2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The brown fruit mite severely damages almost all fruit crops, however, the apple tree invariably remains the main food plant for this pest. Most often, these harmful parasites inhabit the middle or lower parts of tree crowns, since the direct rays of the sun are not to their liking. At the same time, it is almost impossible to see characteristic cobwebs on the leaves, with which ticks of other species abundantly entangle the foliage. Brown fruit mites pose a danger to trees throughout the entire growing season - both during their active growth and at the stage of fruit formation. In order not to lose an impressive part of the crop, it is necessary to get rid of them as quickly as possible
Meet the pest
The body of female brown ticks reaches sizes from 0.5 to 0.6 mm and is characterized by a wide-oval shape. As for the males, their bodies are elongated-oval. Weakly chitinized integuments of pests' bodies are painted in reddish-brownish tones, and their legs are rather long and very thin.
Shiny red eggs of harmful parasites overwinter on tree bark, located mainly on the lower sides of skeletal branches and near the bases of fruits. At the very beginning of bud opening, voracious orange-red pest larvae emerge, which instantly move first to the blossoming buds, and subsequently to young leaves. Then they return to the bark of tree branches, gathering there in solid groups, and moult together. And these parasites leave molted skins directly on the bark, as a result of which the twigs acquire a characteristic silvery hue.
Females of the spring generation begin to appear after the apple trees have bloomed, and within three or four days after emergence, they begin to lay eggs, placing them mainly on the upper sides of the leaves. Their total fertility ranges from twenty-five to forty-nine eggs.
As a rule, the development of the generation of brown fruit mites lasts about a month, but there are seasons when more time is required for the development of pests. In any case, in July and August, the third or fourth generation of these voracious parasites develops. At the same time, they give a maximum of five generations per season (usually this happens in the southern regions). If the conditions for the reproduction of pests are extremely unfavorable, then the females of the second and third generations begin to lay overwintering eggs, thereby stopping the increase in numbers in the current season.
Concentrating mainly on the leaves, brown fruit mites very actively suck out all the juices from them. The result of the destructive activity of these parasites is a decrease in the amount of chlorophyll, a violation of the water balance and the suspension of the process of photosynthesis. As a result, the fruit trees are noticeably weakened. And the fruits on trees attacked by pests are very small and unsightly.
How to fight
To reduce the population of brown fruit mites, it is necessary to dig up the soil directly under the plants, as well as collect the fallen leaves in a timely manner and immediately get rid of it. Also, in the fall, it is necessary to clean the tree trunks from dead and dried bark, after which it is recommended to whitewash them with a lime solution.
If there are too many ticks on the plot, and the buds on the fruit trees have not yet blossomed, spraying with "Oleocobrite" or "Nitrafen" is carried out.
When treating fruit plantations with acaricides, it is very important to regularly alternate them, since brown fruit mites often form populations resistant to one or another acaricide. By following this simple rule, you can significantly delay the formation of chemical-resistant pest populations. By the way, summer treatment with acaricides is quite allowed to be combined with treatments against codling moths.
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