Gardeners who grow strawberries know very well how capricious this crop can be. And in order to get a rich harvest of berries with healthy vitamins, you have to make a lot of effort. At the same time, pests cause a lot of trouble, because they also do not mind feasting on the life-giving nectar of plants and fruits.
One of the representatives of the genus of the most harmful insects is the whitefly. Outwardly, these insects resemble white midges. But miniature creatures seem harmless only at first glance; in fact, they pose a serious danger to garden crops.
If white midges appear on strawberries, you need to immediately start fighting them, otherwise the harvest will be lost. These midges cause the most damage to plants. After all, it all ends not only with a noticeable decrease in the yield. A pest attack can lead to the death of the crop.
You need to know the enemy by sight!
Before moving on to ways to combat this miniature pest, it is worth getting to know it better. In Latin, their name is as follows - Aleyrodidae. They belong to representatives of insects with incomplete transformation. However, these pests are characterized by complex development. The size of the whitefly is very small - the length of the body does not exceed 1 millimeter! But due to the fact that insects settle in colonies, they can easily be seen even with the naked eye.
The whitefly survives the winter in grass that has not been harvested since the fall, and with the advent of the first warm days, the insects awaken from a long hibernation and move to the shoots and leaves of plants. And strawberries are an ideal haven for whiteflies.
Attention! For the winter, it is imperative to remove all plant remains from the area, including diseased bushes. You also need to regularly weed and remove weeds.
Only the greatest harm is caused not by adults, but by larvae that live on the underside of strawberry leaves. Their favorite diet is the life-giving juice of garden crops and tender green pulp. For this reason, some time after they settle in, small holes can be noticed on the leaves.
If previously these insects attacked the plants of gardeners in the southern regions, now colonies of pests can settle in the territory of central Russia. The climate here is moderate, with occasional frosts.
The increase in the insect's range is largely determined by the improvement in its ability to hibernate. Some individuals can wait out the cold even in open areas!
White midges are clearly visible on strawberry leaves
How can you tell if there is a whitefly in a strawberry patch?
A parasitic insect cannot be immediately detected, but when it is noticeable, it means that a large number of them have already bred. You can determine that a midge has settled in a garden bed by the following signs:
- Having settled on a bush, they climb into the very middle of it. Therefore, when inspecting a strawberry bed, you need to inspect the leaves from the inside or slightly stir the plant. If there are butterflies, they will scatter in different directions.
- Armed with a magnifying object, you need to carefully examine the back side of the sheet plate. There insects lay their eggs, which are very hard to see because they are transparent green or transparent yellow.
- Midges on strawberries leave a discharge in the form of a white coating.
- If insects have been living for a sufficient amount of time, this can be seen in the plants themselves. The bushes will become weak and withered, the leaves will lose their color, then completely turn yellow and dry out.
If action is not taken immediately, a flock of such butterflies can easily destroy a strawberry plantation.
The insect is small, but the trouble is big
The danger of whiteflies lies not only in the devouring of strawberries by adults and larvae. Despite their simply huge and insatiable appetite, insects are not able to assimilate all the plant juice they consume, and therefore excrete a special waste product. Visually it looks like dew. And this is simply an ideal environment for the development of a dangerous fungus, which is popularly called mob.
This disease is no less dangerous for garden crops than whitefly. The fungus is able to completely clog the holes in the green part of the plant. This leads to the inevitable cessation of photosynthesis. As a result, the plant withers and dies within a short period of time.
Some gardeners are inclined to believe that flies are found only in open areas. In reality, this opinion is wrong, and whiteflies can be found even in greenhouses. Moreover, greenhouses are an ideal habitat for pests. After all, there is a high level of humidity and constant warmth - what else can you dream of?
What kind of midges grow on personal plots?
The term summer midge can hide two types of pests:
- black midge, which summer residents call melon aphids;
- white midge, better known as whitefly.
