious, he needs to be given an activated carbon solution and induce vomiting. However, this is prohibited if the victim is fainting. In this situation, you need to immediately call an ambulance. specific antidote to Aktara . Therefore, doctors prescribe symptomatic therapy.
