White midges on strawberries - effective ways to save the crop

Strawberries are one of the favorite treats for children and adults. Gardeners pay much attention to its cultivation. It is very disturbing to see white midges on strawberries. At the first sign of the appearance of a winged pest, it is necessary to begin the struggle for the crop. A gluttonous midge and its larvae can destroy a berry plantation.

Small white midges - what are these pests?

In the summertime, white plaque can be seen on strawberry beds. If you touch the leaves, then many white fragile midges take off from them. This is one of the most dangerous enemies of the berry - whitefly. A tiny winged insect hides on the back of a leaf. Outwardly, it looks like a miniature moth or moth. The wings of the insect are covered with powdery coating.

The size of the insect is 1.5-3 mm, there are two pairs of wings. Moshka does not like direct sunlight, therefore, hides in the shade of leaves. The female lays up to 20 eggs, from which greenish motile larvae appear. They are actively looking for a place to eat. Having stuck to the leaf, the larvae lose their antennae and legs. They are in one place until they become adults. Four generations of white midges are replaced during the season.

Attention. Scientists divide whiteflies into many species; small white midges on strawberries are Strawberry whiteflies.

Signs of infection

The suction of juice from the leaves leads to noticeable lesions. Small spots of light appear on them. Leaf damage is not the only harm from the insect; in the process of life, the larvae leave a discharge that creates the conditions for the development of soot fungus. This disease prevents the photosynthesis of the plant, the leaves are deformed and dry.
White midges pose a danger to plants not by their own appetite, but by the spread of viral diseases. They are the carrier of almost 20 different diseases that cause the death of crops.

Attention. Whiteflies like high temperature and humidity, if strawberries are grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to control the normal climate. In the ground, the insect begins to multiply actively in the second half of the summer period. At this time, you should carefully consider the plants, often turn the leaves over, looking for white midges on the strawberries.

Fighting Pest Management Methods

Whitefly has long been studied and effective methods for its destruction have been developed.

Folk recipes

The harm from getting into the area of ​​winged pests can be minimized if noticed from on time. It is easier to fight with adults, because the larvae are covered with a protective composition that does not allow harmful substances to pass through. Spraying with various infusions, washing off insects with water, mechanical removal - all these actions will help save the crop of berries.

Experienced gardeners know how to deal with white midges on strawberries. One of the traditional recipes is a soap solution. For it, you will need to grate household or tar soap on a grater.The resulting mass is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 6. After complete dissolution of the soap, the composition is applied to the affected leaves.

The infusion of garlic is safe for plants, but copes well with midges. To prepare the composition, you need to peel and finely chop 300 g of garlic. The workpiece is folded into a jar and poured with hot water. The container is closed and left in a dark place for a week. Every day, the infusion must be shaken. At the end of the term, the composition is filtered and stored in the refrigerator. Before spraying strawberries, the infusion is diluted with water 1: 100. The procedure is carried out weekly.

Small white midges on strawberries will disappear after treatment with yarrow infusion. Prepared by prescription:

• 100 g of grass pour 1 liter of water;
• infusion time - 2 days;
• strain the composition, use for processing 1 time per week.

Tip. Instead of yarrow, you can use the roots and leaves of dandelion.

Mechanical means

If the pests on the bushes are not very many, collect them manually. In the early morning, midges become numb in cool, easy to collect. Larvae can be crushed, if the leaf is severely damaged, it is better to tear it and burn it. Whiteflies are washed off the leaves with a stream of water. The earth should be dug up and sprinkled with wood ash.

One of the effective and simple ways to deal with whiteflies is to install glue traps. The product is ready to use, it does not contain poisons, so without fear it can be used to destroy white midges in Victoria after the berries have set. Yellow attracts flying insects. The glue on the strips does not dry, does not wash off from watering. Having set traps (one near each strawberry bush), you should shake them. Insects will take off and stick to the trap faster.

Tip. A sticky trap for flying midges is done independently. This will require yellow plywood and a mixture of several ingredients: honey, rosin, petroleum jelly and castor oil. As the trap is filled, the sticky layer is peeled off and applied again.

