Aphids on grapes

Many gardeners who decide to grow grapes on their site expect to get a bountiful harvest of sweet berries. And in the process of their ripening, admire the beauty of the juicy bunches and picturesque shoots climbing the walls of buildings. Unfortunately, the problem of pest control is often on the way to achieving the desired result. One of the most dangerous and tenacious enemies of this culture is aphids on grapes, also called phylloxera.

This rapidly multiplying and voracious insect did not leave the borders of North America until a certain point. Until in the 19th century it was brought to Europe and to other continents up to Australia and New Zealand.

A real invasion began, devastating European vineyards. Since the varieties cultivated in them did not have resistance to this variety of pests.

Aphids have also entered the territory of Russia, settling in the southern regions where grapes are traditionally grown. At the moment, the vineyards of the Crimean Peninsula, Rostov Region, Caucasus, Stavropol Territory, Krasnodar Territory are under the threat of aphid invasion.

Fighting this stubborn pest causes a lot of trouble for gardeners. It is necessary to take measures to destroy aphids as early as possible. Better yet, take care of the preventive treatment of the vineyard in advance.

This article will discuss how to protect vines from the attack of aphids and how to defeat it if the infection does occur.

Aphids on grapes: varieties

aphids on grapes

During its life cycle, aphids on grapes repeatedly change not only their appearance, but also the type of nutrition, alternately affecting one or the other part of the grape bush.

Traditionally, two main phases of the development of grape phylloxera are distinguished - root or underground and winged, it is also terrestrial. Between these two main forms, there are intermediate stages of development, which also have their own characteristics and preferences in food.

As the name suggests, root the aphid species prefers to parasitize on the root system of the grape bush and live in the soil. This is a wingless female insect, whose color can be quite varied - from light yellow-green tones to deep brown.

The dorsum of the root aphid usually has a kind of pattern, which is a set of symmetrically spaced specks. She gets food through a long proboscis, with which she sucks the juices of the plant.

The underground species has 3 pairs of short limbs designed to move, as well as a pair of three-membered tentacles.

Root aphids on grapes multiply by laying yellow oval eggs. During the breeding period, which lasts 1-1.5 months, one female grape aphid that has successfully survived the winter can lay about 800 eggs.

The next 3 generations of these pests do not differ in such fertility. But, nevertheless, they give numerous offspring. This rate of reproduction is due to the very short maturation period of the aphid embryo - just a little more than a week.

The beginning of the period of activity of the root aphid coincides with the arrival of the first warm spring days, when the earth gradually begins to warm up.

The larvae that emerged from hibernation, which spent the whole winter in the roots of the plant, immediately begin to suck the juices from the root system of the grapes. They pierce the surface of its processes, simultaneously laying eggs in the resulting voids.

That is why it is so important to conduct a timely inspection of the root system of grape seedlings intended for planting. Oversight is fraught with big problems in the new season. Since it is much easier to prevent an aphid invasion than to deal with it if the insects have already entered the vineyard and began to actively reproduce.

Intermediate the shape of the aphid is distinguished by its orange color and the presence of small, poorly developed wings located in the region of the second pair of limbs, on the sides of the back.

This species is called nymphs. The time of their appearance falls on the very height of summer and the beginning of autumn. Insects leave the soil, come to its surface and rapidly mutate through a phased molt.

After 3-4 changes of the upper body integument, the nymphs turn into full-fledged winged pests with a length of about 1 mm. Coloration winged aphid ranges from yellow-green to rich ocher. This variety differs from the root aphid not only by the presence of wings, but also by elongated limbs and tentacles.

They are united by their gender - both aphids are represented by females. Due to its structure, the winged aphid can fly from one vine bush to another located in the neighborhood and gradually capture it entirely.

Like the root aphid, the winged species lays unfertilized eggs. Places them, as a rule, on the surface of the bark, or on the lower part of the leaf plate. The rough surface of the bark and veins on the back of the leaves are ideal for anchoring clutches.

Another variety of aphids that infect grapes is called gallic... Galls are called rounded compaction on the leaves, formed as a result of the laying of eggs by leaf aphids on the surface of the leaf plate.

Gall aphids feed on the juice of young foliage and can give birth to 7 generations of new pests during the summer. Which, in turn, will actively multiply, affecting all new grape bushes.

Gall aphid larvae can move along the vine shoots down to the roots. Penetrate into the root system and suck the juices out of it, repeating the development cycle of the harmful insect over and over again.

Sucking out plant juices doesn't just weaken the grapes. The enzymes secreted by aphids at the time of feeding poison the plant. As a result, the processes occurring in its tissues slow down, developmental anomalies appear.

As a result, the plant may die as a result of decay of the root system and other parts of the bush. Or due to the development of an infectious disease.

Female aphid larvae are born from larger eggs. Male larvae are from small ones. In the absence of wings and proboscis, they do not receive food and live only 8 days. But during this time they manage to lay one egg from each female.

