It is difficult to combat voracious pests of potato plantings. Summer residents are offered potent drugs, including Clotiamet for the Colorado potato beetle. After all, it acts not only on adult insects, but also on larvae. Namely, the larvae cause damage to potatoes by devouring leaves and flowers. Pests destroy the vegetable plantation, leaving the summer resident without a harvest.
Characteristics of the insecticide
The group of neonicotinoid chemicals includes the main substance of the insecticidal drug Clothiamet - clothianidin.The concentration of toxin in the product is high, but it does not have toxic properties towards humans and animals. Therefore, it belongs to the third class of danger. The drug is poisonous to insects, including beneficial ones.
Use the insecticidal preparation once during the potato growing season, spraying the tops of the plant with the working solution. The consumption rate of the toxic substance is one liter per twenty square meters. You can also pour toxic liquid under the plants. In this case, the filtration of the insecticide into the potato sap flow system increases.
Clothiamet is produced in 0.5 milliliter ampoules and granules, easily soluble in water.
Mechanism of action
The poison Clotiamet, falling on potato tops, penetrates into the stems and leaves, being distributed throughout the green body of the plant. A toxic effect on the beetle occurs during:
- contact of the chemical with the body of the pest;
- insects eating poisoned leaves through the digestive organs;
- inhalation of toxic fumes.
In this case, the insect’s nervous system is paralyzed. Due to disruption of the transmission of nerve impulses, irreversible paralysis of organs occurs. This leads to the cessation of life processes and the death of the Colorado potato beetle.
Benefits of using the drug
Description of the positive characteristics of the drug Clotiamet includes:
- rapid action on the parasite;
- economical use of funds;
- protection from beetles for two weeks;
- combination with other insecticides and fungicides;
- safety for humans and animals;
- convenience of release form.
The only drawback of the product is its toxicity to bees.
Rules for use against beetles
Plants are treated with Clothiamet using all protective equipment - a hat, overalls, a respirator, goggles and rubber gloves.
Do not spray the drug near apiaries, ponds, or bird nests.
The procedure is carried out early in the morning or in the evening. Exposure to direct sunlight causes the chemical to evaporate from the leaves. Then the procedure will be unsuccessful. It is forbidden spray potatoes during wind or before rain.
Dissolve the emulsion or granules in the fresh air directly in the tank of the spraying apparatus.
Instructions for using Clotiamet say that the volume of one ampoule or a bag of granules is dissolved in two liters of water. After thoroughly stirring, add another eight liters of water.
Do not drink water or smoke while working with insecticide.
After spraying the potato field, clothes are removed and soaked in warm water and soap. It is washed by rinsing several times with clean water. The face and hands are washed with soap. The mucous membranes of the nose and mouth are rinsed with water.
The container in which the working solution was located is washed. Water from it is not poured into reservoirs.
Dogs and cats should not be walked near the treated area, or cattle should be grazed.
If the rules for using Clotiamet are followed, the drug will not cause harm to humans or pets. Only the voracious bug will die from it.
Toxicity of the drug
There are several hazard classes of insecticidal agents. Clotiamet belongs to the third class. This means that the toxicity of the chemical nicotine in the drug is moderate in relation to warm-blooded animals. It is almost safe for birds and mammals.The human and animal bodies have adapted to chemicals and therefore are not poisoned upon contact with them.
But cold-blooded animals - lizards, fish - die from even a slight ingress of poison into their body. The toxicity of the insecticidal drug for bees is thousands of times higher than the known DDT.
It is not for nothing that in some European countries the drug Clothiamet is prohibited for use on agricultural land due to the fact that bees suffer from neonicotinoids. After all, potato plantings are sprayed with a chemical during the period of active honey collection - in July and August.
Reviews from gardeners
Summer residents have been using Clotiamet for the Colorado potato beetle for a long time. Vegetable growers are satisfied with the fast and powerful action of the chemical. Farmers use the drug when cultivating large crop areas. What is attractive about the insecticide is not only its toxicity to the beetle, but also the cost-effectiveness of using the product.
Summer residents note that among insecticides, Clotiamet is convenient and easy to use, and the solution is easy to prepare. After just five hours, not a single Colorado potato beetle remains on the field; both the larvae and eggs of the pest die. It is enough to spray once per season and you can save the potato harvest. At the same time, it is necessary to observe safety precautions when processing plants in the garden. You can go out into the field only five days after spraying.
