Effective methods and preparations for combating the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes before, during planting, old and new

Every year humanity expects a struggle with the Colorado potato beetle returning to the potato beds every year. To do this, you have to constantly look for new methods and improve old ones, trying to reduce their damage to the soil and the environment to a minimum, while eradicating as many pests as possible.

Choosing funds from an extensive arsenal, you just need to take into account that each work has its own nuances. For example, insecticidal preparations should be carefully applied where there is an apiary or a fish farm nearby, or a decorative pond with fish, as they can cause irreparable damage to fish and bees.

The best results for the extermination of the beetle will give a set of efforts:

• processing in the spring of the site on the eve of planting;
• treatment of tubers or seed material before or during planting;
• pollination with preparations with insecticidal properties of emerging seedlings;
• preventive work on the eve of autumn at the site.

It remains only to study each of the methods and apply, based on the existing opportunities and conditions.

The lifestyle and reasons for the vitality of the beetle

With the onset of cold weather, adult Colorado beetles tend to bury themselves in the soil beyond the border of freezing, and this is deeper than seventy centimeters. They can stay there for two or three years. As soon as the weather is warm, some of them come to the surface. During this period, dandelions bloom everywhere, a weed that belongs to the nightshade family grows briskly - dope, red and black nightshade, henbane, belladonna.

• Incommensurate reproduction - one female during her life cycle can lay up to three thousand eggs;

• Huge appetite - the larva eats more than one gram of green leaves, the adult specimen - four grams. After the pest, only the skeletons of plant stems remain, which then die completely;

• Comfortable living conditions with no natural enemies other than humans are always available;

• Long hibernation time (up to three years) with calm tolerance to hunger;

• Incredible endurance on long distance flights;

• High survival rate in various conditions;

• Quick addiction to insecticides, so the active ingredients should be alternated.

It is impossible to get rid of the Colorado potato beetle at once and throughout the entire territory due to the fact that it constantly moves from garden to garden, from one country to another.

For two weeks, red-brown adults hatch from the eggs of the minke whale. After twenty days, their color changes to a rich orange, after which they are buried in the ground for pupation. Once fully formed, they appear on the surface. During the summer season, such a beetle gives up to four generations, so individuals of different ages can be on the same bush. They inflict a colossal loss, bringing the vegetable to one hundred percent death.

• In colder climates, adults hibernate deep in the soil. In this case, it is very important to carry out soil processing before planting the potatoes.
• When the temperature is 15 degrees and above, the beetles go hunting and start hitting the planting. In this case, insects must be removed from plantings until the moment of warming.
• Nests are located in groups on the lowest leaves of the plant, so it is important to weed the beds and spud the potatoes in time.

Characteristics of the Colorado potato beetle

In order for vegetable growers to diagnose pest infestation correctly, the Colorado potato beetle must be identified that it is he. The insect can be up to 15 mm long and has unique identifying features. On the body of an adult pest, there are 5 black longitudinal stripes and yellow wings. You can also see several black spots on the yellowish or orange abdomen.

In the soil, you can see the larvae of the pest, which appear with a reddish-brown body, there are bright, black spots on the head and on the sides of the pest.

Males and females are visually almost indistinguishable. Depending on weather conditions, eggs of Colorado potato beetles can mature from 3 to 15 days. Over the next 2-4 weeks, the larvae develop in various stages. The larvae then fall to the ground to penetrate deeply into the soil. After about 1 month, the pests crawl like adult beetles and their life cycle repeats.

Control methods

There are several ways to combat the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes: chemical, agricultural, biological and folk methods.

Chemical

When using chemicals, you must exercise the utmost care; it is not recommended to use preparations for the Colorado potato beetle without instructions.

The manual should contain detailed information about the rules of use, precautions, there should be a clear description of actions in case of potential poisoning.

Processing should be carried out in the morning or evening, as hot weather can provoke the spread of harmful fumes.

Currently, there are a large number of insecticide preparations, the most common are Regent, Mospilan, Bankol, Aktara, Sonnet, etc.

The dosage should clearly correspond to that indicated in the manual, exceeding it will not increase the efficiency, but will contribute to the accumulation of hazardous substances in the soil and tubers of the plant.

When using chemicals, it is necessary to take into account the high adaptation of beetles to them, so they must be changed periodically.

Agrotechnical

This approach assumes compliance with the following recommendations:

• crop rotation rules must be strictly observed;
• sites should be located as far as possible from pumpkin or nightshade crops;
• in the fall, the beds are necessarily dug deeply;
• early ripening potato varieties must be planted earlier;
• when bulging seedlings, the lower leaves should be covered higher;
• a beneficial effect is the regular loosening of the soil between the rows, which will reduce the number of pupated insects;
• weeds must be destroyed;
• after harvesting, all residues from the soil and soil must be removed;
• mulching with straw or needles.

