How to protect tomatoes from wireworm. Common pests of tomatoes: methods of control and prevention. Effective chemicals against cartilage

Even in a greenhouse that reliably protects against many troubles, plants can lie in wait for danger. One of them, which is not always possible to detect on time. One of the insidious enemies of the bulbous - well-known to almost everyone who has dealt with a garden and a vegetable garden.

From this article you will learn how to get rid of the wireworm forever!

What can be compared with the most delicate flowering of the first daffodils or crocuses, breaking through the snow in early spring and touchingly stretching fragile buds to the sun? Only the same fragile beauty in the middle of winter, when the heart yearns for the summer sun.

The most expensive gift for any holiday will be a bouquet that appeared as if from a fairy tale.

And such a miracle is quite real, many people who are fond of floriculture like to surprise friends and acquaintances by growing them all year round in heated greenhouses. Someone turns a hobby into a very profitable business, selling not only bouquets, but also onions, babies, getting several harvests during the year.

But flower growers never run out of worries that precede the birth of a miracle. One of them is the fight against the most dangerous pest - the larva of the nutcracker beetle, capable of destroying almost all the bulbs of flowers planted in the infected greenhouse.

A tiny paradise under glass among the snows or slush of the off-season is able to delight the owners daily and hourly, to surprise guests. And how could it be otherwise: in even rows in the greenhouse, strong stems unanimously make their way to the sun, buds open in all the variety of colors and shapes.

And suddenly, a captious eye notes a certain discrepancy - against the background of general well-being, the drooping stalk of one flower, fallen petals on another, wilted leaves on several more do not yet look like a disaster. But they talk about its likely beginning.

The disease and death of several plants of the same or different varieties located quite far from each other, if the rest look completely healthy, may indicate soil damage by pests, which are called wireworms.

IMPORTANT! Worms that look like pieces of copper wire have their own name, although they are just the larvae of one of the varieties of the beetle - the nutcracker. The beetle itself is safe, but the larvae can turn the life of a gardener into hell, eating and mutilating the underground part of all plants, tubers and bulbous flowers are especially affected.

Small, 2-4 cm long, larvae hatched from the eggs of the click beetle are invisible in the first year and pose almost no danger.

In the second year of their life cycle, they become very mobile, voracious and acquire a yellowish color.

A rigid body is difficult to crush, because of this feature and color, the beetle larva is called a wireworm.

You can learn more about this pest in a special!

Signs of defeat

It is possible to understand that a harmful larva has settled in the ground by many signs. When grown in open ground, they can tell about this:

• Weak seedlings of bulbous;
• Pale and faded shoots;
• Death a few days after germination;
• Not ascended flowers in flower beds with bulbs;
• Rare shoots;
• The presence of clearly diseased plants in the same flower bed with completely healthy ones.

The wireworm is considered the scourge of potatoes, but the sweetish tubers of dahlias, tulips, daffodils and other flowers (full catalog!) It tastes even more than their usual food.

The death of most of the flower stalks, the loss of the presentation of bulbs damaged by larvae, the rotting of tubers, their defeat nullify the entire laborious process of growing and nursing flowers.

The appearance of a wireworm on the land is horrifying to many. It is extremely difficult to deal with this pest. But to despair, to wait 2 - 3 years until the moment when the larva turns into a beetle and disappears from the site is not worth it. There are many chemicals that can destroy the wireworm. Opponents of soil contamination with chemicals will also be interested in folk methods of dealing with it, which have proven their effectiveness.

Read more about how to deal with wireworm when growing bulbous flowers in the garden using chemicals, folk methods, read in a special one!

Wireworm in a greenhouse

Isolation from other plants, special soil, careful cultivation of the land still do not guarantee the complete safety of flower bulbs.

Delicious nodules attract the wireworm, which is able to "drill" passages underground in order to penetrate the greenhouse.

