It is a very small, almost microscopic arachnid. The usual size of males does not exceed 0.3 mm, females grow almost twice as large. In conditions of good feeding, they can reach a size of 1 mm or even more. It multiplies rapidly, therefore, under certain conditions, the donor plant can get sick and die in a short time. In the last decade, the trouble has been aggravated by the fact that a foreign relative, the red spider mite, has been added to the usual local pest, which no less actively inhabits Russian gardens.

The signal for infection can be pale dots on the shoots and leaves, as well as a thin transparent web of the thinnest threads, which at first locally and easily, and then densely and abundantly covers the affected plants. The growth of shoots slows down, the quality of their appearance is lost, fruiting suffers.

A favorite place for the pest are greenhouses due to dry air with low humidity, which are ideal conditions for its life.

Wintering grounds and routes of infection

The tick usually hibernates in the same place where it lived and fed in the summer. It can find shelter under last year's stale foliage, in a heap of manure, compost, in the corners of greenhouse structures, in the upper layers of the soil. It enters the plant not only from the soil. It can be carried from place to place with gardening tools, "moved" on clothes, hit with water or carried by the wind. There are no guarantees that it will not start in a greenhouse, the soil of which was carefully disinfected before planting, in this case either.

Fighting methods

In war, as you know, all means are good, therefore, in the fight against an uninvited guest, experienced gardeners use all possible methods - biological, chemical and, of course, folk.

Folk methods of struggle

onion peel
A bucket of water will need about 200 g of onion peel. You need to insist on the “medicine” for 5 days, then strain the infusion and, without diluting it, spray cucumber bushes with it.

Garlic
2 heads of medium-sized garlic, peeled, finely chopped and pour 1 liter of water. After 5 days mix well and strain the mixture. Dilute the resulting tincture with water, doubling the volume. Spray the garden.

When spraying plants, you need to try to get the solution on the leaves and stems, which can be difficult to break through because of the cobwebs that entangle them. The result will be better if you pre-wash the affected leaves and stems with a solution of laundry soap.

pharmacy dandelion
Insist on 1 liter of warm water 30 g of pharmacy dandelion, leave for 2-3 hours. Use the infusion for spraying.

Turpentine
For the death of insects, turpentine vapor is enough, for this it is necessary to place a container with liquid under the plant.

The laid egg grows into a sexually mature adult in about 2 weeks, therefore, during the summer season, one female can give up to 20 generations. At the same time, one clutch contains up to 100 eggs!

Preventive measures

The more than modest size of this pest does not in the least prevent it from spreading quickly around the summer cottage, overcoming impressive distances for it. Therefore, "military actions" must be preceded by preventive measures, which are of paramount importance in this case. Spring planting should be preceded by a general cleaning of both the open area and greenhouses.

Biological methods of struggle

To get the best result, they should be added every three weeks. The disadvantage of the method is the small coverage area.
A good result is the settlement of the greenhouse with the Adjarian entomophora mushroom, and in the open field - the close proximity of flowers with a pungent odor.

If cabbage, tomatoes or dill are planted around the cucumber beds, the likelihood of infection will be significantly reduced!

chemical attack

Spraying with insecticides is the main method of counteracting garden pests. However, in the case of spider mites on cucumber culture, it is far from the best. The fact is that the best means are insectoacaricides and acaricides, which are far from safe for humans.

Good results can be achieved using contact-intestinal preparations, but even in this case, there are currently no systems that guarantee complete safety. The disadvantage of these drugs is that the treatment must be done several times. The interval between approaches is shorter, the higher the ambient temperature.

Some ready-made preparations for the fight against spider mites

Also from the recommended compositions, Bitoxibacillin, Iskra-BIO, Aktofit and Karbofos can be noted. Processing is best done in the evening, this is especially important in open ground areas. Working with any chemicals requires the use of personal protective equipment - gloves, overalls, masks to protect the respiratory system!

Infestation by tick-borne insects can cause the appearance of gray rot spores on cucumber lashes, which leads to the death of their entire ground part. In this case, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers and adding wood ash should be done and watering should be canceled for several days.

It is quite difficult to deal with spider mites, especially during the period of active shoot growth, when they quickly move to newly growing leaves. But this does not mean that you need to give up and resign yourself to the fact that the battle will be lost. You need to fight the enemy quickly and mercilessly, so it’s better to sacrifice a few sick shoots first and destroy them at the root than to wait for a mass defeat. Otherwise, in the end, you can lose the entire crop.

