How to get rid of aphids on apricots?
Despite their diminutive size, aphids cause great damage to fruit trees, including apricots. It feeds on sap from young twigs and leaves, as a result of which the tree not only begins to bear fruit worse, but may completely disappear.
Fighting aphids on apricots is not only possible, but also necessary, because after she drinks all the juices from the tree, insects grow, they have wings and aphids fly to other trees.
Chemical methods for getting rid of aphids
The most effective is the treatment of apricots against aphids with special preparations, among which it is worth highlighting:
- Aktara (instruction);
- Fitoferm;
- Jaguar;
- Aktofit.
When processing wood, it is necessary to ensure that the working solution falls not only on the top of the leaves, but also on their reverse side.
Traditional methods of dealing with aphids
Unfortunately, a small pest can appear on apricots at any stage of their development. It is especially unpleasant if this happens during the ripening of fruits, because the use of chemicals at this stage without damage to the crop is almost impossible.
However, gardeners have successfully used safe folk ways to get rid of aphids, among which the most effective are:
- Soap solution... Grate 300 g of laundry soap and dissolve in a bucket of water. Spray the tree, after covering the ground under it with a film. If necessary, repeat the procedure after a week.
- Soap-ash solution... In three liters of water (slightly warm), dilute one glass of liquid soap and wood ash.
- Infusion of garlic arrows... Grind one kilogram of arrows and pour 2 liters of water, leave for 3 days. Strain the concentrated infusion through cheesecloth and dilute by adding another 5 liters of water.
If the damage is small, the pests can be collected by hand or washed off with water.
Apricots that have been attacked by aphids are sprayed with hot water in the fall (when all the leaves fall off).
Prevention of aphids in the garden
Of the preventive methods, it is worth noting the fight against ants in the garden. It is known that they graze aphids, so it is important to drive ants away from the site in time, and then the chances of aphids appearing on garden trees will significantly decrease. But ladybugs, on the contrary, will help to destroy aphids, so it is recommended to sow spicy herbs or calendula in the garden. Their scent attracts beneficial insects and repels pests.
In addition, to prevent the appearance of aphids, it is necessary annually whitewash apricot trunks and remove old and damaged bark, under which there may be larvae. For the same purposes, fallen leaves are also burned.