Beetles in the garden.

With the onset of spring, all nature wakes up. The garden is filled with the scents of flowers, butterflies and beetles. . At the fragrance emitted by roses, they run and pests . Many insects bring significant harm to our flowers, while other insects, on the contrary, are our helpers in pest control. For example, ladybug, the best helper in the fight against aphids .

Often on the flowers and leaves of roses you can see a variety of beetles: May beetle, bronze and others. Beetles and beetles is a common name for a large number of beetles. . As a rule, the cockchafer beetle has hard elytra, a dense shield on the body, can be covered with villi, the body length of the cockchafers, depending on the species, can reach up to 60 mm. The color of the beetles is the most diverse, the Maybug is usually from dark brown to black, the bronzes often look like green beetles with a metallic sheen.

The life cycle of the Maybug consists of 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, beetle . An adult female beetle lays up to 25 small oval eggs of a dirty white color in the ground, after which it dies, and larvae appear from the eggs after a while. May beetle larvae are fleshy, yellowish-white, with three pairs of legs and a strong jaw, usually bent in the shape of the letter "C", live in the root regions of plants, eating roots. The body length of the larvae is from 2 to 6 mm. The larva degenerates into a yellowish chrysalis, from which the May beetle later emerges. The entire life cycle of the May beetle takes about 3-4 years. Unlike the May beetle, the larvae of the bronzovok live in rotten stumps and do not harm living plants.

What do May beetles eat and how to deal with them?

The May beetle and other beetles feed on plant sap, eat away the pulp of leaves and tender parts of flowers. You can find them anywhere, on trees, grass and bushes. In a single amount, they will not cause noticeable harm, and you can get rid of them simply by driving away , but if a large number of beetles fly to the roses, then by eating foliage, the beetles deform the plants.

It is difficult to deal with bugs, using a variety of toxic means, of course, you will kill those who disturbed you insect pests and Khrushchev, but also useful ones too. You will not return the flower with this, and the beetles will appear again after a while. Most The best way get rid of the annoying May beetle and other beetles, entrust this to nature itself. Birds flying over your garden will do an excellent job of this task, but if there are not many of them near your house, you can build birdhouses to attract birds.

But it’s another matter if the action of the beetles is not observed, and the rose, nevertheless, healthy yesterday, suddenly drooped without visible signs. If the reason for this is not Descending sawfly , settling inside the stems of plants, it is worth digging up the soil at the roots slightly. Perhaps in the soil you will find cockchafer larvae that love to feed on plant roots.

I strongly recommend not to soak the roots of roses in pesticides in order to get rid of the larvae of the cockchafer, along with the pest, there is a risk of destroying beneficial microorganisms and worms that have a beneficial effect on the development of the root system . A variety of organisms recycle and make the minerals more available to rose roots. It is best to collect and destroy the larvae with your hands before planting, so you will fight the Maybug more effectively and save beneficial organisms in the soil. Also, hedgehogs help a lot in the fight against the larva of the May beetle, they dig them up and eat them. Leaving a bowl of milk outside in the evening can attract hedgehogs to the garden to help. And if you're lucky, the hedgehogs will live and breed here, for example, in my garden, a nest with a mother hedgehog and four little mole rats was accidentally discovered. Grow up and help!

Description

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Notes

Links

• Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. T. II. Coleoptera and fanoptera. / under total ed. corresponding member G. Ya. Bei-Bienko. - M.-L. : "Science", 1965. - 668 p. - (Determinants for the fauna of the USSR, published; issue 89.). - 5700 copies.

An excerpt characterizing the garden beetle

May Khrushchev - what does a pest look like?

May beetle belongs to the family of lamellar insects, characterized by large body sizes. Adults reach 32 mm in length. Their body oval shape widens in the middle, the color is dark - from reddish-brown to black. At the end of spring, the beetles have a mating season, the female lays up to 70 eggs in the ground under the roots of trees. After that, she dies, and after 1.5 months, larvae appear from the eggs. They have a pale, thick body with a yellow or brown head, six legs, and strong jaws that can handle tree roots.

Attention. Small larvae in the first year of life are not dangerous for the root system, they feed on plant remains found in the soil.

