Effective methods of dealing with a pine sawfly
The pine sawfly is one of the most common and dangerous pests in coniferous forests. The fight against the pine sawfly should begin immediately after the pest is identified, because it not only causes colossal damage to conifers, but can also cause their quick death.
Description and types of pine sawfly
Adult insects resemble wasps or flies. Male and female differ in appearance, they consume plant nectar. The main damage to coniferous forests is caused by the larvae of sawflies that consume pine needles. With extensive damage to the tree, there may be 2-3 larvae on each needle.
Pine sawflies completely eat up the needles, leaving only the central vein. As a result, it begins to dry, curl and turn yellow. The top of the pine dries up and the tree weakens, becomes defenseless against many diseases and may die.
Before undertaking any methods of dealing with a pine sawfly, it must be borne in mind that there are two types of pests - an ordinary and a red sawfly.
Common sawfly
In order for the methods of dealing with the pine sawfly to bring a positive result, it is necessary to take into account which pest has settled on the site.
The main features of an ordinary sawfly:
- the body of the caterpillar is colored greenish or light yellow;
- body length - 23-25 mm;
- the abdomen is covered with black specks - their number varies from 8 to 23;
- the head is round, shiny, brown in color.
Adult females of the common sawfly are yellow-brown in color with black spots around the perimeter. Males differ from them in dark brown or black color and bright red color of legs.
Red sawfly
The red sawfly differs from the common one in that males and females are outwardly absolutely identical. Larvae are light gray in color with a white stripe along the dorsum, black spots and light dots on the sides, above each false stalk.
The larvae of the red sawfly have a round black head, slightly shiny. The track size usually does not exceed 24-26 mm.
Pine sawfly control - effective methods
Urgent measures to combat the pine sawfly should be taken immediately after the appearance of the pest, since under favorable conditions the insect multiplies rapidly, affecting all healthy trees in the forest or on the site. To combat pine sawflies, biological, chemical or mechanical methods are used.
Mechanical methods
Before attempting various methods of dealing with the common pine sawfly, it is necessary to determine the degree of infestation of the tree. This can be done by the number of larvae, cocoons and waste products on the needles. Mechanical control methods are used against a small number of pests. In case of mass destruction, you cannot do without the use of chemicals.
If the tree is slightly infested, the larvae can be collected by hand or knocked off the tree by a strong pressure of water. But in large areas, this method will not bring any results. In such cases, the use of special sticky traps will be more effective.
To do this, glue must be applied to the lower part of the pine trunk. When the larvae descend to form a cocoon, they will be trapped and soon killed. Also, the glue ring does not allow pests to freely climb to the pine crown.
To create a trap against a pine sawfly, it is advisable to use only moisture-resistant adhesives that do not respond to air temperature and dry out over time.
Chemical methods
The most effective measures to combat the red pine sawfly are the use of special chemicals. Such funds can also be used to destroy the larvae of the common sawfly, in the event of a massive infection of trees.
Chemical treatment is considered the most effective method of pest control in conifers. It is necessary to spray not only the infected tree, but also healthy pine trees located nearby.
Effective pine sawfly remedies:
- Actellik;
- Inta-Vir;
- Fufanon;
- Novaktion;
- Vermitic;
- Aktara;
- Arrivo;
- Creocid-Pro.
For processing pine trees it is best to use insecticides of both internal contact and systemic action. Due to this, the death of a pine sawfly occurs when the drug gets on its body, as well as eating the processed needles.
The best effect is brought by treatment with several insecticidal agents at once.
Biological methods
Biological methods of dealing with pine sawfly include treating trees with herbal decoctions or infusions. Biological preparations are considered an effective remedy, the effect of which is based on microorganisms that are dangerous to sawflies.
Effective Biologicals for Pine Sawfly Control:
- Lepidobacticide;
- Fitoverm;
- Bitoxibacillin;
- Lepidocide;
- Albite.
A good result is obtained by treating pines affected by pests with such biological agents as Akarin, Gaupsin, BI-58, Hyokladin. Such biological agents can be used both to combat pine sawflies and to prevent their appearance.
Folk remedies
To combat a pine sawfly that has appeared on a personal plot, you can use simple and effective folk remedies. They do not cause any harm to the soil in the garden, they are completely harmless to people, animals and beneficial insects.
Folk remedies for pine sawfly:
- Infusion of aconite - finely chop the herb collected during the flowering period, then mix 1 kg of the resulting raw material with 10 liters of water. Add 30 ml of alkali and leave to infuse for 2 days. After that, pour in 2 tablespoons of liquid soap and use to spray the trees.
- Infusion of pharmacy chamomile - 4-5 glasses of chopped foliage and chamomile flowers, pour 10 liters of hot water and leave to infuse for 12 hours. Strain the finished infusion, dilute with water in equal proportions, pour in 2 tablespoons of liquid soap and spray the pine trees.
- Wormwood infusion - dry the grass a little, then pour 5-6 glasses of chopped wormwood with 10 liters of water. Let the product brew for 3 days, add 70-100 g of baking soda and mix well.
- Coniferous infusion - pour 8 glasses of pine needles with 10 liters of water, leave to infuse for 6-8 days in the dark, remembering to stir the liquid every day. Strain and dilute with water in a 1: 3 ratio.
- Decoction of tansy - 500 g of the plant, pour 5 liters of water, place on low heat and boil for 1.5-2 hours. When the broth has cooled, add 2 tablespoons of grated laundry or liquid soap.
The pine sawfly is a dangerous pest that poses a serious threat to conifers both in the forest and in the summer cottage. Timely use of biological, mechanical or chemical control methods helps to destroy the pest and stop its further spread.