The eggs of aphid larvae spend the whole winter in the bark of grape bushes. And in the spring they wake up and begin a new cycle of insect development. Thus, the affected plants are simultaneously attacked by different forms of aphids, parasitizing all parts of the grape bush.

White aphids on grapes. Preventive measures and folk remedies

Experienced gardeners know that it is much easier to prevent an aphid infestation than to deal with uninvited guests already on the site. For this purpose, there are a number of preventive measures to prevent an aphid attack and reduce the risk of pest infestation to a minimum.

The following actions are recommended as preventive measures:

• the use of sandy soils for the placement of the vineyard;
• abundant soil moisture in the vineyard for several days;
• immediate destruction of plants with traces of pests;
• regular inspection of vines and timely removal of affected leaves at the initial stage of aphid infestation may be quite enough to stop the process of its spread;
• take care of the acquisition of seedlings that are immune to this type of pest in the form of a scion resistant to phylloxera attack.

It is important not only to remove the affected parts from the vines. They must be burned, in no case leaving torn leaves in the vineyard. Plant residues serve as a refuge for aphid larvae, which can easily overwinter in them and begin their life cycle again in the new season.

Folk remedies for pest control

If the invasion of aphids has nevertheless occurred, but has not yet acquired a threatening scale, you can try to cope with it with the help of folk methods.

One of the most effective means of combating aphids is soap solution, which is easy enough to prepare. It is necessary to dissolve in 2 glasses of water 2 teaspoons of liquid soap or soap shavings and add 1 tablespoon of any vegetable oil.

Another well-known pest control is a little more difficult to prepare - ash infusion... To do this, dissolve 200 g of wood ash in a bucket of water and infuse the resulting mixture for a day. Then you can process the grape bushes with it.

Another popular infusion recipe involves the use of such an affordable component as tomato tops. Domestic gardeners highly appreciate it for its safety of use and versatility.

He prepares simply. A pound of tops must be crushed and filled with 10 liters of water, and then left for a day. After this period, the infusion must be filtered, poured into a spray bottle and sprayed with grape bushes. At the same time, thoroughly moistening the lower part of the leaf plate, where the gall aphid most often lays eggs.

In the absence of the greenery of tomato crops, potato tops are suitable for preparing the infusion. The cooking process and method of application will be the same.

Another popular organic aphid prevention remedy is garlic infusion... It is prepared from 5 chopped garlic cloves, poured in half a liter of water with the addition of 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. It is necessary to infuse the mixture during the day in a tightly closed container, and dilute with water before use.

An effective remedy for pests is infusion on horseradish leaves. Crushed greens are poured with water in a ratio of 1: 3, mixed and left for a couple of hours. It is important to always use fresh infusion for spraying.

Another caustic plant that helps get rid of aphids is bitter pepper... An infusion based on it is prepared as follows: crushed pepper pulp mixed in equal proportions with water is boiled for 2 hours and insisted for another 2 days.

Since the infusion is concentrated and caustic, it must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7 before use.

Aphids on grapes: how to process. Use of chemicals

If the aphid infestation has become catastrophic, it will be difficult to do without the use of toxic chemicals.

Synthetic insecticide is very popular "Fastak", related to contact-gastric synthetic insecticides. Its advantages are a small consumption rate, resistance to rain, safety for beneficial pollinating insects.

In addition, it combines well with other insecticides and fungicides. They should be treated with grape bushes immediately after the presence of aphids is detected. This significantly increases the chances of the enterprise's success.

On cool summer days, many insecticides lose their properties. What is not happening with a highly effective contact-intestinal insecticide like Fozalon... This agent is active from the first minutes of treatment and retains its toxic effect for a long time. A solution is prepared from a powder with a characteristic smell of garlic.

Contact-intestinal nerve agent "Kinmix" has a wide spectrum of action and destroys various forms of aphids. It can be used throughout the growing season. As a rule, one or two procedures are enough to achieve the result.

The recognized leader among chemical means of protecting grapes from aphid infestation is a highly toxic drug "Actellik"... It is based on pirimiphos-methyl, which has a contact-intestinal and systemic mechanism of action.

The advantage of this tool is the exclusion of the possibility of repeated damage to the treated plant by aphids. The disadvantages include high toxicity, which spreads to humans, mammals, birds, pollinating insects.

"Actellik" begins to act in a few minutes after application, less often - within a couple of hours. To prepare a solution for spraying, it is enough to dilute 7 ml of the drug in 7 liters of water.

Despite the fact that aphids are a very dangerous enemy, characterized by a high reproduction rate and gluttony, it is possible to cope with its invasion.

It is enough to inspect the vines in a timely manner for early detection of pests, as well as follow the recommendations for the fight against aphids. Today, gardeners have an extensive selection of folk remedies and chemicals to deal with this problem.