How to protect cucumbers from pests. The sprout fly is a dangerous insect for agriculture. Sprout fly

With its massive development, the seedlings die completely.

In protected soil conditions, cucumbers are severely damaged by root-knot nematodes, greenhouse whitewings, spider mites, tobacco tripe, and melon aphids. From open ground, pests enter greenhouses from weeds, green crops, and manure. Tripe is usually brought with onions, which are planted on a green feather. Wireworms and slugs can be brought into greenhouses with turf soil.

Timely and rapid implementation of all plant protection measures is extremely important in pest control.

The common spider mite in the areas of the Non-Chernozem Zone infects pumpkin crops grown in protected and open ground.

Spider mite- a polyphagous pest, it affects more than 150 species of crops.

Control measures. To destroy spider mites, preventive measures are of great importance: rotation of crops, weed control around greenhouses and greenhouses, and their autumn disinfection. The fight against mites should begin in the fall, immediately after the last harvest. To disinfect greenhouses, it is necessary to carry out disinfection: wet or gas. When wet disinfection, the premises are sprayed with a 2% formaldehyde solution, then with insecticides or acaricides.

The expanding egg sac ruptures the root tissue and penetrates the soil. Larvae develop in the soil. At a soil temperature of 28-30°C, their development is completed in 8-9 days, at a soil temperature of 15°C - in 35 days. The larvae can remain in the soil for up to several months. Root-knot nematodes spread very slowly on their own; human activity helps them spread quickly.

Control measures. First of all, it is necessary to ensure that the nematode is not introduced.

Aphid has a lot of natural enemies that reduce its numbers. These include mosquitoes, hoverfly larvae and ladybugs.

Control measures. An important measure in the fight against melon aphids is the destruction of weeds around greenhouses where they overwinter. Among chemical control measures, spraying in open ground with 50% e.g. is effective. karbofos or 50% k.e. actellica.

Sprout fly.

Control measures. In the fight against germ flies, special attention should be paid to agrotechnical measures that promote the rapid and friendly emergence of seedlings.
Chemicals are also used to kill germ flies. So, before sowing, the seeds are treated with fenthiuram or fenthiuram-molybdate at the rate of 3 g per 1 kg of seeds. In order for the drug to adhere well to the seeds, they are pre-moistened with flour paste.

On individual plots, only agrotechnical measures should be used.

melon cow It is very harmful in Central Asia, especially in the Tajik and Turkmen SSR; it is also found in the Caucasus.

Both beetles and larvae are harmful; they feed on the leaves, flowers and fruits of cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, zucchini and watermelons (they gnaw large holes in the fruits).

The beetle is hemispherical in shape, yellow-red in color, 7-9 mm long, each elytra with six round black spots. The beetles fly out in April, and the females lay clusters of up to 50 yellowish elongated oval eggs on the underside of the leaves of all melon plants.

After 13-15 days, yellowish larvae hatch from the eggs. Adult larvae are brownish in color, up to 9 mm long.

Beetles overwinter as adults under plant debris.

Control measures. A mandatory measure in the fight against melon borer is cleaning (burning) post-harvest residues.

Melon fly distributed in Transcaucasia, the North Caucasus, and the Rostov region. Flies and larvae damage cucumbers, melons, and watermelons.

The fly is 5.5-6.5 mm long, pale yellow in color, with a pale orange abdomen and three yellowish transverse stripes on the wings. Flies fly when melons bloom. They feed on the juice of melons, watermelons, and cucumbers, pricking them with their ovipositor and licking the flowing liquid.

Females lay oblong, white, about 1 mm long eggs under the skin of young fruits. After 2-7 days, milky-white larvae, about 10 mm long, hatch from the eggs and penetrate into the pulp of the fruit. As a result of the damage, the fruits, riddled with rusty-brown larvae, rot.