Biological

Biological methods are absolutely safe, they do not entail adverse consequences for the environment, the harvest is not hazardous to health.

These drugs include Bitoxibaccillin, Bicol, Fitoverm, Agravertin.

Bitoxibacillin is applied by spraying with re-treatment after a week.

The effect of the drug is that it promotes the development of bacterial spores in the beetle's body, as a result of which it becomes inactive, lethargic, and loses its ability to reproduce and feed.

Fitoverm is distinguished by its speed of action, the drug penetrates into the body of insects and their larvae through the intestines or integuments, causing immobilization, and then death.

After 8-10 hours, the feeding process stops, after 3-6 days the beetles die.

When the efficacy of the drug ceases for the period when the larvae appear, the treatment is repeated.

Traditional methods

The main advantage of folk methods is absolute safety for the environment and human health:

• 100 g of tar must be diluted in 10 liters. water, the resulting solution is used to spray the area;
• wood ash is boiled for 10-15 minutes, infused at the bottom of the day, filtered, to 10 liters. 50 g of soap is added to the liquid, used to process the tops of potatoes;
• infusions and decoctions can be prepared from garlic, wormwood burdock, celandine, dandelion.

Spraying is carried out in the early morning or evening, processing is carried out weekly and stops 20 days before harvest.

Corn flour is also considered an effective pest control agent, which grows in size in the stomachs of the insect, which leads to its death.

The fight against the Colorado potato beetle is laborious and includes various methods. This is both prevention and the use of biological and chemical means of protection. It is better to apply several methods at the same time.

For processing both tubers and nightshade seedlings before planting, a chemical or biological dressing agent is suitable for controlling the Colorado potato beetle, used to soak or spray them.

In the future, the soaked material becomes poison for the beetles - when they try to feast on the leaves, they die. Beetles will not lay eggs on such a plant either.

The only caveat is the limited duration of the toxic effect, which is only enough until the flowering period. But by this time, young vegetable seedlings will have time to strengthen, and the further devouring of the tops will have little effect on the yield.

Such chemical preparations as dressing agents have proven themselves excellently among experienced gardeners:

• "Tirana";
• "Taboo";
• "Prestige";
• "Cruiser".

Such preparations are easy to use - tubers selected for planting in spring are sprayed with a solution prepared according to the instructions and then planted in the holes. Such treatment insures the plant with further growth from most of the pests that threaten it, both superficial and those that live in the soil.

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Treatment of potato tubers before planting from the Colorado potato beetle is also effective. This saves time as the processed potatoes are protected from other pests such as bear or wireworm. Some drugs help plant growth and protect against fungal infections. Processed potatoes do not attract pests for a very long time, and if this happens, then such plants need to be sprayed much less often than those that have not been treated.

For tubers, double or triple action agents are best suited. It must be remembered that these are chemicals and observe safety precautions. To process the tubers, you need to choose a flat area without drafts and spread the film. Sprouted and preheated tubers must be carefully spread in one layer.

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There are a wide variety of remedies that you can use. For example, it is believed that "Tirana" is an excellent remedy for the Colorado potato beetle for processing tubers. Emesto Quantum or Matador Ultra has also proven itself well. In general, every summer resident who is worried about protecting his crop from pests will be able to find a suitable remedy.

Folk ways to combat Colorado beetles

For those people who are categorically against the use of insecticides and other toxic agents on their beds, there are many popular ways to combat the Colorado potato beetle. The most popular among them are the following:

1. Wood ash is used to fertilize the soil during potato planting. When flowering begins, the flowers can be sprinkled with fine ash. The Colorado potato beetle avoids contact with ash. This way of fighting the leaf beetle is also a good fertilizer.
2. Potato tops are sprayed with a soapy solution based on laundry soap. To do this, grind one piece of soap in a bucket of water and leave to brew for half an hour.
3. Infusion of tobacco is capable of effectively etching out the striped pest. A home remedy can be prepared as follows: pour 200 grams of dried tobacco with 10 liters of water and leave the mixture for 2 days. Then strain the infusion and spray the plants with it.
4. A decoction of celandine is known for its use against leaf beetles. The recipe for celandine remedies is quite simple. The leaves and stems of celandine should be poured with warm water in a ratio of 1 kg per 10 liters of water. In a separate container, dissolve 15 grams of calcium chloride per 1 liter of water. Mix both solutions, filter and spray the tops with the resulting liquid.
5. Baking soda and vinegar are effective against the striped beetle. To obtain a solution, baking soda or tea soda 100 grams is mixed with 100 ml of table vinegar and 10 liters of water. The mixture is suitable for spraying potatoes.
6. The most natural remedy for bugs is their natural enemies. Many poultry species feed on the Colorado potato beetle. To make the birds willingly eat them, chickens from the age of three weeks are mixed with chopped potato tops and chopped beetles. After reaching 2-3 months, the young bird is released into the garden.
7. Plain garlic from the Colorado potato beetle also works effectively. To do this, grind 200 grams of cloves and add green arrows to a bucket of water. Insist the liquid for 4 days, and then spray it on the green tops.
8. Some insects are natural enemies of the striped leaf beetle: ladybug, wireworm, lacewing, ground beetle, spider. These useful insects cannot be destroyed.
9. Before watering the potatoes with any remedy, you can try to collect the beetles by hand. If their number has not yet had time to grow, the procedure for shaking off insects with a broom into a wide container or basin will be quite effective. The collected leaf beetles can be poured into a deep jar and filled with gasoline or kerosene. This method of struggle is the safest.

