The caterpillar eats the center, the forest park is inactive. Fighting caterpillars: the most effective methods and recommendations Caterpillars eat

One of the greatest natural wonders is the transformation of a fat and clumsy caterpillar into a butterfly. Moreover, a butterfly is not always more beautiful than its larva - some caterpillars are so unusual, brightly colored and have a bizarre shape that a butterfly, especially if it is nocturnal, looks like an ugly duckling nearby.

This review contains magnificent photos illustrating what caterpillars of some species look like and what kind of butterfly they turn into. Also, some Interesting Facts about these incomparable creatures of nature.

1. Brahmin Moth

Brameya butterflies are found in the East - in India, China, Burma, and are also common on some islands of Japan.

This is a nocturnal species of butterflies, they fly at night, and sleep during the day, spreading their wings. Butterflies and caterpillars are poisonous, so they have no enemies.

2. Cecropia peacock-eye (Hyalophora cecropia)

The caterpillar is very poisonous, therefore, with all its bright color, it shows that it is better not to touch it. tubercles have saturated color and additionally - dots, like those of poisonous ladybugs.

Peacock-eye is the largest night butterfly in America - the size is larger than the palm of your hand.

3. Swallowtail (Spicebush Swallowtail)

At first glance, this creature looks more like a fish or a lizard than a caterpillar. Huge false eyes scare away predators. In addition, during its life of a couple of months, the larva changes color - the egg hatches chocolate brown with large white spots, then becomes bright emerald, and before pupation - orange with a red belly.

The black and blue velvet butterfly is common in North America, sometimes collected in colonies of hundreds of thousands of specimens.

4. Black Swallowtail

The caterpillar of the black swallowtail is very bright and conspicuous - so that predators do not covet. Although in fact it is quite edible.

This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful European butterflies. During the flight, you can see how the color of the wings of the black swallowtail shimmers.

5. Tailed Emperor Butterfly (Polyura Sempronius)

This is not a dinosaur, but a soft imperial caterpillar. Its size is up to 2 cm, and the shell visually enlarges the baby and scares the birds.

The "tailed emperor" is found only in Australia and feeds on nectar from only one plant.

6. Dalcerida (Acraga coa)

The dalcerid caterpillar appears glassy and transparent.

At the same time, the butterfly itself is very furry, brick color. Refers to the moth. Lives in the tropical forests of Mexico.

7. Moth (Acharia Stimulea)

This strange creature of an incomprehensible color, with a bright green horse-cloth, is a very dangerous creature. Each shoot releases poison, and even one touch on the caterpillar can put an adult in the hospital.

And the butterfly is an ordinary night moth, almost invisible.

8. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

A real caterpillar witch! Lives in orchards both American continents. It is also called the "slug monkey" for unusual way movement - she crawls along one sheet, and jumps onto another sheet.

Witch butterflies are also quite spectacular and large. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle.

9. Greta Oto, or Glass Butterfly (Glass Winged Butterfly)

The caterpillar of Greta's incredible butterfly looks ordinary and does not attract attention.

But the most glass butterfly with transparent wings looks just amazing. This species lives in Mexico and throughout South America.

10. Large harpy, or spotted forktail (Cerura vinula)

Both the caterpillar and the harpy butterfly itself have a rather intimidating appearance. An outgrowth in the form of a mustache confuses the birds, and they do not risk feasting on this completely edible larva.

The white night butterfly from the Corydalis family is quite large and publishes bad smell, therefore, few people dare to try it.

11. Flannel Moth

This is not a tuft of wool on a bush, but a flannel moth larva. A very poisonous creature! Under no circumstances should you touch it!

Adult flannel moths seem soft and cuddly, but they are also poisonous. Found in the US and Mexico.

12. Blue Morpho (Blue Morpho)

Here is such a strange hairy stick, which has no idea where the head is and where the tail is, after the transformation it will become one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world.

