Many gardeners are often faced with the fact that fruit trees (apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, sweet cherry) curl the leaves, which is why the upper shoots cannot grow and develop normally, and then, as a result, the overall yield also decreases. This means that aphids, a microscopically small, seemingly touchingly defenseless pest that feeds on plant sap, "worked" here.
How to get rid of aphids on apple trees and other fruit trees will be discussed in our article.
Why aphids are dangerous
Despite the fact that aphids "ignore" the berries and fruits of plants, they still cause significant harm to them, sucking the juice from the upper part of the shoots and thereby weakening them. As a result, plants become vulnerable in the cold season, can freeze out, deform, etc. This cannot but affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
The small size of the pest - only 2 mm - may seem not too threatening and can be easily misled. But this is the case when quantity is of paramount importance. Over the summer, different types of aphids give from 10 to 17 generations. It takes 7-8 days to transform from a larva into an adult aphid, and this adult gives the next generation, moreover, winged aphids that easily move to new plants. Huge moving swarms, coloring the reverse sides of delicate leaves in different colors - red, black, green (according to the color of the aphid itself) - are able to suck all the vital juices from a tree or bush.
Among other things, aphids are a carrier of viral diseases, which often destroy even rather large and strong fruit trees - plum, apple.
Pest signs
After hatching, the larvae begin to actively eat foliage and tree sap. Affected plant leaves curl, change color and dry out quickly. On their surface, you can often see red-orange spots, which mean the dying off of the green part of the plant. The first to die off are young shoots, distinguished by delicate deciduous shoots.
Aphids intensively produce honeydew - honeydew, which attracts ants. Because of it, the leaves of the apple tree become sticky to the touch. Anthills soon appear near the fruit crop.
At the initial stages of the formation of a colony, aphids are almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye on the surface of the leaves. Over time, the pests eat up all the young foliage and buds, and descend to the lower branches. During this period, they are easier to detect - insects drink juice from the veins on the underside of the leaf.
It is necessary to deal with the elimination of insects as quickly as possible, because in most cases, aphids become a carrier of viral and infectious diseases. With the growth of the colony, the risk of human infection with various pathologies increases.
How aphids appear on plants
Aphid eggs hibernate on young tree branches near the buds. At the beginning of the green cone period, faded, inconspicuous larvae hatch. We usually notice that aphids have attacked a tree after seeing deformed, twisted leaves, where the larvae are already teeming with a dense layer.
In order to find clutches of aphid eggs in early spring, it is worth observing ants. If on a sunny day, even before the buds wake up, you carefully examine the young branches, you will surely see ant scouts.What do ants do on a tree in early spring? They keep an eye on where their aphid nurse will appear, where their herds will be located. Carefully examining the twig along the ant route (you can arm yourself with a magnifying glass), you will see black dots around the buds. This is the masonry of aphids.
It is the ants that are its malicious carriers, guards and shepherds. Often, aphids appear on trees after these small industrious insects literally transport them there, which then feast on the so-called honeydew, which aphids secrete. Actually, for the sake of these sugar secretions - excess moisture and carbohydrates - they introduce pests on plants.
In spring, aphids are barely visible and may seem to be absent. However, at the end of May, adults begin to appear. They scatter around the garden, forming new colonies.
Preventive measures
Insect protection starts with prevention:
- Aphids lay their eggs in the bark of trees. In the fall, all loose parts must be removed. Autumn pruning of damaged and old shoots is carried out.
- For the winter, the soil around the bush is dug up, replacing the mulching layer.
- It is necessary to take measures to expel black ants from the site, which mutually exist with aphids. When digging up the soil, insects are poisoned with poison. Antimol, formalin will do.
- A special sticky belt can be installed on the tree trunk. He will not allow ants to climb the trunk.
- In the spring, the trunk circle is dug up, the appropriate fertilizers are applied under the bush.
Aphids multiply very quickly, and any indulgence can lead to the growth of colonies of the parasite. Only a complex of all the above measures guarantees the protection of the garden from the pest.
How to deal with aphids on fruit trees
Mechanical way of fighting
The simplest and most straightforward method of getting rid of pests is to remove them by hand. However, it is most convenient to perform this manipulation on low plants - shrubs, flowers. It is better to knock down aphids from trees with a strong stream of water from a hose.
As you can imagine, this is not the most effective way to combat harmful insects. Let's look at other options.
Biological methods of control
Nature took care and gave us natural helpers in the fight against this gluttonous pest: ladybugs, some species of wasps, larvae of lacewings, tits, chiffchaffs, sparrows, linnetworms eat this insect with great pleasure. And the birds feed them to their chicks. Invite these natural predators into your garden and let them fight aphids naturally. How to do it?
- Plant specific plants that will attract birds or insects that eat aphids: nettles, some scented herbs, green manure plants.
- In gardening centers or online stores, lacewing larvae (as experts say, a very effective remedy for aphids in the garden) and ladybugs are sold. This biological control method should only be used if the pests have already multiplied very strongly on the site and threaten your crops.
