28.02.2017
For the harvest, the gardener has to compete with the vagaries of the weather and with parasitic insects. Tomato lovers get it from the black midge or, as it is also called, the country aphid or leafhopper. If you don’t get rid of it in time, the tomato midge will destroy the beds with tomatoes.
- Damage from black midges
- How to get rid of black midges on tomatoes
- How to get rid of black midges on tomato seedlings
How to treat and spray tomatoes and seedlings against white and black midges that eat them: preparations
Actellik drug for midges on tomatoes
If the tomatoes are attacked by white and black midges, and the fruits have not yet set, the plants need to be treated with one of the following chemicals :
- "Actellik" - 1 ampoule per 1 liter of water, treat the plant no more than 4 times.
- "Actofit" - dilute according to instructions, apply at least 3 times, every 5-7 days.
- "Aktara" - dilute according to instructions, apply at least 3 times, every 5-7 days.
- “Verticillin J” - 25 ml per 1 liter of water, treatment 2 times every 7-10 days.
- “Pegasus” - 2 ml of 25% of the drug per 1 liter of water, treat the bushes 2 times after 7 days.
- “Fufanon” - 1.2-1.5 ml of 57% drug per 1 liter of water, treatment 1 time.
- "Confidor" - 0.1 ml of 20% drug per 1 liter of water, treatment 1 time.
- "Phosbecid" - 5 ml per 5 liters of water.
- "Mospilan" - 0.05-0.06 g per 1 liter of water, treat 1 time.
- "Decis" - dilute according to instructions.
- "Inta-vir" - 1 tablet is diluted in 10 liters of water.
- “Karate” - dilute strictly according to the instructions. Use at intervals of 7-10 days.
- "Arrivo" - dilute an emulsion with a 25% concentration in 7-10 liters of water.
- "Neoron" - dilute according to instructions.
Attention. It is not worth purchasing a lot of the chemical; aphids may develop an addiction to the drug and it will stop working on it.
What does a cruciferous flea beetle look like (description and photo)
The cruciferous flea beetle is a shiny black bug that damages plants of the cruciferous family. Favorite plants for pests to eat are cabbage seedlings, radishes, radishes, turnips, arugula, etc. Heat-loving beetles prefer to feed on the apical and illuminated leaves, the damage increases in hot, dry sunny weather. Then their gluttony increases significantly.
By June, the aggressiveness of pests decreases. But here comes the second dangerous period - the time of reproduction. Females begin to lay eggs in the surface layer of soil. The eggs take approximately 12 days to develop. The hatched larvae feed on the roots of cruciferous crops and do not cause much harm. The development of larvae lasts 15-20 days. Pupation also occurs in the soil and after about 2 weeks a new generation of beetles is born.
Having emerged on the soil surface in the second half of July, the bugs begin to feed on the leaves of already strong plants. Of course, the harm from them during this period will be much less. They can damage flowers and seed fruits of vegetable crops. However, if no measures are taken to destroy the pests, with the onset of cold weather in the fall, the beetles return to the soil for the winter. And the breeding cycle repeats next spring. Look at the photo to see what the cruciferous flea flea looks like.
Decis for protection against black and white midges on tomatoes and seedlings: recipe for use
The drug “Decis” for white and black midges
The drug “Decis” is a pesticide. It is widely used to kill various insects, including aphids, on vegetables, grains and in the garden. Acts on the nervous system of insects, destroying them. It dissolves well in water. The drug is enough to use 0.6-1 g per 10 liters of water. It acts quickly, 1 hour after spraying the plants. You cannot store the diluted solution; you must use it all at once. After treating tomatoes with the drug, its effect lasts 14-20 days. Does not cause addiction to it among pests.
Important. "Decis" cannot be mixed with other drugs that have an alkaline environment.
Prevention
Common measures against both pests, which also prevent the appearance of many other pests and fungal diseases on tomatoes, will be:
- Regular removal and burning of weeds during the growing season, as well as autumn cleaning of the site. Weeds are breeding grounds and an excellent place for insects and fungi to overwinter.
- Deep digging of soil in the fall.
- If black midges are infested in the greenhouse, after harvesting, fumigation with sulfur should be carried out, burning 200 g of the substance per m3. After the procedure, it is advisable to keep the greenhouse closed for at least 4-5 days, then ventilate it. This remedy acts on aphids and tomato mosquitoes at all phases of development.
- Measures to prevent attacks by winged aphids are also effective against other species of this pest. Prevention in this case is most justified, since aphids can cause serious damage to tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, cereals, and melons.
- Removing ants. Insects feed on aphid honeydew, and therefore contribute to its spread throughout the plantings. Cases have been recorded of winged aphids hiding in an anthill at night. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to detect all anthills on the site and destroy them chemically.
