Potato flea beetles - description and methods of pest control

Common potato pests

Colorado beetle

The Colorado potato beetle is the most common and dangerous potato pest. It is voracious and causes significant damage to the crop. In addition, adults are capable of flight, so they can travel long distances and infest many plantings.

The Colorado potato beetle is a member of the leaf beetle family. This pest has an oval body, the length of which varies between 8-15 mm and width - 7 mm. The abdomen is orange in color with black spots. Hard elytra are adjacent to the body of the pest. This beetle has three pairs of legs.

Both larvae and adults of the pest feed on the leaves of cultivated and wild nightshade plants. In addition to potatoes, they eat leaves of tomatoes and eggplants, and bell peppers.

Adults overwinter in the soil, at a depth of about 50 cm. After wintering, they come out and begin to feed and mate.

Females lay eggs on the underside of potato leaves. During the season, one female Colorado potato beetle lays about 350 eggs. Larvae emerge from the eggs. This happens 1-2 weeks after laying. Everything depends on weather conditions.

The larvae, like adult beetles, eat potato leaves, leaving only the stems. Having destroyed the tops of one plant, the pests move to another.

The lifespan of this pest is 1 year, but some individuals live up to 2-3 years.

Birds that destroy insects are not able to fight this pest. This is due to the fact that many toxic alkaloids accumulate in the bodies of Colorado potato beetles - this makes them inedible.

These pests are capable of destroying the entire potato crop, as they are very voracious. Colorado beetles can consume not only young stems, but also ripe tubers.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars can also cause damage to potatoes. This is a potato scoop. The caterpillars of this butterfly prefer moist soil, as well as shaded areas. The caterpillar appears on the potato stem in late April - early June.

Cutworms are predominantly nocturnal. Caterpillars belong to the group of polyphagous pests: they feed not only on potatoes, but also on carrots, onions, and some other crops.

The greatest damage is caused by the potato cutworm caterpillar in rainy years, at moderate air temperatures.

The potato cutworm is light yellow or bright red in color, its head is red, without a pattern. Body length is about 5 cm. It has 8 pairs of legs. The caterpillar infects the area above the root collar. The plant on which the cutworm has settled quickly dries out and withers.

Caterpillars penetrate inside the potato tuber, gnawing the stem of the bush. Thus, the entire plant suffers.

Caterpillars usually do not damage potato skins. They make a small hole and passage, at the end of which they initially form a small, but constantly increasing in size, cavity, which is gradually filled with excrement. When the cutworm finishes feeding, it leaves the tuber, making a new, wider move. Potatoes damaged by the caterpillar usually rot due to secondary infection.

Medvedka

The mole cricket is an orthoptera insect whose body reaches up to 5 cm in length. The body is large, dark brown in color. The mole cricket has short wings and powerful legs, with the help of which it can burrow deep into the ground. This insect also has strong jaws and long whiskers.

An adult mole cricket makes a nest not too deep underground, which it fills with eggs. After laying, hundreds of 2-3 mm larvae hatch. They grow for several years, after which they begin to lead a full-fledged lifestyle.

The mole cricket poses a danger to all plants that come across its path. It harms not only potatoes, but also cucumbers, beets, cabbage, and grains.

The insect has a spindle-shaped abdomen and a head with large eyes. There are two pairs of tentacles around the gnawing mouth. The insect reproduces in the ground, laying up to 250 eggs at a depth of 15 cm or more.

Not only adult mole crickets, but also their larvae pose a danger to potatoes. They chew through the stem, causing it to fall or dry out and stop developing. The mole cricket is also capable of gnawing large cavities in tubers.

Most often, the mole cricket completely eats up the root crops. Even those potatoes that were simply “eaten up” by a mole cricket are unsuitable for food.

Wireworm

The wireworm is a pest whose danger is comparable to that of the Colorado potato beetle. It belongs to the beetle family. The length of its body reaches 7-20 mm.

Externally, wireworms are the larvae of click beetles with a finger-like process directed backwards.

The adult is a black beetle with an elongated body.

One female is capable of laying up to 150 eggs. The larvae hatch after 20-40 days. They grow and develop over 3-4 years.

In the first year, the larvae do not pose a threat to cultivated plants, but in the next 3 years they become more active and are able to eat the seeds even before they sprout.

Wireworms cause great harm to potatoes. They destroy seeds and shoots, gnaw roots and stems, and penetrate root crops and tubers. Because of this, the potatoes begin to rot.

Wireworms actively eat potatoes if the weather is hot, there is not enough moisture, and also if they lack wheatgrass roots, which are the favorite food of this pest.

Nematode

The golden potato nematode is a microscopic pest that is the causative agent of the disease globoderosis.

The nematode lives in the soil, remaining active for up to 10 years. The pest survives the winter in the form of larvae and eggs in cysts.

In the spring, the eggs develop into larvae that penetrate the roots of the plant. Here they develop until they become sexually mature females and males.

Females tear apart the roots, partially remaining inside the plant. After fertilization, they lay eggs inside their own body. When the eggs mature, the female's body dies and the eggs remain inside it. When harvesting potatoes, the cysts fall off and penetrate the soil. The development cycle repeats.

Nematode under a microscope

Potato flea beetle

The potato flea beetle in adulthood is a beetle up to 3 mm long. The main color is black, the limbs have a dark brown tint.

The flea beetle harms potato tops. Larvae developing on roots can cause the loss of healthy bushes. If optimal conditions for the development of the pest are present, a significant part of the crop is spoiled.

Potato flea beetles leave pits and holes on the surface of leaves. Adults eat foliage. If it was severely affected, then the potato seedlings die, especially if the planting was late.

Potato flea beetle larvae inhabit the root system of various nightshade plants: not only potatoes, but also tomatoes and eggplants.

The potato flea beetle causes the greatest damage to bushes if it is a warm and humid year.

This pest is a carrier of many infectious potato diseases.

Potato moth

This butterfly can destroy up to 80% of the crop. It has a small size, reaching 6-8 mm in length. In summer, the development process from egg to adult takes up to 4 weeks.

Potato moth is unpretentious to external conditions. The butterfly lays eggs on the bottom of the plant leaves. A clutch usually consists of 1-20 eggs. The eggs hatch into caterpillars, which later turn into butterflies.

The potato moth feeds on the underside of the potato leaf. When the tops dry out, the pest moves to the tubers. Through the eyes and cracks on their surface, the moth penetrates inside and feeds on the pulp.

Potato moth weakens potato bushes, damages tubers and reduces the quality and quantity of seed.

Potato aphid

This pest belongs to the order Hemiptera. These are small insects, their body length reaches 3.5 mm. Among them there are both winged and wingless individuals. The pest is found everywhere.

The body is shiny, elliptical in shape, color ranges from white-green to yellow-green.

The mouthparts of these insects are adapted for piercing tissues and sucking juice from plants. Because of this, damaged potato leaves dry out, the crop stops growing, and productivity decreases.

