Насекомые незаметны на пшенице – бежевого, желтоватого или светло-коричневого цвета. Кроме того, площади поля огромные, сами понимаете, при таких исходных данных убрать вредителей вручную невозможно. Травить наших клиентов химической мукой тоже не хотелось бы, но и покупать зерно, лишенное первоначальных свойств, отказываюсь. Как мне поступить в этом случае, подскажите. Нужно найти способ, как убрать клопа, его яйца с растений. Очень жду вашего ответа. Мария.
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In my material below, you will learn about controlling the pest turtle not only in the fields, but also in the regular vegetable garden.
Pest bug: phases of development and where it lives
These insects represent danger for various plantations. They cause the most damage to grain crops (favorite food: rye, barley, wheat). To remove the pest turtle from plants, you need to inspect the site, the more often the better. The bug is able to fly, which allows it to travel long distances. This is how infestation of distant fields occurs.
But parasites are also found in homestead plots and vegetable gardens.
This is where they prefer to destroy tomatoes. When it's starting to get coldThe pests can get into a human dwelling as they rush to the source of heat.
The tortoise noxious turtle is not one of the insects with complete transformation.
Bed bugs of this species go through several stages of development, skipping pupation:
- eggs - The duration of maturation varies from 1 to 3 weeks, which depends on habitat conditions;
- larvae - develop for 1-2 months, the period of their body formation also depends on air temperature and other parameters, before sexual maturity insects need to go through several stages of molting;
- Imago are sexually mature pests, capable of reproduction.
Чаще всего насекомые этого вида встречаются в степной зоне. Их также обнаруживают в большом количестве на юге лесостепи Украины, а еще в нашей стране, Азии, Болгарии, Северной Африке, Албании, Греции.
What the pest turtle bug looks like. Close-up photos of adults and their larvae
Look for beetles (in fact, they belong to the Shielded Tortoise family) with outward signs on plants:
- body length 10-13 mm;
- The outer covers are light brown, but there are individuals with darker coloration - up to black;
- 3 pairs of limbs;
- Margins of pronotum convex, rounded;
- If you look at the pest from above, you can not see the limbs, from this angle the insect resembles a turtle, which determined its name.
Features of a way of life
The life span of insects is 10-12 months. This is an average figure, because pests of this species are very influenced by environmental conditions. Insects spend most of their lives in the fields, feed there, and reproduce.
Only adults are able to survive the winter.
They look for hiding places under old leaf litter in forests and woodlands, as well as close to humans - in the homestead in the garden.
Breeding the pest turtle
Insects wake up when it gets warmer to +12° ... +15°С. This allows them to start searching for new habitats where they can get unlimited access to food. Approximately 1-2 weeks after that, insects begin a period of active mating. A female needs food to make a clutch. During her lifetime, she can lay 45-225 eggs. The maximum number of clutches is 15, with up to 15 eggs in each clutch. But still the average is 3 clutches in 1 season.
Signs of a pest turtle
Bed bugs lay eggs on young shoots of grain or vegetable crops, weeds, and even on dried plant parts. The larvae destroy the shoots and the adults mostly destroy the grain. Signs that suggest an infestation of plantations:
- underdevelopment of shoots, their damage, change in shape, appearance of lesion traces;
- inhibition of the growth of the whole plant;
- lower yields;
- white-spotted grains;
- mechanical damage to the grain, changing its properties, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of the flour obtained from it.
What is the harm of the insect and how to detect it
Bedbugs of this species introduce a special enzyme into plant tissues, grains. It helps to change the structure. In this case, the gluten loses its properties, the grain becomes unsuitable for flour production. In this case, the finished product not only loses useful substances, but also is characterized by a different taste, you can not make bakery products from it. As a result, the flour does not comply with GOST.
Close-up photo: grain damaged by the turtle bug
Bedbugs leave pricks rather than bites on plants. The damaged areas are invisible. But gradually a dark spot appears. It is framed by a light yellow spot. The tissues of the grain wrinkle in this area. If pressure is applied, the endosperm crumbles. The tissues lose elasticity and the grain is no longer dense and resilient.
Similar signs appear on tomatoes.
Photo of the bedbug on tomatoes
Photo of a bug on a raspberry
Natural decline in turtle bug populations
In this case, negative external factors are considered. If turtles are regularly exposed to them, the number of the colony decreases. But most often it is not individual factors that have an impact, but a whole set of environmental parameters. These include:
- temperature: if the value rises to +30° C, the egg laying may dry out;
- Larvae of the first instar die en masse because they are more susceptible to negative factors, for example, bed bugs at this stage can be washed away by heavy rains, because in open flat areas (in the fields) the probability of waterlogging is high;
- the ovipositions die under the influence of mechanical loads;
- The average temperature in the area during the flight of overwintering insects also plays a role;
- death of individuals at any stage of development occurs due to late frosts in early spring.
If spring temperatures are low and the weather is wet and cool, the developmental period of the turtle bug increases.
This leads to a decrease in the number of such pests, because fewer eggs appear and, accordingly, the number of individuals that can give offspring when they reach sexual maturity decreases.
Tortoise bug control
Destruction insects is a difficult process because it is impossible to predict where they have left their eggs. Even if you treat most of an area, the pests can still survive if one of the clutches is left untouched. When the turtle bug is expected to appear on tomatoes, countermeasures must be of a different type.
