Stem gall midge on raspberries: how to fight, chemicals and folk methods

People growing raspberries often encounter stem gall midges. This is a dangerous insect that can lead to the death of seedlings, and therefore it is necessary to get rid of it immediately. However, before that, you will have to figure out how to deal with stem gall midge on raspberries.

Description of the pest

First, you need to read the detailed description and distinctive features of the pest.

Appearance

The main feature of the gall midge is its unremarkable appearance, which makes it difficult to notice.Outwardly, the pest resembles a small mosquito, the length of which does not exceed five millimeters. The invisibility of the insect is due to its small size and transparent wings. The gall midge is colored grayish with a slight brown tint. The length of small individuals is 1-2 millimeters, so it is almost impossible to detect them on raspberry seedlings in a timely manner.

Reproduction

The process of reproduction of such pests has features that are recommended to be familiarized with in advance. During breeding, adult females begin to lay eggs, the surface of which is green with a light green tint. Most often, egg laying is carried out under the bark of the stems, in places of mechanical damage. Over time, larvae appear from the eggs, which, in the process of growing up, turn orange. The length of such larvae reaches two millimeters. Young individuals develop and hibernate under the bark.

What is the danger of stem gall midge for raspberries

Some people are not even aware of the serious danger that gall midges pose to young raspberry seedlings. The most dangerous are the larvae that live inside the stem. They feed on the sap of plants, which is why the shoots slow down development. If there are too many larvae, the affected branch begins to dry out and die.

It is necessary to get rid of the larvae in a timely manner, as they can destroy a shoot or even a whole shrub within 2-3 months.

Causes of occurrence

To prevent the appearance of gall midges, you need to familiarize yourself with the causes of their occurrence. These include the following:

• using a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers, due to which the bark on the stems begins to peel off;
• poor-quality thinning of plantings, due to which they begin to weaken;
• poor ventilation leading to increased humidity levels and development of gall midges.

Signs of appearance

In order to timely detect the stem gall midge, you need to familiarize yourself with the main signs of its manifestation. The first sign that a seedling is infested with a pest is galls under the surface of the tree bark. More than five larvae develop in one such stem thickening. They grow there until the end of autumn, after which they move along the stem to the root system.

Another sign of the appearance of pests is the drying of shoots. At first they begin to turn yellow, but over time the stems dry out.

How to deal with a pest?

If a gall midge was seen on a raspberry, you must immediately start fighting it.

Chemicals

Most often, pest control is carried out using special chemicals.

Insecticide "Spark"

Often, when spraying raspberry bushes, the Iskra insecticide is used. This remedy is produced and sold in the form of tablets, which must be mixed with water before use. To protect the seedlings from pests, one and a half liters of the mixture is consumed for every ten square meters. When using Iskra, it is not necessary to use gloves, as the composition is non-toxic.

Karbofos

"Karbofos" is considered an old and proven tool for dealing with dangerous insects. This tool is effective and therefore it is used even for the destruction of bedbugs. The disadvantages of "Karbofos" include its toxicity, due to which the treatment is carried out in protective equipment. Spraying is carried out no more than once per season.

Insectoacaricide organophosphorus non-systemic "Aktellik"

This is a drug that has an enteric-contact effect.It is used to protect garden and horticultural crops from dangerous insects. Among the advantages of the tool are its effectiveness, the duration of the protective action and the low level of toxicity. You should use Actellik no more than once a month.

Folk ways

There are three effective folk remedies that can be used during insect control:

1. Tincture of tansy. To prepare the remedy, 400 grams of the plant is poured with 5-6 liters of boiling water. Then everyone insists for 2-3 days, filter and stir with 9-10 liters of water.
2. Urea. When creating a mixture for treating shrubs, 10 milliliters of urea and 10 liters of water are mixed.
3. Garlic infusion. Half a kilogram of garlic heads is crushed in a meat grinder, poured with water and insisted for a week. The mixture is then strained and used for spraying.

Prevention measures

To protect the planted raspberry bushes from pests and diseases, it is necessary to regularly spray them with Bordeaux mixture.

Also, experts recommend regularly spraying seedlings with fungicidal compounds that repel and destroy pests.

Conclusion

Gardeners who grow raspberry bushes on the plot often struggle with gall midges. To get rid of such insects, you need to familiarize yourself with their characteristics and effective means of control.

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