Infection can also be brought in with outwardly healthy bulbs purchased in unverified places, in which tiny larvae of the first year of life already live, soil, turf, mulch, black soil, introduced to improve the quality of the land.

Eggs laid by a click beetle that has penetrated a warm, weather-protected shelter is the most common cause of the appearance of a wireworm.

REFERENCE! The larvae live and feed throughout their entire life cycle where they hatched from eggs, moving from site to site is a rarity.

Penetrating into the tuber, the wireworm eats away the core, gets to the underground part of the stem, and may end up in its above-ground part, completely destroying the flowers.

The characteristic signs of damage in bulbous flowers are similar.

irises sound the alarm with yellowed tips of succulent leaves. The dead parts of the plants die off, then the flower itself dies. Lukovichka can no longer be saved.

Iris- the larvae can eat up the roots, gnaw out passages in the tubers, make their way into the stem, which causes deformation of the leaves, lack of flowering and death.

lilies- damage to the bulbs is very visible, you should carefully examine each one to avoid disappointment. Even small damage causes severe stunting, delayed or complete lack of flowering. Beauties will never show themselves in all their glory, magnificent buds simply do not have enough strength to open up.

Gladiolus- with a lesion at the onion stage, there is a chance not to even wait for seedlings. Minor damage causes changes in the shape and size of flowers, their number on the peduncle - stem. More serious ones lead to the fact that even 3-4 flowers are not able to open, die off, then the stem withers and the plant dies.

Similar signs are observed in crocuses, daffodils, muskariks, and other bulbs, so you need to choose an effective remedy for wireworm as soon as possible!

Ways to fight

Many problems arise for gardeners and gardeners when trying to drive the pest out of the area. In greenhouses, the problems increase exponentially. The specific climate, very soft fertile soil, delicious food and the risk associated with the introduction of chemicals make growers very careful in choosing products.

The presence of a pest, as a rule, is detected only after the emergence of shoots, connoisseurs of beauty are simply afraid of losing all the plants. But if you do not start fighting the larvae immediately, then the pest will destroy the flowers.

Chemicals

Many choose chemicals against the wireworm, deciding to defeat the larvae forever and without much hassle.

Liming- ammonium sulfate is applied to the soil at the rate of 20-25 grams per square meter. Water the plants with water with the addition of saltpeter. The wireworm dies within a month.

Potassium permanganate- 5 g of potassium permanganate is diluted in 10 liters of water and poured into each well before planting nodules.

Superphosphate- Karate (1 ml) or Decis extra (5 ml) is poured into a solution of 100 g of water and 200 g of acetone, then 5 kg of superphosphate granules are sprayed with the resulting mixture and allowed to dry. The granules are scattered around the greenhouse, then the soil is dug up.

There are many drugs that are offered in specialized stores to combat wireworms. However, their effectiveness is low, more often you have to wait 2-3 years until the wireworm pupates, becoming a beetle. And then flower growers disinfect greenhouses, carefully observing preventive measures.

ATTENTION! Before treating the wireworm with chemicals, be sure to read the instructions and take proper measures to protect exposed parts of the body!

Folk remedies

The fight against wireworm in a greenhouse can be based on the principles of its development, and, as you know, it develops well only in acidic soils.

Ash and shell- wood ash, eggshells ground into powder, ordinary chalk perfectly deoxidize the earth, helping plants to develop normally. Having scattered one of these funds around the greenhouse garden, you need to dig up the ground before planting the bulbs in the ground.

onion peel- an infusion of bulbous "clothes" is used for watering plants in greenhouses affected by wireworms. The smell and taste make the pest leave the soil. Experienced gardeners advise putting a handful of husks in each hole.

Celandine- about a glass of chopped grass is poured into a bucket of water, insisted for 3 days. Flowers are watered with a solution once a week, it is believed that the method helps in the fight against almost all pests.

