Aphids on strawberries: how to fight and how to get rid of strawberries - methods of control, what to treat

Description of the pest

Aphids are small insects of the order Hemiptera, causing significant damage to gardeners.
There are a huge variety of pest species: today about 4 thousand of them are known (a quarter of them live in Europe), with new species being added to the list every year. All varieties of insects feed on plant juices, and most of them are also carriers of viral diseases dangerous to plants. Aphids have microscopic sizes - from 0.5 to 2 mm. in length. Its soft, egg-shaped body is very easy to crush, since the insect does not have hard covers. Adults are green or black, with long legs, winged and wingless. Those insects that do not have wings move through plants very slowly, while winged aphids can easily move long distances.

The pest is distinguished by its ability to reproduce very quickly. Each female lays up to 100 eggs in the fall, from which, with the arrival of spring, new individuals develop, which in just a couple of weeks themselves become ready for reproduction. In one season, one female can increase the pest colony by 15-20 thousand new individuals.

Strawberry diseases

Fusarium and late blight wilt

Strawberries show signs of fusarium and late blight wilt. The disease is fungal, manifested by the brown color of the leaves and petioles, the edges of the leaf blades bend upward. Fruiting decreases, and with the death of fibrous roots the plant dies.

The disease cannot be cured, the affected strawberry bushes have to be destroyed, so it is better to try to prevent it using the following measures:

• take seedlings from trusted nurseries;
• every four years, replant the garden strawberry bushes to a new place, otherwise their roots cease to receive sufficient nutrients and are easily susceptible to various infections;
• seedlings are less susceptible to disease if planted at the end of August or September;
• It is useful to treat strawberry roots with a growth stimulant before planting, and to treat the soil against fungi with an iodine solution before planting.

Gray rot

The disease is easily detected by the fluffy coating on the brownish spots that appear on strawberries. A fungal infection usually occurs during periods of frequent rain and very quickly spreads to neighboring berries, and then affects the entire bush. Fruits with spots should be collected and destroyed. However, if the leaves and petioles are damaged, the entire strawberry bush must be destroyed.

Why are aphids dangerous?

It would seem that such a small insect, but how many problems it can cause to a gardener! There are several thousand species of aphids, but no matter which one you have on your property, it will begin to quickly and systematically destroy the harvest of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and aphids do not disdain the flowers in the garden.

You will easily understand that something is wrong with your plants, because deformed buds, twisted and limp leaves, spots formed on them and other damage called galls will tell you about it. If you notice suspiciously active ants in your area, then this is another sign of the presence of aphids in the garden.

The thing is that ants are attracted to droplets of sweet liquid - the so-called honeydew, secreted by these pests. They feed on this sweet substance, so they protect aphid colonies, “graze” them, and can even take females with them to the anthill for the winter. Therefore, you need to get rid of ants, and I’ll tell you now how to get rid of aphids on strawberries.

Methods

Medicines

How to get rid of aphids using folk remedies is a question many gardeners ask. Cheap products that every family has in stock can be used to kill various types of aphids.

These include:

1. Iodine - alcohol solution at a concentration of 5%.
2. Potassium permanganate.
3. Ammonia (ammonia solution).
4. Alcohol.

Any of these products very effectively destroys insects; it is enough to dilute it in water and generously spray the affected plants.

The low consumption of the drug and the cheap cost allow any gardener to use the drugs, even for treating a large area without serious economic damage.

Next, read about how to defeat aphids using folk remedies, as well as destruction, disposal, recipes and a solution for aphids.

Culinary products

Another group of effective substances that we constantly use without thinking about their properties. And some folk methods and remedies can destroy pests or scare them away from beneficial plants.

So why not use these qualities to save your harvest?

The following products are suitable for this:

1. Coca-Cola - preferably of American origin. Only it contains the necessary aggressive substances that pests do not like. Some scientists suggest that phosphoric acid, of which the drink contains a very significant amount, works. There is no need to dilute it, just put a spray bottle on the bottle and spray the affected bushes.
2. Mustard. Firstly, it repels aphids with its smell, and secondly, it spoils the taste of plants. Pests begin to move in search of more attractive food.
3. Vinegar. It works as a repellent, since it can kill only in high concentrations, not only insects, but also plants.
4. Any vegetable oil. It envelops insects, interfering with the respiratory process, and in addition, makes it difficult to access food by covering the surfaces of leaves and stems with a film. Used in the form of a water-oil suspension.
5. Cream. They are mixed with essential oils (cedar, tea tree, lavender) for maximum effectiveness.

You will find the dilution proportions and the correct use of the resulting solutions in the article “The best traditional methods for aphids - part 1 and part 2” (see links to articles above).

Herbal infusions

Many plants are also great helpers in pest control.

Have you noticed that aphids never attack plantings of onions, garlic, or tomatoes? She just can't stand their smell.

You can take advantage of this property and use aqueous infusions of these plants to repel aphids from others that are attractive to the pest.

1. Cultivated plants: tomatoes, hot peppers, all types of onions, garlic, potato tops.
2. Greens: coriander, fennel, mint, basil.
3. Flowers: marigold, lavender, Dalmatian chamomile, pharmaceutical chamomile.
4. Weeds: dandelion, yarrow, celandine, horse sorrel, datura, henbane.
5. Trees: alder, pine.

When using infusions, keep in mind that you need to prepare the product a day or two before use. Fighting aphids with folk remedies will give excellent results. In addition, you should not exceed the proportions specified precisely and in detail in our article “The best folk remedies for aphids, part 1 and part 2” (see links to articles above). If you increase the concentration, you can burn the above-ground parts of the plants.

Herbal decoctions

To prepare them, they use quite aggressive plants that have fungicidal, repellent or insecticidal properties.

