Onion midge: how to get rid of the garden, the means, how to process

Who are fruit flies and are they dangerous to humans

These small insects come from the fruit fly family. Diptera from the genus Drosophila are up to 3.5 mm in size. The color of the body is yellow-brown, the eyes are red. What else is known about them:

• Flies live for 10-20 days, in the cold season (at home) up to 2.5 months;
• The size of an egg is only half a millimeter - no wonder that we cannot see it with the naked eye, and we don’t even know to look closely;
• After 10 days, a larva appears, which is 7 times the size of an egg;
• Once born, adult females mate and lay up to 80 eggs at a time;
• During the season, fruit flies can give 10-13 generations.

The larva and the onion fly itself feed on the juice of rotting fruits and vegetables, sugary liquids, excretion products and decaying tissues of plants and animals.

In winter, they live next to a person, nearby or in various warehouses, warehouses, cellars, ventilation openings, lay eggs in the ground under flowers, seedlings.

The danger to humans is not the fly itself, but its larva. A huge number of small larvae can get inside the body along with spoiled food or in violation of the rules of home hygiene and personal cleanliness. Discomfort in the stomach, diarrhea, intestinal spasm appear due to the swallowed Drosophila larvae.

Well, you must admit that it is not very pleasant to be in a house where nasty sticky flies live, it is not aesthetically pleasing, and undermines the reputation of the owners.

Information about onion gnats

It is not difficult to distinguish insects from other representatives of this class. Onion midges have the following characteristic features:

• small size within 1-3 mm;
• oval body;
• slow, unhurried flight;
• two symmetrically located wings and eight legs;
• their color is in a yellow-brown palette, very rarely they can be black or orange.

You can take a closer look at the onion midge in the photo posted on the website. Pests do not pose a danger to humans, they do not bite, do not tolerate any infection, but they have the ability to multiply quickly. The female lays eggs only on the surface of perishable fruits and vegetables, which the larvae then feed on.

Important! When storing onions in dark and warm places, and even in a plastic bag, they begin to rot. This creates favorable conditions for the spread of onion midges. She not only spoils the vegetables and fruits available in the kitchen, but can start in sweets or a pot with a houseplant. At the first signs of the appearance of pests of indoor plants or food products, it is necessary to begin to fight them in order to get rid of them forever.

Insect features

To prevent crop loss, you must first find out what features distinguish the onion fly from other insects. The Latin name of this pest is Delia antiqua, its dimensions reach eight millimeters, the color of the insect is gray-yellow. Distributed everywhere, both in the southern regions and in temperate climates. Because of this, every gardener is forced to look for ways to combat these pests.

The danger to the onion culture is not the adults, but their larvae.During her life, a female fly gives offspring in the amount of fifty individuals. A favorite place of laying is the protruding parts of the bulbs, in each of which the fly can lay 10-20 eggs. Their characteristic feature is the presence of a longitudinal groove. Bulb fly eggs are white, slightly elongated, about 1 mm in diameter.

The fly lays eggs not only in onion bulbs. It is also possible to damage the following cultures:

• tulips;
• garlic;
• leek;
• batun, etc.

Larvae hatch one week after laying. Outwardly, they look like worms up to one centimeter in length, their body is slightly narrowed at the head end. Hatching from one clutch, the larvae together gnaw the flesh of the bulb, as a result of which a cavity is formed in it. After 3 weeks, they move to the ground, where they pupate. After another 20 days, adult insects hatch.

Fly Cycle

• Fruit flies that resemble small flies. They are also called fruit midges.
• Sciarids, in other words - flower gnats. They closely resemble small black mosquitoes.
• Whiteflies that look like small light gray or whitish little midges. They prefer to settle under the leaves.
• Delia antiqua, or common onion flies, are 6–8 mm in size, ash gray or yellow-gray in color, reminiscent of house flies. She lays eggs on top of the bulb.

The onion fly damages not only onions, but also other types of onions: leeks, chives, shallots. In addition, the pest is partial to all bulbous plants, tulips, garlic, and some types of salad.

The fly begins to fly from the beginning of cherry blossoms, before that it is inactive. In June, flies lay their eggs in the soil of onion beds or on young seedlings. After a week, the larvae appear, they penetrate the pulp of the bulb, where they feed and destroy the plant. After that, the pests crawl from one plant to another, and can destroy the entire onion bed.

Damaged onions have dried and yellowed feather tips. If you pull the plant out of the ground, you can see that the body of the bulb is damaged and begins to rot.

