Cucumber Pests

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Pests of cucumbers - many summer residents are faced with the fact that even with proper care, plants are susceptible to various pests. In this case, it is very often impossible to get the high-quality harvest that you originally expected. In this case, you should learn everything about possible pests and how to deal with them correctly

So, various problems can cause not only diseases of cucumbers, but also various pests.

There are many varieties of melon aphids. Such aphids that attack cucumbers are sometimes called black aphids. Such a bug is most often located at the bottom of the cucumber leaves. Such a pest cannot be overlooked, because when the pest spreads en masse, the entire plant, including the ovaries, flowers and the stems themselves, becomes covered with a sticky substance.

For the purpose of prevention, one should actively fight weeds, not only in the area with cucumbers, but also around it. In this case, the remains of previous plants should be separated. Also, do not forget that the sowing of vegetables should be alternated. Plants need to be regularly inspected in order to timely notice the defeat of aphids. As soon as you notice the first pests, they should be washed off into a container filled with water. Sifted ash is good for controlling a small amount of pests. The cucumbers are powdered with this mixture from a gauze bag. Also, some gardeners add a small amount of tobacco dust to the ash. An ash solution is also suitable for spraying, it is prepared as follows: two hundred grams of pre-sifted and infused for at least a day are taken, this ash is mixed with fifty grams of soap, then the resulting solution is diluted in ten liters of water. To get the most effective result, it will be best to spray the plants in the evenings, from the bottom up, paying special attention to the bottom of the sheets.

The spider mite on cucumbers is a very small insect, but this does not outweigh its danger. In particular, you should be on the lookout when such a mite appears on those cucumbers that grow in greenhouses. Initially, small dots appear on the plants, which very much resemble a pin prick. Over time, the leaf turns yellow, and then it dries up altogether.

In no case should you overdry the soil, and also constantly clean the area of various debris and plant residues. For prevention purposes, disinfection with sulfur briquettes is suitable. When the plant is already affected, you will have to process them with an infusion of scales from garlic or from onions: at the rate of two hundred grams per ten liters of water. In this case, ladybugs can act as natural orderlies: in order to attract them, dill can be planted near the cucumbers.

The whitefly is a small butterfly. This pest loves the underside of cucumber leaves. Whitefly larvae secrete a very specific sticky substance, on which the so-called black fungus grows over time. Therefore, subsequently, the leaves of the cucumbers turn black. This butterfly literally sucks out all the juices from the plant.

Spraying with clean water will be the most effective way to combat it. In this case, special attention should be paid to the lower parts of the leaves. To distract the pest from the plant, you can plant tobacco near the site where the cucumbers grow. The smell of tobacco is very tempting to pests.

Slugs are naked soft molluscs that are colored gray-brown. It is worth noting that this pest is extremely unpleasant in appearance, and after itself slugs leave a long trail of mucus. Pests can be different in size, but most often they are at least a centimeter in length. The pest feeds on the plant at night, after which large holes remain. Of course, the pest is quite slow, but at the same time it is gluttonous, so the plants can be eaten completely.

In order to combat, you should carefully dig up the soil in the fall and loosen it regularly. Remove plant debris and control weeds regularly. The soil near the plants should be pollinated with ash, and the site itself with slaked lime.