These include:

• tansy;
• rhubarb;
• tobacco;
• hot peppers;
• rose hip;
• sagebrush.

Solutions can be consumed only after they have cooled to a cool temperature, spraying the affected plants and the soil around them.

Features and signs of aphids

The pest is ovoid in shape, slightly elongated, with long legs. This insect is white and rather slow.

In nature, there is also a species that has wings. This species is considered the most dangerous, as they reproduce very quickly and constantly move. Most often, larvae can be found on branches, flowers, and leaves on the reverse side.

Note! As a rule, ants settle near the affected plants. Be very vigilant, because timely detection of a pest on a plant can greatly facilitate the fight against it.

We have already written about how to get rid of ants on currants.

You should be alert to some signs of the presence of this pest:

• Foreign smell. The bushes will have a strong sweet aroma, which is completely unusual for them.
• The foliage becomes soft and weak, and also curls into a tube.
• The green color of the plant changes its shade.
• The bushes on top are modified.
• There is the presence of honeydew.

You can look at a photo of the aphid to be sure to recognize it later. The general condition of the strawberry bush will be very painful.

Against the background of pest damage, she may also be sick with infections. This can be confirmed by galls that appear on the leaves. This can be recognized by the dark coating on the plant.

This pest is a real disaster for the garden. After all, it greatly damages the plant:

• Takes the juice. Because of this, the plant begins to wither and dry out.
• Changes the shape of the buds.
• Makes shoots uneven and thin.
• Deprives the plant of growth.

If you see aphids, how to get rid of them as quickly as possible should be your first priority. After all, the berries will no longer be able to fully ripen; they will also become significantly smaller in size and completely tasteless and watery.

If damaged by these insects, strawberries cannot survive the winter. Cold weather can destroy the plant. Aphids are dangerous because they absorb juices from the plant; due to their lack, it becomes lethargic and weak. This means that the bush will not be able to resist diseases.

When aphids attack strawberries

The most favorable conditions for the appearance and rapid reproduction of aphids are dry, warm weather and dense plantings. If there is little rain in the summer, you should be especially careful about the condition of the strawberry bushes: by identifying the pest in a timely manner, it will be much easier to defeat it.

Aphids are omnivorous; they can settle on any crop growing on the site. The insect easily moves from plant to plant and is capable of “capturing” large areas if no measures are taken.

Black ants can bring pests into garden beds. They deliberately distribute female aphids to cultivated areas in order to create new colonies of these insects to obtain sweet honeydew from them.

Sick and weak strawberry bushes especially suffer from aphids. To increase the resistance of plants to pests, it is important to carefully follow the rules of agricultural technology and devote time to regular and thorough care of the crops planted on the site.

Types of aphids and harm to plants

Aphids are insects of the order Hemiptera, of which there are up to 4 thousand species in the world, including almost 1 thousand in European countries. These small bugs, green or black, 0.5-2 mm in size, can exist in wingless and winged form. Their rapid reproduction occurs due to the fact that a once fertilized female is capable of producing offspring of 150 larvae every 2 weeks throughout the warm season.

Aphids settle on the lower parts of leaves, stems and buds of various vegetable and garden crops, including strawberries and berries. Ants often breed it, setting up their colonies nearby, and for food they run to the “farm” and drink the sweet honeydew secreted by aphids. This liquid sticks to the leaves, reducing their respiration, which contributes to the appearance of harmful fungal diseases (sooty fungus).

Aphids on strawberries

Aphids feed on plant sap, sucking it out of buds, flowers, leaves and stems, which begin to curl, deform and dry out, fruits stop developing and do not ripen, and flowers fade. Black aphids are especially dangerous on strawberries due to their rapid reproduction. If the damage is severe, the weakened plant may die in winter.

On a note!

Insects live in large groups on the underside of leaves, near growing points, on flowers and buds. To verify the presence of aphids, just turn over the leaves of strawberries and see a massive accumulation of small green or black bugs. After which you will have to think about what to treat the plants with in order to destroy pests.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Let's look at some agrotechnical tricks that will enhance the effect of drug treatment.

1. Maintain crop rotation. When planning beds for strawberries, keep in mind that it is extremely undesirable to plant them in places where crops that have common diseases and pests with strawberries, such as nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants), previously grew.

2. Choose the “right” varieties. Focus not only on the climatic conditions of the region, but also on the characteristics of your site

If some very specific disease has managed to “entrench” itself in your area, pay attention to strawberry varieties that are resistant to it

3. Keep your distance. The lower leaves of the bushes should have access to the sun and fresh air. Lack of the latter can lead to the development of diseases. Not to mention the fact that such plantings are difficult to care for, and it is easier for pests to hide in them. Place plants no closer than 25-30 cm from each other.

4. Repot often. The older the berry plant, the more harmful insects it contains. That is why strawberries need to be replanted to a new place every 2-3 years.

5. Keep the beds “clean.” Timely weeding and removal of damaged parts of plants will significantly save your time on chemical treatment of the garden.

How to fight aphids on strawberries?

There are a variety of ways and methods, both traditional and folk. The first involve the use of chemicals - insecticides, but they cannot be used on already set berries, especially before harvesting the fruits, although they guarantee a lasting positive result after a single application.

Biological agents that are not poisons can help. They contain bacteria of beneficial microorganisms, the waste products of which kill aphids. They influence pests through the juice of the same strawberries. Bacteria enter plants during watering or spraying.

The best biologically active preparations for strawberries are Fitoverm, Aktara, Iskra, Fitosporin and Inta-vir.

