Aphids on raspberries: how to process during setting, during flowering and fruiting

Home / Pests and diseases

Back to

Published: 03.08.2018

Reading time: 3 minutes

953

Colonies of aphids, an insignificantly small but such voracious insect, reproduce quickly and can cover large areas. Raspberries, as well as growing blackberries, currants, and rose bushes, suffer from aphids.

You can find aphids on raspberry bushes by visual inspection of the bushes:

the growth of inflorescences stops, after which they begin to fall off;
young shoots become shorter, deformed;
on the leaves and stems of raspberries, slimy spots with a shiny bloom appear. These are the waste products of aphids;
the affected leaves begin to curl into tubes, turn yellow, and fall off.

Have questions? Ask and get useful advice from professional gardeners and experienced summer residents. Ask a question >>

Procrastination is a mistake often made by inexperienced gardeners. If you notice at least one such sign, then immediately proceed to the destruction of these insects, otherwise you will be left not only without a crop, but, very likely, without the raspberry tree itself.

1 How to protect raspberry bushes 1.1 How to treat raspberries from aphids?

2 How to get rid of aphids on raspberries?

3 Folk remedies for the destruction of aphids

Causes of pests

The main pest of raspberries is the raspberry aphid. It is a small insect with a green or yellow transparent soft body (2.55 millimeters long). There are shoot and leaf aphids. In autumn, females lay eggs, which hibernate near the buds. As soon as the buds open, aphids emerge from the eggs and settle on young leaves, feeding on their juice. During the summer, several generations of aphids appear, including winged individuals.

Shoot aphids live in large colonies. Prefers to settle on the tops of stems, in inflorescences and on leaf stalks. Very active in hot weather. It feeds exclusively on plant sap, causing deformation of twigs, twisting of leaves, drying and falling of flowers.

Leaf aphids do not live in large colonies. One or more insects hide on the underside of the leaves and feed on their sap. True, this insect does not bring much harm to the leaves. But the leaf aphid is a carrier of viral diseases.

Reasons for the appearance of aphids in the raspberry tree:

winged individuals fly from neighboring plants;
aphids are brought in from seedlings purchased at the bazaar;
multiplies due to the fact that timely pruning of the bushes is not carried out;
preventive spraying with insecticides is not done;
weeds, fallen leaves near berry bushes are not removed.

Symptoms and signs of damage

In order to determine the signs of the presence of aphids on the bush, you need to carefully examine it. The insect is usually found at the tops of bushes, in young leaves, inflorescences, under raspberry leaves.

Signs of aphid vital activity:

inflorescences dry up and fall;
the leaves curl, turn yellow and crumble;
stems and twigs dry out;
leaves and branches are covered with a sticky bloom.

In the course of their life, aphids release sweet excrement, which ants lick off. Thus, insects take care of each other. In gratitude for the food provided, the ants protect the aphids and transfer them to juicy young shoots.

Damage to bushes

Settling on raspberries, the aphid drinks the juices of this plant, causing its depletion, drying of inflorescences, a decrease in the volume of green mass, curling, yellowing and leaf fall. Over the summer, several generations of this insect have time to appear. All of them can live on the same plant, feeding on its juices and causing it to gradually dry out and die.

The danger of this insect is also that it is extremely prolific. In just one season, the number of one colony increases several thousand times. During the summer, insects are able to completely stick around the raspberry bush and drink all the juices from it. In addition, the winged relatives of aphids can move to other berry bushes and lead to their death. In addition to the harm caused, aphids are a distributor of viral diseases that are dangerous for the raspberry tree.

How to process in a greenhouse and open field

There are many ways to combat aphids. Chemical and simple folk remedies are used against this insect. There is another method of influencing aphids - biological. To combat insects, raspberry bushes are populated by their natural enemies: ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies. Each of these insects, together with the larvae, eats several hundred aphids per day.

