Where does aphid appear on cucumbers and how to deal with it?

If aphids attack the cucumbers, you urgently need to get rid of it. From the material in this article, you will learn how to do this using different types of tools.

Aphids on cucumbers can be very diverse... Colonies of parasitic insects reproduce at a high rate. There are more than 4 thousand species of them in the world.

Cucumbers are affected by melon or cotton aphids. Its color is greenish, yellowish, brown and dark green. The parasites feed on leaf juices. They are wingless and winged.

White, potato and black aphids are no less dangerous for cucumbers. Black is omnivorous, and therefore rapidly destroys young cultures. Potato is typical for greenhouse and greenhouse cucumbers.

The body shape of the pest differs based on the variety. It can be ovoid, elliptical, oval, drop-shaped. The body is soft, without a chitinous cover. The color is usually translucent.

Aphids have a sucking type of mouth apparatus with an existing trunk. At its expense, the pest pierces the plant, extracting nutritious juice. Due to the sufficient length of the legs, in addition to crawling, insects are able to move by jumping.

They carry phytopathogenic viruses. When they attack crops, in addition to getting rid of pests, they often have to cope with plant diseases.

The development time of the larva to an adult insect is 10 days. If you run the problem, the plant can die. As soon as the aphid appears, you need to take emergency measures.

This can be done at different times in the life cycle of the pest. This is effective in the migration of females, the appearance of the first larvae. At this time, the insect is more vulnerable, the probability of causing maximum damage to it is high.

The cucumber aphid lays eggs on the bottom of the leaves, feeds on amino acids and carbohydrates contained in the juice of the shoots. It is far from always possible to detect a plant disease in the early stages, therefore, a newly affected plant looks practically healthy. The first colonies settle on the lower leaves. As they grow, they rise up, picking juicy and tasty young shoots. As a result, the foliage on the seedlings begins to shrink and turn yellow.

If the first larvae go unnoticed, the cucumbers are deformed. The upper leaves begin to curl inward. When you try to unfold them on the back side, you can see colonies of parasites.

Along with this, summer residents are faced with the fact that the surface of the leaves becomes unpleasantly sticky. This honeydew is a waste product of aphids, which attracts ants.

Their appearance in large numbers is another sign of damage to a vegetable crop. Due to the sticky plaque, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, and a bacterial infection develops.

Sticky drops appear, the shape of the leaf plates changes, and the stems are completely depleted. If you do not react to the problem in any way, the ovaries fall off and the leaves pierced by aphids completely wither.

Ants, feeding on the secretions of pests, carry the larvae of aphids, moving from shoots to shoots. This is how the entire cucumber plantation becomes infected. Aphids, on the other hand, perfectly adapt to any weather conditions.

There are many effective ways to fight harmful insects.

Modern insecticides help to remove aphids from cucumbers in the garden and greenhouse. Due to their toxicity, they have to be used at a stage while the plant has not yet formed flowers and ovaries.

You can get rid of the hated parasites using drugs:

• "Karbofos";
• Tanrek;
• Aktara;
• Iskra Bio.

All of them have a wide range of effects on harmful insects. It is strictly forbidden to use the funds during fruiting. Cucumbers treated with chemicals are unsuitable for food for about 1 month. The products themselves are toxic to bees. Therefore, they cannot be used during flowering.

Pesticides have different impact strength. For greenhouses, varieties with a mild effect are acquired. For spraying plantings in the open field, they buy universal means.

Aphid colonies can be destroyed by means of special biological-type agents. These include:

• Fitoverm;
• Aktofit;
• "Entobacterin";
• Biotlin.

Cucumbers themselves can be eaten a week after spraying. The effectiveness of a product is related to the ambient temperature.

"Aktofit" has a powder form of release. It is used as an immunomodulator a few days after the chemical treatment of cucumbers.

Fitoverm it is used in the fight against insects at any stage of plant damage, including the time of fruiting. It paralyzes the nervous system of aphids, as well as the intestinal, without causing addiction.

However, complete destruction requires at least two sprays. It does not accumulate in fruits and leaves; when it enters the soil, it completely decomposes. The biological agents used for the dressing do not affect the timing of the harvest.