The blue butterfly Morpho lives in Central and South America. It is very large - reaches 210 mm in scope. The wings have a metallic hue and shimmer when flying. There are 60 varieties of Morpho in all shades of blue.

13. Slug (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri)

This chic caterpillar looks like an ornate ice crystal covered with numerous needles. The sight of her birds seems completely unappetizing!

And an adult butterfly is an ordinary night woodlice. Distributed throughout North America.

14. Silkworm (Hubbard's Small Silkmoth)

This is precisely the famous caterpillar that makes silk thread, and people from it - a wonderful fabric. These larvae eat only mulberry or mulberry leaves.

The silkworm butterfly is nocturnal.

15. Slug Butterfly (Isa Textula)

The caterpillar, which looks like a leaf, stings very much with its hairs. She moves very interestingly - in zigzags, leaving noticeable traces.

The butterfly is also quite spectacular, 3-4 times smaller than the caterpillar and flies only at night.

16. Rainbow Blue Butterfly Swallowtail (Pipevine Swallowtail)

The caterpillar of the rainbow swallowtail is a very spectacular person, it looks like a horned bull.

A very beautiful and bright large butterfly lives in only one place on Earth - in the Ussuri taiga.

17. Spotted Apatelodes

This simply delightful fluffy caterpillar is extremely venomous. By the way, she has a head, where there is one “feather”!

The spotted apatelodes moth is very large and buzzes violently when it flies.

18. Saturnia Io (Automeris io)

Incredible bright green caterpillar in pompoms. Distributed in Canada and the USA. Very poisonous. The Indians used it to lubricate their arrows.

The colorful moth is quite impressive too, especially at night when those "eyes" glow.

19. Butterfly from the peacock-eye family (Attacus Atlas)

This furry miracle is a very rare larva. And all because people massively caught both them and butterflies for sale.

The size of the peacock eye is impressive - up to 25 cm! The price of a copy reaches a thousand dollars. Peacock-eye atlas is found in South-East Asia, China, Indonesia. The largest specimen with a wingspan of almost 27 cm was caught on about. Java in 1922. This butterfly has no mouth and does not eat anything all its life.

Beautiful landscaped yard with fruit trees and vegetable crops- this is the result of a long and painstaking work of each summer resident. But it is worth at least a little to lose vigilance, as caterpillars may appear, which will reduce all efforts to zero.

Most of the caterpillars create nests in trees where they overwinter. It is noteworthy that from a hundred to several thousand eggs can fit in such masonry, which later turn into caterpillars. If you do not get rid of them before spring comes, problems may arise.

You can effectively deal with caterpillars with the help of modern means, quickly defeating pests. They do an excellent job with caterpillar populations and at the same time do not cause any harm to plants or humans.

Drugs are available in the form of powder, tablets or ampoules.

Usually, just one tablet or ampoule per 7-12 liters of water is enough to treat a plot with plantings of 50 square meters. m. Summer residents should be aware that when choosing chemicals to combat caterpillars, it should be remembered that such products are limited in terms of use, despite their effectiveness.

This means that the latter should be carried out no later than two weeks or a month before the harvest. Otherwise, vegetables and fruits sprayed with such compounds cannot be eaten. Therefore, it is very important to observe the terms described in the instructions for use. Another way to deal with caterpillars with chemicals is an additive directly to the ground. They are able to scare away such pests and prevent them from multiplying in the future.