- Attracting beneficial insects. Wasps, ladybugs and lacewings feed on winged aphids. By sowing dill next to the tomato planting, you can lure these insects.
- Attracting natural enemies of the pest. Warblers, tits, and linnets feed on aphids.
- Sowing repellent herbs. Pests avoid aromatic plants; you can repel aphids by sowing garlic, basil, peppermint, marigolds, cilantro, and fennel between the rows.
It’s easy to avoid the appearance of the tomato mosquito - just follow the watering regime, avoiding excess moisture in the soil.
Both insects love warm and humid microclimates, so they often attack greenhouse tomatoes. White midges (whiteflies) may also appear in the shelter; greenhouse conditions are favorable for many pests and fungi. In view of this, special attention should be paid to the prevention and inspection of crops growing indoors.
What plants repel white and black midges on tomatoes?
White and black midges are afraid
of celandine. You can fight tomato aphids with the help of plants that it does not tolerate. These are the following plants:
- Celandine
- Calendula
- Yarrow
- Sagebrush
- Dill
- Garlic
- Onion
Recipe 1. Decoction of celandine
For the decoction you need:
- 2 tbsp. l. dry celandine
- 1 glass of water
Prepare the decoction:
- Fill the herb with water and boil for 5-10 minutes.
- Let it sit until it cools down.
- Add 2 liters of water to the broth and splash the tomatoes.
The same decoctions can be prepared from yarrow and wormwood . Aphids also do not like these herbs.
Recipe 2. Infusion of tobacco and laundry soap
For the infusion you need:
- 400 g tobacco
- 10 liters of water
- 40 g laundry soap
Preparing the infusion:
- Fill the tobacco with water and leave for 1 night.
- In the morning, add grated laundry soap, mix well and you can sprinkle the tomatoes.
Cruciferous flea flea - how to fight it using folk methods
Since pest beetles prefer to feed on young leaves of cruciferous crops, the fight against them must begin literally with the appearance of the first shoots. The real danger awaits the seedlings when the first seven-lobed leaves appear on them. Do not wait for fleas to appear, they can instantly jump over a number of growing weeds, start fighting immediately.
Remove all weeds from the bed where radishes, cabbage or turnips grow, loosen the soil between the rows. And then cover the seedlings with a light sponbond, securing it on the sides with stones or boards so that the covering material does not blow away in the wind. The sponbond will protect the seedlings from insects, and water will pass through it well during watering and rain, so the plantings will not suffer from lack of moisture.
If there is no covering material, plantings are dusted using
- tobacco dust,
- wood ash,
- a mixture of wood ash and tobacco dust,
- ash and street dust,
- a mixture of cement powder and street dust.
It is best to pour the prepared powders into a sieve or one layer of gauze, and then sprinkle the plants from them. It is better to treat plantings early in the morning, when the plants remain damp from dew or evening watering. Dusting is not carried out on dry grass. When sprinkling dry foliage, the slightest wind will blow the powder off the leaves, and the treatment will not give any results.
The use of various repellent plants shows good results. Thus, the aroma of marigolds, calendula, garlic, coriander, dill, and wormwood planted next to cabbage, radishes or turnips will repel pests. Moreover, the effect will also be from the dry grass of these plants laid out next to cruciferous crops.
Tips for killing midges from tomato seedlings
Splashing tomatoes from midges in a greenhouse
Midges can fly in from the street if you grow tomato seedlings on a window. The reason for the appearance of midges is excessive watering in the cold season. People give a lot of advice on how to get rid of them:
Tip 1. Water the tomato seedlings with a weak, barely pink solution of potassium permanganate .
Tip 2. Sprinkle the ground in which the tomatoes are planted with a thick layer of ash , then insects will not be able to hide in the ground.
Tip 3 . If you have a lot of tomato seedlings, in the spring, when dandelions appear, make a dandelion infusion . It's done like this:
- Pour 1 kg of dandelion plants with roots into 10 liters of boiling water and leave for 1 day.
- Add 1 tbsp. l. hot pepper and grated laundry soap.
- We spray on tomatoes and soil inhabited by midges.
Tip 4 . Water the tomato seedlings with water to which 1 tbsp is added. l. vinegar per 1 liter of water .
So, now we know how to deal with small white and black midges on tomatoes.
Characteristics of the pest
The winged aphid is an insect 1-2 mm in length, with a black body and transparent wings. Adults, like larvae, feed on the sap of cultivated and weed plants, hiding on the underside of leaves. The insect reproduces intensively; up to 5 generations of midges can hatch in a season. Thanks to their wings, pests easily move from bush to bush, spreading throughout the planting.
The danger of winged aphids for tomatoes
A rapidly growing population of midges can cause serious damage to tomato beds, depleting individual bushes until the plants die. In addition, pests are carriers of viruses and leave honeydew on plants - a favorable environment for the proliferation of fungi. With significant leafhopper infestation, the loss of tomato yield can be about 30%.
