Eggplant, like potatoes and tomatoes, belongs to the nightshade. The Colorado potato beetle loves these plants very much. Tender young seedlings especially attract the pest. To save the landings from the striped predator, various methods of struggle are used. In this review, we will talk about the better to handle eggplant bushes from the Colorado potato beetle.
Table of contents
Who is the Colorado potato beetle and where does it come from
Voracious and prolific insect. The female for one laying produces 50 eggs and the season before 500. They are located on the leaves below and are not immediately noticeable. The larvae that have emerged from them, eat the leaves. The plant dies, and the beetle moves to the ground and becomes an individual, which again produces offspring. And so endlessly, until it is destroyed.
Insect tenaciouse, can starve for a long time, hibernates at any time. In the fall, it creeps deeper into the soil and winters without fear of cold weather. In the spring, she gets out of the heated land and begins to eat fresh shoots of potatoes, and later moves to eggplants and tomatoes.
Where does the Colorado potato beetle come from?
- From infected maggots soil.
- May be logged with planting material.
- To fly from the neighboring site.
Eggplant protection methods
The beetle is dangerous because except leaves, it destroys flowers and ovaries, This reduces crop yields. It is necessary to fight with him. There are various ways to destroy it: processing the roots of seedlings before planting, spraying the bushes and others.
Use of chemicals
We know a lot of chemicals to fight.But the insect adapts to them, it is necessary to invent new species to save the plant. Modern active chemicals: Konfidor-Maxi, Prestige, Calypso, Killer.
Konfidor-Maxi
Fights beetle, whitefly, mites. In addition to spraying it can be used with drip irrigation.. Highly effective drug.
Prestige
Protects and stimulates plant growth, This effect lasts until flowering. Then the bugs may appear, but in a small amount, and the dangerous moment for the formation of the harvest has already passed.
Killer
Not washed off by rain. A single spraying provides protection for the entire garden season. Destroys the beetle itself, its eggs and larvae. Protects the culture of eggplant from aphids, ticks, whitefly. Recognized as the most effective in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle.
Calypso Insecticide
Produced by a German company. Once in the body, it paralyzes the digestive organs and causes death from starvation. It has an effect an hour after spraying. Protection lasts thirty days. Harmless to bees.
Biological preparations
In the composition of such preparations there are no harmful chemical components. Their main goal is the destruction of the larvae. These are various fungi and bacteria, which penetrate into the body with food, cause paralysis and the insect perishes.
Fitoverm
The production of the biological product Fitoverm was a real discovery in agronomy. Kills leaf beetle for 9 hours after application. The drug does not destroy its eggs, so the treatment must be repeated when new larvae appear.
Bovin
Contains fungal spores, causing fungal diseases in harmful insects and their death.
Agravertine
Prepared on the basis of alcoholic tincture of soil fungi. The tool is not addictive and can be used on the site for several years.
Biological product of Corado
Used when new larvae of the striped predator appear. Eggplant bushes are treated 2-4 times with a break of 7 days.
The advantages of using biological products is that they destroy only harmful individuals. The active ingredients of these products are harmless to the soil and the environment. Not dangerous for beneficial insects, birds, animals and people.
Folk remedies how to protect and protect the crop
In addition to specially created preparations for the fight, there are other ways to save the eggplant from the Colorado potato beetle and protect the crop.
One of them - agronomic techniques that prevent the appearance of an insect in the garden.
- Observe crop rotation. Eggplants to be planted after, onions, cabbage, legumes, cucumbers or carrots. Beetle, these plants are indifferent, the earth after them will not be infected by a pest.
- Use the neighborhood with celery, dill, in the aisle to plant calendula, marigold, nasturtium. Their smell repels a dangerous pest. Planting peppers along a row of eggplants is also helpful.
- Cover planting eggplant mosquito net or non-woven material. Non-woven material also protects the culture from cold, hot sun and other insects. Mosquito nets make caps, cover each plant.Under shelters, a microclimate is created that promotes better growth and increases yield.
- The following simple and not expensive way - manual assembly of beetles and larvae. This is not always pleasant, but in small areas, it is not difficult. In addition, it is the most environmentally friendly way. The collected individuals are placed in jars with kerosene or gasoline.
Experienced gardeners with experience offer to prepare solutions using hot pepper, mustard, wormwood, celandine. Plants insist in water, add soap for better wetting, and spray the bushes. It is useful to sprinkle the plant and the soil around it with ashes.
Personally, I am always for safe methods. I do not really believe in the action of grass solutions against the pest. They rather scare him than destroy. But Fitoverm and Agrovertin are tested by me personally. I use them constantly from various insects and am very pleased. Chemicals in the garden is not the place.
And another tip - do not be lazy to once again examine the plants, collect if necessary beetles and larvae.In the garden there are usually no large plantations of eggplants, it will not be difficult, and the benefits will be substantial, you can save your crop.