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Beetleworm larvae often infest strawberry plantings because the soil under the plants is not completely dug up for several years. Caterpillars cause irreparable damage to plants, reduce productivity, destroying leaves and roots. In order to save a berry plantation, you need not only to know how to get rid of the cockchafer on strawberries, but also to choose the right method.
The female lays up to eighty eggs and then dies
What does a cockchafer larva look like?
The life cycle of an insect consists of four stages - egg, larva, pupa, adult. Adults fly out of their shelters in the spring, mate within a month and a half and lay eggs in the ground to a depth of 20 cm. Thirty to forty days later, larvae hatch from them, which are not at all similar to beetles and live in the soil for up to four years.At first they look like little white worms. In the first year, their mouth organs are not formed, so they feed on humus and small roots. The next year they begin to eat the roots of trees and shrubs, and a year later they reach maturity, their appetite is maximum. During this period, the body of the caterpillars is thick, soft, white, and curved. Length - from 3 to 5 cm. The head is large. Three pairs of legs are yellow-brown in color, there are spiracles on the sides of the body, and the wings are not developed.
At the end of summer they turn into pupae, which later become beetles. The cycle repeats itself again.
Signs of a pest
Khrushchev can be detected by holes in the foliage, as a result of which photosynthesis is disrupted, the plants weaken, turn yellow and wither. The larva, unlike the adult cockchafer, eats strawberry roots and thereby causes much more harm to it. Such a plant dies and is easy to remove from the ground. When digging, you can find damaged roots and the thick white caterpillars themselves. Other signs of pests on strawberries include:
- Delayed growth and development.
- Blackening of stems.
- Lack of flowers and ovaries.
- Drooping leaves.
The caterpillar hibernates deep in the ground, at this point it is difficult to get rid of it
What happens if you don't fight the pest?
In the first year of life, the caterpillars are small and practically harmless, but gradually their gluttony grows and in the second year the larva of the cockchafer eats up the strawberry roots and, if you do not fight the pest and get rid of it, all the bushes can be destroyed very quickly.
Khrushchev love sandy soils; they are less common on clay soils. Females are more willing to lay eggs in loose soil, so they breed very quickly in well-kept areas with rich, fertile soil.If you do not get rid of them in time, just a few individuals can damage the roots of berry bushes over a large area. Most often, pests are spread throughout the site when fertilizing with organic matter from compost heaps.
How to get rid of cockchafer larvae on strawberries
To remove cockchafer larvae from strawberries, you need to use one of the methods that is most suitable for specific conditions. Depending on the degree of damage to the area, you can apply:
- Physical methods – digging, collecting, catching, destroying.
- Agrotechnical - digging the soil, using green manure.
- Folk - the use of products and plants with a strong odor.
- Chemical – treatment with toxic substances.
Chemical preparations for cockchafer larvae on strawberries
The most effective means of control with which you can get rid of May beetle are chemicals. The toxins included in the composition leave no chance for pests. You need to purchase them in specialized stores and from trusted sellers, and apply them during the period of active growth of bushes.
Bazudin
A non-systemic organophosphorus insecticide that can retain its properties for up to six weeks after application to the soil. To get rid of the cockchafer, use it according to the instructions when planting strawberries in spring.
With the help of Bazudin, pests are destroyed translaminarly
Zemlin
Toxin of contact and intestinal action. Helps get rid of not only beetle larvae, but also other pests living in the soil. The active ingredient of the drug "Zemlin" is diazonin. Spray on the surface of the soil and add to the holes when planting strawberry seedlings.
30 g of Zemlin's preparation is enough to get rid of Khrushchev on an area of 20 square meters
Force
“Force” is produced in granular form, which is convenient when applied to the soil at the time of digging. Apply a week before planting strawberries. When larvae come into contact with granules, death occurs after 20-30 minutes.
30 g of Zemlin's preparation is enough to get rid of Khrushchev on an area of 20 square meters
Antikhrushch
A professional product that allows you to get rid of pests at any stage of their development. The liquid concentrate is diluted with water and watered over the strawberries to remove the May beetle larvae. The properties are maintained for forty-five days after treatment.
