Web on strawberries: how to recognize a dangerous parasite in time and save the crop
In organic plant debris, brick-orange female spider mites overwinter, gathering in colonies covered with rot. Despite its small size, it is a dangerous pest. It affects more than 300 species of plants, not only garden ones, but also those grown in apartments. In one year, several generations of this arachnid can feed on a plant. Below is a spider mite on a strawberry photo from the Internet.
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Description of the pest
The spider mite that lives on strawberries has a slightly transparent body, slightly flattened and elongated. The vitreous transparent body of an adult parasite has an oval shape and is divided into anterior and posterior parts by a transverse groove. It is very small, adults are no more than 0,3 mm long, so it cannot be seen with the naked eye, only under a microscope with 10x magnification.
The color of the spider mite is different, both green and yellow, but in the fall the females turn red.
Females and males
Females are larger than males, both in length and width. Young females are always greenish in color, turning orange or red in winter. She has spots on her sides, and bristles on her back.
Males reach a length of no more than 0,2 mm, they are also much smaller than females in width. At the end of the body is the copulatory organ, in the female the genital organ is located in the lower part of the body. In the larval stage, the tick has three pairs of bristly legs, in adults - four.
Lifestyle and life cycle of the parasite
Reasons for the appearance of a tick on strawberries
In August and September, females hide in winter shelters. The pest has 5-6 generations per year, the number of which increases in summer. Then the population becomes active and multiplies very quickly at high temperatures. In August and September, females hide in winter shelters.
Signs of plant damage and damage
Symptoms of its appearance are bright mosaic spots on the leaves, which gradually begin to turn yellow and fall off. With a strong infection, these pests also affect petioles, peduncles and even flowers. They appear at high temperatures and dry air. For this reason, pests most often appear on plants grown at home in winter.
- Due to the activity of the mite, the growth of buds on strawberry bushes stops, and this process does not stop in the summer. It is dangerous both for adult bushes and for very young rosettes.
- Located at the bottom of the leaf, it sucks the juices out of it, affecting the process of phytosynthesis. The leaves become covered with white spots, then curl, dry out and fall off. This happens during the high season.
- The fruits also do not have time to ripen and dry out. Often, mites also infect flowers. Damaged bushes may also not tolerate winter temperatures and die.
- Violating the formation of flower buds provided for at the end of summer, the strawberry mite causes enormous damage to crops not only of the current, but also of the next year, and over time can destroy more than half of the expected results. The pest reaches the maximum increase in its number in plantations by 3-4 years.
Therefore, it is impossible to ignore the infection of seedlings with spider mites, there are effective ways to fight.
How to deal with strawberry and spider mites
To combat spider mites, chemical, biological and folk remedies are chosen. During flowering and fruiting, it is better to use folk remedies. If there are too many ticks and the flowering period has not begun, then you can choose a ready-made remedy for treating plants from ticks. The market offers them in a wide range.
For those who are categorically against chemistry, biological methods of processing can be advised, but they are quite expensive.
Chemicals
An effective measure to control a garden pest, in which you can get rid of 90 to 95% of its population, is to mow the green mass immediately after harvesting. The conditions for such a procedure should not be late, since the plant needs to grow a leaf crown. Then you need to apply three times, with an interval of a week, spraying the cleaned surface with an interval of 10-14 days. It is recommended to alternate dressing agents, as the tick quickly gets used to pesticides.
When choosing a treatment agent, be sure to read the instructions for use and strictly follow it. Take precautions.
Due to the fact that most pests are found at the base of the strawberry bush in half-open or not yet opened areas of processing, even very effective preparations can give an unsatisfactory result. The reason is that it is rather difficult to deliver a working solution in hard-to-reach habitats of ticks.
Before the start of the growing season, with a significant mite infestation, all berry plants should be sprayed with a 3% boric liquid.
Folk remedies
In the spring, with the development of the first leaf buds during the laying period and twice after harvesting, pests can be destroyed with an infusion of onion peel. To do this, pour 200 g of dry leaf with a bucket of water for 4-5 days, strain.
In the fight against the strawberry parasite, spraying with a decoction of tomato leaves is effective. For its production, 1 kg of dry green mass is poured into 10 liters of warm water and infused for 3-4 hours. After that, the infusion, boiled for 2-3 hours, is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2, 40 g of laundry soap is added. Use for its intended purpose: to process beds with strawberries.
When planting strawberries, it is recommended to water with garlic water: 200 gr. chop the garlic, pour a bucket of water and mix well. To enhance the effect, the treated plants should be covered with a film for several hours. Spraying is recommended only after harvest. In the process of implementation, young leaves should be abundantly moist, like a strawberry mite, most of them are kept on it.
Against strawberry mites, it is effective to warm the soil. To do this, after harvesting, mow all the leaves, operate the gas burner for 3-5 days, and then water the plants abundantly. Further care of the bushes comes down to weeding, feeding and sheltering for the winter.
Ciderates
Some plants can protect strawberries from pests:
| beans | It performs several useful functions, including harvesting, decorating hedges, fences, and protecting strawberry seedlings from ticks. Lima beans are the best for this. |
| Lavender | The essential and camphor oil of this beautiful plant repels ticks. It is better to choose narrow-leaved varieties. |
| Cat mint | A low spreading plant with a pleasant aroma, but mites cannot stand it. |
| Tansy | An unpretentious plant that takes root even in clay soil. It has a camphor smell that repels ticks and other harmful insects. |
Prevention of the appearance
You can prevent the appearance of spider mites on the beds by applying the following measures:
- Buy strawberry seedlings in trusted nursery stores.
- Strawberries should be planted in such a way that each bush is well ventilated; it cannot be planted in shaded and damp beds.
- Properly care for the plant, remove weeds, weed, give timely top dressing.
- If infected bushes are found, immediately remove them and burn them outside the site.
Mite resistant strawberry varieties
Forest and small-fruited strawberries are not attacked by ticks. Now varieties of garden strawberries that are resistant to the mite have appeared. This does not mean that parasites cannot settle on it or strawberries do not need to be treated. But these varieties endure pest attacks and survive better. These are the varieties:
- Zenga-Zenganu;
- Honey;
- Elsantu;
- Albion;
- First grader;
- Cinderella of Kuban;
- Purple;
- Anastasia;
- Kokinskaya dawn;
- Sunny clearing;
- Sunrise;
- Kokinskaya dawn;
- Viola;
- Mommy;
- Slavutich.
In areas where the spider mite becomes a real disaster, it is better to choose varieties that are resistant to it.
Treatment of seedlings
For planting strawberries, you must use only healthy seedlings. When using seedlings of our own production, it is recommended that young plants be immersed in hot water for a quarter of an hour before planting, then rinsed in cold water and planted in the ground.
This treatment should be carried out no later than mid-August: winter seedlings should have a good root system, with 3-5 leaves and a well-developed growth bud. After detecting the rudiments of a strawberry mite, damage to the bushes located next to them should be repaired.
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