Who among us does not like to eat a ripe, juicy, aromatic strawberry ? The long-awaited harvest, unfortunately, can be almost half destroyed by a weevil pest weevil. To prevent this, you need to take action in advance to combat it. Let's find out how to save strawberries from a weevil.
What is dangerous weevil?
If you notice in the greenery of the garden of small gray-brown bugs about 2.5-3 cm in length and with a long proboscis on your head, know that this is the weevil weevil. There are many species of this insect, however, strawberry and other berries are infringed only by a raspberry-strawberry pest.
The weevil is most dangerous during the laying of eggs, which occurs at the time of separation of the buds of strawberry color. The female lays eggs in these buds and bites the peduncle. Naturally, the bud dries out and then disappears.
Thus, 40% of the potential crop, and the largest berries, can be destroyed, since the female chooses predominantly central buds. How to deal with weevils on strawberries? There are several methods, they can be chemical, using more gentle folk methods and purely mechanical, that is manual collection of pests.
Methods of combating weevil on strawberries
If you know some of the nuances of fighting insects, it can be defeated. However, we must prepare for the laborious work, which begins in the early spring, when the snow begins to melt. While the beetles are in hibernation, you need to have time to process the earth with a solution of iodine (0.5 teaspoon per 10 liters of water). Treatment should be repeated every 10 days.
In addition, the spring treatment of the strawberry from the weevil is to treat insecticides a week before flowering (during the extension of the inflorescence).
An effective remedy for weevil on a strawberry - "Inta-vir". From the biological control preparations can be used "Entomem-F", "Nemabakt". They are brought in from early spring to autumn. In their composition there are living microorganisms, therefore, having got into the soil as a natural habitat, they begin to multiply actively. So with their help, the protection of strawberries will be extended for 3 years.
In the beginning of May, you can additionally process beds with strawberries with "Fitoverm", "Akarin" or "Iskra-bio" preparations.
Folk remedies for weevil on strawberries
If you do not want to poison the garden with chemicals, you can refer to the folk recipes of the struggle. There are a lot of them, and here are some of them:
- 100 g of garlic should be insisted for a week in 10 liters of water, then add 400 ml of pine extract and 2 tablespoons of boric acid , this solution sprinkle strawberries;
- well discourages beetles solution of potassium permanganate (5 grams per bucket of water) and tincture of capsicum;
- after the appearance of young leaves in the spring can be treated with a solution of ammonia (2 tablespoons per bucket of water);
- You can also water the beds with infusion of tansy or put under the bushes of strawberries freshly cut fern sheets;
- Since the weevils do not tolerate the smell of garlic, you can plant a garden bed with strawberries.
Preventive measures
At the end of the strawberry season, do not stop fighting with bugs. If you find them, shake them off and destroy them. Damaged leaves and plant residues with hibernating beetles should be regularly collected and destroyed.
If the number of beetles is large, the processing of "Inta-vir" can be repeated in early August, when the entire harvest is collected. If there are plantings of raspberries near by, the beetles will certainly migrate to them. Be vigilant and check their availability on a regular basis. From the raspberry bushes shake the beetles most conveniently into an open umbrella.