Folk and modern ways of dealing with a bear in the garden. Fighting a bear - effective ways

Medvedka common

To date, the bear is already quite a familiar inhabitant in almost every garden. It multiplies rapidly and feeds on the roots or bulbs of plants, and also especially loves root crops. If no action is taken, then this, at first glance, clumsy insect is capable of destroying the entire crop.

The threat of the bear and where it comes from

It comes from the cricket family. It has a rather large size, some individuals can reach 5-6 cm in length. The common bear has well-developed forelimbs, which can also be called digging. Like a mole, she easily digs tunnels underground, destroying root shoots on her way. The people of this pest are called earthen cancer or cabbage.

What does it eat

Her diet includes all the vegetation in the garden, from flowers to gourds. By laying eggs in the soil, one individual is able to reproduce up to 300 units of offspring at a time. The trouble is that not only adult insects, but also larvae are very active. Starting in early spring, they destroy crops, and in summer and autumn - a ripening crop of vegetables.

It is almost impossible to protect the site from attack. Most often, it enters the soil along with manure brought for fertilizer. This seemingly underground insect is also capable of flying at night.

Singing bear

The first sign of the presence of a pest in the garden is the characteristic voice of a bear. In the evening or at night, you can clearly identify her singing, a bit reminiscent of the chirping of a cricket. If you hear such sounds in your area, you should seriously worry about the further safety of all crops growing on the site. Another indicator of its presence in the garden are characteristic holes in the ground in the form of passages.

Folk methods of dealing with a bear

In order to properly deal with such a pest, it is necessary to know its behavior well in different time of the year. It is customary to think that the bear lives only in upper layers earth and loves moist, warm soil. But starting from August, she actively moves to deeper layers and begins to prepare for wintering. That is why the methods of struggle in spring and autumn are radically different.

How to deal with a bear in the spring

The insect begins to show its activity already in the month of March, therefore, with the very beginning of the planting season, it is necessary to take the necessary measures.

The most common pest control methods are:

It is necessary to exclude all breeding sites of the bear on the site: these can be manure heaps, leaves or debris, compost pits. In rotting plant remains, the earth warms up well and attracts insects for laying eggs;
In April or early May, manure baits are laid out on the site. About a month later, they are checked for the presence of larvae and the insects themselves;
Before planting, it is necessary to plow the ground well, this will help to partially get rid of the bear and destroy its masonry. It is also recommended in early June to loosen the row spacing shallowly (no more than 15 cm in depth);
Since she loves cow dung, you should not feed plants with it, this can only attract insects from all over the area. As an alternative, you can use diluted chicken manure, it will not only fertilize the earth, but also scare away the bear;
Crushed egg shells are placed at the bottom of each planting hole (1 teaspoon under each bush), this will partially block the passage to the roots of the plant;
Along the edges of the plot, it is best to sow low marigolds (Chernobrivtsi), the bear does not tolerate the smell of these flowers, and the passage from neighboring plots will be closed to her;
flood holes soapy water. 15 g of soap and 40 g of powder are diluted in a liter of water, the liquid is poured into the hole, and after a couple of minutes the insects die in the mink or crawl out, where they are collected and burned or dried and used for medicinal purposes;
Vegetable oil is also used: a few drops added to the hole and filled with 2-3 liters of water block the respiratory tract of the insect and kill it;
use homemade traps in the form of buried in the ground, not far from the holes, glass jars. The container is placed in the ground at an angle so that the surface of the soil is a couple of centimeters above the neck. In a jar, you can put a bait from a piece of manure or beer with a strong smell of malt. A pest that has crawled inside will not be able to get out along the glass walls of the vessel.

Such traps will help not only to clean the soil from pests, but also to collect insects for making medicines. Medvedka has medicinal properties and is actively used both in folk and traditional medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis and many other diseases.

How to deal with a bear in the fall

Due to the fact that at the end of summer the bear goes deep into the soil, other methods of dealing with it are used. The most common of these are manure traps. On the site they dig holes up to half a meter deep, fill them with bait and cover with earth. Pests crawl into them for wintering. When the cold comes, the pits open and scatter manure around the site, as a result of which insects die from frost.

It is necessary to fight with a bear regularly. To ensure that the measures taken and the work done are not in vain and are as effective as possible, it is best to take care of the health of the garden together with the neighbors.