The development of carnivores from larva to beetle takes 3-5 years. Grown up individuals become a disaster in the garden, they are voracious, have no food specialization and eat the roots of any plants. Pests like loose, humus-rich soil. By the fourth year, the larva turns into a chrysalis, from which a May beetle emerges a month later.

Young beetles hibernate in the ground at a depth of more than 1 meter. With the onset of heat, they get out, continuing the breeding cycle on the trees. Throughout their life cycle, insects feed on plants, causing irreparable damage to trees, bushes and vegetable crops. How to get rid of Khrushchev in the garden - this question arises for every owner of the site. There are many ways to deal with a pest, consider the most effective.

Interesting! Young beetles (imagoes) take off on trees in May, because of this feature the name of insects appeared.

Harm from May beetles

Beetles are one of the most dangerous pests of agricultural crops and gardens. In the 1950s, their growth was stopped using pesticides. In some regions, pests have been completely eradicated. The ban on the use of hazardous substances has led to the restoration of the number of carnivores.

Why are May beetles considered malicious pests? Adult insects feed on flowers and leaves of trees. Apricot, apple, cherry, birch - pests will like it. They do not miss the bushes - lilacs, currants, raspberries. If uninvited guests can be seen on the trees, then the larvae are found according to the results of their activities. If healthy strawberry or grape bushes begin to wither and turn yellow with good watering, it means that their roots have been eaten by the Khrushchev.

The pest is not limited to the roots of bushes, it spoils vegetable crops:

• potato;
• carrot;
• beets;
• corn;
• cabbage.

Khrushchev can ruin not only the garden, but lawn grass. The larvae cause the greatest harm to plants, so the main control methods are aimed at their destruction.

Khrushchev larva - the main enemy of plants

Attention. Several May beetles eat all the leaves and flowers from a young tree or bush in a week.

Methods of dealing with carrion

Many methods have been developed for the destruction of pests. They differ in efficiency and environmental impact.

Mechanical and environmentally friendly methods

If you don't want to apply chemicals on your site, then use proven methods to deal with Khrushchev in the garden:

1. Digging up the earth. During the autumn digging of the garden, the larvae are close to the soil surface, where they die in the cold. Before the start of the sowing season, it is worth digging up the ground again; in spring, the larvae are at a depth of 20-25 cm. They are easy to detect and collect by hand. Once on the surface, pests become prey for birds.
2. You can protect strawberries from pests by planting under agrofiber or mulching the soil. Shredded pine bark, sawdust, straw are used as mulch. These obstacles will prevent the female beetle from getting into the soil to lay her eggs.
   

   Advice. For fertilizing strawberries and strawberries, humus is often used, which can be infected with cartilage. In order not to bring the pest to the beds, it is worth carefully inspecting the fertilizer before applying.

3. Traps and mechanical picking. In the early morning, when it is still cool, the beetles on the branches become numb. Spreading a film under a tree, they are shaken off, and then collected and destroyed. Traps are used to destroy adult beetles:
   • Velcro for flies hung on a tree, an effective remedy for beetle. Flying beetles are firmly glued to the tapes.
   • Light trap from a lamp placed in a container with sticky walls. At night, the light attracts insects.
   • Plastic bottles with bait in the form of fermented kvass or jam. At the container, cut off the upper part and turn the neck inward. Beetles will fly into the formed funnel.
     

     Advice. When making a light trap, you can use a portable lamp or a device with a battery. It will help to collect not only May beetles, but also pest butterflies flying at night.

4. Attraction of natural enemies. Khrushchev's natural enemies are starlings and hedgehogs. Birds are capable of destroying a huge number of beetles and larvae. To lie down, you need to build a birdhouse. The presence of hedgehogs on the site guarantees a speedy disposal of the May Khrushchev. A small dexterous predator eats insects with great pleasure. Domestic chickens are also not averse to eating the cockchafer.
   

   Attention. Starlings are omnivorous birds, they will peck not only insects, but also berries on trees. This fact should be taken into account before deciding on the construction of a birdhouse.

5. Planting white clover. On the roots of a plant of the legume family, nitrogen bacteria are formed, which repel the beetles. These pests really do not like nitrogen, so they are used to get rid of them. nitrogen fertilizers. Perennial light-loving clover can be planted on the lawn or near the beds. In addition to clover, pests avoid mustard, turnips and lupins. These plants can be safely planted between rows.

