2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
We continue our conversation about plum pests
Getting started - part 1.
At the very beginning of bud break, larvae appear. Initially, the larvae will feed on the tops of the soil, and after that they move to the underside of the leaves or to the shoots. Infected leaves do not curl, but in shape they resemble a kind of spoon, and the leaves will be covered with larval skins. The migration of the pest is not complete, and the life cycle is dioecious. Some of the aphids will multiply on root growth and on young trees that have not yet begun to bear fruit. Another part of the pests moves from the plum to the reed, where they will live and reproduce until the beginning of autumn. Males appear only when the pest develops on the reed. Already around September-October, females and males return to fruit trees. New pests hatch on the leaves, which after about ten days will become sexually mature, and after mating they can lay new eggs. During one growing season, the development of ten generations of this pest can occur.
Actually the aphid, which develops on stone fruit trees, pumps out of them literally all the juice necessary for normal development and functioning. In the event that the pest does not have time to independently process all the plant sap, then the remainder of the aphid is thrown out as syrup, which is sometimes also called honeydew. The release of this syrup occurs through the tubes, which are located on the back of the pest's abdomen. Actually, it became useful for the ants, which seem to stimulate the aphids to produce such a syrup for them.
You can notice the appearance of aphids purely visually. A sudden slowdown in the growth of seedlings and young trees may indicate the appearance of this pest. Also a sign of the presence of aphids is the delay in the formation of fruit buds on young shoots, the leaves of which are damaged. Small fruits that often fall off are also a sure sign of aphid infestation. Pathogens of a wide variety of diseases very often settle on the secretions of aphids.
As for the methods of dealing with this pest, then a number of necessary measures should be taken. First of all, it is necessary to regularly cut and destroy the root growth, where some species of this pest develop. Aphid eggs are also often spent here. In autumn, the tree should be cleaned of dead bark, after which it should be whitewashed with a lime solution.
Before the buds bloom in the spring, it will be necessary to spray with mineral oil preparations. This method will help prevent the appearance of larvae from those eggs that have wintered. The use of solutions made on the basis of kerosene or diesel fuel is also available.
After hatching, the trees should be treated with insecticides. In the event that the first colony of aphids becomes noticeable, the affected branches have to be treated, and in young trees it is necessary to wash the tops of the shoots. An alternative to chemicals can be the use of infusions and decoctions of insecticidal plants, soap solution and soda ash.
In the event that the treatment was not carried out on time, then there is a massive dispersal of aphids. In this case, the solution will already be to treat the entire crown of plum trees with an insecticide. The leaves should be sprayed both from the underside and from the side where they are curled. As for biologicals, they cannot be called effective in the fight against aphids. You can try to collect ladybugs and release them on those branches that are inhabited by aphids. In addition, weeds should be removed in time, because some species of aphids feed and reproduce on the weeds, where they get from the trees. Of course, weed removal is useful not only from the point of view of aphid control, but is also one of the main articles for caring for any plant.
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