Preparations for the fight against the bear

In addition to folk methods of struggle, special preparations can also be used. The most popular is Borevin. The tool is made on the basis of the mushroom of the same name. The diluted preparation is poured into the wells of insects and wait until they appear on the surface. Dead individuals must be collected and destroyed (burned) so that they are not eaten by animals or birds. Be vigilant when working with Borevin, as contact with the substance causes an allergic reaction in a person.

A proven remedy is Rembek. This drug is also effective against garden ants and larvae of May beetles.

Repellers

Many will refuse to use chemicals so as not to harm wildlife. Therefore, as a safe alternative, you can use electronic, such as Green Belt or do-it-yourself repellers. Medvedka, like the mole, does not tolerate the vibrations of the earth, so she leaves the garden.

Outcome

Medvedka is one of the most malicious pests of horticultural and horticultural crops. There are many methods of insect control, both folk and preparative. The most humane and safest is the use of special repellers.

You have prepared the beds according to all the rules, fertilized with manure, planted seedlings on time, take care of them carefully and water them on time. Harvest must be perfect! But suddenly you notice that the plants wither one after another for unknown reasons ...

If you look closely at the beds, you can see small holes. Dig them up and you will see small eggs. There is no doubt - she settled in your garden bear, a pest that gives gardeners a lot of trouble. Fighting a bear in the garden requires patience, since even chemicals are not always able to cope with it.

Fighting a bear in the garden requires patience, since even chemicals are not always able to cope with it.

Of course, you can dilute 30 grams of chlorophos per 10 liters of water and pour the mixture into fresh pest minks. Then it is enough to collect those bears that crawled out and destroy them, and those remaining in the minks themselves will die.

However, this effective way can seriously affect your health, because vegetables and herbs treated with pesticides can hardly be called healthy. It is best to use folk methods struggle, but first you need to figure out what a bear is, and how it harms plants.

Video about the fight against the bear

Earth cancer - a threat to the beds

In the people, the bear is usually called earthen crayfish, cabbage or spinning top. She loves to live in soil with high humidity, rich in humus and fertilized with manure. The rigid body of an insect up to 6 cm long has small wings and rather powerful horny jaws.

With the help of developed front legs, the pest digs underground passages in the ground. The main vertical passage can reach a depth of 120 cm and end with a horizontal depression in which adults hibernate. For the larvae of the first year, a vertical passage 65-75 cm deep is enough. In addition, the bear makes passages through all the beds at a depth of 2 cm to 8 cm, eating young shoots, damaging the roots of plants and destroying the sown seeds.

In the people, Medvedka is usually called earthen crayfish, cabbage or spinning top.

During breeding (end of April - June), earthen crayfish begins to emerge on the surface of the earth, and then arranges a nest-cave near its main passage at a depth of 15-25 cm and lays dark yellow eggs in it, from which larvae appear after a couple of weeks . In early July, mobile gray larvae leave the nest and actively settle in the garden, digging new passages. By appearance larvae are similar to adults, but smaller size and do not have wings - only by the next summer their development will be completely completed.

An adult insect is very prolific: during the summer, the female lays 100-500 eggs. That is why it is no less troublesome to deal with a bear than with Colorado potato beetle. And given that the pest easily moves through the water and can fly long distances, fighting it becomes a real headache for many gardeners.

Ways of folk struggle with a bear in the garden

If your site has been invaded by a bear, first of all, you need to provide for early spring plowing with deep loosening of the soil (up to 15 cm), as well as deep autumn plowing of the garden. So you destroy the moves of the pest, make it difficult for him to get food and destroy the larvae.

An adult insect is very prolific: over the summer, the female lays 100-500 eggs.

There is still no guaranteed way to get rid of earthen cancer, but there are many folk recipes helping to significantly reduce the number of insects or scare them away from your garden.

