People who grow raspberries often encounter stem gall midges. This is a dangerous insect that can lead to the death of seedlings, and therefore it is necessary to get rid of it immediately. However, before this you will have to figure out how to deal with stem gall midge on raspberries.
Description of the pest
First you need to familiarize yourself with the detailed description and distinctive features of the pest.
Appearance
The main feature of the gall midge is its unremarkable appearance, which makes it difficult to notice. Externally, the pest resembles a small mosquito, the length of which does not exceed five millimeters. The invisibility of the insect is due to its small size and transparent wings. The gall midge is colored grayish with a slight brown tint. The length of small individuals is 1-2 millimeters, so it is almost impossible to detect them on raspberry seedlings in a timely manner.
Reproduction
The reproduction process of such pests has features that are recommended to be familiarized with in advance. During breeding, adult females begin to lay eggs, the surface of which is colored green with a light green tint. Most often, eggs are laid under the bark of stems, in places of mechanical damage. Over time, larvae emerge from the eggs, which turn orange as they mature. The length of such larvae reaches two millimeters. Young individuals develop and overwinter under the bark.
Why is stem gall midge dangerous for raspberries?
Some people are not even aware of the serious danger that gall midges pose to young raspberry seedlings. The most dangerous are the larvae that live inside the stem. They feed on plant sap, which causes the shoots to slow down their development. If there are too many larvae, the affected branch begins to dry out and die.
It is necessary to get rid of the larvae in a timely manner, as they can destroy a shoot or even an entire bush within 2-3 months.
Causes
To prevent the appearance of gall midges, it is necessary to become familiar with the causes of their occurrence. These include the following:
- the use of a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers, due to which the bark on the stems begins to peel off;
- poor-quality thinning of plantings, due to which they begin to weaken;
- poor ventilation, leading to increased humidity levels and the development of gall midges.
Signs of appearance
In order to detect stem gall midge in a timely manner, you need to become familiar with the main signs of its manifestation. The first sign that a seedling is affected by a pest are galls located under the surface of the tree bark. More than five larvae develop in one such stem thickening. They grow there until the end of autumn, after which they move along the stem to the root system.
Another sign of the appearance of pests is the drying out of the shoots. At first they begin to turn yellow, but over time the stems dry out.
How to deal with the pest?
If a gall midge has been spotted on raspberries, you must immediately begin to fight it.
Chemicals
Most often, pest control is carried out using special chemicals.
Insecticide "Iskra"
Often, when spraying raspberry bushes, the Iskra insecticide is used. This product is produced and sold in the form of tablets, which must be mixed with water before use. To protect seedlings from pests, one and a half liters of mixture is consumed for every ten square meters. When using Iskra, it is not necessary to use gloves, since the composition is non-toxic.
"Karbofos"
"Karbofos" is considered an old and proven remedy for combating dangerous insects. This product is effective and therefore is used even to kill bedbugs. The disadvantages of Karbofos include its toxicity, due to which the treatment is carried out in protective equipment. Spraying is carried out no more than once per season.
Non-systemic organophosphorus insectoacaricide "Aktellik"
This is a drug that has an intestinal contact effect. It is used to protect garden and garden crops from dangerous insects. Among the advantages of the product are its effectiveness, duration of protective action and low level of toxicity. You should use Actellik no more than once a month.
Traditional methods
There are three effective folk remedies that can be used when fighting insects:
- Tansy tincture. To prepare the product, pour 400 grams of the plant with 5-6 liters of boiling water. Then everything is infused for 2-3 days, filtered and stirred with 9-10 liters of water.
- Urea. When creating a mixture for treating shrubs, mix 10 milliliters of urea and 10 liters of water.
- Garlic infusion. Half a kilogram of garlic heads is crushed in a meat grinder, filled with water and left for a week. The mixture is then filtered and used for spraying.
Prevention measures
To protect planted raspberry bushes from pests and diseases, it is necessary to regularly spray them with Bordeaux mixture.
Experts also recommend regularly spraying seedlings with fungicidal compounds that repel and destroy pests.
Conclusion
Gardeners who grow raspberry bushes on their property often struggle with gall midges. To get rid of such insects, you need to become familiar with their characteristics and effective means of control.
