Strawberries and leaves are very attractive to pests. If you do not fight them, then the harvest can not wait at all.
One of the dangerous insects is the strawberry tick. You can meet him in almost all areas where there are strawberry beds.
How to detect a pest
Ticks - very small and dangerous parasites, which can be seen only in a magnifying glass, which makes it difficult to deal with them. With a strong defeat, you can stay not only without the harvest of this year, but the fruits of the next will also suffer. This is due to the fact that ticks harm flower buds throughout the season. Most often, this pest attacks strawberry bushes older than three years.
It is possible to determine the defeat of strawberry heaps only in appearance.
• Bushes do not develop;
• Young leaves are wrinkled, excessively wavy at the edges;
• On the back of the sheet you can find a characteristic silver film;
• Most leaves turn yellow ahead of time;
• The drying of still unripe berries occurs;
• Frost resistance of bushes is sharply reduced.
Ticks cause great damage to the entire plantation, resulting in reduced productivity. You can bring the pest to the site with new seedlings, the parasite crawls from one bush to another, gradually infecting the entire plantation. Settles in flower buds, prefers heat and moisture. In one season, females can breed up to five generations of pests. The peak activity of the parasite occurs at the end of summer; the tick mites in the base of the bush. Some individuals die with the onset of cold weather.
How to get rid of ticks on strawberries
If the pest is operating on the site, then it is difficult to get rid of it, but constant methods of control help to restrain the population. By following some simple rules, you can significantly reduce the number of ticks on a strawberry bed.
1. Seedlings need to be purchased only in proven farms.
2. Strawberries need to be planted only in open areas. In the shade on waterlogged places, seedlings are susceptible to tick attack.
3. The constant loosening of the earth around the bushes and the removal of weeds helps to reduce the number of parasite.
4. Unnecessary mustache and old, diseased bushes must be removed in a timely manner.
5. Strawberries need timely top dressing, which stimulate the growth of healthy plants.
6. After harvesting, care for strawberry plants should be continued no less carefully. All old leaves of the plant should be cut off.
Straw Mite Control Methods
Purchased seedlings need special treatment. Before boarding, it must be disinfected. For this, planting material is kept in hot water for 15 minutes. Water temperature should not be higher than 50 degrees. After this treatment, the seedlings must be placed in cold water, the temperature of which is 10 degrees. Such a contrast shower will help prevent infection of young bushes. Strawberries need to be planted no later than August, then by winter the seedlings will grow stronger.
In early spring, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures to combat ticks. To do this, the beds are shed with boiling water. This will help destroy the overwintered pests.
Ticks need to be fought throughout the season. There are effective alternative methods against parasites.
• Onion infusion. To prepare it, you will need 200 grams of husk from onions and 10 liters of water. The solution is infused for five days, after which it is necessary to process the bushes. Spraying should be done in early spring, at the beginning of the growth of young leaves, and in autumn, after harvesting. After processing, you need to cover the beds with a film for several hours, like a greenhouse.
• You can use garlic infusion instead of onions. 200 grams of fresh garlic is ground and mixed with 10 liters of water. Spraying immediately.
• To prepare a solution, take dandelion stalks, chop, fill with water. The mixture is insisted for 4 hours, after which it is decanted and planting treatment is carried out.
• Experienced gardeners prepare an infusion of tomato tops at the rate of 1 kg of tops per 10 liters of water. Grind the raw materials, pour hot water and insist for several days. The finished infusion is mixed with laundry soap and irrigated with strawberries.
Important! It is necessary to spray not only strawberries, but also neighboring plants, which will increase the processing efficiency.
One of the important methods of combating ticks is to observe crop rotation. The plant can be returned to previously affected areas only after four years.
Well-proven treatment with 70% colloidal sulfur solution. Spraying is carried out in three stages: at the time of leaf regrowth, before flowering, after the formation of the fruits. The intervals between procedures should be about 14 days.
With severe lesions, many gardeners successfully use a 3% solution of Bordeaux fluid. All strawberry plantings process it. The procedure must be done before the vegetation of plants begins.
Using chemicals, you need to be careful with the dosages, as they accumulate in the fruits. Processed strawberries can be eaten only after 20 days.
How to get rid of ticks on strawberries - tips and tricks
No processing method guarantees 100% pest eradication. This is due to the reason that ticks settle in the most inaccessible place - the core of the bush. Even high-quality chemicals are not able to cope with the pest completely.
All insecticides have a time limit for use, which must be strictly observed. Using drugs in the spring, it is completely impossible to destroy the parasite, you can only slightly control the population. But autumn treatments are most effective. Spraying should be carried out especially carefully, wetting all the young leaves.
In order to fence your garden from strawberry mites, you need to regularly monitor the condition of plants. Timely cleaning of beds, culling bushes affected by pests, removal of weeds will help to keep the garden clean. In well-groomed areas, the risk of strawberry mites is significantly reduced.