How to bring out the wireworm with baits

In the aisles and along the perimeter of the greenhouse, baits can be laid out, slightly dug. Potatoes, sprouted wheat, carrots - everything will do. You just need to mark the places where vegetables or cereals are dug in. After 3 days, the bait is carefully dug up, put in a jar or any other container, and new pieces are buried in its place. Flower growers often give wireworms with bait to birds that willingly eat treats, luring them to the site to destroy both the larvae and the beetles themselves.

Prevention

The fight against the wireworm is not only a long, but also not very pleasant thing. Therefore, it is much easier to prevent contamination of the greenhouse. Therefore, you need to follow simple rules:

• Buy bulbs only from trusted sellers, not forgetting to carefully inspect each one.
• Destroy damaged instances.
• Dig up all the soil in the greenhouse to a depth of at least a shovel bayonet.
• Fertilize the soil only with soil purchased in specialized stores.
• At the slightest suspicion of the appearance of a pest, start fighting with it in order to save the bulbs without harming the colorful splendor that has begun to grow.

Care, attention, patience and diligence will help every grower to preserve and multiply flowers that remind you that spring miracles happen in winter frosts.

Useful video

A short video on how to get rid of diseases and pests, including the wireworm in the greenhouse:

From this article, you learned how to get rid of the wireworm in the greenhouse with a variety of methods, the choice of which is up to you!

In contact with

The wireworm is a quiet and extremely inconspicuous pest. Contrary to popular belief, the danger is not the click beetle - an adult insect, but its offspring - the larvae, which are called wireworms.

Preventive measures

Before you deal with the wireworm in the greenhouse and in the garden, you can take preventive actions in order to prevent its appearance in principle.

To cope with the wireworm, you can use last year's supply of tomato, or you can purchase it. It is necessary to use the plant that is located on the bed attacked by the larvae. It is important to finely chop the tomatoes, and then bury them in the ground. They should be pierced with branches or small sharp stakes. After a few days, you can safely pull them out of the ground, where the wireworms will already be, and send them to the oven.

You can also use weeds by forming them into bunches and spreading them along each bed. If desired (more preferable), such vegetation can be dug a little, because wireworms do not appear on the surface.

As in the previous method, the bundles act as a kind of bait that needs to be dug out regularly, placed in the oven and replaced with a new one.

Despite the pronounced smell, tomato bushes are also attacked by various kinds of pests. Insects that love fragrant plants can be divided into two groups: underground and aboveground. All of them are able to destroy the crop, affecting the root or deciduous system. Today, there are many options for controlling tomato pests, but a special approach must be applied to each species. Consider the main representatives of the soil group in order to understand how to protect your crop from an invisible enemy.

These include: Medvedka, Maybug and wireworm. All of them affect the root system of the bush, which slows down the growth of the tomato. With a large number of insects in the places of growth of a tomato, you can lose the main part of the plantings.

How to get rid of a bear in a garden or greenhouse?

Medvedka- a large insect that is relatives of the well-known locust. It impresses not only with its gluttony, but also with its size. An adult can grow up to 10 cm, which is surprising. If a small insect can cause the loss of part of the crop, it is difficult to imagine what the bear is capable of.

In the photo - a bear

It has a brown or brown color, is placed and lives in the soil. Minks in the area or small molehills may indicate the presence of this giant insect in the garden. Even field mice are easier to catch than this chirping monster. Of course, you might think that the threat is a little embellished, but gardeners, faced with this insect, begin to sound a real alarm.

On a plot or in a greenhouse, a bear may appear by chance, because it not only crawls, but is also able to fly and even swim. To really make sure of its appearance on the territory, you should not go hunting with a flashlight. She can sit in her hole for a long time, eating the roots of vegetable crops.

When finding minks, you can use the method of catching gophers and mice. Water is poured into the hole with the addition of sunflower oil. Ordinary water procedures will not force her to go outside, but the oil will help. It will clog the insect's airways, which will force it to rise to the surface. Not always a relative of the locust crawls out, sometimes it dies right in the ground.

manure traps- a great option, but not always working. It is important to place them correctly and often, pouring 3-4 shovels of manure between the beds. Medvedka can climb there and stay there for a while, it is worth checking the scattered baits daily to make sure that the pest has been caught.