- To attract birds that like to eat aphids, in open places, but not far from natural shelter (tree or bush), it is necessary to hang out feeders with fresh food or plant plants that are natural food for them. They will provide permanent residence for the birds. Many of these plants are decorative in nature and will look beautiful in the garden.
Some plants tend to drive away aphids, for example, garlic and onions, Dalmatian chamomile. It would be logical to plant them close to those crops that are attacked by harmful insects.
But aphids simply adore nasturtium, mallow, cosmea, tuberous begonias. Do not plant these crops in the vicinity of pest-affected trees.Do not plant sleeping poppy, viburnum, linden nearby.
However, it is worth noting that aphids on fruit trees multiply so rapidly that sometimes a person should intervene in the process of protecting plants from uninvited insects.
Folk remedies
Now in stores you can buy many different chemical preparations, which often have a detrimental effect not only on harmful insects, but also on all living things. The berries are poured, and pesticides can get on them, on the grass around, as well as on animals walking around. Therefore, many gardeners choose folk remedies for aphids on fruit trees.
Soap solution
Grate 300 g of ordinary laundry soap, dissolve it in 10 liters of water, treat the plant branches with a solution.
Ash and soap solutions
1. Fill a small basin with water. Add ash and some liquid soap (you can Faery). Stir and dip the tops of aphid-infested branches into this bowl. Even if you inadvertently rip off these tops, you won't do much harm. After that, be sure to burn the diseased twigs. Finally, spray the entire plant with this solution using a spray bottle.
2. Heat the water, pour 150-300 g of ash into it, bring to a boil, then add 40 g of liquid soap. Spray the diseased plant with this solution.
Herbal infusions
Natural infusions are, of course, not chemicals, but they can also harm both the plant and the person. Many of the products are prepared in a concentrated form and can cause burns in trees and shrubs in an undiluted state. Some solutions are toxic to humans. Therefore, use them with extreme caution!
How to use infusions:
- Try the infusion on a small area before the primary treatment of the plant. If there is a positive effect, then the drug can be used throughout the entire area.
- Fruit crops are treated with infusions after flowering during the budding period and 2 weeks to 40 days before harvesting; berry plants - before flowering and after harvest; vegetable crops are sprayed 1 month before harvesting.
Let's take a look at the most effective herbal infusions.
Onion
Finely chop 200 g of onions (with scales) and add 10 liters of water to it. Let it brew for 12-18 hours.
Garlic
In chopped garlic (200 g), add a liter of water and leave to infuse in a tightly covered container for 5 days. For spraying, you need to mix 25 ml of infusion with 10 liters of water.
From pine shoots
For this infusion, you will need annual pine shoots - 2 kg, they must be poured with 10 liters of water and left to infuse for a week, stirring daily. The product is very concentrated, so you need to use it diluted in a 1:10 ratio.
From potato tops
You will need 1 kg of green or 700 g of dry potato tops. It must be finely chopped and infused for 3 hours in 10 liters of water. Then strain and treat the tree from aphids with this solution.
Citrus
The infusion is prepared from 100 g of dried peels of any citrus fruits. They need to be poured with one liter of warm water and insisted for three days.
Dandelion
Pour 400 g of leaves only or 200 g of a plant with rhizomes with 10 liters of warm water, let it infuse for 2 hours.
If desired, liquid soap (about 1 tsp) or soap shavings (no more than 40 g) can be added to the infusions before using them. The soap gives the product better adhesion to the leaves.
Herbal decoctions
Herbal decoctions are quite effective remedies for aphids on fruit trees, as they have fungicidal, insecticidal and antifeeding properties. Here are some helpful recipes.
From celandine
You will need 400 g of fresh or 100 g of dried stems and flowers of celandine, which must be crushed and filled with a liter of water.The broth is infused for a day and a half, after which it must be boiled for half an hour.
Tobacco
It is necessary to grind 200 g of dry tobacco leaves, fill them with water (5 l) and leave for 1 day. Then add water to make 10 liters and boil the broth over low heat for 2 hours.
From yarrow
It is advisable to make the broth from the herb, which is collected at the beginning of flowering. You will need 1 kg of dry plant. Add 2 liters of water to it, leave in a water bath for 40 minutes. After that, add water to make it 10 liters, and put the broth in a dark place, where it should stand for about 2 days.
Prevention
In order not to carry out a costly and dangerous treatment for plant health and harvest, it is better to take simple preventive measures in advance, which, albeit not one hundred percent, will significantly help reduce the likelihood of aphid infection of fruit trees. Usually, for this you need to make the habitat uncomfortable for the pest, unattractive. We will find out what measures can help us in this.
Insects
Introduce aphid-eating insects on the site. These can be ladybugs, lacewings, hover flies, and an extreme option - wasps.
Hover flies
Ladybug larvae can be bought in garden stores, and to attract other insects, plants attractive to them should be planted on the site: mallow, dill, parsley, carrots, marigolds. It will also be useful to learn how to deal with woodlice insects in the garden.
Plant repellents
It is known that aphids cannot stand the smell of some garden and flower crops. So, onions, garlic, marigolds, chamomile, lavender, coriander and mint planted nearby can scare away an insect from fruit trees. Tobacco is also effective.
