Aphids on cherries: photos, how to treat them, how to get rid of them, measures and methods of control, treatment rules in spring, summer, autumn

One of the main scourges of gardeners is the appearance of aphids on plants. If you miss the moment and allow these insects to multiply, you will not have to wait for the harvest. With garden crops, things are a little simpler, since a low-growing plant can be completely watered with insecticide. If aphids have appeared on a tree, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of them completely. For example, it is possible to completely treat a cherry tree against aphids only with some kind of lifting mechanism. This is a tall tree and the parasites will almost certainly remain on the upper branches.

Why did aphids appear on cherries?

In general, the answer is obvious: he wants to eat.The food of this large superfamily of Aphids is plant sap. There are 5,000 species of aphids in nature, and all of them parasitize vegetation. If all these insects could feed on the juice of any plant, there would be no flora left on Earth. Fortunately, aphid species are relatively specialized. The most common parasite on stone fruit trees is Myzus Cerasi or the cherry aphid.

The question “how do aphids appear on cherries” is much more interesting. After all, if you look at these insects, it turns out that they are wingless.

There are three ways pests appear on trees:

insects hatched from eggs left on the branches of a cherry tree or other crop since the fall;
the ants brought their “cattle” to “graze”;
arrived.

There are very few winged individuals on plants, since these are fertilized females. They can no longer remain on the old tree; they must expand their habitat. After fertilization, the female simply flies away to another plant.

Winged females are few in number in the colony; they quickly fly away to a new place

What does aphid look like?

These are small insects, the usual size of which is 2-3 mm. Although in the superfamily there are species whose representatives grow up to 7 mm. The mouthparts of these insects are of the piercing type. They use it to pierce the surface of leaves or young shoots and drink the juice.

The length of the proboscis of aphids varies. In some species, the oral apparatus can reach very large sizes. This is due to the feeding habits of insects.

Comment! The giant oak aphid (Stomaphis quercus) has a proboscis length of more than 10 mm with a body length of 5 mm.

In all aphid species there are wingless and winged forms. The first one can also reproduce, but it ensures the reproduction of the population on the original host plant.Wingless females are unfertilized and reproduce by parthenogenesis.

After fertilization, the female grows wings and flies away. This is how host plants change. Myzus cerasi or cherry aphid most often appears on cherries.

Description

A sexually mature, unfertilized female cherry aphid has a pear-shaped, wide body. The head is at the narrow end of the body. The length of a wingless adult is 2-2.4 mm. The color is black on top and brown on the belly. In immature individuals, the color of the back is dark brown. The body of the cherry aphid is shiny.

The dark green antennae are divided into 6 segments, with a total length of about 1 mm. The antennae grow from wide frontal tubercles forming a groove.

The fertilized winged individual is shiny black. Its body length is 2.4 mm. The flying female lays black oval eggs.

The color may seem to unmask black aphids on green cherry leaves. It is so indeed. But this color hides insects well on the dark bark of cherry branches. The same applies to insect eggs.

Most common form of aphid: viviparous, unfertilized female

The distribution area of these insects excludes only those regions where its main fodder crops are not grown:

South America;
Antarctica;
South and Central Africa;
Southeast Asia.

The cherry aphid causes the greatest harm in the southern regions of the former USSR, which stretches in a line from Moldova to Central Asia.

Feed base

Black aphids are oligophagous and eat not only cherries. Her diet also includes other stone fruit garden crops:

cherries;
plum;
apricot;
peach.

Black aphids give preference to cherries, as they are related to cherries. But he will not refuse other fruit plants.

In addition to cultivated trees, cherry aphids feed on:

soft bedstraw;
straight eyebright;
tenacious bedstraw;
Veronica officinalis;
spring serratus.

The presence of aphids on wild plants would worry few people if the species had no flying females. If there is any of the listed herbs near the garden that are affected by aphids, there is no doubt: soon the insects will appear on the garden trees.

Life cycle of a pest

The life cycle of black aphids begins in early spring, when the first generation of insects emerges from overwintered eggs. Eggs overwinter at the ends of annual shoots near the buds. And the first larvae appear simultaneously with the buds opening. Aphids feed on the sap of young leaves, which causes them to turn black and dry out. During the season, several generations of pests change on the tree.