More aggressive preparations cannot be used for spraying during flowering, as this will impair pollination due to the destruction of pollinating insects. If strawberry pests take you by surprise, remain calm, because you can always use one, or even several folk remedies for aphids.

Here are some of them:

1. Dilute 1 tbsp in one liter of plain clean water. l. liquid or laundry soap and use for spraying plants.
2. Chop fresh tomato leaves and soak overnight in water in a ratio of 4 kg per 10 liters of liquid. Some people immediately strain the infusion in the morning, dilute it with a small amount of water and use it for processing, but you can treat strawberries against aphids if you immediately boil the leaves in water for 30 minutes, cool, strain, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3 and add 40 g of soap.
3. Gardeners often use garlic infusion. Chop half the head, add 4 liters of plain water and put it in a warm place for 5 days. After straining, dilute 60 ml of tincture in one bucket of water, add 50 g of soap and use in the spring for processing.
4. Aphids on strawberries will disappear if you also prepare an infusion, but this time with tobacco. Pour 400 g of tobacco leaves into 10 liters of plain clean water, and after 48 hours filter, dilute with the same amount of water and add 40 g of soap.
5. Vinegar solution is also effective against insects. Dilute 20 ml of this product in 10 liters of water and use it to treat strawberry or strawberry bushes against aphids.

Folk remedies to combat aphids

Most often, aphids settle on strawberry bushes during flowering or when setting berries. You can treat strawberries against aphids during fruiting only with folk remedies: infusions or decoctions; some gardeners successfully use washing off pests with a strong stream from a hose.

Methods for controlling aphids on strawberries

During this period, folk methods of combating aphids are suitable:

Sprinkling the bushes with dry powder of tobacco, shag mixed with ash or slaked lime in equal proportions. Treatment with wood ash: sprinkle dry between rows or dilute 200 g of ash in 10 liters of water with the addition of 100 g of soap and spray. Infusion of crushed potato tops (1.2 kg) in a bucket of warm water, stand for 3-4 hours, then add 40 g of laundry or green soap

It is necessary to spray strawberries, paying more attention to the underside of the leaves. Pour 4 kg of green tomato tops into 10 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. and strain

Before use, dilute in a ratio of 1:3 with the addition of 40 g of soap. An infusion of onion peels is prepared as follows: pour 0.5 buckets of onion peels with boiling water, leave for 24 hours, strain. Before spraying, the solution is diluted in a ratio of 1:2. A solution of 20 ml table vinegar per 10 liters of water is used for spraying bushes. 400 g of tobacco leaves are poured into 10 liters, left for 2 days, filtered and the same amount of water and 40 g of soap are added. Grind half a head of garlic, add 4 liters of water, leave in a warm place for 5 days, strain. To remove aphids, make a solution of 60 g of tincture per bucket, 50 g of soap and spray the plants. Sprinkle a decoction of chamomile, marigold and yarrow on strawberries, which will effectively repel aphids.

How to deal with black aphids on tomatoes and cucumbers

Many owners of dachas and household plots use ammonia, tar and laundry soap, soda ash and baking soda, Coca-Cola, mustard, and green soap.

How to determine the presence of aphids

These insects can be white, black, greenish and even pink in color. They settle in the lower part of the stem, closer to the soil, and also on the back of the leaves. They crawl into secluded places in flowers and ovaries, can crawl along petioles, and then migrate to other crops.

Aphids can be detected visually by the following external signs:

• the leaves gradually fade, lose their elasticity and shape;
• after watering, the leaves do not recover and continue to lose strength;
• A large colony of ants was discovered next to the strawberry bed;
• on the plant itself there is a sticky, viscous liquid that has a sweet taste;
• the bushes grow slowly, their tops are deformed;
• Foreign formations appear on the stems.

Affected plants look much worse than healthy ones and lose growth rates. Therefore, the strawberry bed must be inspected regularly in order to destroy pests at the colony nascent stage.

Aphids on vegetable crops

Aphids can attack vegetable crops both in open and protected ground. It is paradoxical that, for example, tomatoes, the infusion of the tops of which is very effective against aphids, are also to the taste of the insect. Moreover, aphids attack both vegetable seedlings and adult plants.

First of all, aphids attack younger and more tender leaves, located on the underside of the leaf blades. As on other crops, aphids feed on their sap, secreting a sticky substance on which sooty fungus can settle. The vital activity of a large number of individuals can lead to the fact that the leaf blades of vegetable crops begin to wither, become deformed, dry out and fall off.

The damage caused by aphids to vegetable crops depends on the time of their appearance on the plants. Closer to autumn, when the main harvest has already been harvested, aphids are the least dangerous for them, but if the insect attacks vegetable crops at the very beginning of the summer period, then the damage from its vital activity can be very significant, so that not only leaf blades can become deformed, but also fruit.

Aphids on vegetable crops

Prevention

To repel aphids from vegetable crops, it is good to plant garlic or onions near tomato bushes or other plants - their smell is unpleasant to the insect.

Also, you should not abuse the application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil, because they promote excessively active growth of young shoots and green mass, which attracts aphids. It is necessary to promptly combat ants that carry aphids.

Control measures

Control measures include the following:

• mechanical – manual collection and destruction of insects;
• chemical - 2-3 times the use of approved insecticidal preparations such as Actofit and Aktara (plant leaves are treated from the underside (with an interval of 8-10 days);
• folk remedies (one of the most effective of which is considered to be treatment with herbal decoction).

For a decoction that is effective against aphids on vegetable crops, you need to take 300 g of dried herbs - celandine, yarrow and wormwood. The herbs should be poured with water in a ratio of 1:2 and boiled over low heat for 30 minutes. After this, the resulting broth is added with water to 10 liters and 50 g of laundry soap is added there (it is convenient to grate it on a coarse grater).