Super food for feeding and protecting onions from flies

How to store onions correctly so that flies do not start in it

Living outside a person's home, onion flies are able to fly from the street, from the entrance, from the ventilation. But, often, everything is much simpler: we ourselves bring them into the house.

• Eggs or larvae live on the surface of fresh, dried and dried fruits and vegetables bought in a store (in the market). Under favorable conditions (violation of the integrity of the peel, rotting), flying individuals appear from them.
• We bring these parasites home on the soles of shoes, gloves, bicycle wheels and strollers when we store them in the hallway.
• Fruit fly larvae and eggs can also appear on the soil for plants from the store or with soil for seedlings from your own garden.
• Paws, fur, faeces, and food in pet bowls are excellent breeding grounds for the fly.
• If the onion is stored improperly, when its bottom rots or the husk deteriorates, these flying insects start up in the house. Clutches of eggs on the bulbs were laid in the garden in the summer.

Anyone who does not know the smell of rotting onions - they did not store them in sufficient quantities for the winter. When we buy an onion in a supermarket or a bazaar, we put it in a plastic bag, put it on the floor near the radiator and ... safely store it there.

It is not necessary to do this - the warmth and humidity of the closed bag will create a good microclimate for the decomposition of the product.

• The first unshakable rule for the successful storage of onions is their thorough drying after harvesting. Scatter the onions in one layer under a canopy, in a barn, on a terrace.
• Only healthy and intact heads are laid for wintering. You do not need to cut the bottom of the onion; only dry roots are trimmed or exfoliated.Otherwise, pathogenic microorganisms will penetrate through the "wounded" surface and create the likelihood of damage.
• Dry onions are stored at a room temperature of 17-22 degrees, but in the basement it is permissible to keep them at 1-5 degrees.
• Air humidity in the room during storage should not exceed 75-80%.
• In small quantities (when onions are bought in a store for a week), it is convenient to keep them in a bag in a special compartment of the refrigerator.
• Boxes with holes, special plaited braids - this is what you need to keep onions safe.

It has been noticed that red onion varieties are more prone to rotting. This is due to the fact that red onions are almost always early ripening and are not intended for storage for a long time, and they are almost always sweeter than usual. Maybe that's why flies appear in such a bow most often.

Do not give in to the assurances of sellers in the market that there are special varieties of onions that do not rot. You may be advised to buy a bow that does not appear flies. Only all this is pure fantasy. The main thing is to properly dry and store the onion.

What to do if onion gnats are found?

How to get rid of onion midges is a paramount question, and you need to start solving it by looking for a place of their active reproduction. The main thing is to leave pests without food and a breeding ground for their offspring. The procedure will be as follows:

1. Throw away the spoiled onions, carefully sorting out all the available vegetables.
2. Remove the onion without any signs of rotting or spoilage in the refrigerator, spreading in small portions in plastic bags.
3. If it is not possible to put onions, other root vegetables in the cold, they should be stored in boxes with sawdust, in extreme cases - in fabric, well-ventilated bags.
4. Remove all fruits, especially citrus fruits, out of the reach of midges.
5. Throw away garbage on time, at first - 1-2 times a day.
6. Wash dirty dishes immediately after eating.
7. Limit insects' access to water - they also need it for their vital functions. To do this, close all taps so that they do not drip, leave the sinks dry, do not store water on the table, and thoroughly wipe clean dishes.
8. Remove and clean siphons a couple of times a week, use disinfectants to clean the sewers.
9. Regularly wash the cages of pets, do not allow food residues to be found there.

Modern methods of pest control, chemicals

Modern or chemical methods are also used by many gardeners. This is an effective way to get rid of the pest. If time is lost and the pest has multiplied, you cannot cope with it without these drugs.

But we must remember the disadvantages - chemicals accumulate in the plant and are unsafe for humans. And they must be used with great care when there are more than 7-8 eggs on one plant.

Intavir

Moderately toxic drug, does not harm beneficial insects - bees. Dilute 1 tablet in a bucket of clean water at room temperature. Watered twice in warm weather, with a two-week break. Do not use vegetables after processing for 2 weeks.

Alatar

An intensely toxic drug with a wide range of effects. Economical, 5 ml of product is required for a bucket of water. Carry out processing in the morning or evening, in the absence of wind. Does not wash off when it rains.