Insecticides to kill larvae

The destruction of adult beetles will not help to completely get rid of pests, because the main threat is hidden in the ground. To protect the roots of seedlings, chemicals from the May beetle will help:

• "Antikhrushch" - the substance damages nervous system insects: beetle larvae, ticks, caterpillars. It is non-toxic, so it is not dangerous for people and vegetable crops. The composition is diluted in water (10 ml per 5-10 l), the soil is cultivated with it before planting. To protect the trees, "Antikhrushch" is poured under the plant.
• "Aktara" - the drug is effective against a large number of pests. The insecticide acts in the ground and on its surface. Khrushchev and Colorado potato beetles die a day after use. The effect of the drug lasts 2 months.
• "Initiation" - a tool designed to destroy pests in the ground. It comes in the form of granules, which are mixed with the substrate and have a long-lasting effect. The larvae die within 24 hours after contact with the preparation.
• "Vallar" is a chemical preparation for combating the larvae of the beetle, it is not dangerous to humans and retains its effect for a long time. Simultaneously with the larvae of the May beetle, the insecticide kills the bear, wireworms and other soil pests. Upon contact, the agent paralyzes the insect and causes its death. For the treatment of plant roots, a solution is prepared - 8 g of the drug per 1 liter of water.

Attention. Insecticide treatment is carried out no later than a month before the crop ripens.

Folk recipes for removing Khrushchev

Gardeners know many ways how to deal with a pest, there are several effective recipes for destroying a pest:

1. Onion peel tincture is prepared from 100 g of product per 10 liters warm water. The composition is covered with a lid and left for 3-5 days. The finished product is diluted clean water in a ratio of 1:1. The solution is poured under the root of the affected plants.
2. A vial of iodine can be found in every first aid kit, and in the garden it will become a remedy for larvae. 15 drops of the drug in a bucket of water are enough to get a composition that causes the death of carnivores.

To increase the effectiveness of the fight against the May Khrushchev, it is worth using a whole range of measures. Parallel destruction of adult beetles and larvae will save plants from pests.

There are a large number of insects that, one way or another, harm ornamental and garden plants. Among them there are pests of leaves and needles that can not only gnaw them, but also suck out the juices of plants. There are insects that damage the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. The activity of many of them leads to the loss of decorativeness of plants, inhibits their growth and in some cases even leads to their death, but the most dangerous among them are insects that live in the soil and damage plant roots.

The most dangerous pests of the roots should, of course, be attributed to the beetles, among which the eastern and western May beetles are in the lead; to a lesser extent, the bear (let the owners of gardens not be offended by me, where it often rages) and some other pests, such as wireworms that harm root crops and bulbs, gnaw scoops, root aphids, root bark beetles, etc.

Getting rid of these insects is very difficult due to the fact that, firstly, it is difficult to detect and determine their number until the soil is dug up or dead plants with gnawed roots appear. Secondly, for personal and agriculture drugs that remain in the soil for a long time, like hexachlorane or DDT, are not allowed, which, of course, makes it difficult to destroy these pests, but protects our health. And thirdly, there are still a large number of abandoned fields and gardens, where nothing prevents the mass reproduction and further settlement of pests.

Khrushchi

In Ukraine, plant roots are significantly harmed by 8-11 species of beetles, of which, as we have already mentioned, the larvae of May beetles are the most harmful. There are also numerous species such as hairy beetle, field beetle, April beetle, Kuzka beetle, June beetle, and in more southern regions large marble beetle and other species can multiply strongly. Let us consider in more detail what types of cartilage are most often found on our land plots.

May Khrushchi

These are the western (Melalonta melalonta L.) and eastern (Melalonta hippocastani F.) May beetles, which are widespread in Ukraine. The eastern border of the distribution of the western Khrushchev is the Kharkov region.
May beetles are well known to everyone, they have brown elytra and reach up to 21-25 mm in length. In late April-early May, their active years take place. Adult beetles feed on tree leaves, especially oak and birch, but also do not disdain apple and other fruit trees. After mating, the female burrows into the ground and lays 50-70 eggs, from which very polyphagous larvae hatch in 30-40 days. At first, young larvae feed on humus, but as they grow, especially after wintering, they begin to feed not only on thin roots of flowers and garden crops, but also eat lawn roots with appetite, do not disdain coniferous and deciduous shrubs and trees.