A characteristic feature of these pests is that they leave sugary secretions in the places from which they have absorbed juices. These secretions attract other pests, creating favorable conditions for the development of fungi. In this case, the crop completely dies due to the invasion of various insects.

Aphids reproduce very quickly in dry, warm weather. The number of aphids is significantly reduced if there is a ladybug on the site.

Chafer

May beetle larvae can also cause damage to the potato crop.

The cockchafer appears in late April – early May. One female lays up to 70 eggs in the ground. After a few weeks, the larvae appear. In the first year, they feed on organic debris, enriching the soil with waste products and benefiting the soil. In subsequent years, the larvae develop a chewing apparatus, thanks to which they are able to eat potato roots and tubers.

The larvae are located in the upper layers of the soil, at a depth of 20 to 40 cm.

With a high concentration of larvae in the soil, a large number of potatoes are destroyed. Even one larva at the age of 3-4 years can damage several dozen tubers in just a few weeks.

It is quite simple to determine that the potato was affected by the larva of the cockchafer: if the leaves wither, dry out and turn yellow for no apparent reason, then this is the result of the activation of this pest.

Slug

Naked slugs do not often attack potatoes, but they can still cause damage.

Their body length, depending on the species, can reach 3-6 cm. They are most active at night. For them, places with high humidity are most attractive.

Slugs attack the foliage and tubers of potatoes. They chew irregularly shaped holes in leaves. They leave only the stem and the largest veins intact.

Crawling from one plant to another, slugs spread fungal and viral diseases. If they damage potatoes, late blight develops.

Rodents

Certain types of rodents also pose a danger to potatoes. Often this crop is spoiled by the mole rat, an animal that resembles a mole. Instead of eyes, he has a fold of skin covered with stiff stubble. It feeds only on root vegetables and does not eat insects. The mole rat eats large potatoes on the spot, and drags small ones into a hole.

The ground rat also gnaws potato tubers. It can be seen on land plots that are located next to bodies of water. It penetrates 15-25 cm underground and chews root crops. In addition to damaging the crop, the rodent disrupts the root system of plants, which leads to their drying out and reduced yield.

The earth rat also creates pantries underground in which it hides food for the winter. The depth of such warehouses is about 20 cm. This rodent is very prolific and breeds many new pests in a short time.

Cicadas

Cicadas are small insects (1-3 cm), which are similar to jumping butterflies. During the day they live in anthills, and at night they come out to drink plant sap.

Cicadas reproduce very quickly: it only takes 20 days for an egg to develop into an adult. Their widespread distribution throughout Russia was facilitated by the import of plants from abroad.

By sucking the juice from the leaves of cultivated plants, leafhoppers cause damage to them: this leads to a slowdown in development and growth cessation, as well as the death of part of the potato bush.

Potato leaves damaged by leafhoppers turn yellow and become deformed, and white or red spots appear on their surface. Bacteria and fungi easily penetrate through damaged areas, causing the development of various diseases.

Cicadas can also act as carriers of viral diseases. These pests infect plants with poisonous saliva and lay eggs. Both adults and larvae pose a threat to plants.

Main types of potato pests

Certain types of insects live in the soil; they are able to stay there for several years in the form of larvae without revealing their presence. There are also pests that fall on potato bushes during strong winds or excessive humidity. Let us tell you in more detail about the most dangerous pests for potatoes and methods of combating them.

Colorado beetle

This striped insect is known to everyone. The most widespread and therefore the most dangerous pest of potatoes. The beetle larvae are particularly voracious when eating tops, which leads to a significant reduction in the yield of the vegetable.

Adults destroy not only leaves and stems, but also tubers. They overwinter in the ground, and in the spring, flying from one bush to another, they quickly and en masse lay eggs on the shoots as soon as they emerge from the ground. It is during this period that it is important to destroy the main population of beetles. To do this, it is recommended to use insecticides such as “Commander”, “Sonnet”, “Aktara”. Treat the bushes three times during the season, the last time 20 days before harvest.

Folk remedies include spraying bushes with strong infusions of mint, tansy and black currant. The simplest known method, and at the same time very effective, is manual collection of beetles and larvae. The procedure is carried out at least twice a week.

Wireworm and false wireworm

yellow worm up to 3 cm long, the larva of a click beetle. Destroys leaves, tubers and even the root system of potatoes. Additionally, it feeds on wheatgrass, so it is better to get rid of this weed in advance.

Deep digging of the earth in the fall and spring is recommended as the most effective way to deal with an uninvited guest. Or you can place bait between the rows of potatoes - a chopped tuber placed in the ground, and after a while remove it along with the worms. Among chemical preparations, the use of insecticides “FORS” or “Hurricane Forte VR” is effective.

False wireworms are the larvae of the darkling beetle. They feed on tubers, roots and other parts of the plant. Baits, digging, and adding wood ash to the soil before planting potatoes also help against them.

Nematode

It is difficult to see nematodes with the naked eye, they are so small. They attack the stem and roots of the potato underground, destroying the entire structure. The main characteristic sign of their attack is yellowing of the lower leaves of the tops. Nematodes can live in the ground for up to 10 years, so it is extremely difficult to destroy them, but it is possible.

Treat the entire area intended for potatoes with urea, and after harvesting, cover it generously with lime . It is also recommended to water the soil with a solution of chicken manure if it is available in large quantities.

Another remedy - the drug "Bazudin Extra" - perfectly protects not only from nematodes, but also from weevils, mole crickets, fly larvae and other parasites.

Garden moth

A small gray butterfly, whose larvae also do not mind eating all the greens and tubers of potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and sweet peppers. Ignoring this pest can result in the loss of the entire crop.

For prevention, deep autumn digging and treatment of seed material with a strong solution of methyl bromide are suitable. Of the chemical preparations, the most effective against moths are “Sherpa”, “Zolon”, “Arrivo”.

scoop

Adult ash-colored moths, active at night, do not themselves pose a danger to potatoes, unlike their caterpillars. These green gluttons eat everything there is to eat. Destroy stems, leaves, tubers. After “lunch” they rest in the shade of wheatgrass and spend the winter there.

The best defense against caterpillars is weed control. Special pheromone traps are used against the moths themselves that lay eggs. It is advisable to use insecticides “Tsimbush” or “Decis”.

Cicadas

Jumping insects no larger than 3 cm in size, similar to a moth . During the day they live in anthills (they have interspecific cooperation with ants), and at night they drink plant juices. This leads to a slowdown in development and the death of part of the potato bush. The leaves turn yellow and become deformed, and brown and white spots appear on their surface.

In addition, these pests are carriers of viral diseases, and both adults and larvae are dangerous. To protect seedlings, the soil is treated with Tabu and Cruiser preparations before planting. And if the leafhopper has already appeared in the garden, use the Karate Zeon product after studying the instructions.

Potato flea beetle

A black beetle up to 3 mm long, it damages potato tops. The larvae develop on the roots and destroy healthy bushes. Adults feed on leaves, leaving holes and holes on its surface. The seedlings die.

Comfortable conditions for flea beetles are hot, dry weather or late planting of potatoes. Of the control methods, the drug “Confidor” is recognized as the most effective; early planting of the vegetable is recommended for prevention.