Comment! The development cycle from egg to adult is 3 weeks.

Since parthenogenesis involves the birth of already living small copies of adult individuals, 14 generations can be born during the warm season.

Light and small individuals are young aphids

Signs and causes of aphids on cherry leaves

With a daily inspection of young cherry shoots, you may be able to notice the appearance of pests at an early stage. But usually gardeners discover aphids when they are already comfortably located on the tree:

this year's shoots are strewn with black insects;
entire colonies of insects are found on the back of the leaves;
leaves curl and turn black;
the flowers begin to fall off.

The first appearance of aphids is possible in early spring, when the cherry blossoms are just beginning to bloom. These are the pests that emerge from overwintered eggs. The second wave will occur after the females of the first generation grow up and are fertilized.Around the same time, ants can bring insects to the trees. They also want sweets. And the excrement excreted by aphids contains a lot of sugar. Then pests can appear at any time. It all depends on how quickly the winged female flies to the tree.

Measures to combat aphids on cherries

The first time you need to treat cherries against aphids is in early spring. But not when tree trunks are usually whitened to get rid of overwintered bugs, but a little later: at the moment the buds open. At an earlier time, you can use only those drugs that act on pest eggs. These are usually strong chemical insecticides. This is possible in early spring. Later, before treating cherries for aphids, you need to pay attention to the degree of ripening of the berries.

How to get rid of aphids on cherries using folk remedies

Most chemical insecticides have a long shelf life. Many of them are systemic, that is, they can penetrate plant tissue. Trying to drink the juice, the aphid simultaneously absorbs the poison. This is an almost ideal option if you spray cherries with such insecticides against aphids in early spring, when sap flow begins.

But during the ripening of the crop, it is undesirable to use such preparations, although the manufacturer assures consumers of the safety of modern insecticides. At the stage of half ripeness of the berries, it is better to treat aphids on cherries with folk remedies:

ammonia;
tar soap;
ash;
soda ash;
decoctions of aromatic herbs.

The practice of gardeners shows that the best option is soda ash. But other recipes have a right to exist. The dosage in all recipes is calculated for a bucket of water.

Attention! Particular attention should be paid to the underside of the leaves.

On the leaf, aphids cluster closer to the central vein

Ammonia

Half a bar of laundry soap is grated and dissolved in hot water. The resulting soap solution is poured into a bucket of water and a 100-ml bottle of 10 percent ammonia is added there.

It is necessary to treat black aphids that have settled on cherries twice with a break of a week. Particular attention is paid to the underside of the leaves.

Tar soap

If you don't have it, you can use regular household cleaners. Tar is more effective because of the smell. Otherwise, there is no difference between the detergents. The recipe is the same as with ammonia, but without the latter.

Herbal infusions

These products do not kill aphids, they only repel them. Therefore, the effectiveness of herbal decoctions and infusions is very low. But if you need to do something urgently, and only herbs are at hand, you can use this method. For decoctions use:

St. John's wort;
tansy;
sagebrush;
calendula;
yarrow;
dandelion leaves;
tobacco.

A stronger and at least slightly poisonous remedy: an infusion of potato or tomato tops. It can also be prepared from fresh dandelion or tobacco leaves. For infusion, take equal parts of herbs and water. Freshly chopped greens are poured with water and left to steep for a day so that the plants release toxic juice into the water. Then the infusion is filtered and sprayed on the cherries.

Ash infusion

Pour 0.5 kg of ordinary wood ash into a bucket of water and leave for 3 days. Don't forget to strain before spraying the trees.

Garlic infusion

Crush the head of garlic and add a liter of water. Leave for 5 days. Use diluted: 50 g of infusion per bucket of water. It will definitely work for 2 hours.

Garlic can be found in any home

Dry mustard

Stir 100 g of mustard powder in a bucket of water. Spray the cherries with the resulting mixture. For better adhesion of mustard to the leaves, you can add soap to the solution.

