Strawberry mite: how to deal with this pest?

The luxuriant shrubbery shrubs are reduced to dwarf size and characterized by an oppressed appearance, the first leaves grow to the usual size and literally after some time together with the rest they become twisted and wrinkled, on the underside of the leaf plates there is a silvery coating - these are the external signs of the presence of a dangerous pest on the garden plant, Called the "strawberry mite".

Description of the strawberry mite

The pest of strawberry plantations is common in all regions of cultivation of this garden culture and is characterized by very small sizes (from 0.1 to 0.2 mm), therefore it is possible to see an insect only with the help of a magnifying device. The vitreous-transparent body of an adult mite has an oval shape and is divided into the anterior and posterior parts by a transverse groove. Females are 1.5 times larger than males and account for 85% of the total number of adults. In the stage of the larva, the mite has three pairs of bristly legs, in adults there are four of them.

Parasitic activity

Typically, the laying of small elliptical eggs of the female produces on both sides of a young leaf that has not yet opened. At a comfortable temperature of +19 ... +25 ^о С, the development of one generation of a garden pest lasts from 2 to 9 weeks. Thus, from the middle of April to October, from 7 to 9 generations of strawberry mites, the optimal conditions for the life of which are high humidity and not too hot temperature. On berry bushes strawberry tick (see photo in the article) comes with planting material, through garden tools, shoes, clothes, berry mustaches and leaves.

Most plants are infected with such a pest in the middle of summer, when there is not enough moisture in the soil. It is at this time that insects eat with particular intensity, so the symptoms of damage to bushes are most pronounced. With the onset of cold weather, the rate of development of the berry pest declines; Egg laying stops at a temperature below +13 ^o C. By the end of autumn, males die, and females winter behind stipules, at the base of plants, sometimes wait for the cold between the folded plates of young leaves. If a strawberry mite on a strawberry is found, how to deal with such a pest? We'll look at this a little later.

Consequences of mite activity

In all phases of development the strawberry mite lives in the rudiments of flowers and on young, only opening leaves of wild strawberry; Freely moves within the bush. The consequences of the life of a small pest are very damaging to plants: the yield of infected strawberries drops sharply, the leaves become yellowish-oily, wrinkle and die. The bushes lose frost resistance and, in most cases, they freeze out during the winter. Violating the formation of flower buds laid at the end of summer, strawberry mites on strawberries cause huge damage to the harvest of not only the current year but also next year and at an opportune time is able to destroy more than half of the expected fruit. Gradually increasing, the harmfulness of the insect reaches its peak on plantations of three to four years of age. How to deal with strawberry mites?

Combating a berry pest should be started immediately, from the moment of its detection. In the early spring, you need to collect all the remains of vegetation from the beds, because pests can winter them. Then the collected mass is burned or put into compost, after having been disinfected. Also on each plant bush it is recommended to carefully pour up to half a liter of hot (about 80 ^о С) water, after which to bite, feed and water.

Mite against tick

It is rather difficult to get rid of a pest because of its inaccessibility to places of its resettlement. The struggle with the strawberry mite can be carried out by an alternative method, which involves the release of the natural enemy - the mite Neseyulius Cucumeres - to the damaged bushes. This predator is bred in special laboratories and vegetable greenhouse farms and is used throughout the summer period. For each leaf a bush of wild strawberry is required to produce from 25 to 40 mites, depending on the degree of damage to the latter. Since this method of struggle does not suit everyone, in practice more accessible methods are used.

Strawberry mite: fighting measures

Effective measure of the control against a garden pest, at which it is possible to get rid of 90 to 95% of its quantity, is mowing the green mass immediately after harvesting. Previously, the site must be weeded from weeds, fertilized and watered. With the timing of such a procedure should not be delayed, since the plant needs to grow a leaf crown before the onset of cold weather. Then you need to do a three-time, with a weekly interval, spraying the cleaned area with biopesticides "Akarin" or "Fitoverm" at the rate of 20 ml of funds per bucket of water. Effectively use of chemical preparations "Actellik" (15 ml per 10 l of water) or "Fufanon" (30 ml per 10 l of water). Treatment should be done twice for 10-14 days. Chemicals are recommended to alternate, as the mite quickly gets used to pesticides.

Sometimes the result is disappointing

Due to the presence of most of the pests at the base of the strawberry bush on half-opened or still undiscovered leaves, treatment with even highly effective preparations may disappoint unsatisfactory results. This is due to the fact that it is quite difficult to deliver the working solution to hard-to-reach habitats of the tick , because of the obstructing thick sheet cover.

Before the beginning of the growing season with a significant mite damage, it is necessary to spray all berry plantations with a 3% Bordeaux liquid. An effective measure in the fight against insects is the treatment of cultural plantings with a 70% solution of colloidal sulfur, carried out during the period of the growth of foliage, before flowering and after the formation of fruits.

Folk methods

In spring, with the growth of the first leaves, during the budding and twice after harvesting, it is possible to destroy the garden pest with infusion of onion husk. For its preparation, 200 grams of dried material should be filled with a bucket of water, insist for 4-5 days, drain.

In the fight against the strawberry parasite effectively spraying the garden plot with a decoction of tomato leaves. For its preparation of 1 kilogram of dried green mass, it is required to pour 10 liters of warm water and insist for 3-4 hours. After this, the infusion should be boiled for 2-3 hours, strain, diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2, add 40 grams of household soap. Apply for the right purpose: treat the beds with strawberries.

Planting strawberries is recommended to pour a decoction of garlic at a rate of about half a liter per bush. To enhance the effect, the treated plants should be covered with a polyethylene film for several hours. Spraying pesticides (for example, the drug "Carbophos") is recommended only after the collection of fruits. During their conduct, it is necessary to moisten the young foliage abundantly, since the strawberry mite in its main mass lives on it.

The heating of the soil is effective against the strawberry mite. To do this, after harvesting, all the leaves should be mowed, after 3-5 days, the site should be treated with fire (using a gas burner), after which it is necessary to water the plants abundantly. Further care of the bushes is reduced to measures for weeding, feeding and shelter for the winter.

Preventive measures

In the fight against the strawberry pest it is very important to take preventive measures: the planting should be kept clean, well lit and ventilated. You should not plant berry bushes in shaded areas, as well as in areas with stagnant water. It is recommended to loosen the soil more often, to fertilize berry bushes, and to carry out feeding events in a timely manner. This causes favorable conditions for the growth and development of plants and increasing their resistance to various pests, including strawberry mites.

Recommended activities before planting

To plant strawberries it is required to use only healthy seedlings. When using seedlings of its own production, it is recommended that young plants be completely immersed in hot water for a quarter of an hour before they are planted, then rinse in cool water and put them in the ground. This treatment should be carried out no later than mid-August: before the winter season, seedlings should build up a good root system, from 3 to 5 leaves and a well-developed growth bud. When early detection of strawberry mites should be removed as damaged bushes, and located next to them. An effective measure of the control of the parasite is the observance of the crop rotation: the strawberries can be returned to their original place no earlier than in 4 years.