However, you need to take some action to attract beneficial insects to the raspberry bushes. Ladybugs and lacewings flock to the smell of calendula, dill, cornflowers, dandelions, cosmos, tansy, mint, yarrow. Hoverflies are very fond of dandelion nectar.

Chemical method

Chemicals can quickly kill aphids. True, before processing the raspberry, store products must be diluted with water according to the instructions. Systemic insecticides are used to control insects. On the label of a chemical product it must be written that it is used against aphids. The spray solution is prepared just before the treatment of the shrub. The chemical should only get into the area where insects accumulate.

Fungicides

In addition to insecticides, aphids can be fought with some fungicides. Although fungicidal preparations are used only to treat fungal diseases. However, Bordeaux mixture is used not only for leaf spot, but also against aphids. It contains copper sulfate and quicklime. The powder is dissolved with water according to the instructions and the leaves affected by insects are sprayed with the solution. As a preventive measure, you can treat the bushes with Bordeaux mixture even before bud break.

Fundazol is a fungicidal agent against fungal diseases with insecticidal qualities. This drug has a depressing effect on aphids. The product is not as toxic as chemicals. Fundazole is used to treat aphid-infested bushes. To prepare the solution, take 5 grams of the drug and one liter of liquid.

Folk remedies

There are many simple folk remedies thanks to which summer residents repel attacks of insect pests from their garden every year. Plants with insecticidal properties come to the rescue. Usually, decoctions or tinctures are prepared from them and sprayed with raspberry bushes. It is allowed to use pharmaceutical preparations, laundry soap and even wood ash against aphids.

Usually, an aqueous solution is prepared with the addition of some kind of agent, and it is sprayed on the raspberry bushes before or after the berries appear.

Soap solution

Take a bar of soap (200 grams) and rub it on a coarse grater. Then pour soap shavings with a liter of warm water and mix well. Another 5 liters of liquid are added to the mixture. The finished solution can be sprayed with raspberry bushes.

One bush takes no more than 300 milliliters of liquid. Leaves can be wiped with a wet sponge dipped in a soapy mixture. The lower branches are dipped directly into the solution. Instead of laundry soap, you can take tar soap. Some summer residents add a spoonful of soda to the soap mixture. You can also add one glass of vegetable oil to the soap shavings solution. Such a composition will cover the leaves with a film and will not allow aphids to feast on plant sap.

Decoction from the tops of tomatoes or potatoes

Tomato twigs and leaves can be used to make an excellent insect repellent. You need to take 2 kilograms of green fresh tops and chop it finely. Then pour 5 liters of warm water and let it brew for 3 hours. Then the pot with tops is put on the fire and slowly boiled for another 30 minutes. When the broth cools down, filter it and add 20 grams of soap to stick to the leaves.

Infusion of tobacco

For a tobacco-based infusion, take 50 grams of dry raw materials and one liter of hot water. The tobacco is poured with boiling water and left to infuse for 48 hours. Before processing, the mixture is filtered, diluted with two more liters of water and 5 grams of grated laundry soap is added.

Only 200 milliliters of solution are consumed per bush. Such treatment will help get rid of 80 percent of the insects and prevent the formation of a new aphid colony.

Infusion of celandine

Celandine juice is very poisonous. It is used against aphids that have settled on the leaves. Prepare a solution from the stems, leaves and flowers of celandine. The plant is finely chopped and poured with boiling water, let it brew for about 1 hour. For 400 grams of grass, take 5 liters of water. The mixture was filtered when the water turned brown. Raspberries are sprayed with celandine infusion several times until they completely get rid of insects.

Chamomile decoction

A decoction of chamomile will help get rid of aphids on raspberries. To do this, pour 500 grams of flowers with three liters of boiling water. Put the mixture on fire and cook slowly for 30 minutes. Then the broth should be infused for another 5 hours. Before use, the mixture is filtered and 20 grams of grated laundry soap is added.