The best folk recipes for dealing with caterpillars on the site:

• Fumigation. This method requires any container that can withstand high temperatures. It should be filled with hot coal and sprinkled with pitch and sulfur, taken in proportions of two to one. Next, with this container, you need to go near the trees and fumigate all the areas that you can get. Important Rule: There must be no wind outside during this procedure. After that, the caterpillars will begin to die and crumble to the ground.
• Chamomile infusion. For this recipe, you will need field chamomile, which must be harvested and dried. After that, the leaves and flowers are crushed. Further, the raw material is poured with water at the rate of one liter of liquid per 100 g of the plant. The infusion should stand for a day in a dark place, after which it is filtered and diluted with water (proportions one to five). 40-50 g of liquid soap is added to the resulting mixture in order to make it easier to apply to the leaves.
• Glue from caterpillars. This method is one of the most popular among gardeners. The sticky mess attracts caterpillars, which easily stick to it and cannot get out of such glue. In order to prepare such a trap, you need to take resin (100 ml), stearin (55 g) and pork fat (60 g). To get a homogeneous consistency, all components are heated. After that, they are mixed, slightly cooled and applied to areas of trees that are affected by caterpillars.
• against caterpillars. An excellent tool in the fight against such pests is bitter wormwood. It helps especially well against caterpillars that eat fruits on trees. This plant can be used as a decoction or tincture. In the first case, you need to collect flowering wormwood. Next, it should be crushed and filled with such raw materials to exactly half the bucket. Water should be poured on top. It must be infused throughout the day. After the allotted time, it must be put on fire and boiled for half an hour. After that, the broth is diluted with water in proportions of one to two and the plantings are sprayed and fruit trees from caterpillars. An infusion of wormwood is prepared as follows. Crush this plant and fill the bucket exactly one third. Next, pour the raw materials to the very top. Insist for three days. After the allotted time has passed, the infusion is filtered and the future crop is sprayed with it.

This should be done throughout the season. In addition, every autumn you need to rake and remove all the leaves that have fallen and the debris left from the plants. This method will help reduce the amount on the site.

Every season, just before the start of sowing seeds, all trees and shrubs in the garden should be checked for the presence of caterpillar clutches.

More information can be found in the video.

Back in 1969, the moth was brought to the American continent for industrial purposes to breed silkworms. But attempts to develop this area failed, and the delivered insect, as a result, became the main pest on greater territory USA and Canada. Every year there are more and more new methods of dealing with this problem. These pests include the scoop, which causes significant harm to gardeners every year.

Scoops - who are they, and what is their harm?

This family contains about 100 species. They are butterflies of various colors - gray, brown, often dark. Scoop butterflies do absolutely no harm to the plant, since they feed exclusively on their nectar. But their offspring - caterpillars - eat everything that comes in their way.

Depending on the feeding method, these insects were divided into two groups:

• Gnawing scoop feeding on underground fruits of plants. Its species includes: potato, exclamation and winter scoop.
• The leaf-eating scoop eats fruits and plants that are on the surface of the earth, and leads a terrestrial lifestyle. This species includes: alfalfa, cabbage and garden scoop.

Both species are active only at night. Both butterflies and larvae hide during the day and are in a stationary phase until dark. Let's take a closer look at each pest separately.

potato scoop

This insect breeds on ordinary non-chernozem soil. This species leads to enormous crop losses of potatoes, onions, rhubarb, sorrel and other plants. I would especially like to note the reproduction of scoops on tomatoes. Its appearance on a plantation with tomatoes is very common, leading to almost 100% yield loss. The butterfly of this species is characterized by large grayish-yellow wings with red or brown tint. Its caterpillar is bright yellow or red in color with a longitudinal stripe on the back reaches a size of half a centimeter.

Laid eggs of the potato scoop successfully endure wintering, and already in May begin their revival.

The initial food for young caterpillars are leaves and stems of cereals. Already adult insects move to more large plants, damaging the stems and root system. The period of transformation of caterpillars into pupae is carried out at the beginning of summer right in the soil near the affected plants. The adult butterflies that have bred fly out and lay new eggs on the ground until mid-autumn. wild plants, such as timothy grass and wheatgrass. Eggs can also be laid on potato and rhubarb leaves. This species reproduces only one generation.

