Aphid prevents gardeners, gardeners from growing crops in greenhouses, hotbeds, vegetable gardens, and gardens. How to get rid of aphids is a question to which we sometimes look for the answer all season. Those who are not familiar with these permanent inhabitants of gardens, aphids and ants. So different, but you always see them side by side. Since ancient times, these insects have established mutually beneficial relationships. The former sit almost motionless on the leaves, usually from below, feed on their juice, and the latter continuously scurry, “milk” the aphids, while protecting them from other insects.
What types of aphids are
All types of aphids are dangerous to our plants. And there are many types of them. They are even different in color: green, gray, even black. The leaves on which the aphid settled, first curl, and then gradually die. Green young shoots on trees, shrubs bend, their growth stops. On vegetable plants inhabited by aphids, the leaves first dry, and then the whole plant.
Aphids in the winter do not pupate, overwinter in the stage of an egg, which is usually oval, shiny, black, their length can reach 0.5 mm. In spring, larvae hatch from eggs, which resemble adults in appearance. In general, aphids can tell a lot of interesting things. It turns out that among them there are female founders, female settlers, and female stalks. The details of the life of each individual are interesting, but they will lead us away from the main topic.
We gardeners are more likely to be interested in information that more than seven generations of aphids will be born in the northern regions over the summer, and more than seventeen in the south. Feel how much harm can be expected from these uninvited residents of our gardens and gardens.
Aphids and Ants
At the very beginning, I mentioned the friendship of aphids with ants. To get sweet excrement as food, ants act as guards for aphids. They even help the aphids to endure a frosty winter - they carry the females to their anthill. They take care of the aphids so that it does not die of hunger, transfer it to new young juicy shoots.
In the forest, ants are perhaps the most useful insects. And in the garden, they are no longer so useful precisely because of the union with aphids.
Natural enemies help get rid of aphids
This is not the first year that many farms, farmers specially launch different types of aphid cows into greenhouses, they are popularly called "ladybugs". They significantly reduce the number of aphids in vegetable crops. Moreover, adults and larvae of aphid cows easily find aphids. In one day, one cow can destroy up to 100 aphids. The seven-spotted ladybug destroys pests on garden crops, wild herbs. Gourd aphid cows are released for planting cucumbers, pepper peppers for tomatoes and peppers.
Ladybugs are attracted by melliferous flowers, for example, mustard, phacelia, dill.
How to get rid of aphids
There are effective folk remedies for combating aphids:
- dandelion infusion - 400 g of leaves or 200 g together with rhizomes pour 10 l of warm water, leave for 2 hours;
- infusion of onion peel - 150-200 g, insist in 10 l of water for 4-5 days, strain before use;
- infusion of potato or tomato tops - 1.2 kg of tops to pour 10 liters of water, insist 3-4 hours;
- celandine infusion - fill the bucket with ¼ celandine, pour cold water, let it brew for a day, strain, spray;
- pepper infusion - pour 50 g of ground red pepper in 1 liter of boiling water, leave for at least 2 hours. The resulting concentrate is diluted in 10 liters of water, treated with plants. If necessary, repeat the procedure after 10-15 days.
In all of these infusions, before spraying, you can add 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or 40 g of soap chips. This is necessary for better adhesion of infusions to the leaves.
By the way, foliar top dressing can also help get rid of aphids. Composition of top dressing: 20 g of superphosphate + 10 g of potassium chloride per 10 l of water. When spraying, try to ensure that the leaves are moistened not only from above, but also from below. Repeat treatment after 6-7 days.
Any spraying is carried out in dry weather in the morning or in the evening, but not with plenty of dew and not before the rain.