Garlic Pests. Part 2

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

Photo: luiscarceller / Rusmediabank.ru

We continue our conversation about the pests of garlic.

Continuation. Part 1 is here.

The so-called onion hoverfly is also a rather serious pest. This parasite is a fly, the length of which can reach nine millimeters, the color of this fly is greenish-bronze. There are three light spots on the sides of the abdomen of this pest, and the hind legs are slightly thickened. This fly lays white eggs, the length of which does not even reach a millimeter. The larvae will be grayish yellow in color and slightly wrinkled. The body length of the larvae can reach ten millimeters. At the posterior end of the body, such larvae will have a small process that looks like a brown tube, and around this tube there are several more pairs of rather fleshy processes. The false cocoon of this fly is also colored brown, the length of this false cocoon is about eight millimeters. The larvae are dangerous not only for garlic, but also for onions, carrots and potato tubers. In diseased plants, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, and the larvae are inside the bulbs themselves.

The fly will lay its eggs on the ground near the plants. Those larvae that emerged from the eggs begin to penetrate into the bulbs. After three weeks, the larvae are taken into the ground. After about half a month, a new generation of flies appears and they begin to lay eggs again. The pupae of this pest will spend winter in the ground. Such a fly is most harmful in the north of Russia, but this pest is quite common throughout Russia. As for the methods of control, it is recommended to constantly observe crop rotation, and you should also cultivate the soil between the rows of plants. It is highly recommended that you also feed the plants. Infected plants should be destroyed immediately, and plant residues should also be destroyed. Sprinkle the soil with mothballs as well, which helps repel flies.

There is also such a disease as onion moth. This pest looks like a small butterfly, its length reaches eight millimeters. The front wings of the butterfly are also painted in brown tones, the wings are equipped with white stripes and specks. The forewings have white spots at the posterior margin. The hind wings themselves are painted gray and have a long fringe. The eggs of this pest are yellowish in color. The caterpillar even reaches eleven millimeters in length, they are yellowish-green in color. The pupa is approximately seven millimeters long and is dark brown in color. The developmental stage of the pupa can reach twelve days. Already in mid-July, a new generation of butterflies appears. It should be noted that during cold and rain, the development of this moth will be suspended. The larvae of this onion moth are especially harmful. The larvae parasitize on the pulp of the leaves of the plant. Naturally, this leads to the fact that the harvest will be very insufficient. Observance of crop rotation and regular feeding are the best means to prevent the occurrence of such pests. Post-harvest residues should always be destroyed.

Another important pest is the so-called onion sharpener. This parasite is a medium sized butterfly with a wingspan exceeding twenty millimeters. The body of the butterfly is very thick, and its legs are short. The front fenders are painted white and yellow and are complemented by a gray pattern. The hind wings are gray in color and are equipped with a variegated fringe. The female of this parasite is capable of laying even up to hundreds of eggs. The caterpillars are very large, their length is about twenty-four centimeters, the color of the caterpillars is red, and their head is yellow. These caterpillars penetrate the garlic bulbs themselves, where they begin to gnaw the bulbs, which subsequently turns the entire contents into real dust. Sometimes there can be even more than thirty caterpillars in one onion. Then the caterpillars hide in the soil, and here they will winter. The next summer, new butterflies appear. Caterpillars can get along with the garlic to its storage sites, where they also survive the winter period very well. It should be noted that measures to combat this are not yet fully understood. Therefore, gardeners recommend regularly destroying plant debris and carefully selecting the bulbs for planting.