Kidney mite on currants: how to deal with a parasite in the spring so as not to be left without a crop
Blackcurrant is considered unpretentious in care, its delicious berries have gained popularity all over the world. Novice gardeners and summer residents know little about the fact that a currant mite can destroy it. Moreover, he is not at all interested in berries, but lives in the kidneys, as a result of which he is not noticeable at all.
Content
What is a currant bud mite
The length of the kidney tick is not more than 0,2 mm, so it cannot be seen with the naked eye, and up to 8 thousand parasites can fit in one kidney. When magnified under a microscope, it can be seen that the tick has a slightly elongated white body, like a worm, and 2 pairs of legs.
The life cycle of a pest
In the spring, the female, while in the kidney, lays eggs, from which, after 1-2 weeks, mites grow and crawl out, just at the time of flowering. The female is very prolific, during the season she manages to make 3-5 clutches, giving birth to up to 40 thousand individuals.
In winter, currant mites hide in the kidneys, and as soon as the temperature exceeds 5 ℃ in spring, they begin their vital activity and multiply. A warm spring contributes to the fact that the breeding process is accelerated.
Signs of damage and harm caused by a kidney mite
Causes of the parasite
Ticks can get on healthy shrubs from diseased crops located nearby. This process is invisible to gardeners and after a while the parasites begin to multiply actively. In the summer, this is facilitated by drought and heat, parasites spread over all the bushes.
If there is not enough organic fertilizer in the soil, then the plants weaken, lose their immunity and become more vulnerable to the attacks of harmful insects.
If you do nothing, then you can not only not get a harvest of berries, but also lose the bushes themselves, they will have to be destroyed.
How to deal with a kidney mite on a currant
To combat the currant mite, several methods are used, and sometimes they are combined, depending on the situation in the garden.
Mechanical methods
When unhealthy buds appear on the bushes, similar to small heads of cabbage, they must be removed immediately. If there are a lot of them on the branch, then it is better to cut off the entire shoot. Infected buds and shoots must be urgently burned outside the estate. Other methods must be done before the buds open to prevent the tick from crawling over and thus prevent it from spreading immediately.
Agricultural practices
To prevent the appearance of a kidney mite, agricultural practices are used when planting currant bushes. These include:
- choosing a suitable landing site;
- the composition of the soil must be correct;
- proper care: timely top dressing, weeding and loosening the soil;
- when planting, an interval is observed so that there is no thickening in the future;
- constant inspection and control of shrubs;
- selection of resistant currant varieties;
- purchase of healthy seedlings in proven nurseries.
Chemicals
Such drugs should be used with caution, as they pose a danger to humans and animals. Before buying, be sure to read the instructions and follow all safety precautions. Use such preparations before flowering
For the destruction of pests, acaricidal and insectoacaricidal agents are used.
Biological agents
These are products that include strains of fungi and bacteria. These drugs are popular because they are safe for humans and the environment. The first time the treatment with such preparations is carried out before flowering, the second time - after harvesting.
Traditional recipes
Folk remedies are used not only for the prevention and control of currant mites.
| Spraying bushes with hot water | The bud mite is sensitive to high temperatures, so in the spring, until the buds have blossomed, they are doused with water, the temperature of which is 70-75 ℃. |
| Tincture of garlic | Grind 150 g of garlic, pour 10 liters of water and leave for 2-3 hours. This tincture is sprayed with currant bushes. The procedure is carried out twice with an interval of 6 days. |
| Decoction of onion peel | Onion peel and tobacco are mixed, 200 g of the mixture is poured into 2 liters of water, boiled. Then insist and filter, diluted with 10 liters of water. |
| Tea brew | 20 g of dry tea is poured into 10 liters of water, insisted for a day, filtered and sprayed on the bushes. |
| Urea | Dilute 10 g of the product in 500 liters of water and spray the bushes. The treatment is carried out before the appearance of the kidneys. |
Features of processing currants from kidney mites at different times of the year
Depending on the season, various activities are carried out to combat the kidney mite. While the infection has not become massive, you can do with mild measures without resorting to chemical preparations.
Prevention of tick damage
To prevent the appearance of currant mites, the following measures should be taken:
- for planting, use only healthy seedlings;
- buy seedlings only in specialized nurseries;
- conduct regular inspection of the bushes for infection with a kidney mite;
- properly care for the bushes: remove dry leaves, spud and moisten;
- carry out spraying with folk remedies for prevention.
- after trimming, you need to disinfect the inventory.
PreviousMeans to combat the kidney mite should be chosen depending on the degree of infection, it is not always necessary to use chemical methods. The best measure is timely prevention.