Shield on the drain: causes and signs, methods of dealing with chemical and folk remedies

The scale insect appears on the plum tree unexpectedly, quickly attacking the tree. From this point on, fruit trees begin to lose energy and gradually stop growing. Fruits, flowers, buds begin to fall off. The leaves curl up and become covered with a sticky coating. How to defeat a small insect that can destroy the entire crop? Ways to control the pest and measures to protect plants from scale insects.

How to recognize an insect?

Scuttle insect - a small insect no more than 5 mm long, covered with a kind of shell. It is difficult to see it with the naked eye, the pest is small, motionless, merges in color with the bark of trees, is omnivorous and is a parasitic insect that feeds on plant sap.

Entomologists identify more than 2000 species of scale insects. For plum trees, the most dangerous are:

• California;
• comma;
• plum.

Insects reproduce by laying eggs, from which larvae subsequently appear. One female lays over 100 eggs in her lifetime.

Sex differences in these insects are pronounced. Males do not look like females and do not cause any harm to orchards. Males resemble midges, they have wings. They circle plants in search of females, without sticking to the leaves and bark of trees.

Females spend their whole lives on trees, lay eggs and feed on plant sap, create colonies that look like growths on the bark. They have no wings, no legs, no whiskers, and no eyes either.

There are bisexual scale insects, it is more difficult to deal with such varieties, they are resistant to many types of influences.

Reasons for appearance

Weakened plants are most often infected. Factors that can lead to illness include:

• excess nitrogenous fertilizers;
• lack of lighting, shade area;
• lack of moisture;
• lack of ventilation and dry air.

Plums should be inspected regularly for signs of disease and pests. The initial stage of the disease is treated quickly and effectively, irreversible changes have not yet appeared on the tree. At this stage, the crop can be saved.

Plum Harm

Scale insects are parasitic insects that live off the vitality of the trees on which they settled. Every day the plants start to lose energy and eventually stop growing.

The harm caused by these insects to the plum is huge:

• Plum branches begin to dry out, the leaves stick together.
• The sticky coating created by scale insects serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
• Plums shed fruit and buds.
• Immunity of trees is decreasing.
• The bark is cracked.

If you let things take their course, the plum will die. Parasites spread rapidly to other plants, the entire orchard, including various fruit trees, can be infected. Pest control must begin immediately.

External signs of pest damage

Trees attacked by scale insects have a number of signs:

• The bark acquires a characteristic sheen.
• Leaves curl, dry out and stick together.
• The plant stops growing.
• Plum starts shedding fruits and buds.
• Small brown bumps can be seen on the leaves and stems, which are difficult to peel off from the surface.

The choice of pest control methods depends on the number of affected areas.

How to deal with scale insects

Insect resistant to low temperatures, able to withstand frosts down to -35 ^{C. The protective shell protects the scale insects from external influences. The fight against this pest is not easy. If the scale of infection is large, the use of insecticides is indispensable. Methods of dealing with the scale insect that settled on the plum depend on the degree of damage to the plants.}

Chemicals

Insecticides can completely destroy scale insects. But they are used in advanced cases. Do not use chemicals during the fruiting period. Pesticides will get into ripe fruits, which will become unfit for food.

Important! A single treatment with insecticides is not enough. With a break of one week, 3-4 sprays are carried out.

"Aktara", "Confidor Extra", "Aktellik" - proven chemicals against insect pests. Scale insects are able to develop immunity to drugs, so it is recommended to change them periodically.

Biologicals

If an insect was seen on plums during the fruiting period, pesticides cannot be used, biological pest control methods are used:

• Remove all infected branches and shoots, burn them.
• The root circle is completely cleared of grass, overgrowth and fallen leaves, 3 cm of soil is removed and the tree is sprinkled with wood ash.
• The formed outgrowths are removed from the trunk along with moss and pieces of bark.

On the shelves of stores you can find biological products, they are safe for fruits and show good results in pest control:

• "Avertin";
• "Nemabakt";
• Fitoverm;
• Aversectin.

Quarantine is introduced in the garden. Until the insect is defeated, it is not recommended to plant new fruit trees.

Folk recipes

Folk ways to deal with scale insects are effective only at the initial stage of infection, but they can be used during the fruiting period of the plum:

• Dissolve half a bar of laundry soap in 10 liters of water and wipe the bark and leaves with the solution.
• Dilute soda ash in a ratio of 10 g of powder per 10 liters of water, spray plants with a solution through a spray bottle.
• Onion skins, tobacco and wormwood - infuse odorous herbs for a day in a bucket of water. The resulting product must be filtered and sprayed with scale-affected trees.

Experienced gardeners launch on the affected trees insects that feed on scale insects: ladybugs and ichneumon beetles. This method is perfect for the prevention and protection of plants from small pests.

Prevention measures

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. This rule applies not only to humans, but also to plants. Prevention methods include:

• Spraying trees in early spring and flowering with insecticides.
• Removal of heavily infested, non-treatable specimens from the garden.
• Introduction of quarantine for the period of the disease.
• Careful inspection of new seedlings.
• Settlement on plum ladybugs.

Carrying out a set of preventive measures makes the risk of plant infection minimal.

Scale insects are insidious and voracious insects. You should get rid of them immediately. If the degree of infection is high, and for a long time the scale insect does not go away, the diseased tree is removed from the garden, part of the surface soil is removed and taken away from the plot.

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