How to deal with beetle larvae in the garden

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

May beetle larvae are a serious problem. These insects feed on the leaves and roots of berry, vegetable fruit and ornamental crops, thereby destroying the crop. Let's figure out how to deal with the beetle larvae in the garden.

Features of these pests

May beetle (or beetle) is a large insect (its body length reaches 3, 5-4 cm), usually has a black or red-brown color. The body of an adult May beetle consists of a head, chest and belly. It is soft, covered with a strong chitinous coating, which acts as a shell. There are wings on the back.

The larvae have a soft body, which is 3–5 cm long. Usually, the larvae are born after 30–40 days. Maggots are similar to yellow-white worms with a fairly strong head part of light brown color. They also have rare dots of the same color on the sides.

The process of becoming a typical beetle is as follows: from a larva, an insect takes the form of a pupa. The cocoon forms a head with a mustache, eyes and legs. The doll-shaped larva is unable to move and take food.

The larva has a slow growth rate: in a warm climate, full development takes 3 years, and in a cold climate - 4 years. An adult larva can eat the root of a two-year-old pine tree without any problems in a day.

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Ways to effectively combat beetle larvae

There are different methods of getting rid of the larvae. They can be combined into groups:

• biological;
• chemical.

With the arrival of spring warmth for farmers, a period of annual worries about planting and caring for plants begins. With the formation of the first fruits (in May), the larvae of the May beetles appear. Hence the name of the insect.

They are very sensitive to changes in air temperature and humidity. It is impossible to meet insects in clayey areas, as there are unfavorable conditions for pests. There are many of them where there are sandy soils.

The main threat to vegetation is represented by large beetles and their larvae. Consider how to deal with the beetle larvae in the garden.

Drugs

Timely use and an integrated approach using the following drugs will help keep plants intact and safe:

1. "Zemlin", "Pochin" ("Pochin") will help against young larvae in a greenhouse or in the open field. Produced in the form of powder or microgranules. Used in the process of spring digging, you will need 15-20 g of the drug per 10 sq. m. of land. The larvae take the poison along with organic soil, which is why they die after 3 days.
2. "Vallar", "Bazudin", "Aktara" - poisonous drugs for internal use. They exist in solid and liquid form, which allows the composition to be applied both on the surface of the soil and to be planted, after pretreating the roots of plants. The preparations are suitable not only for fighting May beetles, but also against other harmful insects.
3. "Antikhrusch" has a prolonged effect. It is a suspension that is diluted in water. The resulting liquid can be used to treat plant roots.
4. "Ammonia water" is prepared from ammonium nitrate. It is important to adhere to the dosage - no more than 200 g per 10 liters of water. This amount of ammonia water is enough for 1 sq. m. of soil. 3 months before sowing the seeds, the soil is treated with a solution. This tool can solve the pest problem for 2-3 years.

Before using any means, it is worthwhile to study the instructions in more detail and not neglect the precautions, since it is important not only to properly deal with the larvae of the May beetle in the garden in autumn and spring, but also to use the drugs without harm to health.

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Biologicals

In addition to chemicals, there are also biological products such as "Nemabakt", "Fitoverm", "Bevorin", "Aktofit". They help with a small number of beetle larvae. They consist of natural enemies of larvae: miniature nematode worms, pathogenic microorganisms. They can be applied to strawberries and other crops.

Folk ways of dealing with beetle larvae

In addition to the above means, you can fight the larvae of the May beetle in the garden with folk remedies. These include:

1. Loosening the soil in the garden in the spring with deep digging. Using this method, you can simultaneously collect the detected pest larvae and destroy them. Such a measure will get rid of a large number of pests in one go.
2. Watering the soil with a mixture of ammonia in the composition. Used before and after harvest.
3. Potassium permanganate solution. You can cultivate the land. Each surface has its own dose of the drug. For example, 1% is enough for soil, 0.1% for processing plants.
4. Plant white clover under trees and bushes. The plant grows densely in place. Its roots form bacteria that are unpleasant to the beetle.
5. Planting in a legume area. Lupine, sweet clover, legumes, decorative and edible varieties of beans, peas are especially effective in this regard.
6. Attracting birds, whose diet includes May beetles - starlings, rooks, blackbirds.

Shrews also feed on beetle larvae. Moles and hedgehogs love to eat them.

other methods

To fight effectively and quickly with the larvae of the beetle beetle in the backyard, catching large individuals will help. It can be seen as an alternative method.

Catching insects does not require special tools, it is enough to have small cups or plastic bottles with you. Kvass, beer or fermented jam are poured into a container, they are left on the branches of trees.

May beetles are sensitive to light. With this in mind, at night, you can leave any source of light next to the plants.

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Tips from experienced gardeners

Experts recommend relying on natural enemies of the beetle larvae, as well as installing light and glue traps. The latter do not require much effort. It is enough to buy glue in the store, apply it to an ordinary newspaper and spread it near the plants.

Outcomes

1. Combined use of the above methods is very effective in the fight against beetle larvae.
2. With timely action, you can neutralize the entire territory and get a good harvest.
3. If the colony of larvae is small, it is recommended to use folk remedies or biological products.