Experienced gardeners begin to fight even before planting the tubers. Any method without chemistry is popular among potato growers. In early spring, potato scraps are laid out on the site, and then the beetles are collected and destroyed along with the bait. The ground between the bushes is loosened and covered with a layer of mulch. Ash is added to the wells before planting.

Chemicals for the destruction of the Colorado potato beetle

Most gardeners and gardeners spray their potato beds and fields with various chemicals, which are more correctly called insecticides.

The most popular remedies are the following insecticides against the Colorado potato beetle:

• "Commander Maxi";

  

• "Confidor Extra";
• Corado;

  

• Aktara;

  

• "Lightning";

  

• Tanrek;

  

• "Taboo";

  

• "Spark".

You can also pickle the potato tubers in advance in the preparation "Prestige".

You can read the instructions for using these insecticides against the Colorado pest in more detail, as well as reviews on the Internet and on the manufacturers' websites.

Note! Insecticides can have a detrimental effect not only on the Colorado potato beetle, but also on other beneficial insects.And we will repeat once again - this is chemistry, so avoid using them if possible, because there are such a huge number of folk remedies and safer ways to deal with the main potato pest.

Fighting the potato beetle with chemicals is actually much more effective. But their negative effect is no less significant, because the chemicals used can accumulate in potato tubers. In any case, the choice is yours. But first, be sure to read the instructions attached to the drug and safety measures.

Biological preparations

If all of the above methods do not allow you to get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, and you do not want to use chemistry, a biological preparation will come to the rescue "Fitoverm ", which is absolutely not dangerous to humans and animals. The action of the remedy is based on the action of microorganisms that suppress the digestive processes of pests, in other words, after eating the processed foliage, the beetles lose their appetite and die from lack of nutrition (hunger).

Another similar biological agent against the Colorado pest is the drug "Bitoxibacillin "which you can also use in greenhouses.

Advice! Fitoverm should be used only when the beetles have covered all your potato plantings from head to toe.

By the way! If you use the same means from year to year, then the Colorado pest will gradually adapt and will no longer be susceptible to the action of chemicals or other means.

Are you "hooked" on the idea of ​​permanently dealing with the main misfortune of the common favorite of potatoes and other nightshades, the Colorado potato beetle? To do this, it is only necessary to correctly and timely organize the fight with the use of a wide variety, but equally deadly for a harmful insect and positively proven means. And then even the most humble summer resident will be rewarded with an amazingly fine harvest of the desired vegetables.

Traps

In the spring, after planting potatoes, a week before sprouting, it is necessary to cut the old tubers into halves or slices, and soak in chlorophos solution for a day.

It is recommended to scatter the bait in the evening so that they do not dry out in the sun. The beetles eat the poisoned potatoes and die. The procedure is recommended to be repeated in the fall after harvest.

Tin cans can be used to make traps, vegetable juice is used as bait, with which the edges of the can are rubbed, parts of the tuber are also placed inside it.

Beetles attracted by the scent of the plant are collected in a jar, after which they are very easy to get out of there. To achieve high efficiency, the procedure must be repeated daily.

Folk ways of fighting

Since the appearance of these beetles, people have been looking for effective ways to fight all the time. After all, he has no natural enemies on the territory of Russia. Birds, hedgehogs and lizards are not interested in it.

Wood ash. It is added to the wells during planting and pollinated during flowering. It is believed that the insect does not live in the ground with ash and does not feed on the plants growing on it.

Spraying plants:

• a solution of ash and laundry soap;
• infusion of burdock or tobacco leaves;
• tar infusion, for which birch tar is infused in water.

When planting potatoes, peelings of the bulbs are added to the holes, which have been saved up to that all year from the moment of the previous planting. It is believed that the beetle cannot stand the smell of rotting husks.