When the soap is completely dissolved, you need to strain the solution and treat the plants with it. Repeated use of this product is allowed at intervals of 6-8 days. Processing must be completed no later than 3-4 days before harvest.

Signs of plant damage

In order not to miss the moment of infection, you need to know what aphid-infested strawberries look like. This will allow you to quickly respond to insect attacks and repel their attacks.

Escapes

On external examination of plant stems, changes can be detected at their tops. Atypical formations can be found on green shoots of strawberries. The appearance of drops of sticky liquid is also a sign of aphid infestation. The berry bushes look weak and sick. Even watering doesn't help.

buds

When insects attack the flowers of a plant, it begins to deform. It dries out and the growth and ripening of fruits stops. Black aphids are especially dangerous. It multiplies quickly, which leads to the death of bushes in winter.

Underside of leaves

You can detect the appearance of pests if you take a good look at the leaf of the plant. Aphid colonies settle on its lower part. Honeydew, secreted by insects, sticks to strawberry leaves and prevents them from “breathing.” The plant develops fungal diseases. Affected leaves wither and curl. Later they die and fall off.

This reduces the oxygen supply to strawberries and leads to metabolic disorders in the plant. It stops blooming and developing. Then he dies.

Smell

Another sign of strawberry disease is the smell, or rather, its absence. The affected plant loses the aroma inherent in healthy strawberry shoots and fruits.

What harm does strawberries cause, signs of aphid damage

Aphids, settling on strawberries, suck all the juices from their tissues. Bushes weakened by the pest slow down in growth, lose immunity and vitality. Such plants are no longer able to fully bear fruit, and if left untreated, they simply will not cope with the invasion of dangerous insects and will die quite quickly.

The presence of aphids on strawberries is indicated by the following signs:

• the sluggish and lifeless appearance of strawberry bushes even after watering or feeding them;
• curled, yellowing leaves that die off after some time;
• a sweetish sticky liquid (honeydew) that appears on the stems and leaves of plants;
• the arrival of numerous colonies of black ants on the ridges - the famous “shepherds” of aphids.

The pest is easy to detect by simply examining strawberry bushes: aphids form numerous colonies on the shoots and leaves of plants.

Chemicals

In addition to “folk art”, agrochemicals are also used in the fight against aphids. Let's get acquainted with the most commonly used means.

To prevent the berries from accumulating harmful substances, the first treatment of strawberries is carried out in the spring before the flowering stage. In summer, the berries are sprayed no later than 20 days before the strawberries ripen.

Aktara

This is what a bag of “real” Ankara from SYNGENTA looks like, the authenticity of which is confirmed by a holographic sticker.

The active ingredient is thiamethoxam . The effect of the drug does not depend on the ambient temperature. Once on the plant during treatment, the product is absorbed and moves only through the vascular system of the leaves, without penetrating into the fruit.

The effect lasts up to 100 days. For treatment, 1.4 g of the drug is dissolved in 10 liters of water and this volume is enough to spray one hundred square meters.

Spark

This remedy acts on aphids by the enteric contact method. A protective mixture is prepared from half a tablet of the drug and water. Its quantity is adjusted to 5 liters. If after the first treatment of strawberries the aphids have not disappeared, spraying is repeated after 21 days.

Inta-vir

For 10 liters of water – 1 tablet of the drug. It is prohibited to process plantations more than 3 times. This harms the plantings. You cannot use a protective agent during the flowering stage of strawberries.

Aliot

Aliot product based on karbofos against a complex of pests.

The active ingredient melathion is an organophosphorus compound.

The drug is highly effective, but the waiting period (21 days) does not allow its use before picking berries, as well as on remontant plantings.

The drug has contact, intestinal and fumigation effects.

To prepare a working solution, 10 ml of the drug is dissolved in 5 liters of water and one hundred square meters is processed.

Fufanon

Since 2012, it has been prohibited for use in household plots, but its full analogue “Aliot” is quite competitive.

Aktellik

Actellik penetrates the back of leaves and hard-to-reach places.

The drug is based on the organophosphorus substance primifos-methyl. Upon contact with an insect, it is absorbed and begins an immediate action, with death occurring within 1–3 hours.

When sprayed on a plant form, but without getting on an insect, the drug acts as an intestinal. The aphid sucks out the intercellular fluid with a poisonous beginning and immediately dies .

To treat a strawberry bed, you need to dilute 6 ml of the product in 5 liters of water, and this volume will be enough for one hundred berry plantings.

The effect of the drug lasts up to 8 days depending on the ambient temperature. The hotter it is, the faster the active substance decomposes.

Angio

Double action drug. One part destroys aphids, and the other prevents the reappearance of pests for 3 weeks. It is better to apply after harvesting. Working composition – 3.6 ml per 10 liters of liquid.

Ways to combat aphids

If there are very few insects and they are found on only 1-2 bushes, you can remove them manually, and then spray the stems with an insecticide. However, in case of a mass invasion, it is necessary to use more powerful means - chemical and traditional folk remedies.

Chemical

To kill aphids and other insects, universal action insecticides are used:

• "Tanrek";
• "Fufanon";
• "Karate";
• "Commander";
• "Kinmiks";
• "Spark";
• "Fitoverm";
• "Arrow";
• "Biotlin";
• "Aktara";
• "Confidor".

Treatment is carried out only in dry weather with complete calm or light wind. It is advisable to spray in the late evening, when the sun's rays no longer reach the surface of the leaves. If you do this in the morning, the plant may get burned, which will negatively affect its development.

The first treatment is preventive: it is carried out immediately after the formation of buds with future leaves. The second and subsequent sprayings are carried out as necessary - in the presence of insects.