Milk with iodine

You will need a bottle of iodine and half a glass of milk. The ingredients are diluted in a liter of water and the resulting solution is sprayed on the plants against aphids. Considering the size of the cherry tree, a lot of solution will be needed.

Soda Ash

It is sold in hardware stores as a substitute for kitchen utensils. Experienced gardeners believe that using a soda ash solution is the best way to rid cherries of aphids during the ripening of the crop. Since soda is used for washing dishes, it can be used even on already ripe cherries. The preparation method is also simple: soda is diluted in water. Each gardener has his own proportions. Some use 3 tbsp. l. on a bucket of water. Others believe that porridge cannot be spoiled with oil, and add the same 3 tbsp. l. per liter of water.

All these folk methods allow you to get rid of aphids on cherries in the summer during the ripening of the crop. Until it is possible to use stronger drugs. Plus, folk remedies are safe for human health.

Treatment of cherries against aphids with biological products

Biological products do not destroy aphids on trees immediately, as happens when spraying with chemical insecticides. But their advantage is that they are harmless to humans and can be used even a few days before harvest. Disadvantage: biological products are easily washed off by rain. But after the rain you definitely don’t have to worry about the presence of insecticide. Biological products include:

Fitoverm: effect on aphids 10-12 hours after application.
Entobacterin: the effect is similar to Fitoverm. Can be used 5 days before harvesting.The best result is shown at an air temperature of 28-30 ° C, that is, it is best to spray trees at the height of summer. At lower temperatures it is necessary to increase the concentration of insecticide.
The arrow with the active ingredient bitoxybacillin is harmless to warm-blooded animals. The insecticide begins to work 2 days after spraying;
The drug 30-plus is called exactly that. Its active ingredient is an emulsion of petroleum jelly, which covers the aphid's spiracles. The advantage of this insecticide is that it is not washed off by rain. In addition, Vaseline oil is completely non-toxic. It can be used at any time. Disadvantage: the emulsion will not reach the aphids inside the rolled leaf.

Biological products are a good and reliable alternative to traditional methods of killing aphids.

You can also attract predatory insects that feed on aphids to your garden.

How to fight aphids on cherries with chemicals

All chemical insecticides can be applied no earlier than 20 days before harvest. The best effect of the drugs is in the early stages of the growing season. To almost completely get rid of black aphids on cherries, the first spraying should be done at the beginning of sap flow. And it is necessary to use systemic drugs that can penetrate plant tissues. The larvae emerging from the eggs will die either in direct contact with the insecticide or when trying to drink the juice.

The following chemicals are used:

imidacloprid: neonicotinoid class, enteric-contact action, systemic;
karbofos/malathion: reliable insecticide against aphids, but very toxic to humans, non-systemic;
Thiamethoxam: neonicotinoid class, enteric contact action, systemic;
alpha-cypermethrin: class of pyrethroids, enteric, valid for up to 2 weeks if there has been no rain;
beta-cypermethrin: class of pyrethroids, enteric;
deltamethrin: class of pyrethroids, enteric.

These insecticides can hardly be found on sale under their real names. Usually these are the active ingredients in registered trademarks. Imidacloprid is sold under the names: Biotlin, Confidor Extra, Tanrek.

Karbofos can be found under the brands: Profilaktin, Aliot.

Thiamethoxam is part of the most favorite preparations among gardeners: Aktara, Voliam Flexii, Enzhio Forte.

Trademarks for other insecticides are not very diverse. Alpha-cypermethrin – Neofral, beta-cypermethrin – Kinmiks, deltamethrin – Decis Profi.

How to remove aphids from cherries using mechanical methods

Mechanical methods for removing aphids from cherries include:

breaking off infected shoots;
washing away aphids from the tree crown with a strong water jet;
use of anti-ant belts.

It is impossible to completely remove aphids from cherries using similar methods. You can only reduce its concentration on one plant. Anti-ant belts will not allow ants to bring their “bugs” to the trees, but will not protect against flying aphids.

In addition, this belt will not help against aphids on felt cherries. This plant today belongs to the plum genus, but it is a shrub 1.5-2 m high. Sometimes felt cherry grows up to 3 m.

