2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The beet bug can be found almost everywhere, but it is most dangerous in the forest-steppe. In addition to beets, this parasite is not averse to eating potatoes, legumes, sunflowers, hemp, flax, pumpkin and other cultivated plants, as well as all kinds of weeds
About the pest
These polyphagous pests reach 3, 5 - 4, 6 mm in length and are endowed with a narrow body. Elytra of beetroot bugs are yellow-brown in color with black wedge-shaped specks; between the main and membrane parts of their elytra are membranous areas of black-brown hue. The size of the eggs of these insects is approximately 0.9 - 1 mm; the eggs initially laid by them, slightly curved in the center, have a yellowish or white color, a little later they turn orange. The larvae of these bugs are yellow-green in color, 1, 1 - 3.5 mm in length.
Fertilized eggs, as a rule, overwinter in the stalks or stems of leaves of various plants (mainly perennial legumes - clover, sainfoin or alfalfa). In autumn, embryonic development begins, slowing down with the onset of cold weather and renewed in spring, as soon as the air temperature reaches 10-11 degrees.
In the steppe regions, the revival of larvae occurs in the first half of April, in the forest-steppe regions - in the second half or at the beginning of May. The first generation of parasites usually develops on the same vegetation on which they wintered. For the full development of the larvae, 25 - 30 days are needed, and they turn into winged adult insects only after five molts. Matured individuals begin to move to beet plantings and crops. 6 - 8 days after the start of additional feeding, females lay 8 - 10 eggs in leaf petioles or small punctures in the stems (with a total fertility of 140 - 250 eggs). In the steppes, as many as three generations usually have time to develop, in the forest-steppe - two. In September-October, female beet bugs of the last generation lay eggs in the leaf petioles or stems of various plants. The eggs of parasites tolerate unfavorable conditions quite successfully - for the entire winter period, their death practically does not exceed 6-10%.
What measures to take
One of the most important and urgent measures, undoubtedly, will be the elimination of weeds throughout the growing season. Perennial grasses should be cut as low as possible. Measures such as deep autumn plowing and the removal of beet stalks from the fields at the end of threshing will also contribute to a successful fight against the beet bug. It is equally important to keep the beet beds clean.
Pollination of vegetation with tobacco dust or ash infusion (for 1 liter of water - 100 g of ash, then insist for a day) will also do a good job. A tobacco broth is also prepared using soap: for this, a liter of water, 2 tablespoons of liquid soap and 50 g of fine tobacco dust are mixed. The mixture is allowed to stand for a day, and only after this time they begin to process the beds. Onion peel infusion will also be very suitable for processing plants (200 g of raw materials are insisted in 10 liters of water per day).
A decoction of bitter capsicum is also considered quite effective. In a liter of water, 50 g of crushed pods are boiled for half an hour, after which the resulting concentrate is diluted in a bucket of water. It also helps in the fight against the beet bug and milkweed decoction.
Some gardeners advise planting clover, alfalfa, peas, potatoes or corn next to beets.
If for each plant there are 2 - 3 individuals of pests or more, plantings and crops of sugar beets begin to be treated with insecticides. A good result is given by spraying beets during the growing season with sumi-alpha or kinmix. They also use fitoverm, spark, bio spark or fastak. You can try to apply and practically harmless to humans biological product called "Aktofit".
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