How to destroy

Methods for combating this pest are the destruction of all plant residues after harvest, as well as the disposal of all weeds belonging to cereal varieties. Such measures are often used to destroy many other pests.

exclamation owl

The exclamatory scoop reproduces very successfully and is distributed almost everywhere. This species affects the root crop of the crop. The insect got its name due to the presence of color in the form exclamation mark on the surface of the wings. The caterpillar has a gray-brown color with a yellowish tint and reaches a size of half a centimeter. Mature caterpillars tolerate cold well and hibernate in the soil at a depth of about 30 cm, where the pupation process takes place in the spring.

Eggs are laid in small groups on the leaves of weeds, sometimes just on the ground. The viability of the caterpillars comes in a week.

At first they lead an open lifestyle, and then hide, but after dark they crawl out for reinforcements. Young insects gnaw out succulent green leaves plants to the very veins, then bite into roots, roots, eat embryos and seedlings directly in the soil. Behind summer period only one generation of this pest manages to reproduce.

The methods of dealing with the exclamation scoop are as follows:

• Careful destruction of all weeds that serve as food for young caterpillars;
• Treatment of cultures with a solution of lepidocide. It is necessary to dilute 2-3 grams of the substance in 1 liter of water.

cabbage scoop

Another harmful insect, common almost everywhere, is the cabbage scoop. Her favorite crops are cabbage, peas, beets, lettuce and onions. This is a butterfly with brown wings with a kidney-shaped gray spot on the surface. Initially, its caterpillar has a juicy green color, then it changes to a brownish-brown hue with dashes on the back.

Pupae of the cabbage scoop, like other species, hibernate in the soil, burrow to a depth of no more than 4 cm. At the beginning of summer, butterflies fly out and lay their eggs on the inside of the leaves of plants growing in areas with high moisture. The mass appearance of caterpillars falls on July-August. Wet and cold environments favorable conditions for their reproduction. They penetrate into the head of cabbage and eat through the root crop from the inside. Eaten leaves to holes are a sign of the appearance of this pest. The cabbage scoop is especially dangerous because it can breed in several generations over the entire summer period.

How to destroy?

But fortunately, there are methods to combat this insect:

• In order to avoid damage to the crop by a scoop, early planting of seedlings is recommended.
• As an option - manually collecting caterpillars and eggs of the pest.
• Implementation of foliar feeding of plants with potassium chloride and superphosphate.
• A very effective method of spraying cabbage with insecticidal infusions based on burdock, wormwood, potato tops.
• Not a single application of lepidocide, phytoverm 5 days before the harvest.
• Spraying is also effective, according to the instructions of Zeta, Inta-vir, Fas.

All these measures are really very good. But, nevertheless, experts are developing new ways to deal with this harmful insect, since every year the scoop adapts to existing drugs.

pith scoop

One of the most popular pests that affect both root crops and plants that produce fruits on the surface is the common heartworm. Potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb and about three dozen more plants that are affected by this type of pest. The butterfly has a bright and two-tone color of the wings of rusty yellow and brown-violet hues. Her caterpillar is different big size, reaching up to 0.5 cm, and has a yellow, sometimes off-white color.

Eggs successfully endure winter at the bases of plants, as well as at elderberry bushes. Especially dangerous are young caterpillars in the active phase. They penetrate the stems and gnaw them from the inside. Such plants no longer have a chance to recover, they break down and simply dry out. At the beginning of summer, mature caterpillars descend along the passages made in the stems and gnaw holes for the butterflies to fly out, after which they successfully pupate. One plant can be affected simultaneously by several caterpillars.

The methods of dealing with this scoop are the same as for the destruction of the potato scoop.

garden scoop

The most dangerous for almost all cultivated crops is the garden scoop. It is distributed almost throughout the territory of the countries of the former Soviet Union. The list of plants affected by it includes about 40 crops. But most of all she prefers turnips, tomatoes, cabbage and radishes. The butterfly has bicolor wings of brown and red with two spots of yellow and gray color on the surface. Caterpillars are both green and brown.