After 8-13 days, the larvae, having completed their development, go into the soil, where they pupate at a depth of about 12 cm. After two to three weeks, a new generation of flies emerge. During the summer, two generations of melon fly develop; in late, warm autumn, a third generation can develop.

Control measures. Early crops of early ripening varieties are less damaged by the melon fly. Deep autumn plowing of the soil reduces the number of overwintering false cocoons.

Cucumber mosquito harms cucumbers in greenhouses everywhere. The mosquito is dark gray in color, 3.5-4 mm long, and has a pair of transparent wings. The flight of mosquitoes in the Moscow region in greenhouses begins in February. Females lay white, shiny, oval-shaped eggs in groups of 20-30 pieces. in humus or around plants.

The larvae are up to 5 mm long, translucent, with a black chitinized head and a translucent dark intestine. The larvae live in humus, manure, and also inside the roots of willows in the lower part of the stems of cucumber plants. When colonized en masse, the larvae mash the root, the plant withers and dies.

The larvae pupate in the soil in a cobweb cocoon, which is covered with lumps of soil on the outside. After 2-6 days, a new generation of mosquitoes flies out.

Control measures. The main condition for successfully combating the cucumber mosquito is proper agricultural technology, which promotes the development of healthy and strong plants. To destroy adult mosquitoes that sit on plants and greenhouse glass, spraying with 50% e.g. is effective. actellica.

Cucumber bug distributed in Belarus, also found in the Moscow, Gorky, Tula and Oryol regions. Damages cucumbers in greenhouses and greenhouses.

Adult bedbugs overwinter. They leave wintering grounds at the end of April - May. Bedbugs have a short, convex black body, 2.5-3 mm long, and hopping hind legs. Female bugs lay 3-7 eggs in plant stem tissue. The larvae that emerge from the eggs, like adult bugs, are located on the underside of the leaves and suck out the juices. When the bug reproduces massively, young plants may die completely.

Control measures the same as with the cucumber mosquito.

Thrips widespread in the southern regions in open ground, in the middle and northern regions - in protected ground. Cucumbers and other vegetable crops grown in greenhouses are damaged.

There are mainly two types of thrips that cause damage: tobacco (onion) (see “Onion Pests”) and greenhouse thrips (greenhouse, cucumber).

Greenhouse tripe 1-1.5 mm long, dark brown in color, with a narrow body and narrow lanceolate wings. Females lay white, transparent, bean-shaped eggs in the leaf skin tissue. The larvae emerging from the eggs are white or yellowish, with red eyes, and without wings.

One of the sources of tobacco thrips in greenhouses is onions planted on green feathers. Therefore, infected onions must be heated in hot water before planting in greenhouses.
Springtails (springtails) They are widespread everywhere, but most often they cause harm in greenhouses and greenhouses. Podurs are commonly found in manure, soil, and decaying plant debris. They harm the seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage crops by eating small holes in the leaves or eating away their edges; they also damage the cotyledon leaves.

Vegetable fool in appearance it looks like a flea, bluish-violet in color, about 1.5 mm long. At the end of the abdomen there is a jumping fork. Female vegetable moths lay eggs on the ground near or on plants. After 18-20 days, young podurs hatch from the eggs, which, like adults, damage plants.

White fool white in color, has an elongated body up to 2 mm long, four-segmented antennae and short legs.

Control measures. To protect germinating seeds and seedlings from damage by poduras, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for plants that promote their rapid development.

Today I would like to draw attention to such an issue as pests of cucumbers. After all, it is he who worries summer residents, who, wanting to get the fruits of their work, sometimes do not know how to behave when pests appear. In our article we will describe in detail methods of control and prevention that can be carried out both on open ground and in greenhouse conditions.

melon aphid

It is the aphid that is recognized as the most harmful, because it is capable of infecting the entire plant, from flowers to shoots. During its development on cucumbers, the plant dies. The melon aphid appears mainly in July-August, it multiplies very quickly and after a few days the entire lower part of the leaf, ovaries and flowers comes under its “influence”.