Medvedka

Orthoptera insect up to 5 cm in length, dark brown in color. It has wings, strong jaws, mustaches and powerful legs, and can burrow deep into the ground. An adult mole cricket makes a nest underground, where it hatches hundreds of 2-3 mm larvae. It takes several years for them to grow and develop.

The insect poses a danger to all plants it encounters. Loves potatoes, cucumbers, beets, cabbage and many grains. The mole cricket completely eats up the potato tubers, and its larvae gnaw the stem and destroy the tops.

You can get rid of the parasite by using chicken droppings - the insect cannot stand its pungent smell. Coriander, marigolds, garlic, calendula, chrysanthemums and mint are planted along the perimeter of the site and between the beds. The specific smell of these plants also repels mole crickets.

Natural enemies of insects are lizards and hedgehogs: do not drive them out of your territory if they live on it. When using chemicals, remember that you can also destroy beneficial insects, so try to choose gentle drugs, for example, Medvetox.

Khrushchev

He's the cockchafer. Its larva causes harm. In appearance it looks like a curled up thick caterpillar of yellow-gray color. The beetle itself is not dangerous for potato crops, but its larva can spoil the tubers and roots of the plant.

At the end of April, the female cockchafer lays eggs in the ground to a depth of about 40 cm. The larvae live for several years, during which time they are capable of causing enormous damage to the crop. One such individual is able to damage several dozen potato tubers in two weeks.

You can determine that a vegetable crop is affected by the cockchafer larva by the leaves: if they dry, turn yellow and wither for no particular reason, it means that the beetle larva has settled in your beds. It is not easy to destroy it. Autumn deep digging is required. Some plants repel insects, for example, lupine, elderberry and all cruciferous plants. Among the chemicals used are “Antikhrushch” or “Bazudin”.

Potato large aphid

Small insects, elliptical in shape, no larger than 3.5 ml in size, white-green in color, can fly. In dry weather they reproduce most intensively, sucking the juices from plants, leaving behind a characteristic sugary secretion.

Ash or crushed chalk will help eliminate parasites; these mixtures are thickly sprinkled on the affected plants and the soil underneath them. If the infection is widespread, it is appropriate to spray the chemical agent “Aktara” or “Tiara”.

Slugs

Naked slugs rarely attack potatoes, but in times of famine they will not disdain planting. They are active mainly at night and where it is damp and humid. Both leaves and tubers are affected, leaving bare stems. Slugs are carriers of many fungal diseases. After them, the damaged potato bush often becomes ill with late blight.

The most harmless way to eliminate slugs for surrounding plants and people is to sprinkle fine eggshells or coarse table salt on the beds: they cannot move on such a surface.

Red-headed Spaniard

A black beetle with white stripes and a red head. Body size up to 20 mm long. Harms potatoes by damaging leaves and flowers. Beetles are poisonous - if an animal eats an insect along with grass, it can become severely poisoned, possibly even fatally. Accidentally touching the beetle's legs causes purulent abscesses to form on a person's skin, and if the poison gets into the eyes, one can lose vision.

Having decided to eliminate the pest, first get rid of the weeds on which the pests live, and then use the chemicals “Akarin” or “Calypso”. Weed while wearing gloves.

Bedbugs

Cruciferous bugs often attack cabbage foliage, but they will not refuse potato tops on occasion. Plant sap is the main food of bedbugs. It is not difficult to see them in plantings; they have a bright red and black color. They spread especially quickly in hot weather.

The most effective method of controlling this pest is prevention. These include: early planting of vegetables, compliance with crop rotation. Tansy and wormwood will help, their smell repels bedbugs.

Rodents

Some rodents, for example, mole rats and earth rats, happily eat potato tubers, and those that they can no longer eat are dragged into their burrows. Mole rats, like moles, leave behind passages in the ground and small earthen mounds on the surface.

It is preferable to repel such large pests rather than destroy them. Special repellers are sold in gardening stores. If you find a hole or rodent passages, place a cloth soaked in gasoline or kerosene in their path. This simple folk remedy will help drive animals out of the garden.

Nematodes

Potato nematode is a round worm, 1-2 mm long, infecting stolons and tubers of the crop. Females lay eggs inside themselves and die at the end of summer, forming a cyst - a storage facility with a dense shell from which larvae emerge.

Cysts of some types of parasite live in the soil for up to 10 years, so the area gradually becomes infected with pests.

Types of nematodes parasitizing potatoes:

golden;
gall;
pale;
leafy;
stem

Potatoes affected by worms slow down their growth, the tops turn yellow and dry out. Such bushes usually have no or a small number of flowers, and tubers do not form.

Potato diseases and pests

Potato plantings, which delight us in almost every garden or summer cottage, can be affected by various diseases and dangerous pests. Often, the development of potato diseases of various etiologies goes unnoticed, which makes it difficult to combat them, and pests of these vegetables significantly affect the yield and marketability of tubers. To prevent these plants (here, if you wish, read about growing potatoes) from the above, we must follow the rules of agricultural technology and crop rotation.

Late blight

Infected vegetable tops, which expose the entire plant to the disease, quickly die, and the tubers rot. The appearance of brown spots on nightshade leaves is the first sign of late blight. A white coating forms at the bottom of the leaf blade. Only after 2-3 weeks can spots typical for this disease be seen on diseased potato tubers. Brownish elongated spots will be visible on their cut. Sick tubers rot quickly.

Measures to combat them

We choose healthy tubers and use them to germinate them first. We carry out high hilling of plants, spraying potato tops 3-4 times using a 1% solution of copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, 0.4% Zineb, 0.5% copper oxychloride at weekly intervals.

Scab

With this disease, caused by protozoan microorganisms, young tubers become infected more quickly. Rough ulcers appear on the skins of vegetables.

Planting healthy tubers treated before planting with formaldehyde (50 ml/10 l of water) for 3 minutes. Before planting potatoes in the soil, it is advisable to add ammonium sulfate, potassium magnesia, superphosphate (30 g/1 sq. m. each). Pour 2 grams of manganese sulfate into the holes and mix it with the soil.

Rhizoctoniosis

This fungal disease is characterized by damage to potato sprouts, roots, stolons and shoots. Dark lumps appear on vegetable tubers. In diseased plants, brown sores appear on the sprouts. The leaves on the tops curl and turn red.

We regularly loosen the soil to prevent crust formation on it. We plant only sprouted tubers in the ground. We wet the potatoes with a 1.5% borax solution.

Alternaria (Macrosporiosis)

The appearance of brown spots on all parts of the plant during illness. Gradual death of leaves and stems, with the appearance of rotting ulcers on the affected tissues (this disease, by the way, can affect cauliflower and simple cabbage).

We add a high dose of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil. We spray vegetable plantings weekly with 1% copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture. We process plants using drugs such as Polycarbocin, Rost-2 and Arceride. We use them according to the instructions, but constantly alternate them to increase processing efficiency.