Frequent loosening and hilling of potatoes reduces the mobility of the beetle.

You can breed and train poultry. Pheasants, partridges, guinea fowls, turkeys are suitable. In order for them to start eating the pest, chopped stalks of potatoes and chopped beetles are added to the bird's diet from the age of twenty.

You can set special traps. There are spring and autumn. They are made from potato peels, in about 2 buckets. We place waste in different places of the site in a heap and when a large number of beetles accumulate in them, everything is poured over with flammable liquid and set on fire. Cut or crushed tubers can also be used. However, if new beetles come to the site from somewhere all the time, this process can become endless and labor-intensive.

Manual collection of beetles, clutches of eggs and larvae is very labor intensive, but in a small area can be effective. Provides ecological cleanliness of products, consists in shaking off beetles and larvae with a broom into a bowl with a solution of salt, kerosene or diesel fuel, collecting and destroying larvae and beetles by hand.

Plants that repel the Colorado potato beetle have been experimentally identified. Dill, beans, beans, peppermint, garlic, onion, horseradish or calendula are planted between the rows of potatoes.

The use of chemicals

The potent pest control chemicals do an excellent job. They are able to kill most of the insects in one application. Such a fight against the Colorado potato beetle has its drawbacks:

1. Chemical treatment is carried out at a strictly defined time before 10 am or after 6 pm. The weather should be calm and warm. For greater efficiency, the next 3 days after treatment should be dry.
2. It is not recommended to remove beetles for people with a tendency to allergic reactions, pregnant and lactating women, children under 18 years of age.
3. During processing, a person must wear a protective suit, gloves, and a respirator. During the entire procedure, you must not eat and drink, smoke. At the end of all work, you need to rinse your mouth with water, wash your face and hands with soap and water. Wash clothes at high temperatures.
4. To poison the Colorado potato beetle with chemistry, you should use a special sprayer or spray bottle, which should not be used for other purposes. After finishing the treatment, all parts of the sprayer should be rinsed, dried and stored in a non-residential area separate from food.

Aktara

Toxic chemicals from the Colorado potato beetle

The Swiss insecticide contains the active ingredient thiamethoxam, which is absorbed by the plant through the surface of the leaves or through watering the soil. Getting into the body of pests along with food, the poison destroys their nervous system. After 30 minutes, the insect cannot move and dies.

For spraying, you need to prepare a solution at the rate of 4 grams of substance per 1 liter of water. You need to apply the resulting composition immediately. The Colorado potato beetle should be poisoned on potatoes in sunny weather at temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius.

With the help of Aktara, you cannot destroy the eggs of the Colorado potato beetle. But the larvae that emerge from them will eat the processed tops. The residual content of the toxin in the foliage lasts for about a month.

Regent

A highly effective pesticide of contact-intestinal action is capable of poisoning the pests of potato beds in one application. Regent can be used in the fight against leaf beetles, which have already developed immunity to some insecticidal agents.

The advantage of this drug is its effectiveness even at high air temperatures. All insects die a day after spraying. The insecticide, when ingested through food or direct contact, paralyzes the internal organs of striped leaf beetles.

Regent is produced in the form of a concentrated liquid in ampoules or in the form of an odorless powder. During the preparation of the working solution and the application itself, safety measures must be observed: wear glasses or a mask, cover all parts of the body with protective clothing.

Basic rules for chemical treatments:

1. The tool is bred only on the street. Be sure to protect the eyes, hands and face from contact.
2. Potatoes are sprayed with a solution in dry, calm weather. Do not use drugs during rain or immediately after it. This reduces the effectiveness of the procedure.
3. Potatoes are not eaten after processing for the time specified by the manufacturer.
4. The agent is chosen no higher than the 3rd class of toxicity. This is especially important if there are pets on the site that eat the Colorado potato beetle.

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In addition to the negative effect on plants and soil, chemicals require repeated use. Also, the striped leaf beetle quickly adapts to substances and ceases to actively respond. There are natural natural enemies of the beetle that are of great help to potato growers.

• Before planting potatoes in the spring, it is necessary to treat the area from the invasion of insects.
• Tubers should be processed before or during planting.
• It is necessary to pollinate the shoots in time with insecticidal agents.
• Prevention against insects is carried out regularly on the site before the autumn period.

• They play an important role in the elimination of such pests. These include agrotechnical measures, that is, it is necessary to carry out garden work correctly and in a timely manner. The cultures that the beetle loves return to their original place only after five years.