Creolin

Liquid, very toxic product. Use as a last resort. Acts efficiently and quickly. Prepared from 2 tablespoons of liquid per liter of water. Secondary watering after 20 days.

Bazudin

The product is effective against insects. Processing is carried out in the spring, before planting. For 20 m2, 30 grams of the drug mixed with sand or sawdust will be required.

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There are other drugs approved for use:

1. based on diazinon (Medvetox, Zemlin), the soil is preliminarily loosened, destroys the chewing apparatus of the larvae
2. based on thiamethoxam (Aktara), affects the nervous system of the pest, is used throughout the growing season
3. based on cyhalothrin (Karate Zeon), harmful to the nervous system of the fly, it is used regularly

These preparations will provide long-term protection of the crop from pests. Do not forget about the frequency and thoroughness of processing.

The onion fly can be fought in a more radical way - with the help of chemicals. They are more harmful than folk, but more effective. There are a large number of preparations with which you can spray onions.

Onion midge and its larva

Aktara insect repellent

• Aktara;
• Fly eater;
• Karate Zeon;
• Terradox;
• Maxim.

They are usually used on large cultivated areas of bulbous plants in large farms.

By action, drugs are divided into:

• organic compounds - neonicotinoids;
• synthetic insecticides - pyrethroids.

The action of insecticides is to damage the nervous system with the development of paralysis and death of the insect. These types of products are not phytotoxic. Pyrethroids can only be used to kill adults.

The dream of every summer resident and gardener is a rich tasty harvest.

And how annoying it can be when pests of garden crops become on the way to achieving a dream, spoiling vegetables and significantly reducing their productivity.

Often you have to spend a lot of time and effort to eliminate annoying insects from your site, using a variety of methods.

However, in this article, we will talk about how to effectively get rid of the onion fly, since, most often, this insect is found in the beds with onions.

In order to know who to fight with, you need to have an idea of ​​what an onion fly looks like. In fact, it is very similar to an ordinary house fly: its body is ash-gray or yellowish-gray in color and reaches a size of 5-7 mm, its wings are transparent. The fly itself does not pose a danger to plants, but its larvae do significant harm.

Around mid-May, the fly flies out after wintering to lay eggs and continue its genus. In time, its departure coincides with the flowering of cherries, lilacs, dandelions. In the same period, the insect's diet is pollen from flowering plants. The fly begins laying eggs in early summer, placing them in the soil and on onion seedlings.

A week later, white legless larvae up to 10 mm long appear, which begin to actively feed. They eat onion scales for several weeks, gnaw their way into the bulb, and then go into the ground to pupate. After 14-18 days, a new brood of flies appears. During the summer, there is a change of two or three generations. Pupae overwinter in the soil, at a depth of 5-20 cm.

Thus, the first generation harms onions in June, and the second begins its harmful activity in July-August.

The first signs of damage by onion fly larvae are yellowing and drying of the feathers of the onion, as a result of which the plant begins to lag behind in growth and rotting of the bulbs occurs, which begin to exude a nasty smell.

Insects attack all types of onions, garlic, bulbous flower plants, some types of lettuce.

The main measures to combat the pest will be preventive measures that limit the favorable conditions for the invasion of the parasite. They can become the key to preserving the harvest and serve as a good alternative to the use of drugs that are harmful to human health.

Protection against onion flies consists in:

• processing of planting material before planting;
• early sowing;
• correct culture change;
• planting in the immediate vicinity of plants that repel onion flies;
• autumn digging of soil.

Initially, you should take a responsible approach to the choice of planting material. You need to buy it in specialized stores, because this way you will have a better chance of obtaining quality bulbs.

If you still dare to use dubious planting material, then before planting it in the ground, you should treat the onion sets with hot water (you can directly when planting). The bulbs are placed in water heated to a temperature of 45… 46 ºС, kept there for 10-15 minutes, and at a temperature of 50… 52 ºС for 3-5 minutes. After that, they are dried.

Also, onion sets are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate before planting, and insecticides are used to disinfect nigella.

The soil for onion planting must be prepared in advance.

Firstly, do not neglect the autumn deep digging of the earth (up to 25 cm deep), which helps to significantly reduce the number of any types of pests (pupae on the surface will die from the cold), and secondly, since the onion fly does not tolerate salty taste, before planting the soil must be sprayed with saline.

Among the agrotechnical methods of pest control, one should also highlight the observance of recommendations for crop rotation. Onions should not be planted annually in the same place, and the crop can be returned to the same area only after four to five years.