Representatives of both species are very prolific, harmful, and controlling them can be very difficult.
black midge
This type of pest includes two subspecies of midges: with and without wings. They live mainly in tomato beds, sitting on the bushes in a dense layer. As was already said, such midges reproduce very quickly and also quickly disperse throughout the garden. Damaged bushes wither and die over time.
To prevent black midges from entering the garden, experienced summer residents advise planting plants around the perimeter of tomato beds that will attract its natural enemies: wasps, ladybugs, hoverflies and lacewings. In addition to fragrant herbs, it is advisable to plant dill, garlic, onions and calendula on the site - midges really do not like their aroma, and therefore rarely settle near them. It also wouldn’t hurt to inspect the area and destroy any anthills found on it. This measure is necessary due to the fact that ants feed on the secretion secreted by black flies, and therefore protect them from other insects.
White midge
White midges are found mainly in greenhouses. She settles on the back of the leaves, where she lays her eggs. Over time, larvae emerge from the eggs, which, feeding on plant juices, cause great harm to them.
Determining that a crop is infected is quite simple - all you have to do is pay attention to its appearance. On plants affected by white midges, the leaves begin to curl, the fruits ripen unevenly and many become white inside, a whitish coating is visible on the foliage, which turns black after a while, and despite proper watering, the green parts of the bush gradually turn yellow. In order to make sure that it was the white midge that attacked the plant, you just need to touch it, and the pests on it will immediately fly away
In order to make sure that it was the white midge that attacked the plant, you just need to touch it, and the pests on it will immediately fly away.
Since the white midge loves moisture very much, it rarely appears in the garden. This parasite lives mainly in greenhouses, where conditions that are comfortable for it are always present. And in order to prevent the spread of the pest, it is necessary, first of all, to plant the seedlings not very densely
In addition, in a greenhouse it is very important to ensure good air circulation and to strengthen the beds with fertilizers.
Just don't give up!
Most experienced gardeners are aware of the danger posed by whiteflies, and therefore try with all their might to combat such a threat. Some use glue traps - a simple method, but not the most effective. The threat from insects is also related to the rate of egg laying. Over a short lifespan (no more than 30 days), the female is capable of laying up to 250 eggs, from which larvae mature within a week.
It will be interesting! The whitefly loves hot and humid conditions, but as soon as the temperature drops to +10 °C, the insects die.
In open ground, reproduction mainly occurs in the summer; in greenhouse conditions, this process can take place all year round. Therefore, a glue trap is not able to completely get rid of insects, and for each missed individual, several hundred new ones soon appear.
For this reason, it is worth using more effective methods:
- chemicals;
- biological agents;
- traditional methods.
The main thing is to give preference only to well-known manufacturers and follow the instructions that come with each drug. It is also worth taking precautions when working with chemical protective equipment.
It is worth considering one feature, due to which pest control should begin as early as possible. Chemicals can only affect adults, while the larvae have strong immunity to any drug.
Description of the pest
The whitefly is a small insect, the adults of which reach a length of about 5 mm. This moth-like pest feeds on plant sap, and in large quantities.
Strawberries are primarily attacked by the strawberry whitefly (Aleurodes fragariae Walk). The female lays yellowish eggs in the center of the rosettes of the strawberry bush or in the weeds located nearby.
You may not notice the whitefly right away, as it hides on the back of the leaf. Each female lays 10-20 eggs. Up to 300 eggs can be found on the leaf blade. Pale green whiskered larvae with three pairs of legs subsequently emerge from them. After they find a place to feed, they form a “false cocoon”. And an adult white-winged insect will emerge from it.
Chemistry help
Chemicals should be used when there are large numbers of pests or in cases where more gentle control methods no longer give the desired result. Just keep in mind that due to resistance to a number of drugs, not every type of insecticide is suitable for solving the problem.
Actellik, a contact action product (sprayer), has a good effect. The advantage of this drug is that its active substances do not penetrate into the plant and berries, so there is no danger to the crop itself.