Dry rot

During storage, the tubers dry out, becoming empty inside. A gray-yellowish coating forms on the skin.

We grow disease-resistant potato varieties. When harvesting vegetables, we try to reduce any damage to the tubers.

Potato cancer

The disease (affecting tubers, root collars and stolons) requires strict measures. Growths form on them. Over time they resemble cauliflower. At first they are white, and then become brown.

We burn all the harvest and plant remains. We have not grown potatoes in the contaminated area for 5 years. The likelihood of infection of tubers is reduced by their pre-planting treatment with a 1% suspension of foundationazole for 0.5 hours. It is also possible to use a 0.5% benomyl suspension.

Wet rot

The disease manifests itself during storage. Vegetable tubers soften, become damp and rot. They have a disgusting smell.

For long-term storage of potatoes, we select only undamaged and healthy tubers.

Ring rot

This disease leads to plant death and tuber rotting. With this potato disease, the stems begin to wither during the flowering period. They just fall to the ground. A yellowish mucus forms inside the stem. Then the tubers are affected. They become covered with cracks and brownish spots. The cut reveals softening of the vegetable pulp.

We plant healthy tubers. We regularly inspect the bushes and immediately destroy diseased specimens.

Blackleg

This bacterial disease can affect potatoes at all stages of the growing season. Signs appear after germination. Plant leaves turn yellow and curl over time. The stem turns yellow and withers, and dark lesions are visible in the lower part. Diseased tubers transform into an unpleasant-smelling mass.

In case of illness, we remove the affected specimens. We germinate the seed material. We discard diseased tubers. We remove the tops 10 days before harvest.

Viral diseases

Their signs are: ugly vegetable tubers, mosaic, speckled and wrinkled leaves. Viruses are transmitted by insect pests. Since there are still no effective means of control, we choose healthy planting material and comply with all agricultural technology requirements.

Potato pest control methods

When pests appear, you must immediately take measures to combat them, otherwise you can not only lose the harvest, but also get potato tubers infected with diseases that pests carry.

The most effective methods for controlling pests are the following:

Chemical treatment

Various preparations with chemical compounds are a reliable way to neutralize beetles and insects that harm potatoes:

To cope with the Colorado potato beetle, you should treat the area with Colorado, Sumicidin or Marshall.
To combat caterpillars, the drugs Danadim and Zolon are used.
Drugs such as Medvetox, Medvecid, Fenaskin Plus are effective against mole crickets.
The nematode that harms potatoes can be neutralized using chemicals that contain phosphamide or mercaptophos (Dimethoate, BI-58).
To neutralize the wireworm, use Force, Celeste Top, Voliam Flexi.
Potato cutworms are sensitive to insecticides Tsimbush, Decis.
Rodenticides and fumigants are effective against rodents.
Potato moth is removed from the site with the same drugs that are used to combat the Colorado potato beetle. This pest also dies from Decis or Fastak. If potato moth has infested the cellar with the harvested crop, then the affected tubers can be treated with solutions of Lepidocide or Bitoxibacillin. You can also use FAS or Gamma smoke bombs.
If there are leafhoppers on the site, then the affected potato bushes need to be treated with insecticides such as Proteus, Calypso, Vizcaya, Akarin.
Insecticides such as Force, Thunder 2, and Regent are used against potato aphids.

When using chemicals, you must follow the safety rules specified in the instructions to avoid harm to your own health.

Traditional methods

To combat the Colorado potato beetle, you can use calendula: this plant has an odor that these pests cannot tolerate. You can plant it around a field where vegetables are planted.

You can also fight the Colorado potato beetle using wormwood tincture. You need to take a third of a bucket of fresh wormwood, pour boiling water over it and leave. Treat the infected areas with the resulting infusion.

Many pests do not like the smell of garlic or onions. That is why affected potato bushes can be treated with an infusion based on them. To prepare, you need to take 250 g of onion or garlic, chop it, add a liter of water. Infuse for a week in a closed container, then treat the bushes with the resulting composition.

Potato flea beetles are fought with a mixture that consists of ash, chamomile decoction and tobacco dust, taken in equal proportions.

You can effectively fight mole crickets with the help of chicken droppings: this pest does not live on fertilized soil. You need to take 2 kg of litter and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. Dilute the resulting solution again at the rate of 1 part solution to 5 parts water. Fertilize mole cricket-infested areas with this mixture.

Many pests cannot tolerate the smell of plants with a strong aroma. That is why you can plant parsley, mustard, lavender, peppermint, coriander, basil, and fennel next to potato bushes.

Soil care

To get rid of pests, it is necessary to dig up the soil in early autumn, thus bringing to the surface layers that may contain larvae and eggs. During the summer, you need to loosen the soil.

Main potato pests

In addition to humans, various insects try to encroach on the potato crop, eating potatoes from the top tip of the tops to the last tuber. But in order to prevent the defeat of plantings and destroy those already settled, it is important to know who they are and how they live.

Colorado beetle

The Colorado potato beetle is a lover of vegetation of the nightshade family. Today, perhaps, there is no gardener or gardener who would not encounter a pest. They are capable of eating the foliage of eggplants, tomatoes, physalis, and potatoes at such a speed that it is impossible to deal with them manually. And in the fall, from the beetle, when there is no succulent foliage, you can lose part of the harvest.

Colorado beetles are unique in their own way. In just a couple of days they can completely destroy a potato planting. This phenomenon occurs due to the high rate of reproduction. One female lays eggs during the growing season, from which up to 700 specimens are born.

The main damage to potatoes is caused by voracious larvae that feed on succulent vegetation, spreading to neighboring areas. On average, three generations can appear per summer. Having eaten enough, the larvae go 10 cm deep into the soil, pupate there, and after a few days a new generation of beetles crawls to the surface, completely mature, and again lay eggs on the potatoes.

Description of beetles and larvae: the pest has a convex body, up to 10 mm in length. A distinctive characteristic is the hard fender flaps, striped with alternating colors of black and yellow.

If you bring your hand to the bug, it falls backwards, pretending to be dead.

The larvae are thick worms that crawl on the surface of potato leaves. Their bright red or orange body is divided into segments, with black dots visible on the sides. The head and paws are very hard and black. Active living creatures, if picked up, begin to crawl away.

Wireworms

Pesky worms that live in the ground eat potato stolons and succulent stems. Outwardly they do not show any symptoms, so preventive measures are taken against them rather than fighting. You can prevent their occurrence in advance, since their presence can be detected while digging potatoes.

Wireworm is a larva of a click beetle that has an elongated body and thick skin that cannot be crushed with your fingers. On one side of the body there are antennae. The worm has a yellow, white, cream color, and the head is brown. In the form of a worm, the larva can live up to 5 years, burrowing 60 cm into the soil.

Hard worms bite into the stems and tubers of potatoes with their powerful mouthparts, leaving passages in which mold appears and the plant dies. If the potatoes manage to survive, the tubers often have a gnarled appearance due to defective development.

Naked slugs

It is quite rare to see naked slugs on potatoes, but this phenomenon does happen. These "liquid substances" crawling on their bellies are molluscs without shells. Quite large pests, from 3 to 6 cm in length. You can imagine the harm they cause.

