How to deal with aphids on strawberries?

Aphids are very dangerous for garden strawberries.These small pests suck the vital juices from the green parts of the plant, thereby hitting it so much that you can simply forget about getting any berries. How long is strawberry known as culture, as many have to find ways to combat this parasite.

Aphids on garden strawberries occur quite often, however, experienced gardeners try to prevent its occurrence in the garden plot. It would seem that this small insect cannot tangible damage to the crop. But it is very prolific, so in a short time a dozen pests turn into a colony, which, in company with ants, is able to completely kill strawberries on the plot. The fact is that black ants are very fond of the sweet secret secreted by aphids, so they guard the pest colonies. If you noticed ants in the country, be sure that you will soon find a mass settlement of aphids.

With the defeat of the parasite foliage begins to curl strongly, young shoots are deformed, and the fruits freeze in development. If the plant does not help at the very first signs of aphids, it may not survive the cold winter, because after the invasion of these pests the strawberry shoots die, and the seedling withers and then dies.

Detecting aphids is quite simple - if you carefully examine the leaves, you can see small light green bugs that are collected on the back surface of the leaf plates. In addition, on the green parts of strawberries you can find a milky-white coating, similar in structure to ash. This is an aphid shell, which she occasionally discards.

Besides the pests themselves, other signs will be noticeable on the strawberry:

• deformation of the tops of the culture;
• twisted and stunted leaf plates;
• the appearance of droplets of liquid on the antennae and young shoots;
• drooping leaves even after irrigation;
• abnormal formations on the stems.

Before you buy a means to destroy aphids, you should study the instructions, as well as take into account the period from drip processing until the crop is ripe.

The most common chemicals include the following.

The drug with the active component thiamethox. This is an effective substance, whose action does not depend on climatic conditions. Having got on green leaves, it is independently soaked up and starts moving on vessels of strawberry. At the same time it does not penetrate into the berries, because the use of the drug is safe for the harvest.

The drug does not contain harsh chemicals, so it is classified as a moderate hazard. The base substance is imidacloprid, it acts as a systemic contact drug for about a week. Once on aphids, it establishes a blockage of the pest's nerve impulses, as a result, the aphid stops moving and is, and after 2-4 hours it completely dies. The composition is not addictive, so you can use it repeatedly for processing sheet plates.

For spraying plantings, 5 mg of "Biotin" is diluted in 10 liters of water, sprayed on the basis of this volume per hundred strawberry plants.

This is a systemic insecticide that contains two active substances and, accordingly, has a double action:

• lambda-cyhalothrin - immediately goes inside the body of the parasite and kills it at any stage of development;
• Thiamethoxam - penetrates inside the vessels and cells of the plant and for 3 weeks protects it from the repeated attack of the pest.

The basic component of the composition of the drug is pyrimiphos-methyl, it is an organophosphorus substance that easily penetrates into hard-to-reach places of the plant. Upon contact with it, insects die after 2-3 hours. If during the spraying the composition did not get on the insect, it will still act. Penetrating into the leaf plates, he fills the vital juices with poison, sucking them out, the aphid dies almost instantly.

The drug works for about 8 days, however, in hot weather, the decomposition of its components is more active and the need for re-processing may occur earlier. For processing one hundred squares need to dissolve 6 ml of the drug in half a bucket of water.

“Fufanon” is a very strong insecticide, which since 2012 has been banned for use in summer cottages and garden plots, but its counterpart Aliot demonstrates consistently high efficiency.

This agent is based on karbofos, the active ingredient is melation. The drug belongs to the highly effective, however, it has a long waiting period - three weeks, so it can be used only after receiving the harvest, and it is not used for remontant varieties.

For the preparation of a medicinal product for strawberries dissolve 10 ml in 5-6 liters of water.

Chemicals have a good alternative - biological substances.

The drug with the active substance abamectin, which is the result of a small fungus. When hit on the leaf plate means almost instantly absorbed by the plant. However, it is effective during the week, for this period the insects die. The drug is not absorbed into the berries, so it can be used before harvesting.

Vermitek is very convenient to use. As you know, aphid is sitting on the back of the sheets, so it is quite difficult to spray these areas. Since this drug is absorbed into the vital juices of plants, it infects pests, even without getting directly to them or areas of their habitat.

The drug is based on the effects of the aversectin-C component, it acts as a contact and as an intestinal agent and its result is noticeable on the third day after treatment. Protection lasts for 14-20 days, while, unlike chemicals, at high temperatures, the efficiency, on the contrary, only increases.

The drug is very broad spectrum of activity, which can be used to combat any leaf-eating insects. Processing is allowed at any stage of the growing season. “Lipidocide” is active for about a week and does not have the ability to accumulate in fruits.

A remedy based on the use of bacteria that can have a damaging effect on certain insects, so it can only be used against aphids. The composition has a slight effect on strawberries and does not accumulate in the fruit, however, its effect is rather short-lived, therefore, after 5-7 days, the treatment must be repeated.

Not everyone trusts chemical and biological agents, considering that they are unsafe for plants and fruits. Some gardeners turn to old-fashioned folk methods that have proven their effectiveness over the centuries.

For the preparation of environmentally friendly and effective solutions for aphids recommend using:

• wood ash solution, made from the calculation of 300 g of crushed ash per 10 liters of water;
• classical soap without aromatic additives to prepare an effective solution of 20 g of soap rubbed on a grater and pour one liter of hot water, then stirred until the final dissolution;
• garlic infusion - 30-40 g of garlic are crushed, combined with 1 l of water and left for a day;
• mustard solution - pour boiling water (1-1.5 liters) with a spoonful of dry mustard and allow to cool until it has to be filtered before use.

Any problem is easier to prevent than to get rid of it, and the fight against aphids is no exception to this rule.

Standard prevention methods work against aphids.

• Before planting young plants, each bush should be carefully inspected. Aphid has a habit of laying eggs in the root zone, it is from there with the arrival of spring that the larvae of the parasite hatch.
• It is necessary to get rid of all sick bushes - to dig out and destroy, it is desirable to burn.
• Her natural enemies — the golden-eyed eyes, earwig, as well as ladybugs and hoverflies — help her to fight aphids very well. In order to attract them, it is necessary to sow dill and parsley near the beds, as well as to place containers with sawdust or shavings nearby.
• It will be right to sow around strawberries garlic, onions or mint, thyme, marigolds or other plants with a pungent smell.
• Timely fertilizers with potash and phosphate compounds will help resist the attack of aphids, as strong seedlings are better able to resist the pest invasion.

Tips for dealing with aphids see below.