• In the garden, you should adhere to crop rotation, regulate the alternation of plantings, properly prepare the soil for future plantings, adhere to the processing time. To do this, you must perform the following actions:

• To compose a culture turnover, that is, to diversify the planting of plants that attract its enemies to the site - ground beetles, ladybirds, birds, etc.;

• Do not place plants of the same family in one place every year (for example: tomatoes after potatoes, eggplants after tomatoes, etc.);

• After harvesting the previous crop, you should treat the soil from nightshade weeds. As soon as their shoots appear, organic matter, mineral fertilizers are introduced, the earth is dug to a depth of twenty centimeters. If it is black soil, the layers must be turned over;

• Weeds are harvested by the roots and the garden must be kept clean throughout the growing season;

• When hilling, the lower tiers of leaves should be covered with high soil;

• Reduces the number of pupated pests by regular loosening in the aisle.

Alternatively, in the fall, before digging up a plot for potatoes, add garlic and onion husks to the ground.

Chemical protective measures against the Colorado potato beetle include biological and chemical agents. For the manufacture of the former, fungi and bacteria are used, due to which they are harmless to the human body and warm-blooded animals. They also do not accumulate in the ground, water. Biologicals Colorado, Bicol, Fitoverm, etc.

intended for the destruction of young larvae.The result of such processing depends on the accompanying weather conditions, so it is repeated after twenty days. Application, precautions, working doses are described in the instructions on the packages or they can be found on the Internet. During cold, rainy summers, it is best to use Boverin.

Solutions of chemical origin are used to exterminate the maximum concentration of larvae. The most common ones are Confidor, Decis-Profi, Corado, Commander, etc. They have the third or fourth level of danger, they are used carefully, in compliance with protective measures. The methods of application, working solutions are described in the instructions or can also be found on the Internet.

One of the most effective and popular remedies today is Aktara, which is how it is beneficial to poison the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes. It is distinguished by its advantages:

• garden crops will be protected from several types of pests

• excellent resistance after heavy precipitation

• lower consumption rate than other formulations

• no additional processing required

• efficiency is not reduced by high temperatures

• works in low humidity

When spraying with chemicals, the instructions must be followed, and other rules that should be followed will not be superfluous:

• processing must be carried out by adults

• do not exceed the dosage indicated in the manual, the effectiveness will not increase, and hazardous substances will accumulate in the soil and tubers

• items not intended for such events are not used. These are brooms, watering cans, etc.

• the weather during spraying should be calm, calm

How to deal with the Colorado potato beetle on seedlings

The emerging seedlings, especially before the beginning of flowering, are threatened with significant damage by voracious larvae and adult Colorado beetles. Natural remedies, systemic insecticides and biological products are suitable for their extermination on potatoes.

If the planting of potatoes and nightshade vegetables is small in area, or if an apiary or a reservoir with fish is located nearby, then it is better to prefer natural recipes and biological products.

When the area for potatoes is impressive, or when there are hordes of Colorado pests, then poisonous chemistry is indispensable.

Pollination with insecticides and biological products

To combat the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes, preparations of the group of insecticides or biological antagonists of pests are used. The former more effectively exterminate the beetle, its larvae and egg clutches, while requiring fewer treatments. The latter, for the same result, need a greater frequency of spraying.

But in general, processing by both means is similar in technology.

• First, you need to provide yourself with protective equipment from poison - a mask, rubber gloves and boots, closed clothing, a hat.
• The working solution is prepared strictly according to the described annotation in a non-food container, after which it is poured into a knapsack sprayer.
• Passing the beds, you need to try to spray each shoot as fully as possible - at least ¾, otherwise the effectiveness of the drug will not correspond to the declared one.
• Upon completion of the work, you need to wash your hands, rinse your mouth, take a shower and wash your robe, and in the process, avoid smoke breaks, food and liquids.
• It is better not to go to the pollinated area for several days.

For your information! The timing of the destruction of the beetle depends on the properties of a particular drug, and can vary from several hours to several days.

For spraying a beetle on the tops of insecticides, you can advise:

• "Regent";
• "Commander";
• Iskra Zolotaya;
• "Confidor";
• Tanrek;
• Aktara;
• Mospilan;
• "Grinda";
• Inta-vir;
• "Sherpa";
• "Citkor";
• "Cirax".

Of biological products, the most positive reviews went to such funds:

• "Bitoxibacillin";
• Boverin;
• "Aktarofit";
• Aktofit;
• Fitoverm.

Natural methods

Not harming people, animals and the environment, natural methods based on folk recipes have absorbed the best practices of more than one generation of gardeners. The spent energy is rewarded a hundredfold in the form of a bountiful and harmless harvest.

The people's piggy bank offers several such methods to eliminate the Colorado pest.

