Raspberry weevil: control measures and how to process, description of the pest and prevention

For most people, strawberries and raspberries are their favorite berries. They are eagerly awaited by adults and children. Therefore, it is especially insulting when abundantly flowering berry bushes are suddenly affected by pests. Indeed, in this case, you can say goodbye to dreams of a good harvest. Today we will talk about effective measures to combat the weevil pest on raspberries.

Description of the pest

A small beetle that eats flowers on raspberry bushes, dangerous for blackberries and strawberries, is called the raspberry-strawberry weevil, belongs to the order of Coleoptera beetles. Insects are bisexual, immature individuals (only they survive in the cold period) hibernate in fallen leaves under bushes and the upper layer of soil.

Geographic distribution

Weevils are found throughout the planet, with the exception of highlands, the far north and deserts. They prefer humid warm regions, there are especially many of these insects.

Appearance

The beetle is up to 3 centimeters long, has an oval body and a head with a long thin proboscis. Adults are dark brown (almost black) in color. On the proboscis are long cranked whiskers.

Life cycle

As the temperature rises to +10-13 °C, insects begin to feed on young strawberry leaves. The largest number of individuals appears during the flowering period of berry bushes. After mating, the female pierces the bud, lays eggs and feeds on the anthers of the plant.

Then gnaws the pedicel so that the bud falls to the ground. After a week, legless grayish larvae hatch from the eggs, for about 3 weeks they feed on the remains of the bud and turn into a chrysalis. It takes another 3 weeks for the adult beetle to grow from the pupa. Weevils are more likely to infect male plants.

How to recognize an insect

The early varieties of strawberries and wild strawberries are the first to suffer. Then the pest moves to later varieties of berries and raspberries. The presence of weevils on strawberries and raspberries is detected by the following features:

• presence of small holes on the leaves (adult beetles gnaw through them);
• damaged fallen buds;
• presence of larvae inside fallen buds;
• appearance of beetles on raspberry bushes (even single individuals can quickly breed).

2-3 generations of insects appear during the season.

What can hurt

Damage to plantings is caused by adult beetles that eat leaves, and larvae that destroy flowers immediately after emergence. With a large number of insects, they damage the stems and foliage, destroy raspberries, wild roses, strawberries, wild strawberries, blackberries.

Important: do not place berry beds next to raspberry bushes.

Each female lays 40-50 eggs. The first batch of adult insects appears by mid-June.

Methods of struggle

Insects are destroyed with the help of chemicals, there are effective folk methods for the extermination of pests. Preventive measures reduce the likelihood of weevils in the area.

Chemicals

The bushes are sprayed with the following preparations:

• Karbofos 500;
• "Iskra M";
• Kemifos;
• Akarin.

Insecticides are used according to the manufacturer's instructions, without exceeding the recommended dosage. Plants should be treated before flowering, with the appearance of the first green leaves.

Folk remedies

You can fight the weevil with folk remedies. The following formulations are effective:

1. Mustard solution. 100 grams of dry mustard is taken, mixed with 5 liters of water. The flowering raspberry bushes are processed with the mixture. Re-treatment is carried out after 1.5-2 weeks.
2. Decoction of tansy. 700-800 grams of a dry plant or 3 kilograms of fresh tansy are poured with 10 liters of water and infused for 2 days. After that, the infusion is boiled for 30-40 minutes, filtered and diluted with 6-7 liters of water. For better adhesion, liquid laundry soap (100 grams) is added to the mixture.
3. Ammonia solution. Take 2 tablespoons of ammonia per 10 liters of water.
4. Capsicum. Tincture is made from 1 kilogram of hot capsicum or 0.5 kilograms of dry pods. It is finely cut and poured with 10 liters of water. The mixture is infused for 48 hours, then boiled for 10 minutes and the infusion is repeated. The finished infusion is filtered. It can be stored in a dark place and used at any stage of the growing season.
5. Iodine. In a bucket of water dissolve a teaspoon of alcohol tincture. Raspberry bushes are treated with the mixture.

These remedies are safe and effective when taken early.

Biologicals

These are modern agrochemicals that are harmless to humans and entomophages (beneficial insects that live in the garden). Raspberries are processed:

• Nemobactom;
• "Iskra-bio";
• Fitoverm.

Biological products are effective, but slightly slower than conventional agrochemicals.

Natural Enemies

Weevil is exterminated by chickens, in the presence of beetle larvae, hoverfly insect flies will be much less. Pests can not stand the neighborhood with onions and garlic. You can plant these plants around raspberry bushes.

Prevention measures

In autumn, the soil under the raspberry bushes should be dug up, then the larvae will not survive the winter. In early spring, it is necessary to remove foliage, last year's mulch from under the bushes and loosen the soil around the plant. Additionally, the soil is spilled with boiling water, this will not harm the raspberries and destroy the weevil.

Beetle traps are effective. In bottles with a narrow neck, a little mixture of sugar and yeast with water is poured. They leave traps under raspberry bushes and in strawberry beds.

Pest control in the garden should be systematic. Plant care, cleaning up debris, fallen leaves, loosening the soil and seasonal tillage help to resist pests and diseases, to collect an excellent harvest.

Recommended