Here are the most common methods of dealing with the bear:

Poisonous chlorophos can be replaced with a solution of washing powder (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) or a kerosene solution (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). Pour the solution into the mink, and chop the creeping insects with a shovel.
They exterminate pests and separately, burying cans on the paths between the beds. For bait, you can add a little spoiled jam, beer, compote or honey to the jars. Medvedki, crawling along the paths at night, fall into the banks, and during the day they are easily destroyed.
In early spring, sheets of plywood or boards are laid out on empty beds, insects crawl under them to bask - here you can already collect a bear in a bucket of kerosene solution. In summer, the boards are laid out between the beds.
In autumn they dig a shallow hole, lay it out with an old plastic wrap and fill with manure, gradually a lot of earthen crayfish are recruited into it for wintering. Then there are two options - either with the onset of frost, scatter the manure around the garden so that the insects freeze, or get the manure in the spring and burn it along with the bears.
Shallow holes can be dug on the site in mid-May, so that pests crawl in to lay their eggs. A month later, the manure is burned along with the larvae.
During the year, eggshells are collected, finely crushed and, having flavored vegetable oil, fall asleep in the mink of earthen crayfish, or densely sprinkle the planted seedlings, covering them with ground from above. Bears don't like sharp pieces shells, and bypass fresh seedlings, and die from the eaten shell.

Video on how to get rid of a bear

Fighting a bear in the garden is not required if marigolds are sown along the borders of the garden plot - pests avoid the smell of these flowers, thus access to insects from neighboring territories will be closed. Also, the bear is scared away by the noise from the windmills installed in the garden (pipes with fixed propellers), the smell of garlic, parsley, calendula, fresh alder leaves.

It causes a lot of indignation and discontent among its owner. After all, the presence of an insect poses a serious threat to the future crop. The garden bear, or as it is also called by the people a spinning top, a cabbage or an earthen crustacean, digs passages in the ground, destroying the roots of green spaces in its path, which is why the latter begin to hurt and dry out. Therefore, the question of how to deal with a bear in the garden worries every lover of gardening.

Pest Features

What is a bear and how it looks, an experienced gardener can easily recognize. It is a very large insect, the body size of which reaches 5-6 cm, sometimes there are specimens up to 10-12 cm. The photo and description of the bear are presented below.

Kapustyanka or Medvedka has a frightening appearance and, at the first meeting with him, can even cause a feeling of fear.

The pest has an elongated body covered with brown chitinous armor in the upper part and olive or light brown tone from the bottom side.
The earthen crustacean is the owner of an elongated head, on which round bulging eyes are located, long mustache and, which even in one season can cause irreparable damage to the crop.
The underground inhabitant has 3 pairs of limbs, each of which performs a specific function. With front paws, which are massive, the garden pest digs the ground. Thanks to the middle limbs, the cabbage is able to move quickly. The hind legs of the insect have springy properties, which gives the beetle the ability to jump.
The presence of wings allows the insect to travel considerable distances. Kapustyanka also copes well with water barriers.

In addition, the insect is very prolific: the result of living on personal plot just a couple of beetles by the end of the season can be quite a large number of individuals like them.

On a note!
The earthen crustacean is nocturnal, crawling to the surface at night to search for more favorable conditions or a mating partner. It lives in moist soil, constructing numerous winding tunnels. In dry soil, they are located deeper (at a depth of more than 0.5 m), in moist chernozem, insects live at a depth of 5-10 cm. Wintering usually takes place in nests at a depth of about 2 m.

Many gardeners are interested in what the moves of the pest look like. For the most part, they are an intricate labyrinth that has several entrances in the form of small holes on the soil surface (a photo of the passages and holes of the pest is presented below).

Females lay their eggs in nests built in sun-warmed areas. The fact that a bear appeared on the site may be evidenced by small clearings with "bald patches". In reality, the females deliberately cut the grass with their jaws, preventing the shading of the area.

After 10-14 days, larvae are born from the eggs, which are fed by the mother's saliva and eggshells in the first days of life. A week later, the young offspring undergo molting, increasing in size. The photo and description of the larvae of the bear is almost the same as the adults. They differ from their parents only in their smaller size and lack of wings.

Young offspring are very voracious and capable of causing no less serious damage to garden plantations than their adult relatives. It's on the move root system, tubers and underground part of plants. What the pest eats in the garden can also include small insects, earthworms and caterpillars, as well as larvae of other insects living in the ground. Therefore, it is important to get rid of cabbage as soon as possible, preventing the spread of pests.

How to fight

The methods of dealing with the bear are very diverse, ranging from the physical destruction of nests and ending.

Mechanical restoration

The easiest way to defeat the bear in the garden is to dig up the soil in places where the pest may be present. Detected ovipositions of pests are subject to disposal.