Fighting methods

All weeds on the site must be destroyed; it is important to remove plant debris in a timely manner, because aphids appear on cucumbers mainly from weeds. If the pest appears, then it is worth preparing the following solution: 10 liters of water, the temperature of which is 60°C, 30 g of capsicum, finely chopped (you can replace 10 g of dry red pepper) and 200 g of tobacco dust. All this is infused for 24 hours, then mixed, filtered, and 2 tablespoons are added. liquid soap, 2 tbsp. wood ash. Spraying consumption reaches 2 liters per 1 sq.m. It is necessary to process the lower and upper parts of the leaves. Repeat spraying after a week.

Also effective means is a solution consisting of 1 cup of wood ash, 2 tbsp. liquid soap diluted in 10 liters hot water. You also need to leave it for a day and spray it, as in the previous case. It is more correct to carry out work in calm weather, in the late afternoon.

Kalbofos solution is also an effective means of combating aphids. You need to dilute 1-2 tbsp. drug in 10 liters of warm water. A highly concentrated solution is suitable for treating paths and films in greenhouses, a weakly concentrated solution is suitable for the plants themselves. Work should be carried out in sunny weather after 16.00. If cucumbers are planted in a greenhouse, then during the procedures you need to close the transoms, vents and doors.

Insecticidal infusions, such as dope, garlic, onion, henbane and others, will also be a solution in the fight against aphids. Recipes for preparing the solution are diluted in 10 liters of water.

1. Leaves and roots of henbane - 1 kg dry or 0.5 kg fresh, leave for 15 hours.

2. 1 kg of dry mustard, leave for 24 hours.

3. 0.4 kg of fresh dandelion leaves (can be replaced with 0.3 kg of crushed plant roots), leave for 2 hours, add mustard and pepper 1 tsp each.

4. 1 kg of green potato tops, 10 g of ground red pepper, leave for 4 hours and use immediately.

5. 1 cup finely chopped or minced onions, 1 tbsp. soda ash, leave for 3 hours and strain.

Before use, you must add 1-2 tbsp to all the described infusions. liquid soap.

Spider mite

Spider mites especially attack cucumbers growing indoors. The number of ticks increases with increasing temperature, when the air warms up from 20 degrees and above. The mite feeds on both adult plants and cucumber seedlings. The arrival of a pest can be easily determined: a web begins to appear on the leaves, along which mites are able to move. Fighting spider mites is not an easy task, it is worth remembering that first of all you need to get rid of the female. Although its lifespan is no more than 4 weeks, during this period it lays several hundred eggs.

Fighting methods

It's worth remembering that folk remedies are not always beneficial. There are special drugs against spider mites called acaricides. They have an effect on both eggs and live ticks. We must not forget that this pest is addictive to drugs, so they must often be replaced with others. Among the effective ones, it is worth noting Talstar, Bicol, Clipper, Fitovern, Akarin and others. During use, follow the instructions in the instructions.

In addition, it is important to take care of other pest control measures. So, after harvesting cucumbers, you need to remove and destroy plant remains, disinfect greenhouses and greenhouses with sulfur bombs, and fumigate with sulfur at a rate of 100 g per 1 m3 before planting seeds or seedlings. During the growth of cucumbers, it is necessary to remember to maintain a favorable microclimate, when the temperature does not exceed or fall below +32 degrees, air humidity is 80-85%. Thanks to such conditions, the development of the mite is suspended, females bear less fruit, and the percentage of larvae appearing is reduced to a minimum.

Greenhouse whitefly

Whitefly infects plants growing indoors. The pest causes particular damage to cucumbers. Lays eggs on the leaves on the underside. The female is capable of laying about 130 eggs. Most optimal conditions For the development of the pest, air humidity is considered to be from 65-75%, temperature - 21-23 degrees. More than 12 generations of greenhouse whiteflies can develop in a year. In summer, the pest is able to move from greenhouses to open areas of the ground. Nymphs, larvae, and adults feed on the plant; in addition, they secrete a sweet mass that negatively affects the processing of carbon dioxide; the plant is completely inhibited. Leaves that are damaged by the sticky mass dry out.