Pest control chemistry
Special types of preparations are used to kill insects in areas where crops or vegetable crops are grown and in the fields. They combine different properties at the same time: they provide efficiency and cause less damage to plantations.
| Product name | Features | Цена |
|---|---|---|
| Actara | Insecticide of intestinal contact action, contains thiamethoxam. The drug is produced in Switzerland. The principle of action is based on the ability of the substance to penetrate into the plant tissues, from where it gets into the insect body together with the food | 150 |
| Ephoria | The product is available in large volume containers. It has contact and systemic activity and can kill pests of grain and vegetable crops. High efficiency is due to the use of two different types of insecticides: lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam | 5689 |
| Karate Zeon | The drug is characterized by its universal action. It contains lambda-cyhalothrin. It is an insecticide of intestinal contact action. The drug is available in the form of microencapsulated emulsion | 2500 |
| Chlorophos | The advantage of the drug is its prolonged action (for 3 weeks). It contains a substance which is a derivative of phosphonic acid | 1055 |
| Carbofos | The drug is highly toxic - it contains 50% malathion, it belongs to the universal remedies. Residual effect is 1-2 weeks | 5000 |
Folk methods
If the following are considered waysIf you have a lot of bugs on tomatoes, you should also take into account the degree of infestation of the plantation. So, if there are a lot of insects, chemical means are used. Folk methods are used if you can not allow the influence of insecticides that penetrate into the structure of tissues, for example, when growing vegetables for children-allergic.
But most often this method of control is used for prevention or to kill a small number of individuals at the initial stage of infection.
Herbs
You can plant on the plot (preferably along the perimeter) clopogon grass or cimicifuga. This is a safe way that does not require complex manipulation. The grass exudes a specific smell, which is unpleasant to the pest turtle. You can also prepare infusions based on garlic. You will need 2 heads, 10 liters of water.
Insist the remedy for 3-4 days.
Freezing
Insects survive the long winter in poorly insulated shelters. They can endure low temperatures. However, it is practically impossible to influence pests in this way in an open space. It remains to expect that the winter will be frosty and the individuals will not survive it.
Turtles die when the air temperature drops to 10°C.
Kettle
You can theoretically get rid of bed bugs with boiling water. If you pour hot water of up to +100°C over the pests, they will die quickly. However, under bare conditions, the pests live scattered on the plants. Looking for them to pour boiling water on them is problematic, it will take a long time. In addition, established plants may be damaged by this method.
Vacuum cleaner
Not only do you need to know what a turtle bug that damages tomatoes and other fruits looks like, but you also need to be able to recognize it, because you have to act quickly.
It is difficult to collect insects with a vacuum cleaner.
In most cases, the length of the cord does not allow you to clean the entire area. In addition, bed bugs that are stuck inside the mechanism of the device will emit an unpleasant odor. In the future, using such a vacuum cleaner will be problematic.
Mechanical collection by hand
This method has the significant advantage that no preparation is required and no chemicals need to be used. It is enough to take a bucket of water or a small container filled with liquid, and then you need to go around the whole area. But there is a weighty disadvantage - pests emit a substance, a special secret when in danger.
The smell is very strong and unpleasant, it is difficult to remove.
Rules of tomato processing
When chemical-based control measures are considered, it is important to remember to protect the plantings:
- plants are treated before flowering and formation of fruit ovaries;
- the last insecticide spraying procedure is done 3-4 weeks before harvest, allowing the toxic substances to break down.
Natural enemies of turtle bugs
Additionally, other pests contribute to the colony's decline. Tortoise bug should be wary of:
- hedgehogs;
- centipedes;
- telenomus;
- ant;
- predatory mites.
And natural enemies can destroy individuals at different stages (adults, larvae) and even eggs.
Video: turtle bug life, what it looks like, how it harms agriculture and how to get rid of the plague
Preventing bed bugs
It is necessary to create conditions under which pests will not appear on the homestead plot. To do this, consider ways that are not difficult to implement on your own:
- In the spring, plant clopogon, a grass that releases substances that repel pests;
- in the area where it is allowed, walk chickens, as they feed on bedbugs, which are harmful turtles;
- after the last harvest, you need to clean up the area: collect the leaves, dried plants, all the mousse is burned;
- Weeds must be controlled in time;
- Harvest when the time is right, you shouldn't delay it;
- Properly fertilize the soil, apply compositions containing phosphorus and calcium;
- apply folk methods: treat with herbal infusions and other home remedies;
- collect the pests with their own hands and wear gloves beforehand.
Vegetable gardeners' reviews
Tips from agronomy experts
Conclusion
The pest turtle bug lives in the fields, and overwinters mainly in the woods and forest belts. The pests have found a shelter for themselves - under old leaves. To destroy such insects on your plot, you need to learn more about them:
- The pests reach 13 mm in length, 6 mm in width, and are characterized by a brown coloration, but darker-colored insects are also found. Bed bugs reproduce in early spring and throughout the warm season, with a total of 5-220 eggs during that time.
- Tortoises feed on plants: larvae eat young shoots, adults eat grain and fruits. Such pests can destroy the entire crop.
- Chemicals are used to remove insects, but they can be sprayed before flowering and the formation of ovaries. It is acceptable to use physical methods as well as handy materials. The latter are used most often for prophylaxis.
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