They operate at night, when it is cool and dew falls; they cannot tolerate dry weather, as they move with the help of special mucus. Mollusks feed on young potato tops, leaving behind huge holes of irregular shape. They do not touch the stem, stolons and central veins of adult potatoes.

Important! Slugs are carriers of bacteriological infections, namely late blight.

Chafer

Has anyone encountered the larvae of the so-called May beetle? Why is the beetle small and the caterpillar fat and juicy? Indeed, with such a size, the cockchafer larva can cause significant damage to the potato crop. It develops in the soil. If this happens in a fertile one, then its size increases.

The female pest flies out in mid-spring and immediately lays up to 70 eggs. After a couple of weeks, a thick white caterpillar worm appears, twisted into a ring. It has a segmented body of a milky color. Black or brown dots are drawn on the sides. The head of the caterpillar stands out clearly, which resembles some kind of brown shell.

The larvae of the pest have a distinctive feature: in the first year of life they feed on organic matter, enriching the soil with the products of their vital activity; in the second year they begin to cause harm by eating the roots and tubers of potatoes.

While eating the roots and nodules, the potatoes begin to wither; these signs are used to determine the presence of a caterpillar in the soil. If the wireworm leaves small passages reaching only a few millimeters in diameter, then from the caterpillars of the pest these passages exceed the diameter by several times. The holes are such that the pest itself fits in them.

Potato moth

Despite their tiny size, moths can cause damage to 80% of the entire potato crop. The butterfly is quite small, up to 8 mm in length. The pest is unpretentious to weather conditions and lays its eggs on the underside of potato leaves. There are up to 20 eggs in one litter.

Potato large aphid

A small pest from the order Hemiptera that eats potato leaves. The body length of the insect is 3-4 mm. Individuals come with and without wings. The color of aphids ranges from yellow to green. It can live on any plant, but it prefers juicy potato tops.

The potato aphid has a powerful piercing-sucking mouthpart. By piercing the surface of the leaf, the proboscis enters the cells and sucks out the juice. Leaves may dry out completely or partially.

At the end of summer, the pest can move from one garden to a neighboring one, where it lays its eggs.

After an aphid invasion, the leaf blades become covered with honeydew, a sweetish liquid that attracts third-party insect pests. In such a symbiosis, the crop is destroyed in a matter of days.

Mouse-like rodents

In some regions, vegetable gardens are often attacked by rodents. They spoil the entire crop available on the site, eating roots and tubers, as well as disrupting the growth of potatoes, digging them to the surface and partially gnawing them.

If you look at potato tubers where more than half are damaged, this means that the insect will not do that much harm. It's all because of little naughty creatures: moles, mole rats, house and field mice, rats. Even water rats living in water are not averse to eating potato roots if there is a vegetable garden nearby.

Nematodes

If there is a golden potato nematode on a plant, eating roots and tubers, it is difficult to notice it with your own eyes. This microscopic worm destroys tubers, living in the soil for several years. In the fall, eggs or cysts are laid, and with the warmth of spring, whitish worms begin to emerge and massively eat potato tubers.

Important! Infection with nematodes is determined by yellowed lower leaves of the vegetable.

Nematodes penetrate the root system of potatoes, live there, feed and reproduce. In the fall, when potatoes are dug up, the eggs fall to the ground, and the pest’s development cycle continues.

Medvedki

Mole crickets are large insects (up to 8 cm), digging holes in the ground and feeding on potato tubers and root vegetables (carrots, beets, celery). Individuals from the Orthoptera family are capable of flying, but not high, due to which they move to other areas.

Lays up to 500 eggs per clutch. This occurs in warm soil, at a depth of up to 15 cm. The eggs are clearly visible to the naked eye. They are yellow in color and round in shape. Destroys all types of rhizomes of cultivated vegetable and garden plants, except garlic.

Cutworm caterpillars

It's all because of the caterpillars, whose parent is the small moth moth. The grayish or beige moth has a body size of up to 2 cm. Dark dots are clearly visible on the wings, and the back and head are covered with thick hairs. They like to settle on potatoes in the darkest corners: under a fence, near tall plants (sunflower, corn).

The caterpillars are large and eat not only potatoes, but also some fruit crops: raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries. This is not the entire list of clear insect preferences. The eating procedure occurs at night. The caterpillars mainly gnaw on stems, leaves and roots.

Potato flea beetle

These small bugs eat potato leaves, moving very briskly through the bushes. The pest is slightly more than 2 mm long, has three pairs of legs and wings. The color of the beetles is black, its legs are brown. Provided by nature with some shine.

Flea beetle larvae feed only on the surface layers of leaves, leaving behind depressions or complete holes.

Adults eat all the greens, which can cause the potatoes to die. The larvae are able to descend along the stem into the soil, causing damage to nightshade tubers. Beetles do not settle in the garden alone; there are up to 100 specimens on a bush.

Cicadas

Cicadas are hemipteran insects that jump long distances. They come in various colors and sizes, mostly from 1 to 3 cm. It is common for the pest to live in anthills. During the day they come to the surface and feed on plant sap. They pierce the flesh of the leaves with their proboscis and extract the juice from them, infecting the potatoes with viruses. Those parts of the plant where the cicada has sat usually die off.

Potato pancake

Shpanka is a heat-loving bug with a memorable color. The body and elytra are black, and the head is bright red. There are white stripes on the fender flaps. The body is elongated, about 1 cm.

In the fight against spanka, the main thing is to detect it in time and get rid of it, otherwise you can lose the crop in a couple of weeks due to massive damage. Shpanka eats leaves and young shoots of potatoes.

Bedbugs

The potato bug is a small pest, up to 6-8 mm in length. It has a pale green color. In addition to potatoes, it can settle on roses and chrysanthemums, as well as cabbage. The bug has long antennae. Pests have no distinctive features.

Bedbug larvae do the damage. They suck juices from flowers, shoots and leaves. Infectious spots appear at the location of the nymphs, causing the potatoes to stop growing, the shoots to curl, and the flowers to fall off.

Aphid

This insect occupies potato beds starting from the emergence of seedlings. It feeds on plant sap, living on the underside of leaf blades and shoots.

It is not difficult to notice aphids: the upper leaves of the plant curl. Upon examination, black or green microscopic insects are noticeable, as well as sticky traces of the honeydew they secrete.

Aphids are dangerous for many garden and ornamental crops, and in addition to causing damage, the insect is also a carrier of pathogenic viruses. At risk:

tomatoes;
eggplant;
roses;
cucumbers;
cabbage.

The fact that aphids have appeared in the garden is signaled by ants that feed on honeydew and therefore “guard” the insect colonies.

Causes of pests

The rich nutritional content of potatoes attracts insects. Pests eat not only tubers, but also potato tops; in addition, they are carriers of dangerous diseases. As a result of the harmful activity of insects, potatoes stop developing and may die. Damaged fruits are unsuitable for storage.