The larva feeds for three years, in the middle of summer of the last year of development, the larva pupates at a depth of up to 60 cm, after a month and a half a beetle emerges, which winters in the soil, and flies out in the spring of the 4th year. Thus, based on the biology of the pest, mass years occur every four years, and the most dangerous for plants is the last year of feeding of larvae, when they reach their maximum size and voracity. However, due to some circumstances, a clear and explicit designation of flight years has not occurred recently. Almost every year there are years of beetles in large numbers.

The most dangerous for plants is the last year of feeding of larvae, when they reach their maximum size and voracity.

Externally, the types of May Khrushchev differ only in the shape of the end of the abdomen - the pygidia. In the eastern May beetle, it is tapering and pumps in a thin process with a thickening at the end, while in the western beetle, the pygidium is long, gradually tapering to the top, without a button-like expansion.

The species also differ somewhat in terms of habitat requirements. Thus, the western beetle more often settles on loose, slightly shaded lands, more often than the eastern one it is found in the fields, and the eastern beetle does not settle so intensively on cultivated soils.

Together with the May Khrushchev in the soil, the following species are most often found:

June Khrushchev (Amphimallon solstitialis L.)

Beetle 14-18 mm, brown with light yellow elytra. The years of beetles are long, from the end of June to August. Females lay 20-30 eggs in the ground. The larvae grow up to 40 mm in length, and throughout the summer they are in the surface layers of the soil, feeding on the roots of plants. The generation is one year old.

April beetle (Rhizotrogus aequinoctialis Hrbst.)

Beetle 12-8 mm, reddish-brown. They fly in April - mid-May. Eggs up to 30 pcs. they are deposited to a depth of up to 30 cm. The larvae overwinter in the soil twice, by the end of development they grow to 35 mm and pupate in August. Young beetles hatch in September, but overwinter in the soil and emerge the following spring.

hairy beetle (Anoxia pilosa F.)

Beetle 21-24 mm, brownish with lighter elytra with gray, small hairs. The flight of beetles takes place in June-early July. Beetles don't eat. In Ukraine, usually a three-year generation.

Field beetle (Anomala dubia Scop.)

Beetle 12.5-16.5 mm, dark green with a metallic sheen. The beetles emerge from mid-June and fly until mid-August. The female lays up to 30-40 eggs in the upper layers of the soil. They prefer to settle on light soils. The larvae grow up to 40 mm in length, overwinter once and pupate in May-July of the next year.

Kuzka beetle (Anisoplia austriaca Hrbst.)

Beetle 13-16 mm, with dark or red-brown elytra, at the base of which there is a characteristic quadrangular black spot. Years of beetles during the day from June to August. The female lays 30-50 eggs in the soil to a depth of 8-10 cm. The larva feeds on small roots, grows up to 35 mm, winters twice and pupates in late May - early June. After 15-20 days, the beetle comes out and is found in mass on cereals.

Marble Khrushch (Polyphylla fullo L.)

The beetle is large, 35-38 mm, with brown elytra, on which there is a marble pattern of numerous white spots. The flight of beetles is from late June to August, during which they feed mainly on pine needles. The female lays up to 40 eggs one at a time to a depth of 15-30 cm. The larvae feed on the roots of tree species, primarily pine, and grassy vegetation. The larvae are yellowish, hibernate three times and at the end of development reach 6.5 cm in length and pupate in June. After 3 weeks, a beetle hatches from the pupa and emerges from the ground. It settles mainly on sandy soils, often in clearings of a pine forest, and is very harmful to young pine plantations.

Thus, realizing that the pests are serious and numerous, we approach the question - how to deal with them ?. First of all, we must fight the May Khrushchev, since more than 95% of the harm caused is due to them.

It is very important to pay attention to the number of beetle larvae in the soil even at the initial stage of laying a garden or before organizing plantings in a new place. If there are a lot of them, more than 3-5 pieces per 1 m², then you should carry out a complete cultivation of the land on the site with chemicals, otherwise the roots of the plants will be eaten, and your plantings will be ineffective. If the site is already in operation, and the number of carnivores has increased, then it is also worth adding chemicals, the name and dosage of which I will give below.