It is also necessary to avoid the organization of onion beds in areas where garlic, lettuce, tulips previously grew. The best precursors for planting onions are tomatoes, cabbage, and cucumbers.

When damaged plants are first found, they are removed from the soil and destroyed by burning.

If, nevertheless, agrotechnical methods did not help, and onion fly larvae have chosen your onion beds, you will have to take more effective measures to destroy them. It is better to start with gentle methods, for example, spraying with folk remedies. Below you will find several popular onion fly recipes, tested in their plots by many gardeners. {Amp} lt; p {amp} gt;

An effective means of scaring away the onion fly and its larvae is the treatment of onions with dandelion infusion. For its preparation, dandelion roots (200 g) are used, which are placed in 10 liters of water and infused for seven days.

Watering is carried out every two weeks. It is advisable to do the first treatment for pests in the spring, before the fly begins to fly. Also, onions are watered with infusions of other insecticidal plants: mint, needles, broths of wormwood, valerian.

To prepare a deterrent solution, you will need 200 g of tobacco dust, 10 liters of water and 30 g of liquid soap. Dust and soap are added to freshly boiled water, leaving the solution to infuse for several days. After that, you can start the spraying process.

Tobacco dust is also used for sprinkling onion beds. For the same procedure, a mixture of tobacco dust and lime is suitable. {Amp} lt; p {amp} gt;

We have already written above about spraying the soil with saline before planting. Salt irrigation is also used when pests are found on the beds. This is done three times per season, using a spray bottle.

When the sprouts reach a height of 5 cm, they are watered with a solution prepared from 300 g of sodium chloride dissolved in 10 liters of water. It is important that when watering onions with salt, you avoid getting the solution on the leaves of the plant, but if the solution does get on the feathers, then they must be rinsed with clean water.

Further, watering is carried out with more concentrated solutions. So, the second time (15-20 days after the first), you can apply a solution of 450 g per 10 liters, the third (20 days after the previous one), 600 g of salt is already dissolved in the same volume of water. After 3-4 hours, the solution from the soil must be washed off with clean water.

Important! This method can help to significantly reduce the number of pests, but at the same time it can harm the soil - lead to its excessive salinity.

Good results are shown by treatment with a mixture of ash and dry mustard in a ratio of 3: 1. It is sprinkled on the beds when the fly flies out to lay. To achieve a positive effect, the treatment should be carried out at least twice. {Amp} lt; p {amp} gt;

There are several more recipes for preparing a mixture of ash with the addition of black ground pepper and tobacco dust:

1. ash - 200 g;
2. tobacco dust - 1 tsp;
3. ground black pepper - 1 tsp.
4. • tobacco dust (1 part);

   wood ash (part 2).

Processing must be carried out 3-4 times at intervals of a week. The plants are pre-sprayed with water so that the mixture sticks better.

Dusting the soil with sunflower ash is also used. She, in addition to a means of fighting the pest, will also be a fertilizer for the plant, nourishing it with potassium and magnesium.

Important! Folk methods have only a deterrent effect and do not destroy pests by 100%. They should begin to be applied before the onion fly leaves, but in total, processing must be carried out two to three times per season.

How to get rid of midges in the kitchen - ways to solve the problem

To grow a rich onion crop, it is necessary to engage in prevention. This is a troublesome business, so please be patient. Let's consider preventive actions in order.

1. Crop rotation does not allow diseases and pest larvae to accumulate in the beds. Therefore, bulbous crops cannot be planted in one place annually. Planting can be returned to its original place only after 4 years. The optimal precursors for onion plantings are cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage.
2. Planting bulbous crops is good to combine with planting carrots, parsley, parsnips, celery. The insect does not tolerate their scent. The fly and nightshade crops planted aside will be scared away. These are tomatoes and potatoes.
3. When planting onions, it is necessary to cover the aisles with wood ash. It will scare away the enemy and serve as a fertilizer. The application of peat prior to planting will reduce the number of larvae in the soil.
4. Mulching plantings is another agricultural technique. Mulch will make it difficult for flies to reach soil and seedlings. Carry out a weekly dusting of the soil near the neck of the bulbs with tobacco dust, ash.

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The fly and single specimens of marigolds planted in the garden will be scared away. They interrupt the onion scent loved by the flies.

The correct preparation of the planting material will also be important. This will serve as a natural plant protection.