To destroy adult whiteflies, it is recommended to use an electric trap for flying insects. It is a design with a lamp that lures midges with light, and a metal mesh that strikes them with current. It is not necessary to pull the extension cord into the garden; there are battery-powered models of devices.

Chemicals

With severe infection of the site, sparing methods to combat white midges are often not effective. To destroy the pest and its offspring is possible only with chemicals.

"Karbafos" - a universal drug that counteracts many pests of the garden. It is available in various forms:

• powder;
• emulsion;
• liquid;
• granules.

The tool has earned popularity due to its effectiveness. It acts in direct contact with an insect, and destroys several types of pests at once: whitefly, aphid, thrips, codling moth and others. The composition refers to substances of moderate toxicity, in open ground it decomposes after 10 days, in a greenhouse - after a week. Plants are sprayed with a freshly prepared product, dry, windless weather with an air temperature of up to 15 is chosen⁰.

Fufanon is an effective insecticide that is an improved analogue of Karbofos. The active substance melation works not only on the surface of leaves and stems, but also remains in the air for some time. Insects die 2 days after processing.

Attention. Organophosphorus preparations “Karbafos” and “Fufanon” are toxic, therefore they are sprayed with extreme caution. At the same time, funds do not accumulate in plants, having a toxic effect on them.

The insecticide "Aktara" is recognized by gardeners as a remedy No. 1 for whiteflies. The death of pests occurs one day after spraying with the drug. The effect lasts about four weeks. The solution is sprayed in the morning or in the evening, if it is likely to rain, then it is better to transfer the treatment. This compound is less toxic than Fufanon.

"Fury" is an effective insecticide that is approved for use on a personal site. The solution is prepared by adding the composition to water. Fresh means carefully processed all the leaves of plants. The drug is prohibited to use during the flowering of strawberries. Spraying work should be carried out using protective equipment (special suit, goggles, respirator).

Among insectoacaricides with a wide spectrum of action, it is worth highlighting Fitoverm. The drug is popular due to its low toxicity. It can be sprayed 4 times per season, avoiding the flowering period. The composition quickly paralyzes the pests, without food, they die within a few hours.

Whitefly quickly gets used to chemicals, so a single treatment will not be enough. When spraying, insecticides alternate with an interval of one week. An important point is to follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions. Do not change it up or down.

What to do with a pest on a fruiting strawberry?

When the berry crop is close to ripening, many chemicals are prohibited. How to deal with white midges on strawberries? During this period, treatment with Fitoverm, which breaks up in 3 days, is acceptable. You can try to wash off insects and bury them with earth. Electrical traps are also a relevant way to kill adult whiteflies. During the struggle with an insect on strawberry bushes, one should not forget about its omnivorous nature, midges can move to neighboring beds. Therefore, it is recommended to treat the entire site immediately.

Whitefly biological enemies

White midges on Victoria and other strawberry varieties are destroyed with the help of natural enemies. These include:

1. Ankarsia is a small parasite that lays eggs like wasps in the body of midges. A ripened larva gnaws through the carrier’s body and gets out. Such insects are bought in specialized companies.
2. Ladybug - she preys on aphids and whiteflies.
3. The lacewing is a predator that eats smaller insects.
4. Bug Geocoris - specializing in eating midges.

Prevention

The fight against white midges is a complex and long event, in order to prevent infection, it is worth observing the rules of prevention:

• To remove weeds for the winter and dig up the garden - this will deprive the insect of wintering places.
• Timely application of fertilizers will help plants fight the pest and related diseases.
• In the greenhouse, it is recommended to replace up to 5 cm of the upper soil layer, because it is in it that the main part of the pests is hidden.
• The design of the greenhouse is being disinfected.
• You can not plant strawberry bushes close to each other.

White midges are a complex adversary that easily adapts to various drugs. The fight against them should be comprehensive, including the alternation of chemicals and folk recipes. Be sure to use preventive measures. In open ground, whiteflies have little chance of surviving the winter. The main thing is to prevent infection of strawberries from neighboring sites.