With the help of Antikhrusch it is not difficult to get rid of May and Colorado beetles, their larvae, aphids, wireworms, mites and leaf rollers
Vallar
Insecticide of systemic contact and intestinal action. It is produced in the form of water-soluble granules. After treatment, the drug spreads throughout the plant cells, and the larvae eat them and die. It can only be applied at the root; treating foliage with Vallar is not recommended.
Contamination of ground and surface waters with Vallar is virtually eliminated
Use of biological products
If the number of pests in the soil is small, you can destroy cockchafer larvae on strawberries using biological products. They contain bacteria or fungi that are toxic to the beetle. The use of biological products in recommended concentrations does not pose a danger to people, animals, beneficial insects and does not destroy the ecosystem of the site.
Fitoverm
The drug is applied to plants during the growing season. To be sure to get rid of the beetle, you should carry out three treatments with an interval of one week. The protective effect lasts from seven to twenty days. The disintegration period of the drug is three days.After processing, the berries can be harvested two days later.
Fitoverm is non-toxic for plants and does not accumulate in them.
Nemabact
The active component of "Nemabakt" is an entomopathogenic nematode that serves as a medicine for soil infected with the cockchafer. The drug is absolutely safe for people. After treatment, you can get rid of pests for two years; Nemabakt destroys them at the larval stage and they do not have time to harm strawberries.
The entonematoda hibernates in the cold season, and with the onset of warm weather it starts working again
Aktofit
"Actofit" is an acaricide of biological origin, a neurotoxin. Created based on a soil fungus. Once in the body of the cockchafer, the drug destroys its nervous system and leads to death. Pests stop moving and feeding 8 hours after spraying, and you can completely get rid of them only after two to three days.
The maximum effect of the drug Actofit is observed on the fifth or sixth day
Folk remedies for cockchafer larvae on strawberries
You can get rid of Khrushchev using folk remedies. The simplest, but most labor-intensive method is manual collection of the pest. After the onset of warmth, they rise in the soil to a depth of 20 cm. The method is inconvenient, since it will not be possible to collect all the individuals, and constant digging of the soil does not bring any benefit.
Treating strawberry bushes with onion infusion helps get rid of beetles. To do this, 100 g of onion peels are poured into 10 liters of water and left for five days. After this, the liquid is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio and the foliage and soil underneath are treated.
You can fight cockchafer larvae on strawberries using a solution of ammonia (15 ml per 10 liters of water). Treatment is carried out in spring or autumn.
Pest traps
Adult cockchafers do not cause much harm to plants, but in order to prevent mass reproduction, they should be caught and destroyed. DIY traps make this process easier and help get rid of the insect. For this purpose, they take a plastic bottle, cut off its upper part, and pour fermented jam, compote, beer or kvass into the lower part and hang it on the trees. Periodically, the tank must be cleaned of any insects and bait must be added.
To make a night trap, take a jar, grease the inside with something sticky - grease, honey, syrup, and attach a flashlight to the bottom. At night it is turned on, attracting insects that stick and cannot get out of the trap.
In addition to beetles, other harmful insects also fall into the trap.
Planting green manure
If it is impossible or unwilling to use one of the previously described methods of destroying cockchafers, green manure is used. They not only help get rid of pests, but also improve the composition of the soil.
The area is carefully dug up and sown with lupine. Plants should be located close to each other so that pests have nothing to eat except its roots, a real poison for cockchafers and their larvae.
White clover, peas and beans are used as green manure. They are able to accumulate and retain nitrogen in the upper layers of the soil, which is harmful to pests.
You can get rid of beetleworm by sowing mustard, which is mowed and embedded in the soil.
How to protect strawberries from cockchafer larvae
In order to prevent beetle from entering the area and get rid of it in time, a number of preventive measures are taken:
- Mulch the soil with fine straw, wood shavings or bark.
- Elderberry branches are laid out on the ridges, the smell of which repels insects.
- Plant cruciferous plants next to strawberries - turnips, turnips or fragrant plants - marigolds, garlic, onions.
- Bury mustard shoots and cabbage leaves into the soil.
- They attract birds and hedgehogs to the site.
- Regularly change the place where strawberries are planted.
Conclusion
To get rid of the cockchafer on strawberries, it is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of the plants, and at the first signs of damage, take measures to destroy the pests. If you miss warning signs, you can not only lose the current year's harvest, but also lose all plantings of berry bushes. A variety of control and prevention methods allows the work to be carried out quickly and as fruitfully as possible.