Folk

There are quite a few folk remedies that help cope with insect infestations. For this purpose, water infusions of products, pharmaceuticals or plants are used.

The most effective means are described below:

• Table vinegar at a concentration of 9%. Take 1 glass of this product into a standard 10-liter bucket, stir it, and then spray the bushes with a sprayer.
• Wood ash: a glass of the product is dissolved in a standard bucket. Add half a glass of laundry soap shavings, stir, let it sit a little and start spraying.
• Hydrogen peroxide, which can be bought at a pharmacy: 2 large spoons per 1 liter of water. Before use, you can add a spoonful of ammonia and a few drops of liquid soap to the mixture.
• Shavings of laundry or tar soap - 1 tablespoon per liter of water. The solution is slightly heated and then left overnight, after which it is used to spray strawberry bushes.
• Dandelion infusion: take 400 g of fresh leaves and half as much roots, infuse in warm, but not hot water (10 l) for 4 hours.
• You can make a chamomile infusion in the same way: 100 g of dry powder is infused in 1 liter of warm water, then shavings of laundry or tar soap are added (a teaspoon per 1 liter) and diluted with water so that the resulting volume is 4 times larger.
• Take 1 kg of potato tops, chop thoroughly and infuse in 10 liters of water for 3 hours.
• You can also use tomato tops - pour 1 part of fresh stems and leaves with 2 parts of boiling water and cook for another half hour after boiling. Then cool, filter and dilute with water so that the volume is 4 times larger. Add a little laundry soap - 2 tablespoons of shavings per 10 liters.
• Dry mustard powder: one and a half tablespoons per 10 liters of boiling water. You need to leave it for 3 days, after which you can add a standard glass of laundry or tar soap shavings.
• Onion broth: chop 2 onions together with the peel, add a liter of warm water, leave for 1 night and add a little grated laundry soap.
• Garlic infusion: take 2-3 heads, chop them (with the skin included) and add 1 liter of water. Infuse overnight, after which they are used to prepare a solution in the following ratio: 1.5 tablespoons per standard bucket of water.
• You can also use other plants with a pungent odor - for example, red chili peppers. Take 100 g of pepper per 10 liters, grind it and infuse it in warm water overnight. Then filter and dilute to 10 liters, after which they begin spraying.
• If strawberries or other crops are grown in a greenhouse, you can fumigate them with tobacco smoke. To do this, take a large iron container, for example a barrel, put wood chips in it, which need to be lit and filled with tobacco smoke. All entrances to the greenhouse are closed, after which it is filled with thick smoke. After a few hours, all pests will be destroyed.

Biological preparations for aphids

Organic farming does not allow the use of chemicals, and there is a worthy alternative to them.

Vertimek

For maximum effectiveness, spraying with Vertimek is carried out in cloudy weather, in the morning or evening.

The active substance abamectin is a waste product of a microscopic fungus.

The contact effect is very short, since when sprayed it is quickly absorbed and penetrates the vascular system of the strawberry. But the intestinal action, when the aphid sucks out the cell fluid, lasts up to 7 days.

Once absorbed, the drug is unable to move throughout the plant, so it cannot pass into the berry. Elevated temperatures quickly decompose the product and after 7–10 days it is completely inactivated.

The drug is also convenient because aphids usually “sit” on the lower part of the leaf, which cannot be sprayed, and Vertimek, being absorbed even by the upper side of the leaf plate, is quite accessible for absorption by aphids .

To carry out the treatment, just dilute 10 ml in 5 liters of water and treat one hundred square meters of strawberries.

Fitoverm

Fitoverm does not lose effectiveness with repeated treatments, since insects do not develop resistance to its active components.

The basis of the drug aversectin-S. The effect of the drug becomes visible after 2-3 days, and acts as a contact and intestinal one. The manufacturer names the same numbers when indicating the waiting period, from the moment of processing to the moment of harvesting.

If the effectiveness of chemical preparations decreases with increasing air temperature, then when using this product it increases.

The protective property lasts for 20 days.

Lipidocide

Insecticide of biological origin Lepidocide is used to combat all leaf-eating pests.

A bacterial preparation containing a pathogen that infects aphids.

Does not accumulate in plant form and fruits. Treatment can be carried out at any phase of the growing season. At least 5 days must pass from the moment of processing to harvesting the berries. After 7–8 days, the treatment must be repeated.

Enterobacterin

The drug contains spores of very specific bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, which have a pathogenic effect only on certain insects.

Enterobacterin and similar drugs have a minimal effect on the plant, but they act for only a few days and therefore require re-application after a week.

Penetrating into their intestines, the bacterium releases a toxin, which causes death. It is effective against a wide range of pests, but its effect does not last long, and 5-6 days after application it begins to decline rapidly. That is why the waiting period is only 5 days, however, it can be used at temperatures above 25 ᵒC.

The drug is effective, but requires re-treatment after 7-10 days.

“ Bitoxibacillin ”, “ Dendrbacillin ” drugs are completely similar to enterobacterin with the same active base, but are manufactured by different manufacturers.

For treatment, prepare a solution with 30–40 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. The product must be used within 2–3 hours after preparation.

Chemicals

If a large number of aphids are found on strawberries, measures to destroy them should be taken depending on the stage of development of the bushes. Chemical control methods, which are the fastest and most effective, can be used only at an early stage, when there are no ovaries or fruits on the bush.

The most optimal time to spray strawberries with insecticides for the first time is in the spring before the flowers appear, which will destroy aphid eggs laid in the fall. If spraying is carried out in the summer, then it should be taken into account that the berries can accumulate harmful poisons, so the use of insecticides is possible no later than 20 days before the harvest ripens. Treatment during flowering is also undesirable, as it will lead to the death of pollinating insects.

