Pests of carrots, description and methods of dealing with them
Content:
Briefly about carrots
Carrots are a root vegetable that is delicious and loved by most people. It is rich in useful elements and various vitamins, can often be found in various summer cottages, and not only, sites. But due to insect pests and diseases, the crop can deteriorate or disappear.
We live in the twenty-first century and at the moment, a sufficient number of methods have been invented to combat pests, diseases, as well as methods to help grow healthy plants that give a high-quality harvest. There are many pests and, accordingly, the methods of dealing with them are also different. Next, you will learn how to get rid of any pest that attacks your root crop.
Because of what parasites attack
There is more than one option for insects to appear on your site. Perhaps the rules of crop rotation were not fully followed or the agricultural technique was incorrect. There are also winged pests, they could simply fly from another plant, they always fight with them. Timely prevention is very important in housekeeping.
Detection and control of parasites
There are insect species that will reduce the future harvest of carrots. They love to eat inflorescences, the very roots and leaves. If you add up all the negative effects on plants, it may not turn out very well. As already mentioned, the control method directly depends on the type of pest insect.
If any insects are found on plants, it is urgent to start fighting them. First, we determine the type of insect, then we look at how to destroy it.
Important! Insects living on several crops at the same time often lead to serious crop losses.
Carrot pests: carrot fly
One of the most dangerous types of insects for the root crop. With the onset of warmth, individuals begin to appear from the pupae that survived the winter. This pest, both at the stage of adulthood and at the very beginning of life, already poses a threat to carrots. The main sign of the fly's habitat is the gradual bronzing of the leaves, which means that the larvae are deposited on the plant.
After a short time, the leaves begin to fade and die. After eating carrot larvae, it becomes slightly bitter, so eating the attacked plant is not recommended. It is important to work ahead of the curve and prevent the larvae from emerging from the eggs. Females lay eggs in the ground under the plants.
As long as you follow some easy rules, your crop will not be affected. It is important that agricultural techniques are followed and various chemical treatments are carried out.
Commonly used and proven chemicals:
1) arrivo;
2) ziper;
3) Shar Pei.
A homemade solution of wood ash (ash should be from under clean wood, that is, not painted, not glued, not varnished), lime and tobacco dust in a one to one to one ratio, mix everything and sprinkle between landings. At this moment, it is imperative to loosen the soil.
Carrot pests: leaf flies
These are some of the smallest pests. Conifers are the "homeland" of the leaf beetle. With the help of their long legs, insects are able to cover sufficient distances. The larvae hatch on eggs laid on carrot leaves.These insects are able to bring the plant to complete exhaustion and, accordingly, death, and this is done by both larvae and adults. Root crops can slow down growth due to the juices sucked from the plant by insects.
Perhaps it will be quite difficult to destroy the beetle beetle; one of the best options is to cover the beds with plastic wrap.
Also, flea beetles will help: cleaning various citrus fruits, dust from tobacco and needles of trees. All these things can be simply scattered between the plants. You can also make a solution from soap, water, and tobacco dust. For the solution, you will need a kilogram of tobacco dust, ten liters of heated water and thirty grams of tar soap. The ingredients must be mixed and boiled for three to four hours. After boiling, the solution must be filtered and poured into a spray bottle and with the help of it is sprayed over the shoots of carrots.
Carrot pests: garden moth
Insects love to eat all celery plants and carrots are no exception. It is a rather small butterfly, they lay the larvae in the green shoots of carrots. Small insects quickly assimilate and begin to take juices from the plant. The first signs are the wilting of the carrot tops, take a closer look at the plants. For the whole winter, the larvae turn into pupae, then butterflies appear, the process repeats endlessly.
It is worth fearing moths on plantings of celery, onions, dill and other plants. A solution of tomato shoots helps well against moths, it scares away insects from planting.
You will need to mix three and a half kg of tomato tops and ten liters of water. Heat the mixture for half an hour over low heat and let it brew for forty-eight hours. After insisting, you can process the planting, it is better to add a little laundry soap beforehand.
Gallic nematoda
The species is represented by microscopic worms, usually no more than one and a half millimeters. Worms focus on spoiling plant roots. As a rule, bulges that appear on the root system are a sign of the appearance of nematodes. When affected by these worms, root crops cease to be edible and you cannot cure them.
Since worms live in the upper layer of the soil, they choose root vegetables as food. Root crops deteriorate due to mechanical damage, that is, gnawing them. Nematodes can live in the soil for a long time and only then begin to eat the plantings of your root crops. The most favorable weather for nematode breeding is heat and high humidity. Under such conditions of the external environment, the rabble multiply exponentially.
Worms can adapt well to various factors affecting them. There is no one way to eradicate these pests. The most common methods of preventing them from attacks are working with washed tools and systematic treatment with pharmaline. With these two simple steps, you can prevent these pests from attacking your plantings.
Carrot pests: Medvedka
One of the most dangerous types of pests for most crops growing in the garden, carrots are no exception. The pest itself is rather large - about five centimeters in length, has strong and large jaws and the back is covered with a shell. When entering garden beds, bears can gnaw through roots with the help of their jaws. Like adult larvae, they can also attack plantings. Carrots are actively attacked by the larvae from the first days of their birth.
There are several common ways to deal with bears:
1) Kerosene;
2) Detergents and powder for washing;
3) A solution of pepper, mustard and alcohol. To make, you need to take fifty grams of pepper, fifty grams of mustard powder and five hundred milliliters of alcohol. All this will need to be mixed thoroughly. Prevention usually consists of weeding and loosening between the beds.
Carrot pests: wireworm
The species looks like a yellow worm, no more than three centimeters in length. For root crops, this pest is the greatest danger, its favorite delicacy is potatoes. Wireworms cut through long labyrinths of tunnels in root crops. If you notice damage typical of wireworms, eating spoiled fruits is not recommended.
The ideal living conditions for these pests are high or medium humidity and an average air temperature exceeding twenty degrees. Such conditions wireworms usually seek out most of their lives. With insufficient humidity, pests die very quickly. But the problem is that it is impossible to drive them away with the help of artificial drought, because then the plant will begin to die.
If you find signs of attacks by any insects, you need to do this first. As agents against wireworms, preparations containing ammonia are used. As a rule, these are: ammonia nitrate and ammonium chloride, as well as other drugs.
The process of liming the soil can also help, an excess of chemicals can also harm the plant and kill it, you should not get carried away with them either.
Preventive measures
Almost all crops sooner or later are attacked by pests, so it is better to be prepared in advance. Here are some important tips from experienced gardeners.
1) It is impossible to plant the same crops in one place for several years in a row.
2) In order to avoid the attack of carrot midges and leaf beetles, you can cover the planting with a light cover.
3) It is better to buy seeds from specialized stores.
4) To prevent attacks of pests, it is necessary to sanitize plants and clean the area.
5) It helps well to smash the soil, in addition to getting rid of pests, it helps to improve the quality of the root crop.
Conclusion
It is important to monitor the state of the plantings and when the first signs of pests are found, you need to start fighting them. If you properly get rid of pests and approach the problem comprehensively, the fight will not be difficult. If you take into account the advice of experts and follow. It is very important to give the culture enough strength and energy and then the expected harvest will not let you down.