How to Grow Healthy Potatoes from Seeds

The reasons for the appearance of pests in a potato field can be as follows:

crop rotation was disrupted, that is, crops were grown in one place for a long time;
the insects were in the soil, during digging they crawled out and waited for the potatoes to ripen;
you planted low-quality tubers or tubers infected with larvae.

If pests appear in the garden, it is necessary to immediately take measures to destroy them.

Conditions for growing potatoes under straw

Cicadas

They belong to the family of hemiptera jumping insects of small size (from 1 to 3 centimeters).

They live in anthills during the day, and at night they come out to drink the juice of the plant under the protection of ants, making holes in the plant with their piercing sucking mouth. Rot and pathogens penetrate into these holes with corresponding consequences.

Leafhoppers transmit phytoplasma and viral plant diseases. Parts of damaged plants, after the work of the leafhopper, wither and die.

Cicadas

Preventive measures

To prevent the appearance of pests on potatoes, adequate measures must be taken in a timely manner.

To prevent the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle, you need to:

plant potatoes next to garlic, beans, coriander - they interrupt the aroma of nightshade crops, which attracts the pest; if there are no such plants, then they should be planted around the perimeter of the area where the potatoes are planted;
Sprinkle spruce or birch sawdust between the rows of potatoes - they give off a resinous smell that repels beetles.

To prevent the appearance of nematodes it is necessary:

treat the soil in which the potatoes grew with urea: per 1 sq. m of land you need 1 kg of urea, it is covered and dug up;
burn the infected plant without shaking off the soil;
give preference to varieties that are resistant to this pest: these include Rosara, Zhukovsky, Symphony.

You can prevent the appearance of wireworms in the following ways:

plant legumes next to potatoes - they repel this pest;
do not leave potatoes in the ground for the winter, even if they are spoiled;
dig up the garden deeply in the fall;
remove weeds and remove them from the garden.

To prevent the appearance of mole crickets, you should:

dig the soil deeply in the fall;
loosen the soil in spring and summer on a regular basis;
plant plants with a strong smell next to potatoes: coriander, marigolds;
When planting potatoes, water the holes with iodine solution (20 drops of iodine per 10 liters of water).

Watch a video about potato pests and measures to prevent their occurrence:

There are many types of pests that spoil potatoes. You can fight them using chemicals and folk remedies. To prevent the appearance of pests, you should take care of the soil and dig it up in the fall. Plants with a strong smell should be planted around the perimeter of the garden.

Author of the publication

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Alina Strelchenko

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Potato parasites: signs of infection and treatment methods

Each plant has enough pests that can not only slow down its growth, but also lead to death. To harvest a bountiful harvest, you need to have an understanding of potato pests and how to combat them.

Potato flea beetle

Adult beetles grow approximately 3 mm long and have a black body. The flea beetle causes particular harm to the tops, eating away the soft part of the plates. Numerous holes appear on the leaves and if the damage is severe, the plants die. To control pests in small beds, you can use folk remedies:

spraying plants with chamomile infusion;
dusting the tops with a mixture of wood ash and tobacco dust.

Insecticides are more effective against pests. The plantings are treated with Tabu, Confidor, and a 0.2% phosphamide solution every 10 days (until tubers set).

Mole

The pest eats up the pulp of the foliage without disturbing the surface layer. The caterpillars feed on both tops and tubers (they gnaw holes 2-2.5 cm deep). Potatoes take on the appearance of porous pumice and begin to rot.

At the first signs of damage, the tops are mowed and burned to prevent the caterpillars from crawling onto the tubers. When storing fruits, they are sprayed with “Entobacterin”, and before planting – with “Lepidocide” or “Bitoxibacillin”.

Aphid

The pest hides on the underside of leaves and is difficult to detect in a timely manner. Obvious signs are that the tops gradually acquire a pale yellow tint and the leaves curl into tubes.

A weekly inspection of the bushes will allow you to see the appearance of aphids in time. A reliable way to get rid of the pest is to spray the bushes with insecticides (Konfidor, Aktara). Potatoes are fed with wood ash and potassium sulfate so that the foliage becomes coarser.

Chafer

The main damage to potatoes is caused by larvae that feed on potatoes. The main signs are that the plant noticeably lags behind in growth or fades. The main preventive measures to combat insect larvae: mulching the soil, irrigating the soil with ammonia solution (1 tsp per 10 liter bucket of water), catching adult cockchafers.

See also Description and methods of treating potato diseases

Nematode

Small worms are practically invisible, but their harmful effect on potatoes appears immediately. Characteristic signs of damage: yellowing of the tops, waviness of the leaves and cracking of the stems. In the holes on the tubers, the skin cracks and darkens. Such plants must be removed from the garden immediately.

It is difficult to completely remove the nematode from the site. Experienced gardeners recommend planting varieties that are resistant to worm damage, following the rules of crop rotation, and applying bird droppings in dry/liquid form.

Wireworm

A small worm feeds on potato roots, causing the bushes to wilt. The pest infestation is clearly visible on the tubers - numerous small-diameter tunnels. The main method of control is loosening the soil and removing worms. It is also useful to plant mustard and oilseed radish next to potato beds.

Medvedka

The pest feeds on potato roots and damaged plants dry out. The mole cricket also gnaws the tubers heavily, but this does not affect the appearance of the bushes. The pest makes passages in the ground and holes are often visible on the surface of the beds.

Fighting a mole cricket is difficult. The main methods are to dig deep into the beds in the fall to destroy the tunnels and wintering areas of the pest. It is advisable to plant early potato varieties. Effective chemicals are considered to be: “Thunder”, “Medvegon”, “Medvedtox”.

Caterpillars

The main damage to tops and potato tubers is caused by cutworm caterpillars. Pests form passages into which painful microorganisms penetrate, causing the development of wet/dry rot. Damaged leaves dry out and stems break. Reliable chemicals for pest control - “Decis”, “Tsimbush”.

Colorado potato beetle and its larvae

This is the most famous eater of potato tops. The beetle and larvae “gnaw” the greens so quickly that potato tubers do not have time to form. Common preventative insect control measures:

compliance with crop rotation rules;
planting nearby plants that repel pests (mustard, wheat, oilseed radish);
loosening the soil, manual collection of beetles and larvae.

In dry, warm weather, it is practiced to spray potato beds with special preparations: “Metarizin”, “Entocid”.

Slug

Pests actively reproduce in rainy, warm weather. Slugs that eat the tops leave oval-shaped holes and dried shiny marks on the leaves. Mainly stems and leaves growing low from the ground are damaged.

Prevention of control comes down to weeding the beds and mowing the grass around potato plantings. Of the chemical preparations, pollination of seedlings with superphosphate and a 10% solution of potassium salt is noteworthy.

Cicadas

Both adults and larvae are a threat to potatoes. The pest pierces the leaf and sucks out the juices. The foliage gradually becomes deformed and acquires a yellowish tint. The bushes begin to lag in growth and become covered with white and red spots. To combat the pest, comprehensive measures are used:

damaged parts of the tops are cut off and burned;
stop feeding the plants;
the beds are sprayed with insecticides “Aktellik”, “Permethrin”, “Bona Forte”.