Onion and garlic well repel various insects, including the bear. You can plant them throughout the garden, and sometimes mixed with other crops. Beer and kvass, on the contrary, attract a giant. You can dig a glass into the ground next to the alleged minks and pour a carbonated drink into it, perhaps a tomato pest will fall into this snag.

How to deal with Khrushchev - the larvae of May beetles

Chafer- one of the largest insects, giving offspring that are not inferior in size. Its larvae feed on the roots of various vegetables, including tomatoes. The adult has a brown, brown color with shades of green. The larvae are large, white, develop for a long time.

Up to 70 future beetles can be in the soil nest. The parent looks for a suitable place for their larvae in fertilized beds, in manure heaps and compost pits. Even if the holes intended for planting tomato seedlings were not sprinkled with manure, these tomato pests can still live in these places.

The larva of the beetle develops for three years, during which time it grows, and in the last year it pupates and degenerates into a beetle, which remains to winter in the same place. The summer resident has enough time to reduce the population. However, all these three years, the young individual will eat the roots of tomato bushes in a greenhouse or in a garden.

Finding nests is easy if you dig up the entire area twice a year. Autumn digging is a mandatory procedure to preserve the future harvest next season. It is worth remembering and considering when summer comes to an end.

Adult individuals flock to trees at the beginning of the onset of a consistently warm temperature. In the morning, you can go out to the site and shake the bushes of tomatoes and other plants, throwing the beetle to the ground for further destruction.

Birds and domestic chickens will help in the fight against the May beetle. Having placed bird houses in advance, in early spring, they will be populated by starlings, which do an excellent job with beetles, protecting tomato seedlings. Cabbage, radishes and radishes next to tomato bushes are great to scare off these insects.

Effective chemicals against cartilage

There are also chemicals that are aimed at the destruction and repelling of this particular type of pest. Funds Antikhrushch and Prestige are used in the form of a solution in which the roots of fruit plants are soaked. The time spent by tomato bushes in the preparation varies from 2 to 8 hours, which is not very convenient, having a large number of seedlings. It is easier to introduce the chemical into the soil during digging in the form of a solution (Antikhrushch) or in granules (Rembek). This method is the most convenient and safe for beneficial terrestrial insects, birds and animals. Among gardeners, the following preparations are also known: Zemlin, Pochin, Aktara, Baduzin, Vallar and others.

How to deal with wireworm (photo + description)

wireworm- the larva of the click beetle, which has a bright color of yellow and orange. He also lives in the earth, waiting for his rebirth into an adult. To maintain its development, it needs food, which is the roots of tomato bushes. In the photo you can see what a wireworm looks like, damaging tomatoes and other crops.

Despite its threat to tomatoes, it acts as a pest for other vegetables. However, the wireworm has one interesting feature that is important for every gardener to know. Drotyanka cannot come to terms with the alternation of varieties of roots; she quickly gets used to monotonous food. Therefore, if alternate planting tomatoes with other root crops, you can not be afraid for your harvest. After realizing that the food has changed, this insect refuses to eat at all, which subsequently leads to its death.

In addition to mixed plantings, spring and autumn help perfectly. soil digging. The excavated wireworms are easily visible due to their color, they must be collected manually, and then destroyed by filling them in a bucket with ordinary boiling water.

Chemicals also cope with this representative of tomato pests. You can use the same poisonous substances as in the case of the fight against the larvae of the May beetle, because their way of life is about the same.

It becomes clear that the tomato crop is in danger of death if the listed insects are planted on the site. These destroyers do nothing useful for the garden, so they can safely be exterminated. Using the suggested tips, you can save healthy seedlings that will delight the summer resident with their record fruits. Even an experienced gardener should always remember that the best protector of the site from the pest is timely cleaning.