Fighting methods

The main preventive measures are disinfection of greenhouses and greenhouses, removal of plant debris after the end of their growing season. An important point is the destruction of weeds, both in the greenhouses themselves and in the area around them. In addition, special attention should be paid to preventing the cultivation of fruit and ornamental plants together with cucumbers, on which the whitefly can survive the winter.

Sprout fly

In winter, fly pupae overwinter on crops of grain and vegetable crops, as well as clover. In the spring, when the birch tree blooms, the flies fly out. They lay eggs under lumps of soil in April-May. The best place for this is damp, where the soil is poorly covered with manure. In the period from 2 to 10 days, larvae appear that can harm germinating seeds and cucumber seedlings. Moreover, the larvae of the germ fly make their way inside the stem. After finishing feeding, they become pupae, this happens after about 15 days. During the season, 3 generations of this pest can develop.

Fighting methods

If you see a fly on plants in the autumn season, then you should dig up the soil, turning around the soil. Required condition is to embed manure into the ground so that lumps are not visible on the surface. It is also worth using methods that promote the rapid growth of cucumbers. For example, to plant seedlings rather than seeds; if you decide to plant seeds, then it is better to give preference to sprouted rather than dry ones. The seedlings can be covered with film and mineral fertilizers can be used to help the plant grow faster. After harvesting the last harvest, it is recommended to remove plant debris.

Insecticides are also good way combating the germ fly. Thus, you can use drugs from the Malathion group “Funanon”, “Kemifos” and “Novaction” for open ground cucumbers; spraying is carried out during the growing season. The group Cypermethin + permethrin “Iskra” is also sprayed during the growing season and is suitable for open ground plants.

Root nematode

It's even harder to see the male. In this situation, it is worth rinsing the root of the plant well, grinding it along the fibers and adding water. You need to leave the cucumber root for 3 hours, and then you can see the male in the water.

The spread of nematodes on cucumbers leads to a significant weakening of the plant. New roots are practically not formed. Nutrients are not absorbed, and affected roots can become infected with fungal and bacterial infections. Over time, the plant dies.

Fighting methods

Preventing the appearance of a pest is much easier than getting rid of it afterwards. Therefore, prevention has a special place in this issue. In addition to cucumbers, potted ornamental and flower plants cannot be planted in greenhouses.

If nematodes appear, then the plants must be dug up, removed from the greenhouse along with the soil, placed in a hole and filled with a 2% carbation solution. 5% formaldehyde will also work. The same solutions can be useful for watering the ground under removed plants. After watering, the soil must be covered with roofing felt or film. After the last harvest, all plants are removed and the roots are inspected. If even single nematodes are noticed, then the entire area must be disinfected.

Slugs

Every gardener has seen slugs on his land, but not everyone suspected that these mollusks can cause enormous harm: productivity decreases, product quality deteriorates, vegetables are unsuitable for storage, they quickly begin to rot. In addition, slugs can carry fungal spores and infect the plant, for example, with gray rot or powdery mildew. Slugs often spread in areas of the soil where there are a lot of weeds, burlap, pieces of film, and where the climate is humid and cool. It is also worth remembering that the fewer voids in the soil, the fewer slugs there will be in the area. It is more correct to plant cucumbers on early stages, since in this case the plants have time to develop and become stronger. After harvesting the last crop, it is worth removing all vegetation that slugs can use for food.

Fighting methods

The first method of control is to manually collect slugs using tweezers. You can also create grooves and protective strips in the area, which help impede the movement of slugs. It is better to collect pests during the day, better after rain. Also a good time would be the morning when there is dew on the plants.