The garden cutworm can produce two generations per southern regions and one in the north. Corn, millet, sugar beets are the first crops that begin to infect young caterpillars. Then they move to cereal and melon plants.
Successfully enduring wintering at a depth of up to 25 cm, the caterpillars rise to the surface and, with the onset of heat, pupate. In mid-June, butterflies appear, the life span of which lasts until August. The females lay eggs on inside leaves on absolutely all nearby plants. The caterpillars that have appeared gnaw through the leaves of plants, and also infect unripe tomato fruits.

How to destroy?

use different ways control of this pest

• Catching butterflies for bait.
• Collecting caterpillars during the harvest.

Destruction of all weeds, especially deaf nettle, quinoa, white mari, on which the scoop especially loves to lay its eggs.

Spraying with compounds used to destroy cabbage scoops.

All these measures to combat the armyworm are very effective, the main thing is that they must be carried out in a timely manner and according to the instructions. Then the plants will be healthy and give you a wonderful harvest.

Not only people like to eat cabbage. Many pests also do not pass by its succulent leaves. , white butterflies, caterpillars, cabbage leaf beetles, whiteflies, slugs, snails - this is an incomplete list of those who want to taste juicy leaves and stalk. Majority experienced gardeners already knows how to get rid of caterpillars on cabbage. For beginners, this topic is quite burning and eternal.

Habitats of leaf-eating insects

Among cabbage lovers, several butterflies appear in our gardens:

• cabbage white or cabbage;
• turnip;

Cabbage white or cabbage- this butterfly with white wings, at the ends of which there is a black border and black dots. In May, she lays her eggs on the underside of cabbage leaves. The caterpillar of the cabbage butterfly is gray-green with yellow stripes and black spots.

They usually live on the upper side of the leaves. On one leaf, cabbage lays up to hundreds of eggs. This is quite enough to eat all the leaves of the cabbage. Caterpillars prefer tender young leaves; they not only damage plants, but also significantly delay their development.

If you do not destroy the leafworms in time, then the heads of cabbage will grow small and corroded.

Repnitsy- diurnal butterfly, very similar to the whitefish, but smaller three times. Eggs are laid not in clutches, but singly. Caterpillars are velvety green with a yellow stripe. Cabbage is eaten not only by the leaves, but also by the head of cabbage from above.

cabbage scoop- a small butterfly the size of a moth, with a nondescript gray color. From her masonry, small green caterpillars appear, living inside the head of cabbage. These butterflies are nocturnal, hiding in the ground or in leaves during the day. Their presence becomes noticeable by the holes in the cabbage, which are gnawed by their caterpillars. Pests live on the underside of the leaves at night and sleep in the stalk during the day.

cabbage moth- night butterfly of gray-brown color with a light pattern, 8 mm in size. Overwinters in weeds. It flies badly and close. Appears in April-July. It feeds on plant sap. Lays eggs on the underside of the leaf. Moth caterpillars are very small, green.

The time of existence of caterpillars before their pupation is only 15-30 days. After which they turn into butterflies, which again lay eggs and hatch the next generation of caterpillars, they again continue to eat cabbage. Over the summer, these transformations are repeated three times and there is no longer any hope for a harvest.

Folk ways of fighting

Gardeners prefer to start destruction harmful insects folk remedies harmless to humans. These methods are noticed in observations of wildlife:

• attracting wasps and ants that feed their larvae with caterpillars. You can draw their attention to pests by watering the beds with plants with a sweet aqueous solution;
• infusion of ash with the addition laundry soap for better coverage. It is enough to add two glasses of ash and a few tablespoons of soap to the bucket, insist the solution for a day and moisten the cabbage leaves;
• eggshells laid out on cabbage leaves can deceive white butterflies. The cabbage lady takes the white shell for her more successful rivals and does not encroach on the already occupied territory;
• sprinkle a head of cabbage with a mixture of soda and flour, the cabbage white and other butterflies and caterpillars will die;
• an infusion of odorous plants with a pungent smell and taste will scare away butterflies from watered beds. In this case, an infusion of stems of tomato, potato, garlic, onion peel. The infusion should be saturated. To do this, take 2-3 kg of tomato tops, 10 heads of garlic or a jar of onion scales. The crushed raw materials are poured with boiled water, left under the lid during the night or day. After that, soap is added to the infusion for better adhesion and the entire affected area is thoroughly moistened;
• a solution of vinegar will very effectively help in the fight against insects on seedlings or cabbage. To do this, in a bucket of water, it is enough to dilute two glasses of 9% vinegar or 2 tbsp. l. vinegar essence and water the beds from the watering can;
• solution ammonia can be done by diluting 50 grams of alcohol in a bucket of water;
• saline solution is also not tolerated by leafworms. Dissolve 2 tbsp in a bucket of water. l. salt and pour the product on the leaves.

We must not forget to especially carefully moisten the undersides of the leaves with a solution or mixture. Processing is carried out in dry and calm time.

Many gardeners simply collect the insects in jars and destroy the eggs on the cabbage leaves, getting rid of uninvited visitors through physical destruction, which is also very effective in controlling the caterpillars on the cabbage.

Important! Caterpillars have delicate outer integuments, with careful care it is often possible to destroy them in one treatment.

Microbiological control methods

New ways to deal with garden leaf-eating pests have appeared not so long ago. With the development of organic farming, microbiological preparations have appeared on the market to deal exclusively with insects. They are not dangerous for humans, plants, do not affect birds and animals.

Their mode of action is based on the development of a particular type of microbe that infects insects. They get sick and die. With the disappearance of pests, microbes or fungi also disappear.

In addition to microbiological preparations, mushroom preparations, which act similarly to microbiological agents, help plants in getting rid of leafworms.

Important! Microbiological and fungal preparations affect only insects. The destruction of pests in this case occurs naturally environmentally friendly.

Entobacterin is a gray powder. Getting into the body of caterpillars during feeding, leads to their death. 50 grams of powder is diluted in 10 liters of water and cabbage is sprayed.

The effect of the drug depends on the temperature. During its application, it should be in the range of 18-30 degrees. At low temperatures, the drug stops working, as microorganisms simply do not multiply under these conditions. Spend at least two treatments of plants in one week.

The use of a microbiological agent is stopped a week before harvesting.

There are a number of tools created using various kinds bacteria:

1. Lepidocide - used to destroy caterpillars.
2. Bitoxibacillin - very effective against caterpillars of cabbage and turnip whites, larvae colorado potato beetle and other insects.
3. Fitoverm - acts against many types of caterpillars and other garden pests.

It is important to start using the drug immediately after the appearance of the caterpillars, preventing them from growing to adults.

Chemical control methods

Preparations with chemically active substances are very effective. After their application, the caterpillars simply will not succeed in surviving. Such a quick solution to the problem still attracts some gardeners who grow vegetables for sale. The struggle for the harvest is carried out without mercy.

The industry produces a wide range of drugs for chemical protection from caterpillars and other insects:

1. Splender in a solution of 25 g per 1 liter of water.
2. Decis Extra in solution 125 g per 1 liter of water.
3. Triflurex in solution 240 g per 1 liter of water.
4. Butizan in a solution of 400 g per 1 liter of water.

During the use of chemicals - insecticides, a person should be protected from contact with them with rubber gloves, a face mask and tight clothing. Spraying solutions should take place in calm and dry weather.

During the use of insecticides, one must strictly follow the instructions for their use, monitor the required volume, timing and frequency of treatment.

Important! Apply chemicals to extreme cases if other methods of pest control have not helped.