See also How to make a homemade potato hiller with your own hands

Prevention - thorough weeding of the beds, garlic-soap spraying of foliage, autumn harvesting of tops.

Rodents

Mice and rats usually spoil the harvested crops placed in storage. Pests gnaw the tubers, which causes the vegetables to rot. The natural way to deal with rodents is to get a cat.

If the storage facility is closed to pets, you can place poisoned bait inside and set up mousetraps.

scoop

Brown moths are resistant to different climatic conditions and thrive in weeds. The greatest damage to potatoes is caused by caterpillars that eat the stems. In dry weather the stems wither and in rainy weather they rot. The pest also damages roots and potato tubers and eats leaves.

Basic preventive measures: weeding, deep digging of beds in the fall, burning dried/plucked tops and weeds.

Spider mite

A sure sign of a pest is a slightly noticeable cobweb on the back of several leaves. After some time, the tops become covered with small yellow spots and dry out.

A common folk method of fighting mites is spraying plants with garlic infusion. The best option for a chemical agent is the insectoacaricide “Aktellik”.

Potato scoop

A polyphagous (omnivorous) insect that destroys plantings of potatoes, onions, and carrots. The danger comes from cutworm larvae that appear in late spring or early summer. Brown or reddish caterpillars penetrate plant stems and tubers.

The tops wither, the potatoes rot inside. If no protective measures are taken, cutworm larvae will destroy all the potatoes in the beds.

Is it necessary to fight ground beetles?

On the one hand, the ground beetle - a small black bug with a golden shell - is a natural enemy of many vegetable pests. During the day, she can eat up to 5 mature larvae of the Colorado potato beetle.

On the other hand, among them there are also harmful species - the ground beetle. It can be distinguished by its darkest, resinous color. The insect damages corn and barley crops by gnawing the stems. It can sneak into residential buildings and lay eggs.

The question - whether it is necessary to fight the ground beetle - remains open. But the fight against the larvae of harmful ground beetles definitely needs to be carried out - with the help of pesticides. Prevention of the appearance of beetles in the house is regular cleaning, ventilation and disinfection of premises.

How to deal with the Colorado potato beetle

Figure 5. Damage to crops by Colorado potato beetles
After emergence, potatoes need to be treated with drugs against this type of pest.

The better to poison

How to deal with these insects on potatoes? Of course, with the help of special chemicals. Common medications include (Figure 6):

You cannot use the same drugs for several seasons in a row. Insects gradually become accustomed to certain products, so chemicals need to be alternated.

Remedies for the Colorado potato beetle

Folk remedies also exist. But they are only suitable for small areas, since their use involves significant labor costs. For example, beetles and their larvae can be collected by hand. But since insects easily fly from one bush to another, this procedure will have to be repeated constantly.

Also, to combat insects, spraying with infusions of mint, poplar, basil and black currant leaves is used. The strong smell of the liquid will repel insects. The first treatment is carried out immediately after emergence and subsequently repeated several times per season. Beans or coriander can be planted next to potatoes. The scent of these plants will help reduce the number of pests.

In addition, there is a distracting way to fight. To do this, you need to plant a few tubers before the rest. Large green bushes will attract pests and will be much easier to harvest and destroy.

From the video you will learn a recipe for preparing an environmentally friendly means of combating the Colorado potato beetle.

Medvedka

Found someone eating potatoes in the ground? Most likely, this is a mole cricket - a large, deep-dwelling insect that feeds on roots, root crops and tubers of plants. On the site, the mole cricket creates entire labyrinths of passages, arranges food storage and egg laying. In an article on our website, we talked in detail about this insidious pest and effective measures to combat it.

Potato pests - garden moth

As soon as white cobwebs appear on the potato leaves, you need to sound the alarm - the plant is damaged by garden moths.

Description

The potato moth is a small, inconspicuous butterfly with a wingspan of 1.5-2 cm. Its brown-gray color makes it invisible on the surface of plants. And the nature of the damage caused to vegetables has firmly established its nickname as the main vegetable leaf-eater.

The larvae reach 1.5 cm in length and are yellow-pink or pale green in color with a dark stripe on the back. Potato moth butterflies lay 1-2 eggs on the inside of leaves.

Nature of plant damage

A couple of weeks after laying, a caterpillar appears and builds sticky webs on the surface of the leaves. Hiding under them, the larva gnaws winding paths in the stems and fruits of the plant. As a result, wounds – “eyes” – appear across the entire surface of the tuber. The moth eats passages through the entire tuber. The inside of these holes is filled with cobwebs and excrement.

Potato pests: garden moth and ways to combat it

To combat moths, plants are treated with chemical (karbofos, benzophosphate) or biological (lepidocide, bitoxybacillin) preparations.

A good prevention of moths is deep (about 10 cm) planting of potatoes. Pests do not penetrate to a depth of more than 6-8 cm. The insect dies at temperatures below 5°C, so harvested potatoes should be stored in cool cellars to avoid infection.

Potato ladybug

The seemingly harmless ladybug-like insect turns out to be a prolific and voracious potato pest.

Difference from a ladybug: there are 28 dark specks on the back, the presence of white hairs (lint) on the body.

Greenish-yellow caterpillars of the ladybird eat away the pulp of the leaves, leaving only veins of healthy plates. The ladybug also carries various viruses that infect garden crops. Dangerous for pumpkin, corn, eggplants, and sweet bell peppers.

In addition to the listed pests, slugs and flea beetles cause damage to potato beds. Dangerous potato pests are rodents that live in the ground (ground rat, mole rat).

Colorado potato beetles are the main potato pests

The Colorado potato beetle is the most popular leaf beetle among summer residents, capable of leaving bare stems from a green potato bush in a short time.

Potato pests Colorado potato beetles - external signs

This is a small striped bug with a round shape. The size of an adult insect does not exceed 1-1.5 centimeters. Above the orange body are hard striped elytra, forming a dense black and white carapace. Hidden under it are well-developed membranous wings, due to which the beetle can cover long distances.

It is not the adult beetles that are most dangerous, but their larvae. Females lay bright yellow or orange eggs on the underside of the leaf. There the latter remain unnoticed for a long time and after 2 weeks they degenerate into larvae. During a season, a female can lay from 600 to 1000 eggs. When eating potato leaves, the larva accumulates carotene, which changes its color from brown to orange.

Nature of plant damage

The Colorado potato beetle is most dangerous during the flowering of vegetables, when the fruit is actively forming. Larvae and adult insects eat leaves, and less often, stems. Having settled on one bush, 15-20 larvae can completely destroy the leaves, which will cause the death of the plant.

At the end of the season, insects go 50-60 centimeters into the ground and tolerate the cold season well.

Ways to fight

The Colorado potato beetle affects not only potatoes, but also other vegetables of the nightshade family (eggplant, tomato, etc.). If you plant sharp-smelling plants next to them, for example, lemon balm, dill, basil, the number of beetles will drop noticeably. Often, when planting potatoes, a handful of onion peels are added to the holes. It scares away the beetle until the end of flowering.