Chemicals are used if the number of slugs is large. For these purposes, a preparation of metaldehyde 5% has been developed, which should be used to treat the crop twice. To do this, granules are scattered over the soil; over time, the mollusks, having eaten the bait, die.

You can also use copper and iron sulfate, ground superphosphate, and fluff lime. But such methods of combating slugs are ineffective after rain, since these drugs easily dissolve in water. The number of slugs can also be reduced thanks to natural enemies, for example, brown frogs, legless lizards, toads, etc. Birds are also assistants in the fight against mollusks. These could be magpies, hooded crows, starlings, thrushes and other birds.

Medvedki

Mole crickets are large insects that can reach 5 cm in length. Cucumbers can suffer not only from the pest itself, but also from its larvae. Mole crickets gnaw both the trunk of the plant and its root. Mole crickets develop very rapidly in places where it is damp and manure, here the pest can lay approximately 300 eggs every 3 weeks. Mole crickets also hatch very quickly. If you don't start fighting the pest, they can fill the entire area.

Fighting methods

Mostly effective method The fight becomes traps that need to be set either at the beginning of spring or at the end of autumn. Manure is considered one of the traps; it is laid out on pre-laid boards or plywood in your area. Mole crickets crawl here, every 2 weeks the manure must be collected and burned, and then new traps must be made.

In addition, hot pepper tincture can also be used for traps. To prepare it, cut 200 g of pepper into small pieces, add 10 liters of hot water, leave for 4 hours, then strain and add 10 tbsp. honey Pour the resulting infusion into a cut-off plastic bottle and bury it in the ground so that the edges of the bottle remain on the surface. Mole crickets react very quickly to such a smell. Once trapped, they will not be able to get out of it.

If the cucumbers are already bearing fruit, and the mole crickets do not give rest, then you can use alder branches. They need to be placed in the soil at a distance of approximately 1 m from each other. The smell of alder repels pests.

In addition, ready-made baits, which can be purchased at specialized retail outlets, are also effective. For example, “Medvedko-s”, which has many advantages. Thus, the granules do not dissolve in water and kill the pest within 2 hours of its absorption.

Thrips

Thrips are small insects that are able to overwinter in plant debris, in the top layer of soil, and move to their winter hut in September. About 7 generations of the pest can develop during a season. The larvae are capable of sucking juices from cucumber tissues.

When thrips appear on cucumbers, the leaves of the plant acquire angular yellow spots. After the damage becomes severe, the leaves turn brown and dry out over time. Given negative impact causes irreparable harm to the crop; it dies and, therefore, does not bear fruit.

Fighting methods

First of all, one should not forget about crop rotation, weed control and removal of plant residues after the last harvest. In addition, in the fall you can dig the soil deeply. Disinfection of greenhouses and hotbeds after harvest will also become in a great way protection from pests. Disinfection is carried out with 0.15% karbofos or actellik. These products are also suitable for spraying the plants themselves.

Also, experienced gardeners use for spraying an infusion prepared from 1 kg of fresh hot pepper, which is diluted in 10 liters of water. You need to boil it for an hour, then let it sit for a day. This concentrate does not disappear; it can be bottled. Before spraying plants, add 40 g per 10 liters of water. laundry soap and 125 g of the resulting concentrate. Spraying interval is from 10 to 15 days.

Cucumber mosquito

This pest causes particular harm to those plants that are already affected by root diseases. Mosquitoes can damage the roots and the inside of the stem with small passages, after which the plant rots. Also dangerous are the larvae of cucumber mosquitoes that live in manure or humus.

Particular distribution of mosquitoes is observed in March-May. Between the plants, the females begin laying eggs; the female hatches about 300 eggs at a time. Afterwards the larvae penetrate into the roots and stems. Over the course of a year, several generations of mosquitoes can develop in a greenhouse.