Signs of damage to tomatoes by winged aphids:
- wilting and curling of the lower leaves;
- black sticky marks on the plant;
- dark spots on stems;
- the appearance of a dry brown crust at the site of the stains.
How to distinguish from a tomato mosquito
Black midges may turn out to be representatives of another species - the mushroom or tomato gnat. The insect more often appears on seedlings, while the peak reproduction of winged aphids occurs during the flowering period of tomatoes, but if the soil is excessively moistened, the pest can appear in the greenhouse at any stage of plant development.
The fungus gnat looks like a larger black midge than the leafhopper, reaching 3-4 mm in length. Adults also drink plant juice, preferring the tender tissue of the apical shoots, so they can damage the growing point of tomatoes. But the greatest damage to tomatoes is caused by the insect larva. Midges lay transparent white eggs in the ground, from which white worms from 3 to 8 mm in length with a black head emerge. In this phase, insects constantly live in the soil, feeding on plant roots, after which they pupate.
The tomato mosquito is less dangerous for tomatoes than the winged aphid; it poses the greatest threat to young plants with an undeveloped root system. Minor damage to the roots is unlikely to have a significant effect on the condition of adult tomatoes. But pests should not be ignored - a large accumulation of larvae in the soil can lead to slow growth of bushes, absence or weak formation of ovaries. In addition, the tomato mosquito is a carrier of bacteria.
On a note! The presence of a large number of ants near the tomato plantings speaks in favor of aphid damage.
What danger do they pose?
The small white fly in the garden is a representative of the whitefly. These are very miniature individuals up to 2 mm. The body is greenish, and there is a light white coating on the wings. They live on the back side of leaves and lay eggs there. Whitefly larvae are tightly attached to the surface of leaves using a special sticky enzyme.
Important!
The garden pest feeds on plant sap. But the main danger to plantings is the excrement of whiteflies. They contain spores of sooty fungi. The foliage first becomes covered with a sticky white coating, then the area turns black.
Signs of tomato whitefly infection:
- The appearance of whitish and black spots on the leaves.
- Glitter on the leaves.
- Curling and wilting of foliage.
- The fruits do not ripen; white veins can be seen in the pulp.
- As you approach the tomatoes, flocks of small moths take off from them.
If a black fly appears on tomatoes, then we are talking about infection with aphids or leafhoppers. Pests may have small transparent wings or be wingless. The body is black. They also settle on the underside of leaves and feed on plant sap.
Aphids are dangerous due to their high reproduction rates. Having destroyed one plant, it quickly moves to another. It affects not only tomatoes, but also many other crops.
When choosing a product to treat a tomato with, you should take into account its growth stage. Depending on this, they choose store-bought or folk remedies. During flowering, the use of chemicals is strictly prohibited; this can be dangerous to human health. Therefore, it is best to choose a proven folk remedy that you can use at any time and not fear for your own safety.
White or black flies on tomatoes
Damage caused
The insect sucks the juice from the leaves, which weakens the bush. The plant withers and develops poorly. Also, fungi and viruses that are carried by insects get into the bitten leaves and finally destroy the tomato. The fruits on such a plant do not develop enough and are tasteless.
While feeding, the pests leave dark sticky secretions onto which the ants crawl.
Due to black midges, you can lose up to 30% of the crop, and over the summer, generations of insects change up to five times, while increasing in number.
Reviews
For about a week I tried to get rid of flies on tomatoes using folk remedies. I tried everything I knew and what my friends suggested. There was no result. Then I bought Phosbecid and by the evening after treatment the flies became noticeably smaller. I didn't even have to spray again.
Ilya Yakovlevich, Syzran
Confidor has always helped fight black and white flies on tomatoes. The main thing is to be able to treat the crops correctly so that the product gets onto every leaf. It’s difficult to do this, but you have to be sophisticated. The result will not be long in coming.
Dmitry, Surgut
How to poison cruciferous flea beetle on strawberries
Some gardeners complain that the cruciferous flea beetle appears on strawberry bushes. Strawberries do not belong to the cruciferous family and the appearance of bugs on strawberry leaves only indicates that cruciferous plants grow nearby - radishes, turnips, cabbage. etc.
A fairly common reason for the appearance of pests on strawberries is the proximity to planted green manure - rapeseed and mustard. Since bugs are highly mobile and easily move from one plant to another, it is not surprising that pests are found here too.
But the voracious insect does not disdain strawberry leaves, eating both old and young leaves. In order to somehow preserve the harvest, if you find fleas on strawberry leaves, you need to urgently get rid of them. Since strawberries quickly begin to bloom and then bear fruit, chemicals obviously will not help. Therefore, it is better to use folk remedies: dusting with wood ash, tobacco dust, spraying with solutions of vinegar, ammonia, infusions of strong-smelling plants.
