Aphids are the biological enemy of all fruit trees and not only. It can be green, pink, yellow, brown and black. It is an insect that reaches a length of 4 mm. Thanks to the structure of its mouth, aphids are able to suck on the bark and leaves of fruit trees and feed on its juice. As a result, the tree loses its own strength, slows growth and fruiting.
If aphids have appeared in their garden on fruit trees, then this article is especially for you. We will tell you the causes of aphids, as well as methods to combat it.
Aphids in fruit trees
Aphids are a pest that prefers young trees, their foliage and shoots. If the aphid attacked your tree in the early years of his life, it would lead to deformation of the plant, slowing down growth, wilting and falling leaves, fruit buds lingering in maturation. On fruit trees damaged by this pest, the fruits grow small enough, and, not having ripened, fall. Such plants are less resistant to frost, low yield, and also a small increase.
In addition to sucking all the juices from the tree, the aphids poison it with sticky secretions. Allocations are a favorable breeding ground for various yeasts, fungi, and viruses. Ants are very fond of the substance that aphids release, so they protect it from insects that threaten its safety (ladybugs, syrphids, lacewings, etc.). Ants also help to take possession of other plants in the garden.
In addition to damage to the plant, aphids can tolerate viral, fungal and other infections that are dangerous to humans and animals.
Where does the aphid come from in the trees?
So, there are several reasons for the appearance of aphids in your garden. Of course, the main reason for its occurrence is infection in neighboring gardens. However, it will never appear to you if your plants are protected by ladybirds, lacewings, and other insects, which the aphids are afraid of.
In no case can you over-fertilize the plant, as this leads to thinning of the leaflets, and this is only to the benefit of aphids.
How to destroy aphids on trees?
To process a tree from aphids is necessary even before the buds are dissolved. Several time-tested recipes for how to fight and how to get rid of aphids in trees:
- to control aphids will help carrots, dill, fennel, as well as parsley - they are very fond of bubbling, and they, in turn, are the worst enemies of aphids;
- To scare off black aphids will help lavender and thyme, sown around fruit trees;
- Also, the following solution will help to destroy the aphids on trees: take 300 g of soap and dilute it in 10 liters of water, it is desirable that the water is soft (river or rain water is suitable). Sprinkle plants with this solution is necessary when aphids only recently visited your garden.
- To lure to himself a black aphid can nasturtium, which will save your tree from the attack of pests;
- spraying fruit trees against aphids is perhaps the fastest and most effective way to control pests.
However, remember that treating fruit trees against aphids by chemicals is not the best way to fight. Of course, they will effectively cope with it, but after a while the pests will appear again, but the insects that benefit your garden will no longer be due to poisons.
Protection of trees against aphids
Treatment of trees from aphids, of course, will help to get rid of pests for a while, but it is best to take care in advance that this ugly beetle does not get into your garden.
To do this, you need to regularly eradicate the weeds in your garden, because they are a breeding ground for aphids. In order for the plant to grow rapidly and the aphids were not damaged, it must be planted as soon as possible. To the buds to blossom, the tree needs to be sprinkled with mineral oil. In autumn, after the liberation from the fruits, the plant must be rid of the old bark and walk through the lime.