Fighting methods

You should adhere to high agricultural technology, which will promote the development and growth of cucumbers. If there is a massive accumulation of mosquitoes, then you can resort to spraying. For this purpose, insecticides are used, for example, the drug “Iskra”. To prepare the solution, 1 tablet is diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption - 10 l per 100 sq.m. In addition, thermal sterilization of the soil will not be superfluous.

Wireworm

The wireworm is a larva that reaches a length of 5 cm. They are able to lay eggs in cracks in the ground. After 3-5 years, click beetles emerge from these eggs. The wireworm attacks the root system of the plant by eating cucumber tubers. In addition, the larvae often make their way into the cucumber stem and feed from the inside.

Fighting methods

To get rid of the pest, they often use manual collection and destruction of larvae when digging land plot. It is also recommended to dig up the soil before frost. After harvesting the last harvest, crop residues should definitely be removed. Liming the soil and fertilizing it with minerals helps in this matter. If the situation is difficult, then it is important to resort to chemicals. These are, for example, “Diazinon”, “Bazudin”, “Calypso”, etc.

All of the above measures to control cucumber pests, if applied correctly, will help reduce the number of unwanted “guests” and get an excellent harvest, not forgetting, of course, about regular preventive measures

Low similarity between cucumber and melon seeds is not always associated with poor quality of seed material. The reason may be hidden in the soil - it is a sprout fly, or rather its larvae. The pest emerges from the cocoon in the spring and feeds on seeds and sprouts of vegetables. The larvae, 1-7 m in size, gnaw out grooves and holes in the seeds and spoil the seedlings. The tender sprout rots and dies. During the warm season, up to four generations of germ flies are replaced. The pest lives in Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, and North America.

Description of the pest

The fly's body is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. The color of the insect is yellow-gray; there are three dark longitudinal stripes on the mesonotum. The abdomen is gray. The body is completely covered with hairs. The eyes are large and occupy almost the entire surface of the head. On the forehead there are antennae, which are the organs of smell. The sprout fly belongs to the order Diptera, representatives of this group use the front wings for flight, the hind wings have turned into halteres - an organ for balancing

Sprout fly

Attention. Insects are distributed everywhere, settling in open and closed ground. If the area is massively damaged, all seedlings can be destroyed.

Reproduction of sprout fly

The pest reproduces in different sexes; the difference between the structure of males and females is not noticeable at first glance. Distinctive features are hidden on the legs; long bristles grow on the hind legs and thighs. The body size of flies is 3-6 mm. In warm regions they fly out of the ground in mid-April, in temperate zones - in the second or third ten days of May. After mating, the female lays eggs in the soil. She prefers moist soil fertilized with manure. The eggs are white, oblong, with a relief pattern. Their length is about 1 mm, the number is 50-60 pieces. Embryo development takes from 3 to 10 days.

Information. In dry soil, the eggs die quickly.

The sprout fly prefers to breed on cucumbers. The larvae climb into the stem of the plant, weakening it. At birth, their length is 1-2 mm, the color is transparent. After a few days the larvae turn white. Depending on conditions and nutrition, their development takes 10-30 days. Before pupation, it becomes thick and fleshy, growing up to 7 mm. The head is practically absent; two dark mouth hooks are visible in the narrow anterior part of the body.

Attention. The most harmful are the offspring of the first generation, which damage the sprouts. The impact of the larvae on a mature plant is less destructive.

Next, the larva turns into a pupa, while it remains in a hard larval skin called the puparium. This is a brown-yellow oval cocoon 5 mm long. In summer, the adult appears after 2 weeks. If the clutch is made in the fall, it remains in the cocoon until spring. The insect burrows 10 cm into the soil and experiences a cold period there. When the air warms up to +10 0, the imago will tear the puparium along the front seam and escape into the wild. The second generation flies in June, and the third in July.

Information. The main life stage of the germ fly is the larval stage. At this stage, she actively feeds and spends most of her life cycle. The function of the imago is dispersal and reproduction.