1. Before planting, dip the sevok in a weak pale pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) for 1 hour. You can soak the sevka heads in an ash solution made from 100 grams of powder per liter of water.
2. Landing time is another important factor. Sevok should be planted at the end of April, after the cold weather. By the time the fly starts to fly, the head will already get stronger. It is more difficult for a fly to damage a large onion.
3. Once every 3 days, it is necessary to loosen the beds with plantings. This makes it difficult for the larvae to access the onions, it is difficult for them to move in loose soil.
4. After harvesting, it is necessary to free the beds from plant residues. You can dig up the ground shallowly to make it difficult for fly larvae to winter. If the gardener is an opponent of digging the earth (there are some), then you can simply loosen it up.

It is important to remember that prevention, timely watering, fertilization and loosening will be more effective and bring more benefits than the use of chemicals.

Now the reader knows what kind of pest the onion fly is, how to deal with it using folk methods and modern drugs, its life cycle, signs of damage to a plant by a fly, how to prepare planting material and soil in order to avoid infection.

• A bitten apple or other sweet fruit left on the table;
• Trash bin with food waste, which is worth more than one day;
• Tomatoes, rotting potatoes or peeling them;
• Flowerpots: Some hobbyists are able to water their plants with dormant tea leaves or sugar water. Here the front sight will start;
• Juice cans, leftover wine, beer, or kombucha;
• Leftover food in pet feeders.

Bazudin 20 g

• In mid-May, add the drug Bazudin or an analogue to the soil. To obtain the product, you need to take 30 ml of the drug for half a kilogram of sawdust or sand, mix and add to the soil.This amount is enough to process a plot of 20 square meters.
• You can also add peat or manure to the soil. This will significantly reduce the number of pest larvae and pupae.
• Before planting, soak the onion for 15 minutes in a pale pink warm solution of potassium permanganate;
• Plant by alternating rows of onions and carrots, tomatoes or wild rosemary. The onion fly does not like these crops.
• Use a crop rotation: do not plant in the same place for more than 4 years. During the break, grow cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage in this place.

The choice of processing method is made based on personal preference.

You can etch the area with chemical insecticides or folk remedies prepared with your own hands. The main thing is that preventive measures are taken in a timely manner, since delay can lead to the death of the crop.

There are almost two thousand species of midges; fruit flies or food midges usually appear in houses and apartments. These are very small insects that reproduce instantly. They do not harm human health, but they can spoil food. Usually these midges are brown in color, but sometimes you can see orange and black individuals.

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Fruit left on the table can attract gnats.

For pest control to be successful, it is imperative to understand where the midge comes from. The sources are very diverse:

1. Overripe and rotten fruits and berries. Adults leave eggs on them, and when the products are in comfortable conditions, insects begin to actively develop.
2. A trash can and all waste in hard-to-reach places - an apple core under the cupboard, food leftovers, a dirty bottle attract a huge number of midges.
3. Drain in the sink - even if the sink shines clean, various waste inevitably accumulates in the depth of the drain. If they are not removed regularly, a suitable breeding environment for pests is formed.
4. Neighbors - midges can appear from unscrupulous owners of nearby apartments.
5. Indoor flowers - if the soil is constantly wet, insects easily settle in it and fill the dwelling.

Preventing its appearance is quite simple: vegetables and fruits from the market should be sprinkled with hot water and then dried. Among the main preventive measures are:

• discard soft berries, fruits that start to spoil in time;
• do not leave perishable foods on the table: strawberries, sliced ​​watermelon, pineapples;
• put all food in the refrigerator at night;
• do not store onions, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables harvested for the winter in a warm place;
• Dispose of garbage in a timely manner and wash the container with a disinfectant.

Do not leave rotten vegetables and fruits in the kitchen

If there are plants in the kitchen, loosen the soil, remove any fallen leaves, and wipe the pots thoroughly. When the midges have already started, it is better to replace the ground, and treat the leaves with a solution of potassium permanganate. If there are animals in the house, change the water for them every day, and always put the food in a container. Be sure to wash the refrigerator, throw away any spoiled food.

Midges can often be seen in onions. The main reason is its illiterate storage, when the vegetable is sent to an airtight package or bag - there they quickly damp and rot.

Immediately after detecting insects, it is necessary to sort the vegetables and throw out all the rot. One of the options to defeat the midge is pine needles or cotton wool treated with essential oil. It should be placed next to the bow.