Ecological methods of dealing with beetles

A simple but expensive way to prevent the appearance of May beetles is to cover especially valuable plantings with a sufficiently dense net during the summer of beetles, which will prevent female beetles from penetrating into the soil, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to lay eggs. The shelter area should be at least a hundred square meters, since the larvae move in the soil. After the flight, the mesh is removed.

Of the environmental methods, it occupies the first place. Planting strawberries on agrofibre significantly reduces the infestation with beetles (the main thing is that the pests are not under the film before planting). The mulching of the soil with a large pine bark with a layer of about 5 cm proved to be excellent. In rose gardens, with such mulch, the beetles practically do not start.

I do not consider that the treatment of trees and shrubs on the site with pyrethroids or other chemicals during the summer, Khrushchev can significantly reduce the population of the soil on the site. Beetles fly long distances, and processing your 6, 10 or even 30 acres will not play a significant role in reducing the number of beetles in the vicinity of the site, they will fly in from neighboring areas. Only the cultivation of large areas can actually reduce the number of flying beetles.

The same insignificant effect is observed when using light traps, in which 30-50 beetles can really die, but, unfortunately, this method does not allow to destroy all existing pests.

Of the economic methods, the method of placing heaps of humus on a site that is warmer and under which not only the larvae of the grubs, but also the bears crawl for wintering works quite well. The main thing is to stir up these heaps in time and destroy the pests.

agrofibre from the summer of the Khrushchev

Chemical protection methods

Of the preparations for combating larvae, preparations based on diazinon work best. The optimal time for applying the drug to the soil is the end of May - June, when the larvae are in the upper soil layer. You can apply the drug into the furrows during cultivation. It is recommended to apply 10-20 g per 1 m² of bazudine or 5-9 g per 1 m² of 10% diazinon. You can scatter the preparations along the rows of plants, followed by incorporation into the soil.

Protection of the roots of seedlings can be carried out by soaking in a peat-humus mixture with the addition of an insecticide. For example, when soaking pine seedlings before planting, about 500 g of bazudine is consumed per 1000 seedlings.

Protection of the roots of seedlings can be carried out by soaking in a peat-humus mixture with the addition of an insecticide.

A good effect is obtained by the use of Marshall granular preparation with a prolonged action (up to 17 months) at a consumption rate of 8-12 g per 1 m².

In home gardens, the Prestige preparation is used to soak seedlings, which allows you to protect plants for 60 days.

Recognizing the pest in time on your garden plot and by taking certain protective measures, you are more likely to keep your plants healthy and have a good harvest. Unfortunately, beetles are not the only insects that live in the soil and can damage plant roots. There are a number of other pests from this group, which we will talk about in the next article.

Meet! His Majesty is a jerk! Although it would be more correct to say "highness", because Khrushchev is the larva of the cockchafer.

"Majesty" ... "Highness" ... These are, of course, too loud epithets for such a pest as Khrushchev. But these were the words that came to my mind when I first saw this larva in the soil. I even do not know why. Apparently, the size impressed.

Those who have their own plots and are engaged in them themselves, i.e. they dig up and loosen the beds, they probably noticed these same larvae in the soil. They meet almost every all season, but most often I see them in the fall.

However, let's go in order.

1. Khrushch - the larva of the May beetle. It lives in the soil at a depth of up to 10 cm. In any case, I have not come across it deeper. At the very surface of the soil under a snag, for example, it can also live.

2. It occurs in virgin areas (i.e., not yet plowed). When I prepare the land, for example, under a flower bed, I remove the sod. And often under the turf I meet this very larva. Khrushch also likes to settle in the garden, which is paid little attention, is rarely loosened and forgotten to be weeded.

3. Khrushch is a pest. It gnaws at the roots of plants. For example, such as cabbage, strawberries and others. It can completely eat up the roots, causing the plant to die. Externally, the plant will look at first withered, and then completely dry. If you dig up a dead plant, you will see the remnants of the eaten roots.