Ammonia

You can use ammonia to treat raspberry bushes from harmful insects. This ammonia compound is also used as an additional source of nitrogen. Aphids living on leaves are very sensitive to ammonia fumes. True, a solution with ammonia is prepared for spraying plants. Only 5 milliliters of ammonia are taken for 1 liter of water. It is advisable to add a little soap shavings to the solution, for better adhesion to the leaves.

Ash solution

The ash left over after burning dry branches and firewood is used against insects. An ash or soap-ash solution from aphids is made from it. To prepare the mixture, take 300 grams of ash and pour 3 liters of boiling water. The solution is put on fire and boiled for 30 minutes. The mixture is cooled and then filtered.

For better adhesion, add 20 grams of grated laundry soap. This solution should be sprinkled on the bushes, wishing to get rid of the aphids that have multiplied on the leaves.

Onion broth

Aphids on raspberries during flowering are a problem that can be easily dealt with with ordinary onion broth. Onion husk has bactericidal properties, kills pathogenic microflora, is used to treat and fertilize raspberries. A decoction of the husk will help to cope with insects at a time when it is too late to apply any chemicals.

To prepare the solution, one liter of husk is poured with 5 liters of boiling water and the mixture is placed on the stove. The broth is boiled over low heat for 30 minutes. Then let it brew for 3 days. The mixture is filtered and sprayed with bushes. It is advisable to process the raspberry tree twice, keeping the interval (7 days).

Garlic infusion

You can spray raspberries from aphids with self-prepared garlic infusion. To do this, take a glass of chopped garlic and pour 5 liters of cold water. The mixture is infused for 24 hours. For better adhesion, a little soap shavings are added to the infusion.

Infusion of bitter pepper

If a white aphid appeared on raspberries, then how to deal with it with the help of bitter pepper? It is necessary to make an infusion. To do this, you need to pour 25 grams of red ground pepper with a liter of boiling water and let the solution brew for 4 hours. When the mixture has cooled, it is filtered. Then diluted with 4 liters of water. A few drops of liquid soap are added to the mixture so that it sticks better to the raspberry leaves. This tool can be used to treat bushes once every two weeks.

Natural remedies

Protecting raspberries from aphids can be prevented. This method of protecting berry plants includes:

Destruction of weeds;
Timely thinning of bushes;
Control of nearby vegetation, as well as new plantings.

Biological control methods are used to protect raspberries. These methods include:

Attracting insects - entomophages, which are natural enemies of the raspberry aphid. These insects include ladybugs, praying mantises, lacewing, wasps, and hoverflies. Entomophages are capable of destroying up to 1000 aphids per day. They exterminate the pest in the most inaccessible places.
Attracting species of birds such as sparrows, linnet, robins and titmouses. To attract birds, feeders and drinkers are installed in garden plots.
Planting aphid repellent plants. These plants are usually capable of producing phytonicides, which have a strong odor. Plants are planted near raspberry bushes. Plants that repel include herbs, garlic and onions.

Biological methods can also protect raspberries from aphid attacks. These include:

Attract aphids to the site of insect enemies. These are ladybugs, praying mantis, wasps, lacewing and hoverflies.
Attract small birds to the garden - sparrows, titmice, robins. For this, feeders with millet or millet are hung on the territory of the summer cottage.
Plant plants near the raspberry bushes, the smell of which scares away harmful insects. These plants include all herbs, garlic, onions.

Nuances of processing aphids on raspberries

Raspberry trees are treated with chemicals against aphids in the spring. Irrigation is carried out before flowering and fruit formation. Plants are sprayed with one of these drugs: Antitlin, Kilzar, Nitrofen, Karbofos. Insecticide treatment should be carried out in 2 stages. The bushes are sprayed with a chemical agent twice to finally get rid of eggs and adults.

During flowering

When the raspberries bloom, it is undesirable to treat the bushes with chemicals. Insecticides can burn the flowers of the plant and kill beneficial insects. At the time of flowering, it is advisable to use herbal decoctions or homemade tinctures against aphids.