It is convenient to destroy aphids on felt cherries by breaking off the affected shoots. It is also convenient for spraying.

Pests from tall cherry trees will have to be knocked off with a stream of water. But along with the insects, the entire crop falls to the ground.However, with a high degree of probability, you won’t have to worry about it anymore. It will not ripen anyway, since the aphid will drink all the juice necessary for normal fruiting. It would be good if the tree itself could be saved.

It is better to tear off curled leaves immediately

Comprehensive measures

It is better to get rid of aphids by immediately applying a set of measures. To prevent ants from bringing their “livestock” onto the branches, you need to put hunting belts on the cherry tree trunks and regularly update the adhesive surface. Branches in spring and leaves in summer must be regularly sprayed with insecticides or insect repellents. It would also be a good idea to weed the weeds, which also serve as food sources for aphids. It is necessary to remove already dying, curled leaves manually, as insects hide there.

How to properly treat cherries for aphids

To properly process cherries, you need to follow some rules. This includes not only choosing a drug depending on the season, but also checking the weather forecast and observing safety precautions.

When can you treat cherries for aphids?

The first time cherries are processed is in the spring, when the snow has not yet completely melted. Choose oil-based insecticides to prevent the larvae from hatching from the eggs. Such preparations are poorly washed off with water and can last a long time until the snow melts and frosts with frost are possible.

Chemical insecticides can also be used during cherry blossom season. At this time, it is better to use long-acting systemic drugs.

After the berries appear, chemical insecticides can be used while the cherries are still green. After the fruits turn red, it is more advisable to switch to biological products, and shortly before harvesting, use folk remedies.The latter will have to be applied weekly until the harvest is harvested.

After picking the cherries, closer to autumn, you can again switch to systemic insecticides. There is no point in using anything like this in late autumn. You just need to clear the trees of pieces of old bark and carry out the usual autumn procedures.

Personal protective measures

When processing cherries with folk remedies, no special protection is required, since all these substances are in the kitchen of any housewife. But when spraying trees with chemical insecticides, especially karbofos, protection is already necessary. Today it is not difficult to buy a full chemical protection suit.

Attention! Work with karbofos should only be carried out in such clothing.

Other insecticides do not require such powerful protection, but the required minimum is a respiratory mask, goggles and gloves. However, cypermethrins are moderately toxic to mammals.

This “form of clothing” is acceptable when spraying cherries with folk remedies, but is completely unsuitable when working with industrial insecticides

Processing rules

Cherries should be processed in dry weather, after checking the weather forecast. It is necessary that there is no rain in the next 3 days. Otherwise, the insecticides will be washed away with water. Time of day for processing: early morning or evening. At this time, flying aphids can no longer rise into the air and will also fall under the action of the insecticide.

The dosage of industrial preparations is indicated on the packaging. Depending on the type of insecticide, both the dosage and frequency of treatment may vary. Folk remedies do not have strict dosage standards, and the frequency is no less than once a week.

Prevention measures

It is impossible to get rid of aphids in the garden forever.It is also impossible to destroy it using only one method of struggle. To radically reduce the number of aphids in the garden, a set of measures is required:

regular removal of root shoots;
cleaning the trunk and branches of the cherry tree from pieces of dead bark in the fall;
sanitary tree pruning;
spraying cherries in early spring with preparations with an oily consistency; the use of diesel fuel or kerosene is acceptable;
control of the ant population and monitoring of their movement through trees: using trapping belts;
After the first larvae appear, treat the cherries with insecticides to prevent the aphids from growing to adulthood. The so-called “green cone spraying”;
regular inspection of all plants;
when aphids appear on the upper branches of cherries, wash the trees with water;
regular weeding of weeds, on which aphids can also settle.

But even with careful prevention, you should not relax. Single individuals will not cause much harm, but aphids also carry viruses that are much more difficult to cure.

Preventing the appearance of aphids by treating cherries with an insecticide in early spring

Conclusion

Cherries need to be treated for aphids several times a season. Insects reproduce quickly and use the wind to fly long distances. Aphids can appear any day during the entire growing season. Insecticides are selected depending on the ripening period of the crop.