04.12.2017 5 624

Spider mite on cucumbers - how to deal with a pest with chemistry and folk remedies

If a spider mite appeared on cucumbers, not all gardeners know how to deal with it, and in order to get rid of it, you should know how to poison the insect, what folk remedies and methods of control are most effective, whether sulfur-tar soap will help, how to treat the greenhouse and much more…

A small and almost invisible spider mite without a magnifying glass, the signs of damage to which are determined by the appearance of a dotted pattern on the leaves of cucumbers, is considered the most dangerous pest. If a spider mite appeared on cucumbers, many summer residents think how to deal with it, but only a few know that it can be weakened with a few simple steps, while resorting to strong chemicals may not be necessary.

Before looking for the best remedy for a spider mite, unbearable conditions should be created for it - this insect lives in dry, almost desert conditions with an air humidity of no more than 60%, and cucumbers like a high water content in the air - 85% or more. To weaken the pest population, increase the frequency of watering and generously spray the cucumbers on the leaves - you should not do this in the sun, as this can kill the plants due to numerous burns.

Another way to defeat the spider mite on cucumbers is to mechanically remove it along with damaged leaves. Unfortunately, this method does not always work - if single leaves are affected, it will work 100%, but if mites have occupied more than 40% of leaf plates in cucumber plantings, removing damaged leaves will not help. Moreover, there is a risk of weakening the plants - the lashes will survive, but it will be difficult to wait for juicy greens.

A more reliable way to deal with spider mites compared to the previous ones is to populate the beds with its natural enemy, phytoseiulus or other predatory insects with similar preferences. These are far from folk remedies for spider mites, but a real biological weapon - after populating beds or greenhouses with predatory insects, you should not use other methods of pest control, as this can kill beneficial insects.

• - a solution for spraying cucumbers is prepared from it, insects die in a day, the efficiency reaches 100%;
• - a powerful acaricidal agent in ampoules for preparing a solution, acts quickly, the effect is the same as that of the previous agent;
• Plant-Pin - sticks that are stuck into the soil near the bushes, their active substances are absorbed by the root system of cucumbers, making the plants poisonous to ticks;
• Etisso is another soil form of pest poison in the form of sticks;
• - biological insecticide, means for spraying and watering plants.

cucumbers affected by spider mites - pictured

pests of cucumbers, spider mites - in the photo

It is important to understand that chemical insecticides, when used, can cause poisoning in humans, therefore, when working with them, it is recommended to protect the respiratory tract with cloth bandages or respirators, cover your eyes with goggles, and cover your body with tight clothing.

If a spider mite appears on cucumbers, how to deal with it with chemistry without risks and losses, the following rules will suggest:

1. Solutions of drugs are prepared immediately before use, they are not subject to storage;
2. After 2-3 treatments, any drug must be changed to a drug with another active ingredient;
3. You need to spray plants, supports, the soil under the bushes, and when used in a greenhouse and building construction, ticks can hide in them and survive;
4. To enhance the effect, you can combine several insecticides (such mixtures are called tank).

When a spider mite appears, it will have to be fought all season with an interval between treatments of 2 weeks, but the timing may vary depending on the name of the drug. Before use, you need to carefully study the instructions.

Folk remedies for spider mites - time-tested recipes

Folk remedies serve as an additional means of influencing the pest - with a small degree of damage to cucumbers, they cope with spider mites no worse than chemicals. They are also suitable as intermediate means of treatment - spraying with chemicals alternates with spraying with folk remedies to prevent the mite from adapting to insecticides.

spider mite on homemade cucumbers - pictured

When alternating folk and chemical remedies, you can somewhat reduce the frequency of treatments by the latter - this will surely be appreciated by adherents of organic farming who have encountered a spider mite on cucumbers and have already despaired of defeating it.

The squeeze is added to the infusion, a little liquid soap is also poured there. Cucumbers are processed in the morning or in the evening, spending 5 liters of solution per 10 m².

Sulfur-tar soap from spider mites also provides good help. A solution with it helps to scare away most of the pests, and if you combine it with herbal infusions, the effect will be more pronounced. Soap solution can also be used to prevent the appearance of pests on cucumbers.

Numerous plant pests do not cease to keep gardeners in constant tension, forcing them to look for more and more new ways to fight for the harvest in the garden or at their summer cottage. They are no exception, and, with particular activity, striking cucumber plantings.

If for some reason the spider mites are not destroyed, with full confidence we can expect them for the next season: they overwinter there, in the greenhouse, in the upper layers of the soil, in the corners, in manure, under unharvested foliage of plants.

Signs of infection and damage

The spider mite is a small insect 0.2 - 0.5 cm long, without antennae and wings, has 4 pairs of legs. Color - pale green or greenish with a yellow tinge. Males are slightly smaller than females and have a more elongated body shape.

