Sprout fly - how to deal with a seed and seed eater

The low similarity of seeds of cucumbers and melons is not always associated with poor quality seed. The reason may be hidden in the soil - this is a sprout fly, or rather its larvae. The pest leaves the cocoon in the spring, feeds on seeds and sprouts of vegetables. Larvae 1-7 m in size gnaw grooves and holes in the seeds, spoil the seedlings. Gentle sprout rots and dies. During the warm season, up to four generations of sprouting flies are replaced. The pest lives in Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, North America.

Pest Description

The body of the fly is divided into three parts: head, chest and abdomen. The color of the insect is yellow-gray, on the mesentery there are three dark longitudinal stripes. Abdomen is gray. The body is completely covered with hairs. The eyes are large, occupying almost the entire surface of the head. On the forehead tendrils, which are the organs of smell. The sprout fly belongs to the Diptera squad; representatives of this group use the front wings for flight;

Attention. Insects are widespread everywhere, settle on the open and closed ground. With a massive lesion of the site, all shoots can be destroyed.

Reproduction of a germ fly

Reproduction of the pest is heterosexual, the difference between the structure of the male and female at first glance is not noticeable. Distinctive features are hidden on the legs, long setae grow on the hind legs and hips. The body size of the flies is 3-6 mm. In warm regions, they fly out of the earth in mid-April, in the temperate zone - in the second or third decade of May. After mating, the female lays eggs in the soil. She prefers moist, fertilized with manure, soil. The eggs are white, oblong, with a relief pattern. Their length is about 1 mm, the number is 50-60 pieces. Embryo development takes from 3 to 10 days.

Information. In dry soil, eggs die quickly.

Sprout fly prefers to breed on cucumbers. Larvae climb into the stem of the plant, making it weak. At birth, their length is 1-2 mm, the color is transparent. After a few days, the larvae become white. Depending on the conditions and nutrition, their development takes 10-30 days. Before pupation, it becomes thick and fleshy, grows to 7 mm. The head is practically absent, two dark mouth hooks are noticeable in the narrow front of the body.

Attention. The most harmful is the offspring of the first generation, which damages the sprouts. The effect of the larvae on the mature plant is less fatal.

Further, the larva turns into a chrysalis, while it remains in a solid larval skin, called the puparia. This is a brown-yellow oval cocoon 5 mm long. In the summer, an adult appears after 2 weeks. If the masonry is done in the fall, it remains in the cocoon until spring. The insect penetrates the soil by 10 cm and there undergoes a cold period. When the air warms up to +10⁰, the imago will tear the puparia along the front seam and get out into the wild. The years of the second generation fall in June, and the third in July.

Information. The main stage in the life of a sprout fly is the larval. At this stage, she actively feeds and spends most of her life cycle. The function of adults is resettlement and reproduction.

How to deal with a sprout fly

From the moment they appear from the egg, the larvae are very active, they creep considerable distances in search of seeds and seedlings. Having found them, cotyledons gnaw out. Up to 30 larvae were found in beans or legumes. Damaged plants are easily infected with pathogenic fungi and infections. Insects cause full or partial damage. If the seed does not die, a weak plant with little fruiting sprouts from it.

Attention. A sprout fly is a polyphage, in the diet of its larvae a wide range of crops: melon, sunflower, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers and watermelons.

Measures to control sprout fly include several areas:

Agrotechnical events

To prevent the spread of pests, several rules must be followed:

1. Timely remove plant debris in the fall, they are the residence of garden pests.
2. Fly larvae hibernate at shallow depths; plowing the soil is recommended for their extermination. During the spring-summer season, an additional 2-3 times will be required to cultivate the soil. This will help get to the eggs and leave them to dry under the sun.
3. When making manure fertilizing the soil, it should not be left on the surface. The peculiar smell attracts adult sprout flies, which lay eggs nearby. Organic fertilizers are best applied in the process of deep digging.
4. Plant seeds until the first generation larvae are hungry after hibernation.
5. It is recommended to plant cucumbers not with seeds, but with seedlings. A grown plant is able to survive the attack of pests. It is less prone to decay and drying.

Tip. For quick germination of seeds and strengthen sprouts, use mineral fertilizers.

Biological products

A sprout fly has natural enemies that help fight it. The number of pests at any stage is able to reduce predatory beetles of Aleohar, ground beetles. Riders from the eukoilid family parasitize on fly larvae. Nematodes Rhabditidae penetrate the cocoon.

Chemicals

With a large number of pests, mechanical action is not enough. It is recommended to seed before planting. For this, insecticidal preparations are used. One of them, Iskra, is safe for plants, but deadly for pests. Once insects enter the body, it paralyzes them and causes death.

For cucumbers grown on open ground, preparations with the active substance malathion are recommended - Karbofos, Funanon. These are organophosphorus compounds of contact and intestinal action. Spraying them is carried out during the growing season.

Timely fight against a sprout fly thinning out seedlings will be the key to a good harvest.