• Manual regular collection of the beetle from plants can be facilitated by pouring salt water into a bucket or basin, bypassing and tilting each bush, and then shaking it off over the vessel with a broom. "Harvest" of pests after collection must be destroyed.
• Spraying tops with decoctions of plants - wormwood, horsetail, calendula, celandine, dandelion, mustard, tobacco, or daily infusion of onion husks. Such decoctions and infusions in the sun lose their properties, so spraying is done in the evening at sunset.
• Mulching the beds with sawdust, straw, grass cuttings significantly reduces the beetle population.
• The use of wood ash in dry crushed form for dusting the tops or infusion of ash with wormwood for spraying is capable of lime beetle and larvae from the site.

Important! You cannot run the site and be loyal to the Colorado beetles. Their phenomenal fertility and insatiability leads to significant crop losses. If the beetle eats about 40% of the tops, then a third of the crop can be lost! Greater damage to seedlings threatens not to collect already half! Therefore, all human intelligence is thrown into the fight against the striped beetle, you just have to choose the appropriate method.

Folk methods of struggle

Folk recipes are also an excellent defense against the Colorado potato beetle. They were developed and tested according to observation of development and its reproduction. Today, summer residents are increasingly using the old method to grow organic potatoes. The area determined in autumn for nightshades is freed from weeds, fertilized, dug up.

All this mass is collected in a high oblong layer, which gradually settles under the influence of the natural process of decomposition in the cold period and squeezing by snow. When spring comes with the next planting season, this dense mound should be pushed apart, the potatoes should be spread out and covered with the same mulch.

The top soil layer above the tubers should be at least thirty centimeters. After shrinkage, the mulch is constantly replenished, adhering to the required mound height. After wintering, beetles, having got to the surface, will immediately smell the fresh potato tops, but they will not be able to get to it. In this mulch, they die.

Before harvesting, the mound is raked off, the fruits are chosen, mulch, which has been well reshaped over the summer, is used as organic matter. It is scattered and dug up along with the soil. According to our compatriots and foreign farmers, using this option to combat Colorado, potatoes remain practically intact.

How to deal with the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes, which method to use, each gardener will determine for himself. However, it is recommended:

• After planting the tubers, after the first lone shoots appear, spread the cut potatoes. This is if the area under the potatoes is small. Sliding beetles can be easily collected and then destroyed.

• Bury any container with a treat for Colorado beetles near the nightshade bush at ground level, for example, peeling potatoes with sprouts. These traps are tested only twice a week, and they turn out to be quite effective.

• On a small potato plot, use basins with caustic for beetles (kerosene, salt, etc.) solutions to shake them off and further destroy pests

• Lay out under each bush on the ground or, when planting in each hole, onion husks, its smell of colorado does not stand

• To pollinate the tops with cement, gypsum, ash, amateur summer residents claim that even the larvae of the pest die. Such events are held in the morning before the dew dries.

• Before planting, pour conifer sawdust and chopped bark into each hole. Birch, pine sawdust with a fresh scent of wood perfectly repels the beetle

• Add chicken droppings to the bite soil, its smell also excellently scares away beetles

• Not far from the planted potatoes, lay out their peelings in mounds, which collect a large number of beetles well

• For larger areas, use a prepared solution, where the main component is ash (1 kg per 10 liters of water, boil for half an hour and insist for a day) with the addition of chlorine-free laundry soap. After it is completely dissolved, the mixture is diluted with ten liters of water and a ready-made solution for spraying potato bushes is obtained. Re-processing should be done when adults appear

• Use a boiled dandelion (two hundred grams) and horsetail (in ten liters of water) for spraying. The broth is cooled, filtered and diluted

• Nut concentrate, which will scare away not only the Colorado potato beetle, but also other leaf-eating harmful insects. Its preparation is carried out in the fall - in a wooden, galvanized large container, leaf fall and green, unripe walnut boxes are tightly packed.

• The whole mass is poured with boiling water and infused until the onset of spring, the time for processing plants. The required concentration is obtained by diluting the infused mixture with one or two liters with a bucket of water. To check whether the solution works, take one part, one and a half or two parts of the concentrate, dilute in ten liters of water and spray one or two bushes of eggplant, potatoes, and tomato with this solution. If no burns have appeared on the treated plants for two days, the remaining plantings are sprayed. This solution is the most effective homemade remedy for the Colorado potato beetle.

• Mustard (1 pack), diluted in a bucket of water with the addition of one hundred milliliters of nine percent vinegar. After thorough stirring, the solution is working and ready for use.

• Broth of bitter pepper. They take one hundred grams of it per bucket of water, boil for two hours, cool, filter, add laundry soap.

Potato bushes should be processed up to twice every two weeks, then once a month. Better in the early morning, preferably after the dew has dried or in the evening before dew appears. The weather should be warm and calm. Two weeks before harvesting potatoes, all treatments are stopped.