Often they use drugs that have a detrimental effect on the digestive system of insects. To get rid of white midges, use the following means:
- Aktara - the drug is effective for destroying more than 100 varieties of garden pests.
- Rovikurt is an oily liquid against mass destruction of berry crops.
- Pegasus" and Condifor help get rid of the pest if it is detected early.
- Fitoverm, Vertimek are insectoacaricides that have a wide spectrum of action, and insects do not get used to them.
In order to increase the effectiveness of the fight against whitefly, it is worth further strengthening the immunity of plants and increasing their resistance. To do this, insecticide treatment should be combined with the use of a growth stimulator. The drug “Bud” has good qualities.
One of the most effective means of controlling whiteflies on strawberries is chemical treatment.
Rules for processing plants
In order to ruthlessly destroy whiteflies on strawberries by using chemicals, you must adhere to certain rules:
- Strictly follow the dosage prescribed by the manufacturers in the instructions!
- Spraying the crop should be carried out only in dry and windless weather!
- Use different preparations each time so that insects cannot get used to them!
- The process of treating plants should be carried out in the early morning hours or in the evening at sunset! The sun's rays coming into contact with drops containing toxic substances can cause burns.
- With frequent and incorrect use of chemicals, their substances accumulate in the soil. Eating berries collected from cultivated areas is unsafe!
For your information! The pest leaves behind transparent tracks on the back of the leaves, which make it easy to detect. Whiteflies can also be seen upon careful inspection.
You can significantly reduce the population of adult whiteflies and their larvae in your garden in 4 procedures, taking a break of 5 days. Only with each subsequent treatment should the concentration of the drug be reduced. Only compliance with these conditions will allow you to completely get rid of pests and keep the delicacy safe for consumption.
How to spray strawberries against weevils?
You can spray strawberries against weevils with insecticidal agents:
- "Corsair",
- "Aktellik"
- "Wofatox"
- "Ambush"
- "Gordon",
- "Metaphos"
- "Intavir"
- "Inta-Ts-M", etc.
These drugs are sold in any country store. New biocontrol agents for pests are also used:
- "Nemabakt"
- "Antonem-F"
- "Iskra-bio"
- "Akarin"
- "Fitoverm".
Biological drugs are more harmless to humans. They are used in spring or autumn. Processing of strawberries, wild strawberries and raspberries is carried out twice, and it is advisable to share with neighbors. Otherwise, the reproduction process will never be stopped.
Spraying with insecticides (Intavir, Corsair, Actellik, etc.) should be carried out no later than 5 days after the start of strawberry flowering, preferably in the morning. After harvesting, the plants are processed again to destroy the summer young generation of weevils. Why can’t you spray during active flowering and when green berries have already appeared? The poison will harm the bees collecting nectar on the flowers, and if the chemical gets on the berries, it will harm us.
We don’t wait until the pests destroy the crop (otherwise there will be nothing to collect) and spray as soon as we find weevils on flowering strawberry bushes (at the very beginning). This is what the pests look like:
Consequences:
How to spray:
The insecticides “Intavir” and “Inta-Ts-M” help us get rid of weevils on strawberries. We use them according to the instructions, in acceptable doses. And no harm has been found from the use of chemicals over many years.
We take 1 tablet and crush it right in the bag:
Then pour into a bucket half filled with water and stir thoroughly:
Add water until the bucket is full - the solution is ready. For spraying, you can use a spray bottle, a Zhuk garden sprayer or a broom, the old fashioned way:
Take care of your own safety: wear gloves, sleeves, a mask or a hat with a net.
Features of biological protection
When we fight pests using chemicals, we have to be extremely careful! Inept handling of drugs leads to various consequences. Moreover, not only plants are at risk; the gardener himself is also at risk in a certain sense.
The use of biomaterial is a more gentle solution and an alternative to chemistry. The essence of the biological technique is to intentionally introduce other insects to the garden crop, which will be beneficial by eating whitefly larvae. At the same time, the plants themselves remain safe and sound. Among such saviors we can note the two most common enemies of whiteflies:
- predatory bug Macrolophus;
- parasite of the greenhouse whitefly Encarzia.