Chamomile in the garden
Spraying
For prevention purposes, it is recommended to spray fruit crops from aphids in the fall after harvest, waiting for the foliage to completely fall off. Before processing, it is necessary to remove all fallen leaves, branches, and burn.
Spraying plants
In the spring, before the start of the growing season, prophylactic spraying with insecticides must be repeated. This measure will force the aphids to look for another place for their colony. It will also be useful to learn about how to spray aphid cherries.
Ants
It is important to remove ants from the settlement site. It is known that these insects are in symbiosis with aphids, feeding on the sweet secretions of the latter.
Ants on a plant
That is why, if there are ants on the site, there is a great risk that aphids will soon start there. It is better to destroy anthills in the spring. You may also find it helpful to learn about how Coca Cola is used for aphids and ants.
General care
Careful tree maintenance is essential. It is important to water them on time, do not forget to feed, remove the weeds growing nearby. All these measures will strengthen the health of plants, strengthen their immunity, and it will be much easier for trees to resist harmful insects.
Chemical control agents
If you failed to destroy aphids on trees using folk methods, or you simply missed this moment, then you will have to use chemicals. It should be noted right away that this method is far from safe - both fruits and beneficial insects can get under the gardener's spray. The use of chemistry in the fight against aphids is advisable only with a high number of pests, and even then not always.
The garden maintenance service of the Le Nôtre Park landscape workshop has the necessary modern and efficient equipment for the processing of trees and shrubs. Gardeners, together with agronomists, will formulate the optimal strategy for protecting your garden from diseases and pests, and they will strictly follow it throughout the season. The order is made by calling the contact phone or in person.
Chemicals
To destroy aphids, chemical preparations are used, which are divided into:
- Contact:
suggest the penetration of poison into the insect. This is Karbofos, Fufanon; - Intestinal:
penetrate into the digestive tract of the pest, causing poisoning. Most often, they produce chemicals of combined action, namely contact-intestinal - Confidor, Bankol, Iskra; - Systemic:
get inside the plant, into its cells, as well as into the fruits. There they are stored for up to 4 weeks, they are not washed off either by rains or by watering. These drugs are the most effective (based on imidacloprid), but also the most dangerous. These are Tanrek, Confidant, Biotlin, Aktara (used not only for the direct destruction of insects, but also for the prevention of their appearance).
These aphid preparations kill even the aphids that are in the twisted leaves. Spray with poisons should be no more than 2 times per season, when insects multiply most massively - May-June.
Pyrethrin preparations
You will harm the environment less by using pyrethrin-based products. These are natural, organic insecticides that are extracted from Dalmatian chamomile. The drugs affect the nervous system of insects, literally paralyzing them. The funds have a gentle effect on the external environment, which is why they are used more often. What the experts recommend: Doff All in One Bug Spray and Py Spray Garden Insect Killer.
Life hack
Many gardeners believe that the most effective way to control aphids is with a garlic spray solution. To prepare it you will need:
- 2-3 cloves of garlic.
- Glass vessel made of opaque glass with a capacity of 1-1.5 liters.
So how to prepare a garlic aphid solution? Garlic must be peeled, chopped and placed in a vessel. After that, pour 1 liter of cold water into the garlic gruel, tighten the lid and shake the contents well. Then the vessel is placed in a cool dark place (basement or refrigerator) for a day.
After the resulting garlic infusion is filtered and poured into a container with a spray bottle. The tree spray is ready. To make the infusion adhere well to the leaves and branches, you can add soap to it. Trees are treated with garlic solution at least three times with an interval of three days.
Important Tips
- Before starting to get rid of aphids in the garden, destroy any weeds growing nearby. Many gardeners have noticed that aphids appear first on them, so they act as such breeding grounds for an insect.
- It is necessary to spray the tree from aphids so that the underside of the leaves is well moistened.
- Experienced gardeners do not recommend using the same solution every year. Pests get used to any, even the most effective remedy. It is not recommended to treat aphids from trees in sunny or rainy weather. The rain will quickly wash away the solution, and the sun can burn plants.
Description of the harmful insect
At the moment, there are about 4 thousand species of aphids in the world. About a fourth of this number lives in Europe.
As numerous experiments show, the insect is not susceptible to many viruses, having managed to adapt to them over time. But at the same time, aphids are a carrier of diseases in plants.
Aphids on a leaf - photo
The insect reproduces in record time. Due to this, in just a couple of days, the insect is able to infect plants growing in the whole garden area.
Beds with cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkins and legumes are severely affected by the aphid invasion. Aphids slow down the growth of shoots, reduce fruiting, under the negative influence of aphids, the plant withers and dies.
The color of an insect can change several times during its life. It depends on the nutrition of the insect and the species to which the individual belongs. Shades of aphids in nature are very different: from grass green to pinkish-gray and even black.
Provided that there is enough food for the insect in the territory, the individual remains wingless and moves within several plants.
When the time comes when there is no food left on the territory occupied by aphids, the insect becomes winged and flies to a new site.