On spoiled cucumber plantings, as a result of the vital activity of a tick, the following signs appear:

• light, almost white dots (with a large lesion - extensive spots) on the reverse side of the leaves;
• the plant looks sick, entangled in a web, along which ticks move;
• slow growth;
• leaves gradually turn yellow.

The spider mite is also capable of provoking the development of gray rot, which affects the entire aerial part of the plant and inevitably leads to its death.

If the pest is not stopped, harvesting is out of the question. There will simply be nothing to collect.

How to fight

Folk methods

The old, well-known methods for the destruction of plant pests for the most part involve the use of improvised means that are always safe for humans and will not damage seedlings due to the lack of chemical components. Here you can use ordinary products that are always available at home, or simple pharmacy preparations.

1. Hydrogen peroxide. You will need 3% peroxide (2 tablespoons) and 1 liter of water. Spraying is carried out 3-4 times with a break of 1 week at 20-degree temperature or 3 days at 30C. Such treatment can destroy the entire family of spider mites.
2. Vinegar. For 8 liters of water, 2 tbsp. l. essences, everything is mixed. Spray the seedlings of cucumbers generously with this tool. It also helps well against cruciferous fleas, aphids, codling moths.
3. Sulfur-tar soap. Dissolve 100 g of soap in a 10-liter bucket, spray the flowers of plants 2-3 times a week. You can also prepare such a solution: 40 g of soap per liter of water.
4. Ammonia. Spray the plants in the same way as the hydrogen peroxide recipe. To do this, prepare the following mixture: 1 tablespoon of ammonia per 10 liters of water. It is useful to process the leaves on both sides, not only to remove mites, but also to saturate the plant with nitrogen.
5. Dry (powdered) mustard. In 1 liter of water, brew 60 g of powder, let it brew for 3 days in a tightly sealed container. Dilute the resulting tincture with 3 liters of water and spray cucumbers with it. The spider mite is very afraid of the smell of mustard.
6. Iodine. It helps to fight, including for plants that have already undergone a disease. Treatment is carried out by spraying cucumber lashes on both sides with a solution of 10 parts of water, 1 part of milk and 7-10 drops of iodine.
7. Laundry soap will also help against these insects. Wash the plants with warm soapy water. The remaining foam can not be removed. You can also spray cucumbers with a soap solution. The method helps only with a small number of ticks.

Very effective in the fight against spider mites is the drug Fitoverm, which is no longer quite a popular method, but also not a chemical one. This is a kind of biological insecticide, created on the basis of the vital activity of soil microorganisms. The tool does not contain chemicals, and therefore is absolutely harmless to humans. Fruits can be safely eaten after 2-3 days after processing. Fitoverm perfectly helps to get rid of both spider mites and many other garden pests, without causing them to become addictive. Does not cause burns in plants after application.

Fitoverm action time:

The solution must be prepared in accordance with the instructions on the package, it must be used immediately (do not store). Usually, only 2 treatments (1 per week) are enough to get the result. If it is not possible to get the drug, it can be replaced with 80 g of sulfur or 100 g of bitoxibacillin.

Chemical methods

The last treatment with chemicals is prohibited less than 2-3 weeks before fruiting. A more precise interval between spraying and collection is indicated on the packaging of each particular insecticide, as well as its dosage and frequency of application.

Prevention

Preventing a problem is always much easier than getting rid of it, so simple preventive rules will always help to avoid painful pest control or crop loss:

• carry out timely weeding (mites can also live on weeds in a greenhouse);
• plant among cucumbers, especially in the corners of the greenhouse, “unloved” tick plants (dill, etc.);
• immediately remove and burn the affected parts of plants;
• alternate planting cucumbers and tomatoes in the same greenhouse annually;
• follow all the rules of care (watering, weeding, loosening the soil, top dressing, removing leaves, preventive treatments with folk remedies, etc.);
• after harvesting, completely remove the remains of plants and destroy them;
• inspect plants in a timely manner during their growth and development;
• maintain humidity in greenhouses;
• dig up the ground after harvesting;
• observe the distance between the beds or plant cucumbers alternately with other plants (ticks do not like to move far).

It should be noted that these measures will help to get rid of ticks not only on cucumbers, but also on such plants, in many respects similar, as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc.

What are the reasons for the appearance of spider mites on cucumbers? The pest appears and actively reproduces only in favorable conditions for it - high temperature and dry air. Ticks hibernate in fallen leaves, topsoil, manure and greenhouses (especially in the corners).