To protect potatoes from pests, farmers also resort to the help of their natural enemies. Domestic birds (turkeys, guinea fowl) feed on beetle larvae, and insects (ladybirds, ground beetles) feed on eggs. Small insects are collected by hand.

Slug

The presence of these insects in the area can be determined by the shiny mark on the soil surface. Gastropods, which have lost their shells during evolution, are able to feed underground and on its surface. Together with the potato harvest, they end up in warehouses and successfully reproduce there.

Hermaphrodites, that is, pests of both sexes, are capable of laying eggs 6 times during the year. The development period from egg to adult lasts 3 months, so their reproduction occurs quickly, fertilization is not required.

Slugs live in the southern regions on highly moist soils, where a lot of green and lush herbs (tops) grow. They harm potatoes, carrots, radishes and other root vegetables in beds and storage areas.

Rodents

Moles, mole rats, rats and mice are pests that make passages in the ground. These are the ones who bite the potatoes and damage the potatoes in the ground. Thus, they expose the plant to the risk of fungi and infections penetrating the root tubers. Nothing more than poisoned baits and traps help fight them.

Attention!

All existing potato pests harm plants. They spoil the presentation of root crops. Pathogens of infectious diseases enter wounds on the stems, leaves and roots of potatoes. It is necessary to promptly protect and treat potato plantations.

Potato pests and the best ways to combat them

Potato pests quickly adapt to chemicals, and individual control measures are not always effective. Experienced gardeners use an integrated approach: spraying bushes and soil with solutions of biological and chemical preparations.

Popular means of getting rid of insects are:

"Spark";
"Taboo";
“Commander”;
"Prestige".

They are able to protect plants even at the germination and germination stage. Processing must be done no later than 20-30 days before harvest.

Biological products also control pests. For example, “Fitoferm” is an insectoacaricide with enteric contact action. The drugs should be diluted according to the manufacturer's description, observing safety precautions.

Who gnaws potatoes and gnaws out tubers in the ground and cellar

The sweetish tubers attract a variety of rodents with their taste, which can cause big trouble after harvest.

Here are the main pests:

Moles. Small and fluffy underground inhabitants are able to damage potato supplies not only in the beds, but also in the cellar. Through underground passages they easily penetrate into the storage and eat the tubers.
Rats. Smart mammals that you can't easily catch with a rat trap. Destroy potato tubers in the cellar.
Mice. Carefully monitor the storage conditions of your potatoes throughout the cold period, as vegetables attract small rodents, including mice, to warm basements. Moreover, the pests manage to not only feed on potatoes, but try to bite almost every tuber.

Important! Potato tubers spoiled by rats and mice cannot be eaten. Rodents are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases, and even heat treatment does not guarantee that the infection has been destroyed.

Rodent repellents are selected depending on the type of pest and the size of the population. In some situations, traps are enough, in other cases you have to fight with the help of strong chemicals. In private homes, the best crop guardians are cats.

Potato pests photo description and treatment

Among the most common and dangerous pests of potatoes are wireworms, cutworms and cutworms, beetles, and the Colorado potato beetle. In this article we will tell you how to deal with them.

Wireworm

It is the larva of a click beetle; it gnaws young stems and damages potato tubers with grooves. The beetle's favorite habitat is lands where wheatgrass dominates.

Control measures

Regular weeding and loosening of potato plantings. Destruction of wheatgrass in areas adjacent to the site.
The need to alternate planting crops. The wireworm's digestive system does not adapt well to new crops and its activity decreases.
Deep digging in the fall with ash or lime.
• In the spring, a month before planting seed potatoes and in the fall after harvesting, sowing the planting areas with mustard.
Use of natural insecticides. Watering mixture (about 2 kg of coltsfoot herbs, nettle, celandine, dandelion in a bucket of water, infused for three days).
In areas with large wireworm infestations, chemical treatment with hexachlorane should be used. To treat one hundred square meters of land, take 100–150 g of chemical.

Scoop Gamma

It is a butterfly with wings of grayish-brown tones with white patterns. The main damage is caused by the caterpillar, which eats potato leaves and buds with flowers.

Control measures

Timely weeding.
Autumn deep digging.
Planting potatoes at an earlier date in order for the crop to mature before the butterfly lays eggs.
Regular inspection of the crop in order to identify and destroy egg clutches.
Pollination and spraying with chemicals. Such drugs as karbofos, fufanon and their analogues help well. Bacterial preparations, such as bitoxibacillin, are also used.

Cutworm gnawing

It is an earthy gray moth with small stripes on the back and sides. Its caterpillar gnaws young potato stems and gnaws holes in the tubers.

Control measures

Regular removal of weeds, which are a fertile environment for armyworm egg laying.
Manual destruction of egg clutches.
Spraying with blooming wormwood (pour about half a bucket of wormwood with boiling water, leave, strain and add 100 g of laundry soap). Instead of wormwood, you can use decoctions of tomato stepsons, milkweed and chamomile
Insecticides that are effective against cutworms are Arrivo, Decis, Bazudin, Sumi-alpha and others with a similar effect.

Khrushchev

This is the name of the larva of the May beetle. It has a creamy white color and a dark brown head. She looks fat and plump. By feeding on potato tubers, beetles significantly reduce the quality and yield of potato tubers.

Control measures

Manual sampling when digging the soil.
Shaking off beetles during the day when they are sleepy, collecting and destroying them.
Planting lupine in vacant areas. Its roots are poison for the Khrushchev that leaves this land.

Colorado potato beetle

It is the most dangerous of all potato pests. If it is discovered, destruction measures must be taken immediately.

The Colorado potato beetle is shaped like a semicircle with yellow wings with dark stripes and is the size of a corn kernel. The front of the back is spotted, and the legs and head are black.

The winter is spent in the ground under the remains of vegetation. In the spring, the beetles fly out and begin to intensively feed on potato seedlings and other crops of the nightshade family. On the back of the leaves, the female lays clutches of 30 to 50 eggs. After two weeks, the larvae emerge from the eggs and eat the potato leaves and flowers. The larva then goes into the ground to pupate. Due to the fact that beetles fly well, they spread very quickly.

Control measures

Timely detection of the beetle. It is necessary to regularly inspect potatoes and all nightshades growing nearby. If found, collect by hand and destroy by burning.
Adding wood ash to the soil before planting. Treatment of potato seedlings with ash.
Spraying with compositions made from natural raw materials: 1 piece of soap and 5 liters of ash per bucket of warm water. Or pour boiling water over two-thirds of a bucket of fresh wormwood and leave.
Treatment with chemicals. The use of modern chemicals such as Detis, Inta-Vir, Aktelik, Fitoverm, Colorado, Rovikurt, Prestige and others gives good results.

And one more tip:

With small populations of the pest and in small areas, it is better to start fighting manually or using natural raw materials. Use chemicals in cases of large-scale spread of harmful insects.

I hope that our article “Potato pests, photo description and treatment” was useful for you!