Traditional methods of getting rid of aphids are varied. They are effective if the ratio of the components of the preparation and the interval between sprays are observed during treatment.... They are easy to manufacture at home.

You can poison annoying insects with garlic infusion. To prepare it, take half a kilogram of garlic and 3 liters of water. The mixture is infused for 5 days, after which it is diluted with water at the rate of 10 liters of water per 0.06 kg.

To save cucumbers from aphid attacks, you can use hot peppers. The tincture is made on a water basis, for which they use crushed pepper, tobacco dust, 5 liters of water.

Before use, the mixture is infused for 24 hours. Then the solution is thoroughly mixed and spraying is started. Do this twice with an interval of 7 days.

An effective remedy in the fight against aphid infestation is potato or tomato tops.... For the preparation of an insecticidal broth, fresh shoots are taken. Any healthy plant area is also suitable for this.

For processing, about 4 kg of shoots are used, crushing them and insisting in a bucket of water for about 4 hours. After that, the composition is boiled over low heat for half an hour.

It is necessary to dilute the product with water, based on the calculation of 1: 4. The composition is perfectly stored in a glass hermetically sealed container for about one year.

No less popular among gardeners, a remedy for aphid infestation is ordinary table vinegar. It is a worthy alternative to chemicals, helping to save juicy cucumber lashes from bulky lesions.

One tablespoon requires a liter of water. They can handle leaves during flowering. For prophylaxis, the drug is used no more than 1 time in 3-4 weeks. If the lesion is massive, the cucumbers are sprayed 2 times a week.

The milk-iodine composition, when it gets on the leaves and shoots of cucumber lashes, creates a thin film. Together with antiparasitic quality, it is an antiseptic.

To prepare the product, use 1 ml of iodine solution, 1 liter of store milk and 10 liters of water. Before pouring the liquid into the spray bottle, stir it until smooth. Processing is carried out in cloudy calm weather.

To remove the hated parasites from the leaves, a strong infusion of plant ash is prepared. To prepare it, take about 250 g of sifted ash, placing it in a separate container and pouring it with hot water.

The mass is insisted for a couple of days, stirring from time to time. Then it is filtered. Take 40 g of grated soap (household or tar soap is suitable), soak in hot water (0.5 cups).

The components are mixed, poured into a spray bottle and proceeds to the processing of cucumber lashes. It is necessary to thoroughly spray the inner parts of the leaves and all the places on which the aphids sit.

Soda is one of the best aphids for getting rid of aphids. The mixture is prepared from two to three tablespoons of powder, a bucket of water, a couple of tablespoons. tablespoons of oil, a few tablespoons. spoons of liquid laundry soap.

Effective remedies against aphid infestations are infusions of fresh herbs that repel insects. For example, you can use celandine, chamomile, tobacco, bitter wormwood.

The grass is poured with warm water or boiling water. Insist from several hours to two days. Then they dilute with water and spray the lashes from all sides. often include liquid soap.

A solution of onion husks copes well with aphids. It is prepared from 100 g of husks and a bucket of water, soaking overnight. Before use, the liquid is filtered, supplemented with a few drops of potassium permanganate, then the lashes are irrigated.

There are other remedies available to help solve the problem.

• An effective pest control agent is 10 percent ammonia. To do this, use ammonia - 50 ml, 10 liters of water, 2-3 tables. tablespoons of vegetable oil, 5 tablespoons. spoons of liquid green or laundry soap. The ingredients are mixed, dissolved in settled warm water. With this composition, cucumber lashes are irrigated, forming a thin oily film. It not only constrains the movement of parasites, but also does not allow them to breathe. The main part of the colony dies after a couple of days. This treatment can be alternated with soap-ash infusion.

• You can spray cucumber whips with a mustard-based composition. For 0.1 kg of mustard, you will need 3 liters of boiling water, a few tablespoons of liquid laundry soap, a couple of tables. tablespoons of oil, 7 liters of water. First, the powder is poured with boiling water and the mixture is allowed to brew for 6 hours. Then it is mixed again, poured into a sprayer. Before doing the antiparasitic treatment, soap, oil, water are also added there. Then the composition is sprayed onto the lash.