Chemicals for aphids on strawberries

The most popular chemical remedies for aphids on strawberries:

• Aktara - dissolve 4 g in 5 liters of water, treat the affected plants, after a day the aphids die, but the drug is toxic and kills bees.
• Spark – has an intestinal contact effect. To prepare a solution, 0.5 tablets are diluted in liquid, gradually adding up to 5 liters; after the first spraying, repeat after 3 weeks if aphids are present.
• Inta-vir – 1 tablet is designed for 10 liters of solution, a maximum of 3 treatments can be carried out, cannot be used during flowering.
• Fitoverm is a biological product that helps get rid of aphids on strawberries in a week, available in ampoules, the solution is prepared at the rate of 1 pc. per 250 g of water, treatment can be carried out at any stage of the growing season. A total of 4 treatments per season are allowed weekly.

It should be borne in mind that aphids on strawberries and strawberries very quickly get used to the chemical composition of the drugs, so alternating them is necessary. Treatment should be done in dry, windless weather and more attention should be paid to the lower parts of the leaves.

Fighting with folk methods

Proven methods of fighting aphids on strawberry bushes using folk remedies are preferred by land owners, despite the creation of increasingly new, non-toxic chemicals.

Infusions

The use of mixtures and infusions that kill aphids is constantly expanding. A variety of improvised means are used. Strawberry plantings are sprayed with aqueous solutions. Their difference from household chemicals is their lack of toxicity.

Solution or mixtureCompositionManufacture and use

To fight aphids with folk remedies when planting strawberries in open ground, there are many other mixtures and solutions.

From onion skins

Chop 30-35g of onions, mix with peels and water. After 5 hours, add 5g of laundry soap into the container. Filter and get 1 liter of infusion.

Garlic

Turn the garlic into pulp. For 1 liter of boiling water you need a large head. Cool the liquid, pour 2 tsp into it. detergent. To improve the quality of the infusion, add 2 tbsp. l. sunflower or other oil.

In addition to the garlic solution, its cloves, arrows, and husks are also used. Ants that carry aphids cannot tolerate the smell of garlic. They leave, and the pests die.

Chopped garlic is laid out between the rows of strawberry plantings and applied in the form of a paste to infected bushes. Garlic arrows are also used. This protection is valid for up to 15 days.

From wood ash

A method that has been proven over the years and is “killer” for aphids. Mix 5 liters of water and ash. You will need 1 glass. The mixture is infused for 12 hours. Next, the areas affected by aphids are sprayed.

pharmaceutical camomile

For chamomile solution you will need 100 g of pharmaceutical mixture. Fill it with 1 liter of boiling water and wait 12 hours. 4 g of soap will improve the quality of the mixture. The solution is diluted in a ratio of 1-3. The infusion is ready.

Uses of marigolds

Marigolds are bright and beautiful flowers. Summer residents and owners of garden plots use them to decorate their territory and as a powerful weapon against insects. Their aroma drives away pests from ripening fruits.

The marigold solution kills aphids. It is prepared from crushed parts of flowers, half-filling a 10-liter bucket with them. Fill with water at a temperature of 60 and let stand for 48 hours. Strain and place 40 g of laundry soap into the mixture. Treat the strawberry planting with a spray bottle. The greatest effect is achieved after 3-4 sprayings.

Tobacco

The solution is made from crushed tobacco. It is obtained from leaves or cigarette butts. They also use shag. A glass of mixture requires 5 liters of boiling water. After a day of settling, the solution is filtered. It's quite strong. There is no need to spray the strawberry plantation with it before fruiting. It is allowed to pick berries only after 7 days after using the mixture.

Tomato and potato tops

Fill half a 3-liter container with chopped nightshade tops. Fill with boiling water and leave for a day. The infusion is supplemented with 1 tbsp. spoon of soap or washing powder. Stir the solution and process the strawberries.

In the video below, the author talks about how he fights aphids, thrips and mites on his strawberries.

Vinegar

The use of acetic acid to treat strawberries is also a commonly used method of killing aphids. Protective solutions vary due to the concentration of the acid. Apple and table cider vinegar are used, or vinegar essence can be used. Some recipes for vinegar mixtures:

• 9% table vinegar - dilute 1 teaspoon in 1 liter of water;
• for 1 liter of liquid – 1 tbsp. spoon of apple cider vinegar;
• 1-2 tablespoons of essence per 10 liters of water;
• So that the solution “clings” better to the leaves and stems of strawberries, soap-based products are added to it. 3 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of mixture are quite enough.

Garlic

In addition to the garlic solution, its cloves, arrows, and husks are also used. Ants that carry aphids cannot tolerate the smell of garlic. They leave, and the pests die. Chopped garlic is laid out between the rows of strawberry plantings and applied in the form of a paste to infected bushes. Garlic arrows are also used. This protection is valid for up to 15 days.

Soap solution

Making a soap solution requires 1 liter of water and 4-5 tablespoons of soap base. It is better to use household chemicals without a strong aroma. It may attract insects.

Tar soap (its smell) has a stronger effect on insects. 100 g per 10 liters of water is enough.

Tobacco and tobacco dust

The solution is made from crushed tobacco. It is obtained from leaves or cigarette butts. They also use shag. A glass of mixture requires 5 liters of boiling water. After a day of settling, the solution is filtered. It's quite strong. There is no need to spray the strawberry plantation with it before fruiting. It is allowed to pick berries only after 7 days after using the mixture.

Marigold

Marigolds are bright and beautiful flowers. Summer residents and owners of garden plots use them to decorate their territory and as a powerful weapon against insects. Their aroma drives away pests from ripening fruits.