Having completed the “cleansing”, the saviors leave the “processing” zone and move to another place. To purchase such biological material, you should contact any large garden farm or laboratory.
The Macrolophus bug is considered a true whitefly killer
Folk technique
In addition to specialists, gardeners themselves have been creating their own recipes for pest control for many decades, passing on the knowledge to their children to keep the business alive. And as practice shows, most folk methods are in no way inferior to specialized means of protection in terms of effectiveness. Moreover, they are completely safe for plants and the human body.
Idea! Various lice shampoos or sprays with finpronil will serve as a useful addition to the main means of protection. The shampoo is diluted in water and the leaves are washed with the solution, and the soil around the crop is treated with a spray.
Also, the peculiarity of folk methods is that they help get rid of whiteflies in cases where it is not possible to use chemicals. Basically, all recipes are based on the use of familiar products - onions, garlic, lemon. In other words, there is always a choice:
- If there is a small colony of insects in a small planting, then it is enough to wash the leaves on both sides with warm water, and also loosen the soil near the plants.
- Garlic tincture can repel insects. 100 g of peeled garlic is poured into a liter of water, after which the solution is infused for 7 days. The resulting mixture is filtered and poured into a separate container with a tight lid. For treatment, 10 ml of solution is diluted in a liter of water, and the beds with strawberries are sprayed with it. Treatment is carried out once a week.
- A decoction of lemon peels also has good effectiveness. It’s easy to prepare – use 5 lemons per liter of water. Cook for 60 minutes, after which the solution cools and the leaves of the crop are sprayed with it.
- Laundry soap is an equally effective and fast-acting remedy. Not only plant leaves, but also stems are treated with a soap solution.
- A light bulb next to the plantings. Not a single little midge can resist this trick, which is used by many summer residents. A light bulb turns on next to the crop in the evenings, and its light attracts insects. If they fly close enough, the pests die from the burns they receive. True, this only works with adults.
Moderate planting of seedlings at an optimal distance will help prevent the appearance of pests on strawberry crops - they should not be planted too close to each other, as this will interfere with the natural ventilation of the plants.
If the weather outside is humid, it is better not to water the plants and refuse to spray them. Otherwise, you can create all the conditions for active reproduction of pests
What harm does whitefly do to strawberry seedlings?
The whitefly spreads quickly, actively sucking the juices from the plant. The pest's body does not completely absorb them, so midges secrete a whitish liquid that resembles dew on the foliage. In these favorable conditions, sooty fungus actively develops. It disrupts the air flow to the leaves of the crop, interfering with photosynthesis. As a result, a sticky crust forms on the foliage, leading to blackening and death.
In addition, whitefly infection leads to the development of the most dangerous pathological processes. Strawberries are susceptible to infection by infectious chlorosis and spotting. Therefore, the reaction to the first signs of the appearance of a pest must be lightning fast, otherwise the death of the entire strawberry plantation is possible.
Preventive actions
No wonder there is a popular wisdom: the best defense is an attack. Therefore, any lover of garden crops interested in growing strawberries and other berries needs to prepare in advance for the upcoming attack from natural profit lovers.
It is optimal to place onion or garlic plantings between the rows - they emit a pungent and unpleasant odor for insects, which will avoid this place. True aesthetes should take a closer look at marigolds and nasturtiums. Small parasites also cannot stand the smell of these flowers.
Important! Since the damage from the miniature pest is very great, it is necessary to carefully inspect the young bush before planting it for the presence of uninvited guests. The main reason for the mass death of plantings is the acquisition of an infected seedling/
A similar effect can be achieved by using wood ash. To repel pests, you should scatter it near the bushes. In addition, it is useful to give the culture a hot shower every month. The water is heated to 80 °C, and the plants are watered from a watering can.