Tomato pests can destroy all plantings, both in the greenhouse and in the open field. All tomatoes grown by farmers and amateur gardeners are breeding hybrids. Solanaceous crops, once brought to the new environment from South America, lack natural defense mechanisms against fungi and insects. Therefore, planting tomatoes require constant care. The most common tomato pests that need to be fought constantly are the whitefly, bugs (rust and spider), Colorado potato beetle, bear, nematode, wireworm, nibbling scoop and aphids.

whitefly

Some tomato pests destroy plantings in two to three weeks. The whitefly belongs to this group. It is a small white butterfly that looks like a moth. The size of an adult flying individual is 1.5-3 mm. Whiteflies reproduce rapidly by laying their eggs on the underside of the leaf. A white translucent caterpillar appears from the masonry in a few days, in covered tomatoes, in a greenhouse, reproduction is especially fast.

Caterpillars on tomatoes feed on the juice of the plant and the bush dies. The whitefly secretes a viscous molasses that clogs the stomata of the leaf and it stops breathing. In greenery, the processes of photosynthesis are disrupted. Sooty fungus settles on sticky molasses (honeydew). Tomatoes cease to grow and bloom, their leaves, ovary, flowers fall.

In the middle lane, the whitefly lives in greenhouses and greenhouses. It can be brought with seedlings grown in the nursery. In the southern regions of Russia, this pest feels great in gardens and fields.

To kill the whitefly, the undersides of the leaves are sprayed with Aktara or Fitoverm preparations from a spray bottle. The chemicals act on adults and caterpillars, but insect eggs do not die during processing. Therefore, spraying is done several times, with an interval of one week. The soot fungus is destroyed by Fitosporin for tomato or its “universal” analogue.

The whitefly is eaten by some types of ticks, which are specially grown in agrotechnical laboratories, ladybug larvae and golden-headed.

Bedbugs and ticks

Tomatoes are damaged by stink bugs, cucumber beetle and horsefly bug. These insects eat almost all garden crops. Tomatoes are also threatened by rust and spider mites.

Bed bugs

Shield insects damage tomato fruits. Yellow and whitish spots appear on the skin of the tomato. When they are opened, white porous cells are found. Tomato bushes growing close to weeds most often suffer. The shield is destroyed with drugs Aktara, Karbafos, Phosphamide, Chlorophos.

rust mite

The rust mite is very small, the length of an adult is 0.16-0.25 mm. This pest lives in dry and hot regions of Europe and gradually spreads to the west. The mite lives on and inside the leaves, as well as in the fruits. The foliage and stems of plants become spotty, brown, gray-violet. Leaves curl up and die. Dense cork-like growths appear on the fruits, which makes the tomatoes inedible.

From a rust mite, only timely treatment with chemicals helps. The most effective are Vertimik and Atellik. Fufanon, Karbofos, Fitoverm, Kemifos also help.

spider mite

The spider mite feeds on the juices of the ground part of the tomato. It is not difficult to notice this pest - white and yellowish dots appear on the back of the leaves. These are puncture sites. Later, the plants are entwined with a thick white cobweb. The tick itself is very small and difficult to see.

This tomato pest loves high humidity and warm air, so it breeds more actively in greenhouses than in open beds. Various methods are used to control ticks. Small plantings can be sprayed with alcohol, henbane water tincture with soapy water, dandelion tincture, horseradish roots, tobacco and garlic. Of the chemicals, Carbophosphor and Agrovertin, Antiklesch are effective.

The natural enemies of the spider mite are the lacewing, insects phytoseiulus and metaseiulus. They quickly destroy the entire tick population. Insects can be bought in nurseries.

Colorado beetle

The Colorado potato beetle is clearly visible on tomato bushes. Adults are conspicuous because of the bright shell with yellow and black stripes. The Colorado potato beetle lays brownish small eggs on the underside of the leaf. Red beetle larvae appear on the 10th day. They reach 10 mm in length and devour the entire bush for 3-4 days. If the summer is hot and long, 4 generations of this pest may appear and grow. The beetle hibernates in the soil, at a depth of up to 50 cm.