4. Khrushch looks like a very fat caterpillar with small legs in the front half of the body and folded into a half ring. He is very slow, I would say, clumsy and helpless, like a huge whale washed ashore. The size of the larva is from 1 cm to 4 cm.

5. Let's move on to the most important point - pest control measures .
And here everything is very simple. Control measures are purely agrotechnical. That is, you can’t get through the Khrushchev with any pesticides. The surest way is simply remove it from the soil (and immediately destroy it) during autumn and spring digging, as well as during loosening.

In general, it is worth regularly loosening and weeding your beds. No pests like it, but flowers and vegetables, on the contrary, adore.

In the soil, the beetle is found singly (in the sense that these larvae will not crowd in one place, like aphids, for example). Therefore, the manual removal of the beetle from the soil is not special work. It happens, of course, that you dig with a shovel and find up to a dozen copies in a coma of earth. But this rarely happens in my garden. Only in neglected corners.

Perhaps it makes sense to fight the Khrushchev parent - Maybug, you say?
There is no point in resorting to pesticides in this case. This is how much solution should be used to kill the clouds of May beetles, which begin to fly especially actively in the evenings?

The cockchafer loves to feast on the leaves of trees. And sometimes there is a lot of damage from this. I noticed that his favorite dish is birch leaves. He also loves plum leaves. But the apple tree is not touched. Either not to taste, or not to the teeth.

And I also noticed that those plums that I regularly fed furnace ash, the May beetle also did not touch or ate a very small number of leaves. It is known that ash helps to strengthen and thicken the leaves of garden trees.

Sometimes you can read in the literature the advice to shake the beetles off the trees and then collect them from the film previously spread below.
Tried. Pointless occupation. Beetles, although heavy, manage to hold on tightly to leaves and twigs with their paws. They are not afraid of any wind.
It is also unpleasant when they fall on the head or on the shoulders and back. Brrr!

But you can collect them manually. But you can't get everyone. And yes, you can't reach the top.
So I just resigned myself to having them in the garden.

By the way, fun fact. My cat she loved to hunt May beetles and ... eat them! She knocked down those who flew low with her paw. She could even jump up and knock down a beetle with her paw right in the air. A downed beetle is clumsy, so it immediately ended up in the pasta of a dexterous predator. So the cat can be used as one of the methods of dealing with the cockchafer. But the larvae of the May beetle - Khrushchev - the cat did not like to eat))

So we are back to the main character of the article - Khrushchev.

So let's fight it solely by its physical removal from the soil during digging or loosening.

They also like to bite Khrushchev birds. They probably noticed how birds were walking along the arable land: starlings, wagtails, gulls. After plowing the garden, I always go home to give the birds the opportunity to fearlessly treat themselves to the Khrushchev, which I did not notice, and other pests.

And one more animal can be very useful in the fight against Khrushchev. This is mole. Yes Yes!
Many mistakenly believe that the mole destroys the roots of plants. This is not true.
The mole is a predator. And he does not eat vegetables in our gardens. Unless it bites a little to make its way.

His favorite treat is earthworms, various beetles, bears, slugs, including Khrushchev.

So I prefer to be friends with moles. The only negative is that they spoil the view of flower beds, lawns and gardens when they make their moves. But I’d rather remove the mounds of earth left by the moles from the garden rather than the plants ruined by the beetle.

And here attention and caution!

I know gardeners and gardeners who bought nematodes and settled them in the soil of their gardens.
Zero effect for the fight against Khrushchev. But the appearance of new damage in plants and the great death of these very plants are obvious.

The point is that there are nematode pests. These are small roundworms up to 2 mm. They live in the soil, on plants and inside them. And they can hit the whole plant - from seeds to stems.

Most likely, it is these nematodes that are sold - pests. There are a lot of scammers among sellers. So it is better to refrain from buying nematodes and introducing them into the soil altogether. After all, pulling the Khrushchev out of the ground and chopping it with a shovel or crushing it does not seem to be such a difficult task. Such an agricultural technique certainly will not harm either the environment or our garden-garden than buying dubious nematodes.

So you met another garden pest - Khrushchev, also known as the Maybug larva. And now you know that I prefer to fight him with a shovel, cats, birds or moles.

That's all for now.

I wish you healthy and strong vegetables in the beds!

Your Katerina Shlykova (Grushenka)

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