One of the most common problems is midges in the croup. Their eggs and larvae can get into it even at the stage of packaging, and if the product is sold by weight, at the market or in a store. The first stage of the fight is to identify all pest habitats and get rid of bad foods. It is impossible to go through and completely clean them, since insect eggs are very difficult to notice.

Bugs and maggots in flour

The place where spoiled cereals are stored should be disinfected in order to destroy the larvae of pests. Bay leaf or garlic will help prevent re-infection - they need to be placed in containers with cereals. Another way is to store food in the freezer.

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After detecting midges, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the entire kitchen. The source of the spread of pests can be in a tiny crack, where, for example, a piece of apple ended up.

Wash the stove well, including all of its walls. The oven can be steam treated: put a pan with water and detergent inside, heat to one hundred degrees and hold for thirty minutes.

As a result, the west burn can be easily removed with a wet cloth.

Do a comprehensive kitchen cleaning

Don't forget the microwave. If there is a lot of fat in it, prepare a citric acid solution and heat it for ten minutes, turning on maximum power. When the device has cooled down, wipe it with a sponge. Clean all hard-to-reach areas in the kitchen with a brush, mop the floors, paying close attention to the area under the sink.

One way to kill gnats is with store-bought products. But most of these drugs contain chemicals that can cause allergic reactions and other serious consequences. The most popular aerosols are Reid, Dichlorvos. To destroy insects that grow in flower pots, Aktara or Thunder-2 is used.

Midges can be destroyed with specialized sprays.

An effective way to solve the problem. Traps can be made by yourself, even if you do not have special skills:

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Sticky tape is very effective in the kitchen against flies.

One of the most effective fly traps is sticky tape. Its effect can be enhanced with wine. Insects will instantly flock to their favorite scent. There are other options as well:

• a special house that attracts and destroys midges;
• expensive baits made in the form of a fruit and impregnated with insecticide.

One of the best options for getting the midges out of the apartment. Homemade recipes are easy to use and healthy. But first, do the following:

• treat all drain holes with boiling water;
• pour vinegar into the sink, pour soda, when the reaction is over, rinse with water;
• sort out all the cereals, send the spoiled ones to the trash bin;
• fumigate the room with incense.

Video

Experts and experienced gardeners share their recipes for fighting onion flies in the following videos:

By the main specialty - an accountant, therefore, even at a summer cottage, he strives for accuracy and the achievement of perfect order in everything. Gives preference to the cultivation of grapes. I am sure that the deeper you delve into truck farming and gardening, the more you understand that there is no limit to perfection!

Found a bug? Select the text with the mouse and click:

"Frost-resistant" varieties of garden strawberries (more often simply - "strawberries") also need shelter, as well as ordinary varieties (especially in those regions where there are snowless winters or frosts alternating with thaws). All strawberries have shallow roots. This means that without shelter, they freeze out. Assurances of sellers that strawberries are "frost-hardy", "winter-hardy", "tolerate frosts down to -35 ℃", etc., is a deception. Gardeners should remember that the root system of strawberries has never been changed.

From varietal tomatoes you can get "your" seeds for sowing next year (if you really like the variety). And it is useless to do it with hybrid ones: the seeds will turn out, but they will carry the hereditary material not of the plant from which they were taken, but of its numerous “ancestors”.

Natural toxins are found in many plants; those that are grown in gardens and orchards are no exception. So, in the seeds of apples, apricots, peaches there is hydrocyanic (hydrocyanic) acid, and in the tops and peel of unripe nightshades (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes) - solanine. But do not be afraid: their number is too small.

Convenient Android applications have been developed to help gardeners and gardeners. First of all, these are sowing (lunar, flower, etc.) calendars, thematic magazines, a selection of useful tips. With their help, you can choose a day favorable for planting each type of plant, determine the timing of their ripening and harvest on time.

Tomatoes have no natural protection against late blight. If late blight attacks, any tomatoes (and potatoes too) die, no matter what is said in the description of varieties ("varieties resistant to late blight" is just a marketing ploy).

Both humus and compost are rightfully the basis of organic farming. Their presence in the soil significantly increases the yield and improves the taste of vegetables and fruits. They are very similar in properties and appearance, but they should not be confused. Humus - rotted manure or bird droppings. Compost - rotted organic residues of various origins (spoiled food from the kitchen, tops, weeds, thin twigs). Humus is considered a better fertilizer, compost is more readily available.