• The composition based on birch tar is also popular. The effect of the concentrate is similar to that of a biological preparation. Its smell is unpleasant for pests, it forces them to leave their homes.To prepare a working solution, take 0.05 liters of concentrate, mix with a small piece of soap and water. Leave for a couple of hours, then mix well and start processing the lashes.

• Coniferous concentrate is also used to get rid of parasites. It is purchased in pharmacies or specialized stores for gardeners and gardeners. For a solution of 10 liters of water, 1 table is required. spoon of the drug.

• Among other means used by summer residents are yarrow, celandine and horse sorrel. Depending on what grows on the site, they take a plant and make a water-based infusion. Also, these herbs can be added to a solution of potato or tomato tops. Sometimes several herbs are included in the recipe. In this case, 1 kg of yarrow tops, 3 kg of celandine, 0.3 kg of horse sorrel are used.

Natural enemies of aphids are various insects, plants and birds. Most of all, pests are afraid of ladybirds, hoverflies and sand wasps. They also do not like the neighborhood with lacewing larvae.

To get rid of parasites forever, you need to plant plants that exude a pungent smell throughout the site and near the cucumber beds. In such cases, it is recommended to plant parsley, dill, coriander, and mustard nearby.

Marigolds, caraway seeds, daisies, oregano are planted not far from the cucumbers. You can plant nearby thyme or lavender. Sprinkle the paths between the beds with sawdust.

Basil can also be used to attract aphids' natural enemies. In addition to the fact that all pungent-smelling plants attract other insects, they repel pests. Thus, the problem is eliminated and the issue of its prevention is solved.

A container with sawdust is placed near the affected plants so that predatory insects can attack pests.

Spraying cucumber seedlings or plants planted in open ground with a chemical is carried out in strict accordance with the instructions attached to the specific type of substance.

Get rid of ants along with aphids... The anthills based at the bottom of the trunks are poured over with boiling water, and then treated with the "Anteater" preparation. To drive them away, they are constantly loosening the soil.

It is necessary to destroy pests and treat plantings in a comprehensive manner. You can alternate biological preparations with folk remedies, not forgetting about agrotechnical rules and the elimination of ant colonies.

However, the use of toxic substances during fruiting is undesirable. Insecticides are capable of accumulating in greenery and fruits.

When using "Inta-Vira" it is worth considering: it is effective against adult insects, but does not kill their larvae and eggs. To effectively get rid of aphids, you have to carry out the treatment twice.

However, it changes the properties of the soil and is washed away in the rain. Along with harmful insects, the drug destroys beneficial bacteria.

"Commander" sprayed seeds, seedlings, plants in the open field. It is also introduced into the soil, diluting according to the instructions. Apply on a windless day (morning or evening).

During processing, protective equipment is used (special clothing, respirator, gloves). During spraying, make sure that the drug gets on all shoots and leaves.

The ratio of the drug to water varies.

• When using "Inta-Vira" 1 tablet is dissolved in a bucket of water.
• "Karbofos" diluted at the rate of 10 ml for 1-2 ten-liter buckets of water.
• "Commander" must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 ml to 2 liters of water.
• "Actellik" diluted in a proportion of 3-15 ml per bucket of water.

The best protection against harmful insects is prevention... Insects like to settle in dry weed grass that has not been harvested since last season. As soon as the ground warms up, the parasites leave their homes in search of food. During this period, they immediately lay eggs on young stems and leaves.

You can protect plantings from pest damage through timely weeding. Plants in a greenhouse can be treated by disinfection using sulfur bombs.

Someone prefers to install mosquito nets in greenhouses. Other preventive measures include the use of special covering materials that protect cucumbers planted in open ground.

In order not to encounter aphids in the early stages of seedling development, before planting, the seeds are disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

In order to prevent damage, the soil can be treated with copper sulfate.

Timely application of mineral and organic fertilizers is considered an effective preventive measure.

Improving ventilation in the greenhouse is a preventive measure to prevent harmful insects.

Frequent inspection of plants for parasites cannot be ignored... This will allow you to identify the problem in the early stages of its appearance.

If possible, you should initially buy cucumber seeds with good immunity in stores. Preparations for timely processing should always be at hand.