All summer residents dream that only healthy cucumbers grow on their plot of land. Despite this, parasitic insects attack the crop during the growing season. To some extent, gardeners themselves are to blame for this. Bushes can be affected by various diseases as a result of exposure to other environmental factors.
If a person finds that the vines are covered with small midges, this is a sign of infection of the crop. Small insects do not immediately arouse suspicion in a person if he started growing vegetables not so long ago.Professionals know what harm midges can cause to all vegetables on a plot of land. Therefore, you need to know how to get rid of midges.
Parasite recognition
If midges appear on the stems, this is the very first sign of the development of the disease. The small butterfly is called a whitefly. It is characterized by one feature - gathering in small groups under the leaves. Midge larvae concentrate in the same place. Every day there are more and more parasites on cucumbers.
In parallel with the disease, chlorosis develops. It is a mosaic lesion of yellow leaves. Sooty fungus is often observed. Black spots indicate its presence. The leaves of cucumbers, which are parasitized by the midge pest, gradually turn yellow and wither, and the ovaries fall off.
In order to timely identify the whitefly and begin to fight it, you need to carefully monitor the seedlings. Butterflies tend to reproduce quickly. Thus, midges move to other plants. A farmer could lose his entire crop because of a small insect.
Signs of disease development
If pests are present on cucumbers, this is indicated by the following signs:
- white dots and blurry spots appear on the leaves;
- during parasitism, a decrease in cucumber mass is observed;
- white midge suffers chlorosis, which is characterized by curling and curling of leaves;
- the buds dry out, the ovaries with fruits fall off.
Adult midges are voracious. They eat the plant, sucking the juice from it. Parasitism of this kind leads to the death of a culture. If there are few midges, dew is noticeable on the plant. In turn, the whitefly provokes the formation of sooty fungus. Places that turn black and die are covered with a white sticky coating.
In addition, whiteflies can cause even more damage to plants. While parasitizing cucumbers, midges lay transparent eggs. After a few days, tiny greenish or gray larvae hatch. After hatching, whiteflies stick to the back of the leaves and begin to feed on their juices.
Over time, the midge larva turns into a young individual. Its body is covered with wax, which protects the insect from any irritating environmental factors. The culture weakens so much that it cannot fully nourish all parts of the bush. Cucumber leaves curl and die. The adult larva eventually stops feeding to enter the pupation stage.
Whiteflies can parasitize both in greenhouses and in open ground. If a person notices at least one symptom of the disease, it is recommended to urgently get rid of the insects.
How to fight whitefly?
If a gardener notices a parasitic insect, he tries to select a fast-acting drug to destroy it. The simplest method is to use modern specialized insecticides. Solutions such as “Bud”, “Citkor”, “Karbofos” and “Iskra” have proven themselves to be excellent. If the infection has spread to most of the crops, use “Detis”, “Aktara” or “Fufanon”.
Gentle methods
If a person does not want to use aggressive drugs on the site, traditional medicine is used to combat midges. The simple ingredients used to make poisons can be found in many people's kitchens. These are ordinary laundry soap, tobacco, garlic and other products. Solutions are prepared from them, which are used to spray midge-infested crops.
Soap solution
This product helps a person in any situation.A solution is prepared from soap, which is diluted with water. It should be at room temperature. At the same time, the ratio is maintained at 1:6.
To make it more convenient, the soap is first crushed. This can be done using a knife or grater. After this, it is combined with water until completely dissolved. Then it is poured into a spray bottle and not only the green part of the cucumbers is treated, but also the ground. As a result of treatment, insects disappear from the plant in the shortest possible time.
Uses of garlic
Gardeners do not want to treat crops with chemicals. “We eat fruits and don’t want them to contain toxic substances” - this is how they explain their position. In this case, using garlic against midges is effective. It destroys pathogenic bacteria and butterflies will also not like it.
To prepare a garlic “poisonous” tincture, grind 2-3 medium-sized cloves. This is done using a grater, garlic peeler or knife. Then pour in 1 liter of boiled water. The resulting mixture is covered with a lid and left to infuse in a dark place.
Within 24 hours, the garlic will release all its beneficial substances, and the solution will be ready for use. Before spraying cucumbers, it is filtered and poured into a spray bottle. The area affected by midges is treated at least 3 times, with a break of a week. This number of procedures is enough for the midges to leave the culture.
Tobacco
Cigarettes are used to kill parasites on cucumbers. To prepare the solution you will need a pack of cheap cigarettes and water. A filter is removed from each piece and placed in a large container. When all the cigarettes are prepared, they are filled with boiled water. The liquid is infused for 5–6 days.
As in the previous case, the tincture is filtered through cheesecloth or in any other way. Pour into a spray bottle and treat the leaves every 2-3 days. Repeat the spraying procedure 3-4 times. This is enough to get rid of midges forever.
Traps
What to do besides spraying with poison to get rid of midges? Some gardeners prefer to take care in advance to ensure that parasites do not attack the plant. Special traps are made for this. The ideal option is to combine 2 methods together.
Bright paper is used as a trap, which is covered with a sticky substance. You can make it yourself or use fly catching tape. A light bulb placed inside the box is no less effective against midges. Both methods are equally good and help prevent whitefly infestations.
Destruction of midges in greenhouses
To prevent re-infection of crops with midges, it is recommended to carry out preventive measures:
- Whitefly that eats cucumbers, can hide larvae anywhere, including on the greenhouse frame. To disinfect the room, all surfaces are treated with a bleach solution.
- After harvesting, remove all plants.
- White midges parasitize not only cucumbers, but also other plants. Often it is the weeds that act as carriers of the larvae.
- Before planting seeds in the soil, it is treated with copper or iron sulfate.
If whiteflies are infested in greenhouses, cover the entrance to the street with gauze during ventilation. It should be folded in several layers. Whitefly midges are one of the unpleasant phenomena that a gardener may encounter.If you carefully take care of the crops in your garden beds, they will reward you with a tasty and healthy harvest.
