2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The Colorado potato beetle was first seen in the US state of Colorado in the nineteenth century. At that time, it was not yet classified as a pest. But now it is the worst enemy of potatoes and other nightshade plants in the garden
The main food of the beetle was originally the nightshade weed (Solanum rostratum), which in its nutritional qualities is very similar to the tops of potatoes. And only after almost a hundred years, the Colorado potato beetle became the main pest of potatoes. At the moment, he lives in all areas of the world where potatoes are grown. It easily tolerates severe winters, as it hibernates deep in the ground and multiplies very quickly.
Good fertility
These beetles reproduce by laying eggs. So in one season, a female of an adult Colorado potato beetle is able to postpone up to 1000 pieces. Eggs are laid in 20 pieces on the bottom of the potato leaf. Two weeks later, the first larvae appear from the eggs, which are the main destroyers of potato tops.
It is estimated that 30 larvae are capable of completely destroying a potato bush. A month after birth, the larvae reach the ground, where they pupate at a depth of about 20 cm, and after two weeks, adult striped beetles emerge from the ground. Thus, several generations of the Colorado potato beetle can form during the season. As you can see, such a constant update is difficult to combat this pest.
Amazing survivability
In its homeland in the United States, the Colorado potato beetle has natural enemies that help control its population. And in Russia there are practically no such animals and insects. Except, perhaps, the well-known guinea fowl. Therefore, beetles from Colorado reproduce easily and without any problems. In addition, the larvae can wait out the hungry years in hibernation for about three years, after which they successfully develop and reproduce again.
They hibernate quite deep in the ground, which protects them from the effects of chemical fertilizers and poisons. And since beetles can fly en masse over several tens of kilometers, it is very difficult to simultaneously destroy beetles in the same territory.
[hHow to deal with it? [/h]
Currently, there are several basic methods of dealing with the Colorado potato beetle. First of all, this is biocontrol, for the application of which the main predators and parasites of this beetle are used. But this method of struggle turned out to be extremely ineffective, since the beetle larvae often died when the plants were already wilting.
The use of chemical control proved to be more effective. So, using a remedy for the Colorado potato beetle, you can achieve the death of offspring even at the stage of the appearance of the first larvae. However, it is worth remembering that the Colorado potato beetle, as a rule, after two years ceases to perceive the constant use of the same remedy. Therefore, it is recommended to change the chemical preparation to combat the Colorado potato beetle at least once a season.
It is advisable to process potato plantings several times per season, when at least 15% of the larvae have already hatched from the eggs. At the same time, the tubers of processed potatoes can be eaten no earlier than 20 days after the treatment. If the site is small, then you can try to collect the Colorado beetles with your hands and destroy.
Folk methods of struggle
There are many poisons against these insects, but all of them can somehow penetrate through potatoes into the human body. Therefore, a lot of people are trying to use ecological methods of struggle. Folk methods come to the rescue.
In addition to collecting insects and killing larvae by hand, ash spraying is often used. Usually this procedure is done before flowering potatoes once every two weeks, and when the flowers fall off - once a month. Ash is also sprinkled on the soil around the potato bushes for a better effect.
You can also sprinkle the potato leaves with cornstarch. When its particles enter the stomach of an insect, they swell and cause the death of the beetle.
Some of the summer residents practice the method of sprinkling the earth around the plants using dry cement or gypsum. This remedy also has a destructive effect on insects.
Between the rows of potatoes, it is useful to sprinkle with fresh sawdust, and preferably birch. The beetles do not like their smell very much, and they begin to bypass the potato plantations.
Often found among the advice of gardeners are recipes for infusions against beetles. They are prepared from dried leaves of white acacia (1 kg per 10 liters to insist for three days), poplar (half a bucket of leaves is boiled in water for 15 minutes and diluted in a 10 liter bucket, then to insist for three days), sunflower flowers (500 g of flowers are insisted in 10 liters for three days), celandine leaves (1.5 kg of leaves are poured with boiled water for three hours, adding a liter of 1.5% calcium chloride).
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