The most unpleasant thing is to protect the crop from the appearance of a pest impossible- it can get on seedlings even with a gust of wind.

The only way out- Carrying out conventional agrotechnical measures in order to prevent the appearance of spider mites.

What is a spider mite? Spider mite on cucumbers - photo:

How to recognize a pest?

The following speak about the appearance of spider mites on cucumbers signs:

• light dots (with a large lesion - spots) on the back of the sheet;
• almost transparent cobweb on the plant;
• growth retardation;
• yellowing of leaves.

Spider mites on cucumbers - what to do?

Control methods and measures

Spider mite on cucumbers: how to fight?

Location on

How to get rid of spider mites on cucumbers in a summer cottage or garden?

Take pest control measures immediately after harvest: All plant parts must be removed and destroyed.

Fighting spider mites on cucumbers also includes:

1. Before sowing, the land must be dig up, because most of the pests hibernate in the upper soil layer.
2. Spider mite hibernating outdoors develops first on weeds so they need to be removed systematically.
3. During cultivation it is necessary scrutinize plants and, if affected leaves are found, they must be removed and buried or burned.
4. Planting cucumbers should alternate with cabbage or tomatoes.
5. If a spider mite is found, the lesion must be treated biological preparations.

in the greenhouse

How to get rid of spider mites in a greenhouse on cucumbers? Biggest risk plants in greenhouses are susceptible to the occurrence of spider mites.

Here for breeding pests all conditions are created- high temperature (30 degrees and above) and relatively low humidity.

Spider mite on cucumbers in a greenhouse - control measures: The pest does not tolerate humidity above 60%, so increasing its level in the greenhouse to 80-85% is the best method to prevent the development of pests.

Cobwebs on cucumbers in a greenhouse: how to deal with it? When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, the main methods of dealing with spider mites should be added:

1. Disinfection(fumigation) of the greenhouse structure in the fall after harvesting and in the spring before sowing with complete tightness.
2. Removal after harvest top layer soil.
3. Burning trellises with a gas burner.
4. Fertilizer phosphorus mixtures.

You will learn how to deal with spider mites on cucumbers in a greenhouse by watching this video:

Means for processing cucumbers

How to process cucumbers for spider mites? Which one to use on cucumbers?

The main method of pest control on the site is spraying with insecticides, but in the case of a spider mite, this method will bring little benefit.

The destruction of the spider mite is guaranteed by means such as insecticides and acaricides, but today there are no systems safe for humans that allow the use of these drugs on the site. Most use enteric-contact drugs, which give fairly good results.

Processing cucumbers with intestinal-contact agents should be carried out more than once. The higher ambient temperature- the shorter the interval must be maintained between treatments.

Of the preparations against spider mites on cucumbers, it is worth highlighting Phytoferm.

Spraying should be done in the evening when there is no sun, so that the chemicals do not have time to evaporate and destroy the spider mite.

The safest pest control is phytosailus mite.

The predator is placed next to the affected foci to destroy the eggs of the spider mite, but for the best result, you need to populate the mite every 3 weeks.

You can learn how to properly use preparations for processing cucumbers from spider mites in a greenhouse from this video clip:

Folk remedies

The most popular with spider mites include:

1. Spraying plants soapy water.
2. Landing flowering plants.
3. Settlement of the site Entomophora adjarian mushroom.

Planted dill next to cucumbers will help in pest control. Its flowering attracts ladybugs, which will eliminate the development of aphids and spider mites.

Diseases of cucumbers caused by spider mites

For humans, this pest does not represent no danger, but for cucumbers, a spider mite is special enemy. It not only sucks all the juices from the leaf, disrupting photosynthesis, but also makes the plant vulnerable to a number of infections.

The infected culture gradually begins to dry out, which eventually leads it to death. Spider mites can cause gray mold spore, which affects the entire ground part of the plant. Not only shoots, leaves and flower stalks are under threat, but also fruits.

What do cucumbers affected by spider mites look like? cucumber disease caused by a spider mite - photo:

How to save? Treatment Methods

How to remove spider mites from cucumbers? The affected parts of the plant must be delete, for a few days stop watering to feed the plant nitrogen fertilizers and sprinkle ash spots.

If the disease continues to develop, then it is necessary to take drastic measures- dig up and burn diseased plants, treat healthy ones with special solutions.

The fight against spider mites is the case when an important role is played by prevention. With all agrotechnical measures and careful attention to the cultivated crop, the risk of infection with a spider mite is minimized. And this, in turn, gives a great chance to get big harvest without loss.

About ways to deal with spider mites on cucumbers and preventive measures in this video:

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