It is necessary to collect medicinal flowers and inflorescences at the very beginning of the flowering period, when the content of nutrients in them is as high as possible. Flowers are supposed to be picked with hands, breaking off rough pedicels. The collected flowers and herbs are dried, scattered in a thin layer, in a cool room at a natural temperature without access to direct sunlight.

In small Denmark, any piece of land is a very expensive pleasure. Therefore, local gardeners have adapted to growing fresh vegetables in buckets, large bags, foam boxes filled with a special earthen mixture. Such agrotechnical methods allow you to get a harvest even at home.

In Australia, scientists have begun experiments to clone several grape varieties from colder regions. Climate warming, which is predicted for the next 50 years, will lead to their disappearance. Australian varieties have excellent characteristics for winemaking and are not susceptible to diseases common in Europe and America.

A rich harvest of onions is the pride of any gardener. If not stored correctly, it can be struck by such a pest as midges. It is not easy to deal with it, so gardeners call for prevention from an uninvited guest. And when the midges have already started up, they use a variety of methods of struggle, including folk methods.

How to get rid of an onion fly: effective remedies

If it so happened that flies did appear, they fly, land on food products and surfaces of work areas, then, of course, you want to get rid of them as soon as possible. You need to start fighting small midges by finding out the reason for its appearance.

• We found out that you have rotten onions, potato peelings are lying around - remove all this and immediately take it to the garbage chute or to the trash heap. Onion flies will not start when dry and clean.
• We get rid of the rest of the banquet immediately, throwing away fruit slices, bottles and salads.
• Brought home vegetables and fruits, rinse with water and sprinkle with boiling water - this way you will destroy the eggs, and with them the larvae of fruit flies.
• It so happens that everything is tidied up and washed, the onions are sorted out and the vegetable stocks are shaken, and the midges keep flying. In this case, we look under the sofas and kitchen cabinets, in the cracks between the furniture - there may be fruit pieces or banana peels. This is especially true for those who have small children or pets.
• There is another effective way - this is the bait for the onion fly. Pour some water, vinegar (any, but apple cider is better) into a small container or glass and add dishwashing detergent. Put cling film tightly on top and fix. With the tip of a toothpick (do not push further) we pierce several holes on the surface of the film so that the fly can crawl inside, but cannot get out. We leave for several days in a place where flies accumulate. It is better to choose a glass or film in yellow or orange.

Some housewives fight gnats with a vacuum cleaner. You can just suck on the insects and then clean the bag away from home. Other effective remedies include:

1. Horseradish - the smell of this plant scares away midges well. Cut fresh raw materials into pieces and place them throughout the kitchen, open the vents - pests will quickly fly away from your home.
2. Camphor, tobacco, juniper are excellent remedies against intruders. You can burn tobacco and pine needles in a suitable container. The camphor is heated in a frying pan.
3. Vinegar with soap and water - If you can't smoke the midges, try trapping them. To do this, mix water, vinegar and sugar in a jar, pour in liquid soap. Cover the neck with foil and make several holes in it. Insects will fly in and die.
4. Wheatgrass decoction - you can wipe all surfaces in the kitchen with it or spray them with a spray bottle.
5. Essential oils - gnats dislike the smell of lavender, cloves, and lemon. Use any of them and forget about the hated pests.
6. Vanilla - Put the pods in the kitchen. An alternative is a vanillin solution, which can be sprayed in place of your usual air freshener.
7. Garlic - chop a clove, pour boiling water over and leave for a couple of hours. Water the plants with midges in their pots with the prepared solution.
8. Geranium - gnats do not tolerate its smell. Therefore, place this plant in your kitchen and other rooms.

The best prevention of midges is cleanliness. It is advisable to store all products, packages with juice and jam in the refrigerator. Empty the trash can regularly and then rinse it with soapy water or vinegar solution.

Periodically check the condition of the water pipes, do not leave wet rags and dirty dishes in the sink, quickly get rid of spoiled food. To prevent gnats from appearing again, follow these simple rules:

• dispose of garbage in a timely manner;
• do not leave uneaten food on the table;
• store perishable foods and cereals in containers;
• wash the dishes immediately after eating;
• do a wet cleaning in the kitchen every week;
• Water the houseplants sparingly and sprinkle the soil with sand.

These guidelines will help prevent the spread of gnats. And if they already exist, you can easily cope with them using folk remedies or store-bought preparations against pests.

The reasons for the appearance of midges in the kitchen are varied and affect the choice of the method of struggle.