Digging the garden should be carried out for preventive purposes in early spring and in autumn after harvest. The better the land is plowed, the less likely it is that voracious larvae will appear from previously laid eggs. In addition, such actions destroy the holes of the bear, depriving the insect of its usual comfortable conditions.

Folk remedies

Many gardeners and gardeners prefer to get rid of the bear with folk remedies, as they are easy to use, safer and more affordable, because most of them can be done by hand.

Soap solution and oil. If a bear appeared in the garden, then a soapy solution, which is prepared from any detergent. A small amount is poured into the holes of the insect sunflower oil, the aroma of which attracts the attention of the pest. After that, cold soapy water is poured into the same place. The result of such an impact is twofold: the cabbage can emerge, being already dead, or get out from another turn. In this connection, it is necessary to observe the entrances of the garden robber for some time and, if necessary, use a shovel to destroy the bear.
Egg shell. Eggshells will help scare away pests from the garden. It is only necessary to slightly ceiling it and dig it to a shallow depth in the soil. As soon as the burrowing insect stumbles upon the sharp edges of the shells, it will be forced to leave the danger zone as quickly as possible.
Tar. What the bear is afraid of is all kinds of specific smells. It is enough to treat the tomato root with a solution of birch tar, which is prepared at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. funds for 3 liters of liquid, and insects will bypass the bush.
Fighting a bear in the spring with help also involves digging in pegs (preferably if aspen is used to make them). They are pre-rubbed with tar and placed at a distance of at least 4 m.
Fight with a bear garden plot it is possible with the help of sawdust soaked in a solution of tar. They are placed in a small amount in the hole before planting seedlings. You can also spread sawdust near the plants or between the beds.
Kerosene. The struggle with folk remedies with a bear does not end there. You can fight it with kerosene. The same sawdust or sand is impregnated in it, which is subsequently scattered in the aisle or near the seedlings, covering the protective barrier with a small layer of earth.
Ammonia. The fight against cabbage using is also effective. Particularly good this way to protect young seedlings. From ammonia prepare a solution at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. funds for a bucket of water. This composition is watered around the bush at a distance of at least 10 cm from the stem of the plant.
Iodine. Medvedka also does not like the smell of iodine. In order for insects to bypass beetroot or carrot beds, before planting seeds, they are abundantly irrigated with iodine solution (15 drops of iodine are mixed in 10 liters of water).
Installation of windmills. The windmill is the best garden pest. Propellers made of thin-sheet galvanized steel are attached to high metal stakes so that during rotation the structure makes noise and vibration.
Plant repellents. Insect repellent plants prevent the appearance of insects. It is enough to plant marigolds or calendula between the vegetable beds, and the earthen crustacean will bypass the seedlings. Pests also do not like the smell of pine needles and alder. Essential drops from a bear are another way to scare away underground pests.
Onion peel. The earthen bear is no less afraid of the onion smell. Onion husks are infused in water for 4-5 days (for 10 liters of liquid 900 g of raw materials), after which the mixture is filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting composition is used for watering crops in the garden.
Garlic has similar properties. It is laid out between the beds vegetable crops or throw a clove into each hole before planting seedlings.
Infusion on chicken manure. Referring to reviews experienced gardeners, the most effective way to get rid of a bear is a solution on chicken manure. The concentrated composition not only effectively repels insects, but also serves as an excellent fertilizer for the soil. 2 kg of raw materials are poured into 10 liters of water, the resulting mixture is infused for a day. Before watering, the concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5.

If the fight against the bear with the help does not give the expected results, then it is necessary to use some kind of chemical preparation containing insecticidal components in its composition.
Lures. used in spring time years at the first appearance of seedlings of garden crops. To do this, barley, wheat, corn or rye are carefully steamed and mixed with poison.
Creolin from the bear has proven itself well. The aroma of the bait will give a few tablespoons of sunflower oil. To permanently get rid of the bear in the garden, it is necessary to decompose the resulting mixture near the burrows of the cabbage, and also dig into the soil between the rows. This method can destroy all pests present on the site for 30 days.
Aktara. Aktara from the bear is no less effective. The composition is used in the manner described above. You can also spray plants with it, which allows you to fight the larvae of the bear.
Karbofos. Karbofos or Karbit will help to exterminate garden pests. The composition is used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Peas or cereals soaked in poison are laid out in places where there are signs of a bear.
You can also destroy the bear with the help of granular chemicals. An example of this is Phenoxin or Thunder.