During fruiting

With extreme caution, the raspberry tree is processed during the fruiting period.When red raspberries appear on the bush, treatment with chemicals and fungicides must be completely excluded. It is not recommended to spray the plants even with homemade decoctions of insecticidal herbs. You can prepare a soapy or ammonia solution and gently, with a small washcloth, wash each leaf on which the aphid colony has settled.

Safety engineering

Raspberry pest control chemicals are inherently poisons.

To maintain your health, you must remember and strictly follow the precautions when working with chemical plant protection products:

Never store them near food and grains, cereals.
The container in which the solution was prepared should no longer be used. After processing, she and all auxiliary materials must be thoroughly washed and dried. It is advisable to store it separately.
When spraying bushes, wear a cotton-gauze bandage, overalls.
Do not eat, drink or smoke during work.
It is strictly forbidden to process plants for children, pregnant and lactating mothers.
Hide the drugs in a place where they will be out of the reach of small children and pets. Do not throw away instructions and labels.
Do not leave the rest of the solution next time, pour it out immediately.

It is also important to know that not all drugs are compatible, for example, you cannot mix sulfur and ferrous sulfate, as well as chlorophos and karbofos with a Bordeaux mixture.

Read the instructions carefully before use, observe the percentage of the solution.

Errors when fighting aphids on raspberry bushes

Novice summer residents make a number of mistakes, wanting to quickly destroy aphids. For example, they buy fungicides and use them to fight insects. Some fungicides help control aphids, but insecticides should be used against insects. And only systemic action. Chemical preparations of the intestinal spectrum of action from aphids are not used.

There is another mistake that is made when processing bushes: spraying is carried out in rainy weather. The chemicals are immediately washed off by the rain and have no effect on the raspberries.

It is also important to remember that all insect control products must be diluted with water in the correct proportions.

Remember

Don't let the aphids spread destroy it in time. This pest multiplies very quickly, spreads through different crops and causes ants and various diseases.
Know the signs of aphid infestation, in order to detect it on the site in time and prevent the plants from weakening.
Observe preventive measures, to avoid the appearance of aphids on raspberries. Protecting plants is much easier than curing them.
Use folk remedies whenever possible because they are safe for humans and animals, do not accumulate in the soil, and are not inferior in effectiveness to expensive drugs.
Observe safety measures when working on an area with chemistry, so as not to get poisoned.

Aphid-resistant varieties

Aphids feel great on smooth young raspberry leaves. However, it cannot attach to densely pubescent leaves. There are raspberry varieties that are immune to raspberry aphids. For example, Tarusa, Lilac fog, Aboriginal, Beauty of Russia, Stolichnaya, Moroseyka. With proper care and timely pruning, these crops are almost not attacked by pests.

How to protect raspberries and prevent aphid infestation: expert tips and tricks

Experienced summer residents try to prevent the invasion of aphids, and for this they use simple methods of protection. For example, they annually prune branches not only on raspberries, but also on other berry bushes. Fallen leaves are removed, weeds are destroyed, and the garden is kept clean. Near the raspberry plant, crops are planted that scare off aphids with their smell: onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes.

To destroy aphids, they attract beneficial insects: ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings. On the bushes, feeders are installed for sparrows, robins, titmouses and other birds that love to feast on aphids.

Prophylaxis

Prevention measures against aphid infestation are simple enough, but they do not give a 100% guarantee. Prevention can only reduce the number of aphids on raspberry bushes. To prevent or notice infection in time, you need to:

after harvesting, pruning the overgrown stems - this measure not only protects against aphids, but also makes it possible for raspberries to bear fruit, "without being distracted" by the extra green mass;
inspect the stems of the bush at least once a week;
choose for planting raspberry bushes a well-warmed by the sun and ventilated area of the garden;
control the number of ants in the garden.