The Colorado potato beetle is especially dangerous in the spring, when potato tops have not yet grown, and tomato seedlings have already been planted in open ground. The beetle moves to tomatoes in August, when the sun dries the potato tops.

How to kill the Colorado potato beetle? Processing of tomatoes is carried out several times during the summer, as these pests appear. Leaves and stems of plants are sprayed with Prestige, Iskra, Aktara, Mospilan, and other means. The liquid is evenly applied to the entire bush.

The Prestige chemical agent is also used when planting seedlings. The contents of the sachet are diluted in 10 liters of water and the solution is poured into the wells. The drug protects young plants up to 50 days.

An aqueous infusion of ash with the addition of laundry soap helps to destroy the larvae. Garlic, nasturtium, calendula, legumes are planted next to the tomato ridges. Larvae and beetles are also harvested by hand.

Medvedka

This large insect has an oblong body up to 5 cm long. The distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bear is all of Europe, North Africa and Asia. Adults fly, move on the ground and underground. The larvae live in the soil, where they dig passages. Medvedka prefers loose, warm soils. Insects can be found in greenhouses and greenhouses, on fertilized beds and flower beds.

Moving underground, the bear damages the roots of seedlings and they die. This insect can disrupt the root system of seedlings and young tomatoes; adult tomatoes also suffer from it.

• There are about 20 ways to deal with a bear. These pests of tomatoes and other plants are destroyed by a variety of methods.
• Tomato seedlings are planted in fine-mesh nets, the sprout is protected near the soil surface with a rubber ring.
• Pine needles, egg shells are placed in the hole, a few drops of iodine are dripped.
• Pieces of fish, cloves of garlic, onion peel are buried in the beds, and marigolds are planted.
• Freshly cut aspen stakes are stuck into the ground.
• Medvedka is destroyed with drugs Grizzly, Medvetoks, Thunder. Granules are poured into the grooves between the beds. The insect eats the pellets and dies.

Gardeners build beer traps, fill mink with oil and water. In autumn, traps are made in the pits from old foliage and manure. After frosts, manure and compost are scattered around the garden and the bears freeze.

Nematode

The gall nematode infects the root system of garden plants. Small worms on the roots of tomatoes appear in June. They penetrate into the root tissue and eat it from the inside. An adult nematode secretes a toxin and growths (galls) form on the roots. In them, each female lays hundreds of eggs.

A damaged root system stops transporting water and nutrients from the soil. The worm that appeared on the roots of a tomato slows down the development of the bush. The tomato does not bloom well, the tied tomatoes almost do not grow.

A tomato affected by this pest cannot be cured. The bushes are dug up along with the root system and a large block of soil and removed from the site. The pit is treated with Carbation, Vidat, Thiazon, Ipam, Dazomet or Onetion so that all gall nematodes and their eggs are destroyed. The dug-up soil is watered with the same preparations before planting seedlings, if a nematode was seen in the garden in the previous season.

wireworm

The wireworm (larva of the click beetle) is a small bright yellow and orange-yellow worm up to 1-3 cm long, living in fields and gardens. The larva has a long development cycle (from 4 to 5 years), after which it pupates and turns into a flying individual.

The wireworm eats the roots and stems of tomatoes. The body of a small larva is soft, as it grows, it becomes hard to the touch. The wireworm lives at a depth of 5-10 cm; when the soil dries out, it climbs deeper. During heavy rains, the worms crawl out to the very surface of the soil.

You can get rid of the wireworm with the help of environmental products and chemicals. Old pine needles, onion peel, mustard powder are placed in the holes. Decaying, they slow down the development of the pest.

The wireworm does not like the neighborhood with green manure - white mustard, phacelia and legumes (peas, beans).

