Content
Pear psyllid or psyllid is a common pest of fruit crops. Its natural habitat is Europe and Asia. Insects accidentally introduced to North America quickly took root and spread throughout the continent. In private and farm gardens, pear borer damage is one of the causes of tree damage and crop loss.
Description of the pear sucker
The common pear psyllid or pear psyllid is a small insect with developed wings that can jump from plant to plant. Females are extremely fertile and overwinter under old bark and fallen leaves. During the growing season, 4-5 generations of copperhead have time to develop.
The color of the adult psyllid (imago) varies from orange-red in summer to black in winter. The chest is covered with whitish longitudinal stripes, the transparent wings folding along the body are painted with dark veins. The length of a mature insect is 2.5-3 mm. The oral apparatus is of a sucking type.
A photo of the pear honeydew will help you get an idea of the pest.
The eggs are first whitish, then orange, have the shape of an elongated oval and are 0.3 mm long. Each female lays from 400 to 1200 pieces.
The greatest danger to plants are the nymphs of the pear honeydew, which represent the last stage of larval development. They go through 5 phases of maturation until they become an adult insect ready for reproduction. During this time, the size of the pear honey nymph increases from 0.36 to 1.9 mm, and the color changes from yellowish to red-brown.
Development cycle
Adult, black-colored individuals of the pear honeydew of both sexes overwinter in cracks in the bark and under fallen leaves. At an average daily temperature of -2-3° C, they begin their life activities and come out of hiding. In the southern regions this can happen in February, in the north - no later than the end of March.
At a temperature of +5° C, mating begins; the pear honeydew makes its first clutch when the air warms up to +10° C. The body of the next generations of the pest is colored in orange-red and red tones. The first clutch is usually located at the base of the buds, the subsequent ones are in the form of a chain on the stalks and on both sides of the leaves.
The higher the air temperature, the faster the pest develops. If at 10°C nymphs hatch from eggs after 23 days, then at 22.6°C the interval is reduced to 6 days.
Going through 5 phases of development, the nymph looks different after each molt:
- An orange insect 0.36-0.54 mm long with dark spots on the back.
- The color of the nymph of the pear honeydew becomes lighter, and the size increases to 0.55-0.72 mm.
- The insect becomes gray-yellow, 0.75 mm to 1 mm long.
- The size of the nymph reaches 1.1-1.35 mm, the color changes to green-yellow. The wing cases become noticeable and slightly overlap each other.
- The nymph looks more and more like an adult pear honeydew. Its size increases to 1.56-1.9 mm, the color becomes brownish-green, and the wing cases completely overlap.
During the growing season, 4-5 generations of pear honeysuckle appear, which multiply quickly.
Why is an insect dangerous?
Reproduction and development of pear honeysuckle occurs only on young, actively vegetative parts of the plant. Adult insects (imagoes) damage greenery when feeding, but the main damage is caused by nymphs.
Pest nymphs suck the juice from young greens and excrete the excess as a sticky substance called honeydew. When there is a large accumulation of psyllids, the results of their vital activity envelop the vegetative organs of the pear, and the liquid can even drip onto the ground.
Affected leaves and shoots become infected with sooty fungus and dry out, and this, in turn, causes weakening of the entire tree and damage in winter. Flower buds colonized by the pear honeysuckle dry out and fall off. Those fruits that manage to set grow small, deformed, the flesh becomes woody and tasteless.
Honeydew blocks the stomata on the leaves, which in itself depresses the pear and interferes with photosynthesis and nutrition of the plant. This opens the way for the development of various infections, and the sticky discharge attracts other pests.
Severe damage to a pear by the copperhead can affect next year's harvest. Damage to 25% of leaves is the threshold beyond which economic losses begin.
Measures to combat pear worm
It is difficult to control the psyllid, since it emerges from the winter at low temperatures, lays eggs early, and adults jump from tree to tree and can fly. The most effective means of destruction are chemical, which is not to the liking of supporters of organic farming. Pesticides of biological origin showed good results.
Chemicals
Pear sucker is destroyed with pesticides, which include organophosphorus compounds, mineral oils and other active substances of contact and intestinal action. The greatest efficiency is achieved by alternating them.
Before the buds open and along the green cone to destroy the pear worm, the following preparations are sprayed:
- Drug 30 Plus;
- Preventative
The first treatment is done as soon as the daytime temperature reaches +4° C. To check whether the pests have already woken up, you need to lay white agrofibre or other fabric under the tree and knock on the branches with a stick. A black psyllid emerging from winter will be clearly visible on light-colored material.
During the growing season, pears are sprayed with the following preparations:
- Aktara;
- Fufanon;
- Drug 30 Plus;
- Iskra M.
Pesticides should be alternated, changing the active ingredient or using biological pesticides, since the pear honey worm develops immunity to them.
Biological agents
Neonicotinoids are organic insecticides that, in large doses, cause death in pests due to paralysis.They are good because they are highly toxic to insects, and have a moderate effect on vertebrates. The simplest and most accessible drug of this group is tobacco dust; it is infused and used according to the instructions.
To combat the pear borer, the forest bug Anthocoris nemoralis is used, which can help in the destruction of other pests and is sold in 500 ml bottles. Some useful insects for the garden include:
- ladybugs;
- lacewing;
- fire beetles;
- syrphid flies (hoverflies);
- ground beetles;
- spiders
Traditional methods
Using traditional methods, you can only cope with pear worm if the insect infestation is detected in the early stages, and measures to destroy them were taken immediately. A large number of pests need to be controlled using pesticides.
Infusions and decoctions of herbs are ineffective, but you can use:
- dandelion;
- delphinium;
- yarrow.
Sometimes you can hear advice to treat pear trees with a solution of silicate glue. This cannot be done - perhaps liquid glass will destroy insects, but it will clog all the stomata on the leaves, causing the greenery to die faster than from pests.
Preventive actions
Those who do not want to use strong means can be advised to regularly inspect trees to identify pests and not neglect sanitary measures. To prevent the appearance of copperhead on pears, you should:
- carry out preventive spraying of trees in spring and autumn;
- remove plant debris at the end of the season;
- in the fall, dig up the tree trunk circle;
- clear old bark and whiten tree trunks;
- attract beneficial insects and birds to the garden.
Conclusion
The pear honeydew is a dangerous pest, waking up early, flying, and prolific. It is impossible to prevent its appearance in the garden. It is important to detect the psyllid in time and take measures to destroy it.
