Plum Pests. Part 1

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

In addition to a number of dangerous diseases, plums are very often attacked by pests. Despite the fact that the number of plum pests is not so great, they can cause tremendous damage to the crop, and sometimes even destroy it. In this article we will talk about what plum pests exist and what methods and methods should be used to properly deal with them

Basically, plum fruits will be damaged by two types of pests: the plum moth and the black plum sawfly. Both of these pests leave holes on the surface of the fruit, inside which the larvae will develop. The pulp of the affected fruit is also already susceptible to the negative effects of the pest. Over time, the fruits of the affected trees will fall off. However, the life cycles of these pests vary. Therefore, it is very important to know which of these two pests attacked your trees.

Caterpillars of the moth, at first, are off-white in color, after which they turn pink-red. The length of the moth does not exceed fifteen millimeters. The larvae of the black plum sawfly do not exceed eight millimeters in length, they are greenish-white or yellow-green in color. These larvae have a bug smell and excrement.

First, a sawfly appears in summer cottages, and after that, the time of the moth comes. Adults of the sawfly lay eggs in the cups of buds and not fully opened flowers. When flowering ends, the larvae are already emerging from the eggs. As for the most effective methods of dealing with such a pest, you should choose the right period of time. This time will be the years of adults and the period of oviposition. You can also choose the time of transition of larvae from one fruit to another: this happens about a week after flowering has completed. For treatment, drugs such as insecticides are suitable.

As for the moth, it will lay its eggs immediately after flowering. At the same time, the moth lays its eggs either on the fruits or on the lower surface of the leaves. After about a week or ten days, caterpillars emerge from the eggs. These caterpillars will take root in the fetus. It should be noted that this period is optimal for combating these pests. Therefore, trees should be treated against the moth about two to two and a half weeks after flowering is over. The period of the emergence of butterflies and the emergence of moth caterpillars is very extended, therefore it is recommended to re-process it after about two and a half to three weeks. With regard to chemicals, then the use of insecticides will also be effective.

Plum pollinated aphid is also a very dangerous disease. This pest is capable of doing very significant harm not only to plums, but also cherry plum, and peach, and apricot, and thorns, and even almonds. This pest is common wherever all of the above plants can grow. The body of the pest is rather oblong in shape, its length is approximately two and a half millimeters. Also, the body is complemented by three stripes of a dark green shade, and the body itself is painted in light green tones. The pest is also covered with a bluish-white fluff, which was formed by means of wax-like secretions, the head, tail and antennae are painted in green shades. As for the female, she is slightly smaller in length, her head and chest are dark brown in color, and the belly itself is light green, the pest has wings and two rows of white dust spots. The eggs of this pest will spend the winter period of time on young shoots that are located next to the buds or on the surface of the buds themselves.