The most effective control method is to reduce soil acidity. To achieve this, slaked lime, crushed egg husks are added to the soil.

Before planting, the hole is recommended to be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Saltpeter applied to the soil will enhance the growth of the tomato and make it more resistant to wireworm. Before planting, the dug up soil is treated with Baduzin, Provotox, Diazonin (solution or granules), Aktara solution.

Gnawing shovel

Caterpillars of the nibbling scoop (winter, actually nibbling, wild, caradrine, swamp) live mainly in the ground, but also eat leaves and stems of tomato bushes close to the ground. This is a thick caterpillar up to 32-35mm long with spotted skin and powerful jaws. The gnawing scoop is found in greenhouses and open ground.

The adult scoop is a nondescript motley or gray butterfly. The butterfly lays its eggs on the underside of the leaf. Young individuals of 1-2 instars eat leaves from the underside, leaving only the skeleton; grown-up caterpillars feed on foliage and tomato fruits.

Plants are sprayed with chemicals to kill caterpillars. You can use Decis, Arrivo, Sherpa, biological products Bitoxibacillin, Lepidocide.

How to deal with caterpillars on tomatoes without the use of chemicals? Before getting rid of the scoop using folk remedies, it is advisable to collect the caterpillars by hand. You can spray the plants with an infusion of bitter wormwood, garlic, a double-ash solution.

Aphid

Aphids on tomatoes appear in June-July. Turning the leaf over, one can see small black or yellowish insects and clutches of eggs held by sticky molasses.

Insects drink the juices of the plant, causing the leaves to become lethargic and withered. Aphids on young tomatoes can destroy a seedling in a matter of days. If there are a lot of pests, the tomato will dry out completely.

Aphids are destroyed with solutions of Karbofos, bleach and Trichlometafos. The preparations are diluted according to the instructions and applied from the spray gun to the underside of the leaves.

Insects are washed off with a jet of water, but this method is not very effective against ovipositions. Folk remedies - a soap-ash solution, infusions of wormwood, garlic, celandine, hot pepper and yarrow, tobacco are quite effective for pest control. Aphids do not like the smell of nasturtium, thyme, garlic and onions; these plants are planted next to tomatoes to repel insects.

May beetle larva (Khrushcha)

The beetle larva moves underground and eats the roots of plants, including tomatoes. The adult beetle eats mainly the leaves of trees and bushes.

May beetle larvae are destroyed without the use of chemicals. When digging up a garden and plowing a plot, they are collected in a bucket and then destroyed.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil. The larva does not appear on soils fertilized with nitrogen. To destroy the Khrushchev, it is recommended to water the soil with an infusion of onion peel. Khrushchev does not like the smell of cruciferous plants (turnips, turnips, radishes), lupines and elderberries.

Prevention and control of pests

Preventive measures can reduce insect populations or completely get rid of them. To this end, the following work is carried out:

• Autumn deep plowing, which allows the cold to destroy insects and larvae in the ground.
• Applying insecticides to the soil before ploughing.
• Planting flowers, shrubs and vegetables next to tomatoes that repel pests.
• Disinfection of seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate.
• Irrigation of soil for seedlings.
• Washing tomato greens with a hose.
• Steaming the soil in the greenhouse, processing it with Bordeaux liquid.
• Attract birds and beneficial insects to gardens.
• Removal and burning of last year's tops and roots of tomatoes.
• The location of the tomato ridges away from other nightshade crops.

Methods of pest control depend on the type and number of insects and mites. All methods can be divided into chemical, biochemical and folk.

Chemicals destroy pests immediately after spraying the bushes. After processing, vegetables should not be eaten for a long time - from 10 to 21 days.

Biological products act more slowly, the death of insects and larvae occurs 3-5 days after spraying. But vegetables can be eaten after 5-7 days.

Folk remedies, including mainly herbal infusions and decoctions, are harmless to people. After using them, tomatoes can be washed and eaten immediately. The disadvantage of folk remedies is the need for their frequent use.