How to deal with germ fly

From the moment they emerge from the egg, the larvae are very active; they crawl considerable distances in search of seeds and shoots. Having discovered them, they gnaw out the cotyledons. Up to 30 larvae were found in beans or legumes. Damaged plants are easily infected with pathogenic fungi and infections. Insects cause complete or partial damage. If the seed does not die, a weak plant with little fruiting will sprout from it.

Attention. The sprout fly is a polyphage; its larvae eat a wide range of crops in their diet: melon, sunflower, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers and watermelons.

Measures to combat the germ fly include several areas:

Agrotechnical measures

To prevent the spread of pests, several rules must be followed:

Remove plant remains in a timely manner in the fall; they are a habitat for garden pests.
Fly larvae overwinter at shallow depths; plowing the soil is recommended to exterminate them. During the spring-summer season, you will need to cultivate the soil an additional 2-3 times. This will help you reach the eggs and leave them to dry in the sun.
When applying manure to fertilize the soil, it should not be left on the surface. The specific smell attracts adult germ flies, which lay eggs nearby. It is better to apply organic fertilizers during deep digging.
Plant the seeds before the first generation of hungry larvae emerge after wintering.
It is recommended to plant cucumbers not as seeds, but as seedlings. The grown plant is able to survive the attack of pests. It is less prone to rotting and drying out.

Advice. To quickly germinate seeds and strengthen sprouts, use mineral fertilizers.

Biological agents

Chemicals

When there are a large number of pests, mechanical actions are not enough. It is recommended to treat the seed before planting. For this purpose, insecticidal preparations are used. One of them, Iskra, is safe for plants, but lethal for pests. Once in the body of insects, it paralyzes them and causes death.

For cucumbers grown in open ground, preparations with the active ingredient malathion are recommended - “Karbofos”, “Funanon”. These are organophosphorus compounds of contact and intestinal action. Spraying with them is carried out during the growing season.

Timely control of the sprout fly, which thins out the seedlings, will be the key to a good harvest.

Sprout flies are common pests that feed on seedlings and seeds of agricultural plants. These flies are common in the European part of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Large populations are found in Central Asia and North America.

The activity of these pests causes significant damage to sunrises. Plants damaged by germ flies become susceptible to bacteria and fungi.

Features of the appearance of the germ fly

The eggs are 1 millimeter long. Color white.

The young larva of this fly is small in size - up to 1 millimeter. The body of the larva is completely transparent. The larva matures and its color changes, becoming white. Adult larvae are fleshy, they grow up to 7 millimeters in length, and their body color becomes dirty white. The larva has mandibles in the front part of its body.

The cocoon has an elongated shape and a rigid structure. There are denticles at the posterior end of the cocoon. The color is dirty yellow or brown.

Adult growth flies reach 3-6 millimeters in length. The color of the body is gray-yellow. There are 3 brown stripes on the back.

The head and abdomen are black. There is a black longitudinal stripe on the abdomen. The head is large with a velvet orange stripe. A distinctive feature of males is the hairs on the hind limbs in the form of a comb.

Nutrition process

Larvae at all stages of development are able to travel long distances. Having found germinating seeds, the larvae make holes in them. As a result, the sprout dies. The seeds of beans and other legumes can simultaneously contain about 30 worms.

In addition to plant food, germ fly larvae feed on the larvae of other insects, such as locusts. If there is little food, then the larvae of germ flies move on to last year's plant debris.

Development of germ flies

Mating of growth flies occurs in mid-May, when birch trees bloom. The female looks for areas with moist soil and makes an ovipositor in them. The fertility of each female is about 60 eggs. The eggs take 2-6 weeks to develop.

The faces take 10-40 days to grow. If the weather is warm in the spring, the stages of growing up proceed faster. Pupae of the second and third generations overwinter in the soil, burrowing about 10 centimeters deep. Wintering occurs near grain crops and roots of forage grasses.