Despite the absolute effectiveness of insecticides, we must not forget that they act not only on insects, but are also absorbed by plants, and then get to humans. But these are poisonous, toxic substances, from which not only cabbage whites will suffer.

Pest prevention

Fragrant and spices and flowers can scare away from the beds not only butterflies, but also many other pests. Joint plantings with fragrant garden greens and flowers - coriander, lovage, celery, marigolds or calendula - will prevent the invasion of harmful leaf-eating insects. The only thing to do in the case of such protection of the beds is to think about protective plantings in advance.

In addition to the fact that a strong smell repels butterflies, it attracts to the garden beneficial insects- ladybugs, rider beetles. They are not interested in plants, they are attracted to aphids and caterpillars. Therefore from mixed landings in this case, there is a double benefit.

Digging the soil or covering the beds with agrofibre will help protect the plantings from butterflies living in the ground, preventing them from getting outside.

It is impossible to allow the growth of cruciferous weeds in the garden: colza, mustard. After all, butterflies can get into the garden attracted by them.

Prevention of pest invasion can be considered attracting birds to your garden. To do this, they need to be fed regularly in winter, and in summer, make sure that cats do not hunt for feathered friends in the garden.

Conclusion

If the plant was not just stuck in the ground, but planted on well-groomed beds and created Better conditions for growth, then you should not be afraid of the appearance of pests. Indeed, in nature, a weak individual or an exhausted plant becomes a victim. Plants grown with care and love thank their gardeners for good health and a generous harvest.

Beautiful lush pine trees are a wonderful decoration for suburban area or cottages. However, in recent years, gardeners have been complaining that they have caterpillars on pine trees that eat needles. In almost a few days, because of them, the tree turns into a bare trunk with gnawed branches. To fight caterpillars on a pine tree in order to save evergreen beauties and restore their appearance, you can use folk recipes, chemicals.

Types of caterpillars attacking trees

Various pests can settle on coniferous trees, which enter the territory of garden plots from the forest belt, through the soil or when buying seedlings of spruces, cedars or pines.

The most common of them:

• pine moths - larvae that emerge from eggs laid by butterflies in the form of straight lines;
• common, oriental or rufous sawfly, whose larvae gnaw on coniferous branches, as seen in the photo of caterpillars on a pine tree;
• pine - attacks trees in May, preferring to eat young buds and needles, which contributes to the subsequent drying of plants;
• black caterpillars - they braid the needles with cobwebs to hold them on the tree, then a mining moth appears from them;
• and cone moth, whose caterpillars eat seeds and cones on pines;
• strikes coniferous trees only in the absence of another.

Sawflies and harm from them

Most often, coniferous trees are attacked by red sawflies, which spoil the appearance of cedars, pines and firs. Females lay a clutch of 1.5-2 thousand eggs right under the bark, and during the summer they manage to breed twice.

Interesting!

The sawflies got their name for the originality of the egg-laying process: females have a special organ that, when laying eggs, “saws through” the outer tissues of a branch or leaves. In appearance, adults are similar to flies, so they are difficult to distinguish.

A characteristic sign indicating a sawfly attack is the yellowing of the needles. You can determine that caterpillars attacked cedar, spruce or pine by eggs on needles that look like clusters with capsules Brown. In them, larvae mature, which, after hatching from eggs, have a black or dirty green body with a flat head. In danger, sawfly caterpillars raise the front of the body.

Young sawfly larvae first eat only the lateral parts of cedar or pine needles, from which they dry, turn yellow and curl. If at such a moment urgent measures are not taken to destroy them with the help of insecticidal and other remedies for caterpillars on a pine tree, then, gradually growing up, they are able to eat whole trees.

Given the number of larvae in the clutch, they can not only occupy coniferous trees, but also lead to their complete drying and death. Young seedlings dry out in 3-5 years with a gradual weakening and decrease decorative properties landings, deterioration appearance landscape. Saving mountain pine and other types of coniferous trees is necessary as soon as possible, because if the plants are re-infected, they die in the winter.