Decoctions, infusions should be fresh, that is, cooked in a maximum of three hours. It is advisable to alternate them, because the Colorado potato beetle quickly adapts to a constant stimulus. Residues or unused solutions must be buried.

Read more: Processing potatoes before planting: how and how to properly process before planting

Why is the Colorado potato beetle dangerous, and why is it so tenacious?

Actually, the beetle itself is not as dangerous as its very voracious larvae, which, having emerged from the egg-laying, are able to devour and destroy all potato tops in a matter of days.

The main reasons why it is so difficult to deal with the Colorado pest are as follows:

• no natural enemies;
• one female beetle can lay 350-1000 eggs per season;
• may hibernate - into long-term diapause (up to 2-3 years);
• hibernates deep in the soil;
• easily mixes from one potato field to another;
• it is difficult to exterminate completely, because even one female beetle is enough to renew the entire population.

Fragrant ways

The Colorado potato beetle responds appropriately to plant aromas.Some of them attract, others repel. The latter are called insecticidal. They were used by gardeners during the absence of chemicals. This list includes - garlic, cucumber herb, dill, horseradish, coriander, bush beans. Sidun beans, beans perfectly protect nightshade areas from the striped insect.

It can also be scared off by flowering hemp. Two hundred grams of plants are poured with two liters of water and boiled for ten minutes. After cooling, household soap is added and the solution is ready.

Flowers have two functions. Night violet, nasturtium, calendula, marigolds, tansy "wild mountain ash" not only aesthetically decorate summer cottages, with their pungent smell they protect the plantings of nightshade crops from encroachments of the striped beetle. They are planted along the perimeter of the beds, between the nightshade bushes, but it is impossible to escape from the Colorado potato beetle with several plants.

According to experienced gardeners, the Colorado potato beetle is able to kill itself. This is due to the poison contained in the insect. It is necessary to collect only a half liter jar for ten liters of water, which must be tightly closed. When the beetles fall to the bottom, this is about a week later, the poisonous solution is ready. It is concentrated. One liter of this infusion should be diluted with two liters of water.

In rural households, gardeners use guinea fowls, chickens, chickens, pheasants, and partridges to exterminate the striped pest. For one garden, it will be enough to have three guinea fowls, besides, they remove not only beetles, but also larvae. By the way, the larvae that fall to the ground die. It is a pity that large adult specimens do not have this property.

Brief description of the species

The pest owes its name to the American state of Colorado, where its large-scale invasion of potato fields was recorded. The insect itself belongs to the family of leaf beetles and was first discovered in Mexico. There it specialized in the destruction of tobacco and nightshade leaves. Later, the leaf beetle spread to the north of the mainland, where it adapted to eat potato tops.

The Colorado potato beetle is very noticeable on plants due to its bright colors - yellow and black stripes. It is the most well-known pest of potato tops. The size of the leaf beetle usually does not exceed 1 cm in length. But in width it is almost the same.

Photos of the Colorado potato beetle demonstrate its conspicuousness against the background of dark green leaves. The rounded body is covered with a chitinous layer, under which the wings are hidden. The beetle flies well, so its invasion of vegetable gardens can take any owner of potato plantings by surprise.

On a note!

Beetle damage to about 80% of green seedlings of potatoes leads to the loss of at least half of the crop.

Leaf beetles are extremely fertile. One female is capable of laying about 500 eggs at a time. Clutches can be found on the back of potato leaves. Small red eggs are impressive in their number. The larvae hatched from them are bright red insects with a black head and limbs. They are very similar to mature beetles, but lack the protective shell of chitin.

Colorado beetles

Red beetles have no less appetite than adults. Feeding on the soft parts of the leaves, they leave behind only the median veins. After 2-3 weeks, the larvae descend into the ground to pupate. After another 2 weeks, an adult individual is formed from the pupa, which can remain in the ground until next spring or crawl out and continue sabotage.

In addition to potatoes, striped insects are not averse to feasting on the leaves of other garden crops:

• eggplant;
• a tomato;
• bell pepper;
• pumpkin;
• zucchini;
• watermelon and others.

To save potatoes or other garden crops from a ruthless and gluttonous pest, it is necessary to apply effective methods of dealing with the Colorado potato beetle in time.The extermination of the beetle consists in the destruction of all insects at different stages of development: eggs, larvae and adults.

Processing potatoes before planting

Before boarding

Processing potatoes before planting from the Colorado potato beetle can improve the quality and volume of the crop, the use of certain methods provides protection against diseases and pests.

Basic methods:

• treatment (pickling) of tubers with a variety of drugs;
• warming potatoes is an effective method in the absence of the possibility of germination of planting material in natural light conditions; for 10-20 days before planting, the tubers are kept at a temperature of 18-20 degrees;
• wood ash - a small amount of ash is poured into each hole, the main benefit is health safety.