In some cases, folk recipes give a positive result, in others you have to resort to professional means.

Onion fly is a malicious crop pest

Biology

What are onion gnats? In appearance, they almost do not differ from indoor midges. Size Difference: Onions are smaller than usual (average: 5 to 8 mm). These flies are ash yellow in color with a green tint.

Females lay up to 10 eggs near plantings or on onion scales. After a week, the larvae hatch and look for food: they climb inside the bulb, eat out the cavity, and after 3 weeks they go underground and pupate.

After 3 weeks, they turn into adult flies. During its life, the midge lays up to 60 eggs. Summer begins in spring, in April-May, and the first juveniles fly out in July.

Plants eaten by larvae begin to rot, turn yellow and wither.

There is also no escape from onion flies in the apartment. Where do they come from in human dwellings? Often people bring them from the market or from the store, in a bag with a rotten onion.

Therefore, carefully inspect vegetables and immediately get rid of spoiled ones.

Summer residents should carefully examine and severely discard the material for planting, and additionally process the selected onions with potassium permanganate or boiling water.

Onion fly larvae gnaw the vegetable from the inside

Before you get rid of the midges, you need to find them. Take out the trash, inspect the sink - a piece of onion could get into the hole and rot there, sort out the cereals and vegetables. Having found the source of the appearance of flies, it will have to be washed with bleach and treated with insecticidal agents.

The following remedies are used for midges in the apartment and in the country.

• Industrial pesticides such as Raptor, Dichlorvos. Before using anti-fly products, read the instructions: usually the aerosol is used in the apartment with the windows closed. The products are dangerous to human health, so use gauze bandages and do not use pesticides in the presence of children.
• Traps, including self-made. Create bait in a jar or bottle and discard it when it turns black with midges. You can also hang sticky strips around your apartment.
• Flies can be scared away by smells - they do not like the aromas of mint, valerian and pine needles. Collect these plants and arrange them on the shelves, or purchase essential oils with these scents from the pharmacy.
• To get rid of onion gnats in the country, mix ground pepper with woody gold and tobacco dust. Another way is to water the plantings with dandelion infusion. Planting onions along with carrots on the same bed, or periodically treating plants with a solution of water and table salt, will help to save the crop from flies.

How to prevent the reappearance of pests?

To prevent insects from settling in a house or apartment again, measures must be taken to scare them away. So, onion midges do not tolerate the smell of needles and basil. Therefore, you need to purchase essential oils of fir, pine, basil, soak cotton wool in them and spread out in places where vegetables are stored.

Insects do not like the smell of clove seasoning - it can be stuck in citrus fruits that are stored outside the refrigerator. Midges also react negatively to the aromas of ylang-ylang, patchouli, verbena oils, so they can be dripped into aroma lamps and used regularly. Midges also cannot stand the smell of camphor, which, by the way, is absolutely not harmful to humans. Prevention of the appearance of midges is not difficult, but effective, and an unpleasant neighborhood will probably not happen to it.

See also: Methods for successful control of onion gnats

We draw a conclusion

To prevent the fruit fly from starting up in the apartment, you need to adhere to the following rules, including how to store the onion correctly:

• Place only dry bulbs in boxes, no damage. Once or twice a month, sort out onion stocks, throwing away spoiled products.
• Do not keep onions near central heating radiators, avoid high humidity.
• In pigtails, the onions are better ventilated and rot less.
• Storing onions in bulk assumes that the layer thickness will not exceed 20-25 centimeters.
• You also need to monitor the cleanliness of the home, do the cleaning on time, getting rid of the remnants of sweet and starchy food.

Onion storage rules

The best place to store turnips is in a cool dry cellar. Before harvesting there for a long time, you need to take dense bulbs and dry well. The storage capacity can be different, the main condition is air permeability. You can store the turnip in small boxes, wicker baskets, linen bags, nets.

Do not choose plastic bags and sacks for storage. Air does not penetrate them, the crop will rot.

To delight yourself and your loved ones with tasty and healthy dishes with onions, you need to follow these rules:

• store the vegetable separately from other crops;
• keep each type of onion separately;
• store bulbs of the same size in one container;
• the maximum layer height should not exceed 40 cm;
• once every 2-3 weeks, the onions need to be agitated, removing the fruits damaged by rot;
• the temperature in the cellar should be around zero, the air humidity should be 65-75%.

If these conditions are met, the crop can be stored for up to six months. Care must be taken so that roots and green arrows do not germinate.