Crackers: common types of beetles and ways to combat them

The ratchet is the name of the whole subfamily of leaf beetles. Often settling in garden crops and flowers, they harm plants: they leave unattractive openings on the leaves, which also harms the state of plantings in general. They are well known to many gardeners and gardeners, therefore, a list of measures is known to help expel the pest and reduce the risk of its re-settling in beds or flower beds.

General description of rattle beetles

Beetle-rattle is quite primitive in structure and lifestyle to insects. Representatives of this subfamily - lat. Criocerinae - are 2,000 species distributed across 15 genera. They got the name “rattle” for the feature that unites them all - to make a characteristic sound when danger is approaching.

Although these beetles are common throughout the world, their lifestyle has been poorly studied. These are small insects, whose body length does not exceed 1.5 cm, prefer to eat leaves and stems of monocotyledonous plant species. Less commonly, they live on dicotyledons and gnaw the fruits of asparagus crops.

Mating and egg laying processes in temperate regions last until mid-July. Females are quite undemanding to the place of egg laying: these can be flower buds, leaves and testes of plants. The appeared larvae cover their surface with excrement, similar to small dark points, on which the activity of the pest can be suspected. When the time of pupation comes, they move to the surface of the soil, often completely burying themselves in it. Fallen foliage or other plant debris is also suitable for transformation.

Lily

Lily rattle, which is also called the "lily bug" is one of the most common species. Adult individuals have blood-red elytra. The rest of the body, as well as the legs and antennae, consisting of 11 segments, are black. The total length of the insect is from 6 to 9 mm. Initially, the species appeared on the territory of Eurasia, from where it was introduced to North America and continued settlement around the world.

Lily beetle can fly and hide perfectly. Having noticed a person nearby, he falls from the plant to the ground in such a way as to hide his bright wings and appear to the enemy as a dark abdomen, merging with the soil. It will not be so easy to make out a rattle in this form. Birds do not pose a danger to the lily beetle, because it has an unpleasant taste.
Beetle larvae and adults bite plant leaves, preferring lilies. They can also eat:

• nightshade;
• tobacco
• potatoes;
• lily of the valley;
• host
• grouse and other plants.

Therefore, the presence of a lily cracker on the site will definitely lead to negative consequences.

Onion

Each gardener is upset when he sees on his plot, instead of healthy rows of onions and garlic, corroded feathers and arrows of plants. This means that an onion rattle, also called an onion leaf beetle, has started up on the beds. The pest activity peaks in late June – early July.Widely distributed in the temperate climatic zone of Eurasia.

These are small bugs, the length of which is not more than 8 mm. At first glance, their appearance is identical to the appearance of a lily flare, but upon closer examination, an important difference is noticeable: the onion beetle has a red body, legs and antennae.

Onion rattle is often called firefighter. Because of this, confusion arises: the same popular nickname is a beetle from the family Softcat. But the latter has dark elytra.

Asparagus

The main difference between the asparagus rattle and the two species described above is the presence of 12 black spots on the orange elytra (5 on each). It affects primarily asparagus, but in search of food it can attack lily and other plants. This is a very voracious leaf beetle, whose colonies can destroy all leaves completely. If necessary, they are saved from danger by crawling to their lower part.

Mating lasts from March – April to June. Females make small clutches of up to 3 eggs on asparagus fruits, the pulp of which subsequently feeds on larvae. Soon the fruits fall to the ground. This helps the larvae get into the soil where they pupate.

Ways to fight

The simplest, but not entirely effective way to destroy the rattle bug is to remove them mechanically.
But still, this option allows you to reduce the number of individuals. For example, you can use:

• hand picking;
• watering plants under pressure with cool water;
• shaking bugs a film previously laid on the soil;
• shaking on a cardboard coated with a sticky substance.

Also popular methods include pollination of plantings with dry mustard or woody hall. These recipes are relevant when young larvae appear on plants. Also, plantings can be sprayed with infusion of bitter wormwood.

Chemicals

The most rational and effective option is the use of insecticides. Against rattle beetles, the use of a number of drug groups is relevant.

Pyrethroids:

1. "Karate". It is necessary to prepare a solution of the drug in water at the rate of 1 g per bucket. It is recommended to apply the resulting composition to the plant in dry weather, when there is no strong wind. To do this, you can use a spray gun. If this is not the case, some gardeners use a broom, spraying the solution. After it dries, the active substance is poorly washed off with water, due to which there is a prolonged effect: plants are protected for up to 3 weeks. Using "Karate" on vegetable crops, you need to remember that the drug is approved for use a month before the harvest, because it accumulates in vegetables or onions.
2. "Decis" with the active substance deltamethrin. It is very toxic for bees, so if there is an apiary nearby, it is better to choose another remedy.
3. Lamba-S is sold in 5 liter canisters with a solution already diluted in the desired concentration. Affects ratchets in a matter of minutes: first paralyzes them, after which the pest dies.

Organophosphorus:

1. "Tagore", which includes dimeotoat. Like Lamba-S, it is supplied to stores in a form ready for spraying plants. The volume of containers is 5 and 10 liters. The death of the ratchet occurs 3-5 hours after the treatment. It will take 2 procedures with an interval of a week.
2. Actellic is a popular drug that has been proven over the years. To use it, you will need to prepare a solution in the ratio of 20 g per bucket of water. The result is noticeable instantly. To fix it, it is recommended to do 2 treatments, between which 7 days should pass.
3. "Malathion" is low toxic and does not change the taste of the crop. But its shortcomings include the short duration of exposure, although it is resistant to the effects of weather.

Neonicotinoids:

1. Actara is a highly effective insecticide against rattle beetles. After processing the plants, the pest cannot eat and will die soon. It is necessary to make the solution in accordance with the instructions and always in the open.
2. Calypso kills rattles 3 hours after spraying.Low toxicity, therefore, does not pose a great threat to bees and warm-blooded animals. But you should not forget about the precautions when using it.
3. Mospilan produces a nerve-paralytic effect on insects. The cooking process takes place in 2 stages. For the initial solution, you need to dilute 2.5 g of the drug in 1 liter of water. Then the resulting liquid is added to 10 l of water and mixed thoroughly. Spraying is carried out using a garden sprayer.

All chemicals are much more effective than the mechanical destruction of beetles and folk tricks. But, in order to avoid the negative consequences of their use, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions attached to the selected drug.

Agricultural technology

Simple agrotechnical methods to deal with rattle bugs help to reduce the population living on the site:

1. All plant residues and weed weeds must be cleaned in a timely manner, especially before winter.
2. In autumn, beds and flower beds should be deeply dug up: if larvae or eggs are buried in the earth, they will not be able to get to the surface with the onset of spring.
3. The beds need to weed and loosen the aisles.
4. Crop rotation (alternating crops planted on one site) will help drive out pests. If they do not find their favorite food, then most likely they will go in search of it to another place, and the larvae will die.

Maintaining cleanliness in your area, proper soil treatment, planting care are relevant not only for the destruction of rattle beetles. These are universal rules that can reduce the risk of plant infection by any pests and diseases.