Apple Mole: Causes and Control Measures

In the modern world, every gardener has his own method of increasing yields and controlling various pests. One of the most unpleasant pests is the apple moth.Another name is ermine. It is about this parasite and will be discussed in this article.

First of all, it should be noted that the species of this moth belongs to the family of ermine butterflies. The insect's diet includes only one type of fruit - apples. That is why she got that name. The appearance of the moth is quite invisible. It is pale brown in color, with different faded tints.

In nature, this insect is found in countries such as Korea, Russia, Pakistan, America, Japan, and also in many European countries.

Mole is predominantly nocturnal. In the daytime, she hides in the shadows or in the grass. The main breeding season is June or July.

If the mole begins to breed during that period when there are no leaves on the tree, then the young individuals can wrap themselves in a special sticky mass, which they themselves secrete. After that, the parasites calmly winter, and leave their cocoons next spring. The first sign that a tree is struck by this pest is web clumps in different places. The eaten leaves, from which only the stems remained, are also heralds of the fact that the apple tree is affected by the pest.

Butterflies and their larvae cause damage to trees. However, the main problem is the moth caterpillars. They can destroy entire gardens in a very short time. Usually their massive attacks last about 30 days.

Adults are harmless to the tree itself; they cannot destroy it, since they do not have a proboscis for feeding. Nevertheless, every time when they lay eggs (about 70 pieces), they cause enormous damage to the culture, because as soon as these larvae hatch, they will begin to mercilessly eat the tree and can destroy it.

It is the adults that infect the tree. If a neighbor has an apple moth, it makes sense to process its trees for prevention. Because the butterflies themselves easily overcome long distances. If this is not done on time, then the larvae becomes too much and there is a chance that the tree cannot be saved. It will be completely shrouded in cobwebs, as a result, it will not be able to take part in the process of photosynthesis and will wither.

If the tree was attacked by this pest and managed to be saved, then it will begin to bear fruit only in 2-3 years. And if you do not take measures to fight in time, there is a chance to destroy the whole garden.

Measures to combat this pest are extremely simple. But still have to make some efforts to destroy it.

The first thing you need to remember - in no case do not process the trees during flowering. It is best to start fighting with moth on an apple tree after the tree has faded. It is recommended to do this with special chemicals.

The main drugs against the apple moth are Demilin and Fosmadin. Also suitable drugs such as "Basudin" and "Kilmiks." These chemicals have proven to be the best in the fight against this pest. They do not harm the tree itself, do not leave burns on it. But at the same time, they relieve from such a headache as the apple moth.

It is imperative to spray the trees in the neighborhood. This is done so that the insect that remains alive does not move to another bush. Treatment with chemicals should be carried out at least 2 times if few clutches are found. But it is better to carry out processing 3 times. This will ensure that all pests have died and the future harvest is not threatened anymore. Chemicals, of course, kill all pests well, but they are quite dangerous for the fruits themselves and can also cause an allergic reaction in humans.It is for this reason that some gardeners use folk remedies to fight this insect.

In addition to chemicals, you can try to help the trees yourself.

• Wash the trees in early spring and autumn, after the leaves fall. To do this, use strong water pressure. After washing the tree you need to destroy the insects on the ground.
• Shear leaves and branches that are affected by moths and burn them. It is recommended to do this procedure not in the garden or garden, but as far as possible.
• Installation of specialized catchers that help to destroy pests with the help of ultraviolet rays will also help.
• You can make a special trap, which will consist of a piece of board painted in yellow (this shade attracts all butterflies). It is also necessary to apply to the board a non-drying glue intended for rodents. Butterflies of this species will fly up to the board and stick, as a result, will not be able to come off and die.
• Do not forget about the natural destroyers of the apple moth, birds. If there are several birdhouses in the garden, you can be sure that insects will not stay here for a long time.
• It is not forbidden to manually collect all insect clutches. This method will be effective if done systematically, for example, every 2 days.

In order to prevent the appearance of the apple moth, it is imperative to regularly check the leaves and branches of trees for possible clutches. If they were found, then immediately need to start a fight.

Before wintering a good idea would be to whiten the trunk and skeletal branches of apple trees with lime mortar.

It is also recommended for the prevention of treating apples with yarrow decoction or infusion based on tobacco.

You can spray the leaves with soapy water - insects hate it, because it is difficult for them to cling to the slippery surface.

remember, that Proper watering, timely pruning, loosening the soil after each water supply are the rules that every gardener must follow. They make up the bulk of success.

Only with timely intervention is it possible to save all the trees. Otherwise, the trees will die, and you just have to cut them down.

Methods of dealing with apple moth see in the next video.