The poison from the bear acts on pests much faster and more efficiently than folk remedies. However, one should not forget about the toxicity of these compounds. Therefore, when using chemicals to control harmful insects, one should remember the need to observe precautionary measures, as well as the accuracy of dosages.

When the wings are folded, the veins extend beyond the body. There are six legs in total, the front pair of which are short powerful legs with spikes adapted for digging. Outwardly, the bear looks like a cross between cancer and locust.

The body of the bear is powerful, if you take it in your hands, it will immediately begin to get out, trying to free itself.

What is dangerous?

She lives underground, breaking through passages and gnawing through the roots of plants on her way, spoiling seedlings, eating most types of crops. Her diet includes tubers and root vegetables., as well as stems garden plants. He especially likes cabbage and onions.

In the process of life, the bear and its larvae damage potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, beets, eggplants, cucumbers, flower bulbs, tree and shrub roots. In addition, the bear feeds on worms and some harmful insects , like the larvae of the cockchafer.

Medvedka bite

Does it bite or not?

The Medvedka is absolutely safe and simply cannot bite a person, so you will not find a photo of a Medvedka bite. The maximum that an adult can do is to pinch a finger with its front paws. The spikes can be painful, but such a "bite" will not bring much harm.

The biggest bear

There is no official record data on the size of the largest individuals. Gardeners claim that they saw a bear 12 or even 15 centimeters long. This is possible with favorable conditions life and regular nutrition of the bear.

Does the bear fly?

Despite the underground way of life, the bear is able to swim and fly well.

Getting out at night to the surface, insects fly long distances to find new places to feed.

What sounds does it make?

Medvedka singing

So how does the bear sing? At night, from its holes, the bear emits powerful trills and chirping sounds, the noise exceeding the chirping of a cricket or a grasshopper. The insect uses its singing to communicate with relatives, changing the tone and nature of the chirp. Most often this mating season. She uses the friction of her wings to chirp.

What does not love?

Trying to bring out the bear, gardeners tear their underground passages and pour poisons or washing powder. In the same way, you can scare away the bear with a scattered needle case from needles in the garden.

Also as a means against the bear use the bait of boiled corn, barley or wheat, adding a little sunflower oil and even more insecticide.

Making a fishing pit: in autumn, manure is poured into a pit 60-80 cm deep, and in winter they throw it away and destroy the pests found.

If you need to protect the garden plants themselves, cut into small pieces of natural fabric 20 by 10 cm, moisten with water and tie the base of the stems before planting them in the ground.

The smell of chicken manure is also extremely unpleasant for bears. To do this, you need to make a water infusion with litter and periodically water the plants with it.

It is possible to sow plots with rye as green manure, although there may not be room left for the rest of the crop.

Every few meters, stick green alder branches into the ground, and do not forget to change them occasionally for new ones.

What is he afraid of?

To protect the garden from the invasion of the bear, you should regularly cultivate the soil and, if nests are found, destroy them.

If you throw a clove of garlic into the pits before planting garden plants, leaves walnut or coriander, and sprinkle the ground with crushed eggshell and another layer of soil, this will most likely scare away the bear.

You can plant marigold or chrysanthemum flowers between the rows, which will also prevent the bears from settling on the site.

Greenhouses can be protected, digging around the grooves and filling them with sand soaked in kerosene.

Like most light-attracted insects, they are easily lured by lanterns at night. If you install a lantern against the wall, and put a basin with a mixture of kerosene and water below, then the bears will fly into the light and die in the liquid, landing there.

From chemicals you can use special drugs like "Phenoxin plus", solutions of Karbofos, Bankol, Grom, Medvezhatnik, Medvetoks, Rubit and others.

Enemies

Conclusion

As it turned out, the bear is not poisonous, but, nevertheless, brings a lot of harm to gardeners and their crops. It gnaws through roots and feeds on tubers and other fruits of vegetables, gnawing through them with powerful jaws. It cannot be confused with other insects either in appearance or in the sounds it makes.

There are many both folk and modern ways to destroy it. Including "humane", when in a natural way you can simply scare away the bear. Farmers can choose any method of dealing with these insects, which seems to them the most convenient and effective.