How to deal with a raspberry beetle?

Raspberries are probably one of the most delicious and sweet berries, which can be sour, red, yellow, black, blue. It is not surprising that everyone loves her, and not only people, but also many representatives of insects. One of the most dangerous pests is the raspberry beetle. Almost every experienced summer resident, gardener knows that it is from this insect that the raspberry crop must be protected.

If someone else is not aware of what this insect is, what it looks like, how dangerous it is, and how to deal with it, this article is for you. Here you will find all the detailed information about the pest, and most importantly, you will learn how to get rid of it.

The raspberry beetle is a member of the coleoptera family. Most often, he lives in the forests on wild raspberry bushes. But it happens that they choose summer cottages for life - there they settle on raspberry and blackberry bushes.

The raspberry beetle can be recognized by its external features:

• body shape is oval;
• length does not exceed 4 mm;
• the color of the beetle can be brown, black or dark gray;
• the body of the pest is covered with numerous villi;
• the belly of an insect is reddish;
• antennae are small, club-shaped, whiskers are yellow or white;
• the claws have jagged edges that help the insect to hold firmly to the stems.

With the arrival of May, the beetle begins the mating season, after which the insect lays eggs directly in the raspberry bud, which begins to bloom. One clutch can contain a lot of tiny eggs up to 1 mm in diameter.

After a certain time, a larva hatches from each egg. Its length can be up to 7 mm.

The larvae eat exclusively berries and leaves, they are very dangerous. With a large population of them, the raspberry bush can not only fade, but also die.

As you can see, the raspberry beetle is quite dangerous. He, indeed, can harm the raspberry bush, and not only the already ripe berries, but also affect the further development of the plant. Knowing accurate information about how the beetle lives, develops, and where the beetle lays eggs, you can get rid of it, if not forever, then not for a fairly long period.

To do this, you can resort to various methods. Let's look at what methods of dealing with the raspberry beetle exist.

After finding pests on raspberries, the first step is to buy special chemicals, with which, according to manufacturers, you can destroy the raspberry beetle, get rid of it forever.

The most effective means are:

• "Confidor";

• "Fufanon" is a very concentrated chemical preparation, which is used provided that the raspberry bushes are massively affected by the beetle, and its population is very high;

• "Karbofos" - is also used exclusively if the number of insects is quite large.

Each of the above drugs is effective. But do not forget that each of them contains very dangerous chemical reagents and substances that can both save raspberries from the invasion of insects, and harm it. The second is possible if the instructions are not followed when using the drug. It is imperative to prepare the solution in the proportions indicated by the manufacturer.

Do not forget about your own safety. You need to fight the beetle with chemicals in personal protective equipment.

Biologicals are more gentle.

• "Bitobaxicilin". It is important to use it in the spring, when the beetle has already come to the surface. Its use can reduce the number of pests.
• Fitoverm. This drug is used in June and July, during the period when raspberries begin to bear fruit. The substance harms beetles, but not berries.

Biologicals are used in the fight against the raspberry beetle, but only when its population is small.

Agrotechnical techniques are the simplest and most sparing methods of dealing with the beetle for raspberries. They include various activities.

• After digging, add substances that scare off the raspberry beetle into the soil, namely: wood ash and tobacco dust.
• Sprinkle mulch over the soil. It can be peat, sawdust or humus. The presence of these substances on the surface of the earth will prevent the beetles from crawling out.
• With the arrival of spring, when it is already warm enough outside, and, most likely, the beetle already lives on the bushes, you need to try to get rid of it. Alternatively, you can use tarpaulin or oilcloth. They need to be spread out under the bushes, and beetles should be shaken off from each branch of raspberries.
• You need to plant raspberries as far away from fruit trees as possible. Apple and pear are complementary feed for raspberry beetles.
• Inspect the bushes regularly. And in case you find raspberries, get rid of them.

Very often, in order not to use various chemicals and not to harm the raspberry bushes, agronomists and summer residents resort to folk methods of pest control. You can get rid of the raspberry beetle using these tools.

• Potassium permanganate solution. It can be bought at the pharmacy, then the solution is simply prepared. For 1 gram of potassium permanganate, 20 liters of water are needed, the components are mixed. The resulting solution must be treated with raspberries in early spring.
• Mustard solution. To prepare the solution, you will need dry mustard, powder, and water. Mustard powder in an amount of 150 grams is mixed with a small amount of liquid to obtain a thick consistency. After the resulting mass is diluted in about 12 liters of water. With this solution, raspberries are processed before flowering.
• Soda solution. The soda solution must be applied before the ovary begins to appear on the bushes. To prepare the solution, you need to mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 10 liters of water.

To reduce the risk of a pest appearing on raspberries, it is imperative to carry out activities that will protect the berry bush. This is, first of all, compliance with all the rules for caring for raspberries.

Let's take a look at what must be done.

• To ensure good air circulation, it is imperative to thin out the bushes.
• In the fall, you need to trim the raspberries. This procedure is performed annually. And if clutches of eggs of a raspberry beetle remain on the stems, pruning makes it possible to completely get rid of them.
• Cut stems should not be left in raspberries. It is advisable to remove and burn them.
• Throughout the summer season, the soil under the bushes must be loosened. It is desirable to deepen by 3 cm.
• During the autumn harvest, the ground between the raspberry bushes must be dug up. And if you see something in the ground that looks like a clutch of eggs or the beetles themselves, remove it.
• In the spring, you need to process the bushes with Bordeaux mixture.
• Under no circumstances should weeds appear in raspberries. They need to be cleaned or cleared regularly.This must be done, since it is on weeds that raspberry beetles and other pests can live, which are just waiting for the raspberry to bloom and bear fruit.