The marigold solution kills aphids. It is prepared from crushed parts of flowers, half-filling a 10-liter bucket with them. Fill with water at a temperature of 60 and let stand for 48 hours. Strain and place 40 g of laundry soap into the mixture.

Treat the strawberry planting with a spray bottle.

The greatest effect is achieved after 3-4 sprayings.

Additional tips and tricks

Using folk methods of repelling insect attacks, farmers use not only solutions, but also dry substances. Crushed tobacco, wood ash, and its mixture with shag are used to treat aphid-infested areas.

Many people use tar soap, ammonia solution, Coca-Cola, and mustard. Infusions containing vodka and simply alcohol, and other available substances are used.

Treatment of the area using traditional methods is carried out in the evening. Sunlight quickly neutralizes the effect of natural drugs. Subsequent protection of the beds is carried out after 3-5 days. It is advisable to do this with other solutions.

As you can see, there are a lot of means to help destroy aphids. What to use, folk methods or household chemicals is your choice. But one rule must be followed by everyone. Aphids should be removed using any available methods. It is better to alternate methods of plant protection. A well-cared-for garden and berry beds will more than once delight you with a good harvest of healthy and tasty fruits.

Preparing strawberries for winter

In order for a plant, slightly weakened by the attack of these pests, to survive the winter, you need to follow a few simple rules:

• Apply complex fertilizing.
• Immediately after harvesting, loosen the soil. Do not disturb the soil until winter sets in.
• Before the onset of winter, cut off diseased leaves, remove fallen leaves, and pull out weeds.
• Pull out very weak bushes and burn them.
• Mulch the ground around the bushes.
• In September-October, water everything with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which will kill off the remaining parasite eggs.

Pest types

There are about 4 thousand species of aphids in the world, and almost a thousand species of this hemipterous insect live in European countries. Aphids are small black, white or green bugs that can exist in winged or wingless forms. The size of the insect is 0.5-2 mm. Rapid reproduction of the insect occurs due to the fact that the female is fertilized once, and then every 2 weeks she is capable of producing 150-200 larvae.

Settling on the lower parts of strawberry leaves, on its stems and even on flowers and fruits, aphids begin to suck the juices from the plant. During their life, aphids on strawberries secrete honeydew, a sweet liquid that ants feed on. That is why these workers protect aphid colonies from their natural insect enemies, such as ladybugs.

In addition, this sweet liquid causes the development of fungal diseases on strawberry leaves, as it interferes with the normal respiration of the plant.

Prevention against mass pest attacks

Preventive measures are given paramount importance; they can prevent the appearance of a dangerous pest without using substances dangerous to the living world.

• You need to carefully examine the purchased strawberry bushes. Even if they were purchased at a garden center, this does not guarantee that the little pest could not “lurk” in the foliage.
• Plant umbrella plants next to the garden bed or along the plantation: dill, fennel, parsley. This will attract those who like to eat aphids - hoverflies.
• If you place flower pots with wood shavings nearby for earwigs, they will readily feed on aphids.
• Feeders and birdhouses are boring for populating birds. They eat aphids en masse and feed the chicks with them.
• Nasturtium, lavender and thyme, planted in small islands at a distance, can repel dangerous pests.
• Feeding strawberries is important to keep the bushes healthy and strong. Aphids prefer weakened plants.
• There is no need to plant bushes close to each other. They will lack light and nutrition. In addition, caring for such plants is inconvenient.
• A sufficient amount of light, good watering, loosening and mulching of the soil are agricultural techniques that will help strawberries grow strong.

Tip #1. Use chemicals only as a last resort, because not only pests will die, but also their natural enemies.

With proper agricultural technology and the use of folk remedies at the first signs of infection, strawberry bushes will be strong and healthy

Prevention of aphids

Strawberries damaged by aphids
To prevent aphids from appearing on strawberry bushes, you should follow some rules:

• before planting purchased bushes, carefully inspect each one for laid aphid eggs, which may be located at the bottom of the stems;
• strawberry bushes are planted in the garden taking into account sufficient space and lighting;
• regularly pick off damaged and deformed leaves; it is better to remove very diseased bushes;
• plant umbrella plants (parsley, dill) in the rows to attract insects that will help remove aphids, since they feed on them: ladybugs, lacewings, earwigs and hoverflies;
• To repel pests, calendula, mint, thyme, chamomile, garlic or onions are planted around strawberries.

The health of the plants and regular care are important: loosening and mulching the soil, watering, fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus, since healthy strawberry bushes have better resistance to pests.

Prevention

The main defenders of aphids are ants; first of all, it is worth getting rid of their colonies, which in a short time can surround a fairly large strawberry plantation. No matter how cruel it may sound towards hardworking insects, their anthills need to be dug up, if this does not help, and they rebuild them again, then during the next digging you will need to add ash, wormwood, salt or lime to the soil, you can also pour sunflower oil there.

It may also be useful for you to learn about what aphids look like on beets and what control methods can be used.

To protect strawberries from this scourge, you need to plant garden crops around them that will be more attractive to aphids, such as nasturtium, mallow, cosmos or trees (linden or viburnum). It will also be useful to learn about how aphids are treated on viburnum.