On a note!

Among conifers, it is most susceptible to attack by sawflies. ordinary pine and some decorative types: Weymouth and Banks pines, as well as trees planted on dry sandy soil with high relief. Often caterpillars attack lonely plants. Only the Crimean pines suffer less.

Caterpillar fight

To increase the effectiveness of various methods and preparations, they must be applied alternately, depending on the degree of damage and the condition of the trees. Simple folk methods allow you to fight the caterpillars on the Christmas tree by mechanical means or with bait. However, they are only effective against a small number of pests. With a strong defeat, caterpillars can be killed only with the help of chemicals.

Folk methods

• Regularly inspect trees in order to detect larvae in time, because caterpillars eat pine more in dry and warm weather, and they do not like rain.
• Carry out manual collection of larvae and caterpillars, for which you should wear gloves and goggles, because for protective purposes they burp some of their blood, which is a strong allergen. Then all pests must be burned.
• Hang birdhouses on the territory, feed and lure birds that feed on insects and larvae: cuckoos, etc.
• Shoots and buds spoiled by green caterpillars on pine should be removed and burned.
• Block access to pests by wrapping masking tape on the tree trunk with pre-applied glue from ants and rodents, which is sold in gardening stores. Caterpillars descending to become pupae will stick and die.

If the number of caterpillars on coniferous trees is too high, then the following rescue methods are used:

• Decompose baits from fermentation additives that help kill caterpillars throughout the summer season.
• In case of severe damage, spread around the trunk old film or oilcloth, where damaged needles are thrown, sweeping it with a broom, after which everything is burned. Next, spray the pine with an aqueous solution. liquid soap.

Chemicals

Biological or insecticidal agents that are designed to kill pests, such as cone moth, black and green caterpillars, will help to completely get rid of the caterpillars on the pine.

Popular insecticidal preparations:

• Actellik is an insectoacaricide that has an enteric-contact effect on pests of garden and park plants with the help of pyrimiphos-methyl, which belongs to organophosphorus pesticides. Available in the form of ampoules or canisters with a capacity of 2 ml and 5 liters, respectively. If they treat pine from caterpillars, then when insects eat needles, there is a dysfunction nervous system which causes their death.
• Confidor is a water-soluble preparation of contact-intestinal action, helps to get rid of pests of shrubs, trees and garden crops, contains imidacoride.
• Arrivo - affects leaf-eating insects, caterpillars on spruce and other conifers with the help of cypermethrin poisoning.

• Bitoxibacillin is an insecticidal bacterial preparation, the main active ingredient of which is exotoxin and spores of bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis var thuringiensis, effectively destroys leaf-eating harmful insects, getting inside through the intestines along with the green parts of the plant. The death of pests begins in 2-3 days and lasts up to 2 weeks. It is recommended to re-treat after 7-8 days to destroy the next generation of caterpillars.
• Lepidocid is a biological product of intestinal action, selective in relation to leaf-eating, acting with the help of spores of microbes Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki. After ingestion of insects, bacteria long time produce crystals that infect pests, which leads to their death. Its effectiveness is high, because they can poison caterpillars on trees, and the drug is not addictive.
• Lepidobactocide is a biologically active drug used to protect forest and park landings and agricultural crops.

Caterpillar Prevention

To prevent caterpillars from infecting trees, you should take preventive measures:

• Digging the soil in late autumn to destroy the pupae that burrow into the ground. Digging depth is 7-10 cm, but care must be taken near the roots so as not to damage them.
• It is recommended to plant flowers on the site that attract insects that can protect plants from pests: hymenoptera, and.
• When planting coniferous trees, it is better to alternate with deciduous ones, which will help reduce the attractiveness of plants for female sawflies.

If on garden plot black ants and caterpillars are found on pine trees, then only the use of protective chemical or folk remedies will help save trees from loss of appearance and subsequent death.