In early spring, adults awaken. The number of generations per season depends on the climate. For example, the maximum number of generations occurs in Transcaucasia; up to 4 generations can develop there.

Damage to agriculture

The biggest agricultural nuisance is caused by germ fly larvae. The most voracious is the first generation after wintering.

Sprout fly larvae feed various types cultivated plants: beets, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, peas and watermelons. In addition, they eat the rhizomes of ball grasses, such as clover, alfalfa and sainfoin.

Delia platura, known as the sprout fly, is a common species of insect that feeds on seeds and seedlings of agricultural crops. Most often found in the European part of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Quite numerous populations live in Central Asia, Europe and North America.

The activity of these insects leads to significant thinning of seedlings. And damaged plants are susceptible to fungal and bacterial infections.

Description of the insect

Larva

At the larval stage, the insect is small in size (up to 1 millimeter), completely transparent. As they grow older, their body color changes and becomes whitish. The last instar larva is off-white in color, fleshy, about 7 millimeters long. There is no head. The mandibles are located at the anterior end of the body.

At any stage of development, it is capable of crawling long distances in search of food. Having reached the germinating seeds, the pest drills a hole in them, leading to the death of the sprout. Up to thirty worms can simultaneously crawl into the seeds of beans and other legumes.

The larvae's diet also consists of other insects at the larval stage of development (for example, representatives of the family). If necessary, fly larvae consume last year's plant debris. Larval development takes from ten to forty days. The warmer the weather in spring, the faster the stages of growing up pass.

Pupation occurs in the soil at a depth of seven to ten centimeters. The cocoon is hard (puparium), elongated, with denticles at the posterior end. Colored brown or dirty yellow. The size of the puparia is about 0.5 centimeters.

Pupae of the second (or third) generation remain overwintering at a depth of 10 centimeters. Wintering occurs near grain crops and rhizomes of forage grasses. Insects awaken in early spring.

Adult and reproduction

Flies fly out of cocoons in the third ten days of April. The size of adults is from 3 to 6 millimeters. Body color is yellow-gray. There are three brown stripes on the back. The abdomen and head are black. There is a longitudinal black stripe on the abdomen. The head is large with a velvety orange stripe.

Males are distinguished by the presence of comb-shaped hairs on their hind limbs.

In mid-May (approximately during the flowering of birches) mating occurs. The female looks for moist areas of soil where she lays her eggs. The size of each egg is up to 1 millimeter. Color white. Fertility averages sixty eggs. The embryo develops from two to ten days.

The number of generations per year directly depends on the climate zone. In the middle zone, the second generation develops in June, and the third at the end of July. The maximum number of generations in Transcaucasia is four generations. The pupal phase in warm climates takes a shorter period (up to 20 days).

Damage caused

The greatest damage to agriculture is caused by insects at the larval stage. The first generation that has passed the winter is particularly voracious.

These insects feed on many types of cultivated plants: cucumbers, potatoes, beets, beans, peas. They damage the sprouts of watermelons, pumpkins, and melons. They gnaw through the rhizomes of forage grasses (sainfoin, alfalfa, clover).

Penetrating into the cotyledons, the pests damage the seedling's exit site. They pierce small seeds right through, and eat away large cavities in the tubers.

Control measures

The following measures are of considerable importance for the destruction of flies and their larvae:

deep digging or plowing of the soil in the fall with the application of organic fertilizers (manure), which cannot be left on the surface, as the strong smell attracts flies;
weed control and removal of their remains from the site;
timely planting of seeds to ensure rapid germination (flies cause less harm to grown plants).

Seeds must undergo pre-sowing treatment using. For example, “Fentiurama” (three grams per kilogram of seeds). In order for the preparation to adhere well to the seeds, they must first be dipped in a flour paste.

Vegetable seedlings are sprayed with Iskra (one tablet per bucket of water).