The following preventive measures will help you avoid aphid infestations:

• Before planting, carefully inspect the strawberry seedlings, even if they were purchased in a trusted store or taken from a neighboring bed. In this case, it is better to play it safe than to fight aphids later.
• You should arrange attractive places on the site near the strawberries . For example, install pots with wood shavings that will be designated for earwigs.
• Plant umbrella plants along the area with strawberries: parsley (by following the link you can learn how to grow root parsley) , dill, fennel, which attract hoverflies with their smell . These insects feed on aphids and will save strawberries from their invasion.
• Aphids most often attack weakened plants; to prevent this from happening, you need to feed them in a timely manner.
• For good growth, strawberries need regular loosening, watering and mulching of the soil, then its bushes grow strong.
• Birds are also greedy for aphids; it is worth organizing several feeders or birdhouses on your site so that they become frequent guests on the site, and at the same time protect the plants from annoying insects.
• When planting strawberry bushes, it is important to maintain a distance between them so that the foliage does not touch each other.
• It is advisable to plant onions between the strawberries (You may also find it useful to know whether it is possible to plant onions after carrots) or garlic; some gardeners plant it directly between the strawberries; this greenery can repel aphids with its smell.

The video shows preventive measures:

How to counteract adversity?

Experienced farmers begin to combat pests not after they appear, but long before. Their war with insects is waged almost all year round. Constantly taking care of your garden plots helps you avoid financial and other problems when growing and harvesting strawberries in the future.

Preventive actions

To prevent the fight against insects from turning into a constant war with them, it is better to take preventive measures when growing strawberries. To do this, they plant various repellent plants, use household chemicals, and use traditional methods of exterminating voracious pests.

Repellent plants

Representatives of these types of flora have strong and pungent aromas. They repel insects from strawberry plantations and protect the beds from aphids.

Dill and parsley

These umbrellas attract ladybugs, earwigs and lacewings with hoverflies with their scent. They destroy aphids on a strawberry plantation.

Lavender and fennel

By thinning phytoncides (aromatic substances), these plants are able to drive away aphids with a diffused odor. It is recommended to place these crops close to the beds. It is better to plant them between rows or on the borders of strawberry planting. You can use lavender and fennel throughout the entire area of ​​the garden or vegetable garden, planting them in small islands.

Nasturtium

Along with mallow and petunia, nasturtium is an attraction plant. Their task is to distract harmful insects from the desired plantings. These flowers are planted far from protected beds, protecting cultivated plants from pest invasion. Then the affected plants are disposed of.

Thyme

A herb with pronounced insect repellent properties. Like lavender and fennel, thyme imparts an aroma that aphids cannot tolerate. Essential oils are produced from this plant. The use of extracts from such herbs leads to good results in the battle against aphids.

Compliance with content rules

Knowing and observing certain conditions will help to better protect berry plantations. The chances of getting a good harvest will increase.

Wood shavings

When protecting a personal plot, sawdust or wood shavings are often used. In the fight against insects, shavings are used as follows. Pots with sawdust are placed around the site. Earwigs willingly settle in them. They are not averse to eating aphids and protect the crop from destruction.

Sawdust is also used for mulching the soil. Along with loosening, this creates comfortable conditions for strawberries to ripen.

Bird feeders

You can get rid of aphids on flowering strawberries by attracting birds to protect your garden plot. Small birds destroy aphids and the eggs they lay. To attract birds, you can make and place several feeders around your garden.

On a note! If birds are used, the use of pesticides should be limited. This will save the lives of your feathered helpers.

Feeding

As a rule, aphids attack weak plants that are unable to fight them. To increase the resistance of strawberries, they need appropriate care. This includes fluffing up the soil, mulching, and timely moistening of the beds. Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers will increase the durability of strawberries.

conclusions

The choice of preparations for treating strawberry beds against aphids is large.

The plant can and should be helped, but this must be done in a timely manner, without waiting until the insects have already caused irreversible damage. Constant monitoring of the state of the crop will allow you to identify the insect in time and provide assistance with the means of protection that can be used in a certain phase of the growing season.

Sources

• https://sort-klubnika.ru/bolezni-i-vrediteli/kak-izbavitsya-ot-tli-na-klubnike
• https://sovusadba.ru/vrediteli-i-bolezni/sposoby-borby-s-tlej-na-klubnike.html
• https://newogorod.ru/klubnika/kak-spasti-klubniku-ot-poyavleniya-tli
• https://notklop.ru/tlya/izbavitsya-ot-tli/tlya-na-klubnike/
• https://love-dacha.ru/tlya-na-zemlyanike-kak-borot-sya-narodnyye-sredstva/
• https://GdeKlop.ru/tlya/na-klubnike-v-otkrytom-grunte/
• https://agroved.org/tlya-na-klubnike/
• https://frukti-yagodi.ru/tlya-atakuet-klubniku-metody-borby/
• https://alt-zem.org/frukty-i-yagody/metody-bor-by-s-tley-na-klubnike.html
• https://GidFermer.com/sadovodstvo/borba-s-vreditelyami/tlya-na-klubnike-kak-borotsya.html

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Fighting in harmony with nature

It is helpful to use a variety of resources to control ants. If you live in an area that is especially popular with ants, you should know that the problem cannot be eliminated once and for all.

In the war against these insects, systematically used natural control methods will help us:

• Repellent plants. Ants cannot tolerate the smell of wormwood, tansy, calendula, lavender, mint, thyme, marjoram, garlic and parsley. It is worth landscaping and fencing the surroundings of the house and terraces with these plants.
• Obstacles on the route. Near an anthill or on your favorite walking routes, you can arrange or create scented barriers using, for example, tomato leaves, walnuts, elderberries and lemon zest.
• Unfriendly rain. It can be “summoned” on ant paths by pouring a strong-smelling liquid over them. This can be: tincture of wormwood or tansy (10 g of herb and 2 liters of water) or marjoram extract (10 g of dried herb, poured in 10 liters of water), as well as denatured alcohol, vinegar or lemon juice. As a last resort, you can use boiling water and saline solution for pouring. However, it is better to abandon the latter method, otherwise garden plants can be destroyed along with the ants.”