After landing

After planting, the plants are treated with insecticides and substances, the technique provides protection to the tops and leaves, which are most threatened after the appearance of the larvae.

In this case, chemicals and folk remedies are used, the mixtures are sprayed with spray guns, which are sold in specialized stores.

Ultrasonic scarers, traps, and biological agents also show high efficiency.

The fight against the Colorado potato beetle continues after harvest:

• potato peel is laid out on a metal sheet for a day, beetles gather on it, which are easy to collect;
• in autumn, garlic and onion husks are introduced into the soil, after which it is dug up to a depth of 30 cm.

Processing time

The most effective is the use of chemicals, folk methods are the safest, the choice depends on the characteristics of the site.

The greatest efficiency is achieved through the use of different techniques.

The processing time depends on the method used, it is necessary to act exactly in accordance with the instructions, especially if these are chemical preparations, violation of the dosage can lead to the most negative consequences.

Methods of dealing with the Colorado potato beetle during planting

There are also some means of fighting the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes, which are applied directly at the time of planting. They combine the processing of the planted tubers and the holes dug for this.

Chemical insecticides and natural household products are suitable for planting treatment.

Additional efforts of the gardener will not be in vain - gluttonous pests, thanks to them, can be nullified at least before the flowering period, which will allow growing good potatoes intact by the beetle.

Processing tubers during planting

To combat the Colorado potato beetle, some preparations do not require preliminary spraying or bathing in their solution. It is enough to sprinkle the tubers laid in the hole right during planting - and you're done, you can bury it.

• Already in the ground, potato tubers are saturated with the drug and receive the necessary protection. This will allow the beetles who tried to taste the sprouts that have appeared to receive a portion of the poison, which will destroy them. The same goes for the larvae.
• Moreover, the plants will receive insurance against pests living in the soil, the same sad fate awaits them - the tool will kill everyone around the planted vegetable.

Preparations that allow this type of processing are simpler to work with and do not require additional time spent on preliminary soaking. Therefore, to save time and effort, you can choose one of the disinfectants by reading the instructions.

Processing of holes during planting

An additional, perfectly working measure will be to treat each hole when planting with a means that kills or repels pests.

• The agent can be a solution of a dressing agent used to treat the planting material itself.
• Onion skins are excellent at repelling pests, so it is recommended by experienced gardeners to lay it in the holes.And it is good to spray seedlings with its daily infusion - the beetle evaporates before our eyes.
• The same wood ash is similarly poured into the holes, before that the tubers themselves are powdered with it.

We use technologies

To date, there are already electronic Colorado beetle repellents. In such a sealed case there is an indicator, a microcircuit, a frequency regulator, a power button, a power source, an ultrasound emitter.

It turns out to be impracticable to destroy the Colorado potato beetle forever, but everyone can reduce its number, save the long-awaited harvest of tasty potatoes.

There are potato varieties in nature that are resistant to the overseas pest. Their leaves are rough, hard, placed strictly upward. The bushes are distinguished by the absence of pests on the stems, so their tubers can be safely used for seeds, and then you can get a variety of potatoes that is resistant to the striped insect. Pests often settle on weak bushes, in which the leaves are arranged horizontally, which is convenient for laying eggs.

Pest-resistant potato varieties have been bred by Ukrainian and Belarusian breeders since the nineties. These are Bryanskiy reliable, Orbita, Kamenskiy, etc. The market offers Antizhuk and Temp varieties for the regions of the Urals. The main features of such varieties are that the leaves are clearly vertical, and their plates are covered with hard loose hairs.

There is little such seed for planting in large areas today, and for summer residents they are available, but only in specialized retail outlets or in online stores.

Morning - a new kind of potato, resistant to drought, late blight, scab and not edible for Colorado beetles.

One of the first places is occupied by the early ripe Lasunok. It has a high yield, excellent taste, good and long-term storage. More than a dozen tubers, each weighing up to two hundred grams, can form under the bush.

It turns out that growing an environmentally friendly product in our time is quite realistic.

Description of the problem and photo of the beetle

For gardeners who grow potatoes, this is the most terrible and hated enemy. As soon as the stalks of the potato tops emerge from the ground, Colorado beetles immediately stick around them. They also destroy other plants of the nightshade species: tomatoes and peppers.

The terrible damage done to gardeners is associated not so much with eating the upper part of the plants, but also with the fact that each female can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, from which larvae emerge, from about 4 to 10 days (the warmer, the faster they hatch ). The larva goes through 4 stages of growth over a period of 2 to 5 weeks, and during this time it eats. Then it will go into the ground, pupate and after a few days an adult Colorado potato beetle appears from the ground, which immediately begins to look for a pair for laying eggs.