Control of horticultural pests. What to do if hares gnawed an apple tree in winter Who gnaws at the roots of an apple tree
I have had mine for 8 years orchard. When caring for him, sometimes there are problems that I find it difficult to deal with on my own. I am sending a photo of an uprooted apple tree of the Simirenko variety. As you can see, it has no roots. It seems to me that they were eaten by mice or beetle larvae. And this is not the first such case. Advise how to protect trees from such misfortune.
Sincerely, Yuri Ivanovich
Judging from the photo, root system apple trees were damaged by the larvae of the cockchafer.
Adult individuals of the pest feed on leaves, flowers and ovaries, and in the larval stage they feed on the roots of cultural and wild plants. Adults and larvae of different ages overwinter in the soil. Emergence from the soil and mass years of beetles are observed in late April - early May, during the flowering period of stone fruit crops. At the same time, the beetles multiply.
After the end of flowering, the females lay their eggs in the soil to a depth of 20 to 40 cm. One female can lay up to 70 eggs over the summer (in three to four doses), after which she dies.
AT favorable conditions larvae hatch from eggs after 25-30 days, in unfavorable cases - after 50 days. The development cycle of the larva lasts three years. In the summer of the fourth year of life (in June-July), the larvae pupate at a depth of 20-60 cm. The pupal stage lasts 30-40 days, then the pupae turn into beetles that winter in the soil, and come to the surface in the spring of the next year.
The larva of the May beetle is the most harmful stage of development of this insect.
In all phases of growth until pupation, the larvae feed intensively. Newborn larvae eat humus and thin grass roots. For the winter, they burrow deep into the soil, and in the spring they rise again closer to the surface. In the second year of life, grown-up pests “try the tooth” on the root system of seedlings and young biennial trees. In the third year, the larvae grow up to 65 mm in length. They gnaw through the powerful roots of adult plants and, in search of food, make passages in the soil from tree to tree.
Prevention and protection fruit crops from may beetles involves a whole range agrotechnical measures and chemical treatments. Primary protective measures are taken even before the garden is laid: they examine the soil on the site to find out how intensively it is populated by pest larvae.
To do this, in the summer, a year before planting, several square sites (50 × 50 cm) are selected diagonally on the plot and each of them is dug around the perimeter to a depth of 25-30 cm. Eight such squares are selected for analysis on a plot of 100 m 2 . Then all pests found are counted and the average number of individuals per 1 m 2 is determined.
If there is more than one individual per 1 m 2, an insecticide is introduced into the soil (for example, Aktara, 25% w.g. with a consumption rate of 50 g per 1 weave), adding it to mineral fertilizer recommended for use. The plot is then re-cultivated. With the number of larvae up to 0.5 individuals per 1 m 2 in landing pits make 1-2 tablets of the drug.
The initiator or treat them with the Vofatox insecticide (5-10 ml per 1 weave).
Before planting, the roots of seedlings of fruit trees are dipped in a mash prepared from clay (0.7 kg), humus (0.8 kg) and water (1 l), with the addition of Prestige 290 FS, since. (20 ml). The finished mash should have the consistency of sour cream, and it should have the consistency of sour cream. This mixture is enough to process 35-40 seedlings.
In the spring, the soil is loosened in the garden, and late autumn- they dig up, the found eggs, larvae, pupae, young adults of the May beetle are destroyed. Often female pests lay their eggs in manure or compost. Therefore, when applied to the soil organic fertilizers make sure that they do not have grub larvae.
Once a year, during the growing season of seedlings, 1-2 tablets of Initiator insecticide are applied to the root zone of plants. First, the soil is well moistened in the near-trunk circle, then the tablet is deepened with a stick, bringing it closer to the roots, and again watered abundantly. With the mass settlement of trees by May beetles, the plantations are sprayed with the Calypso insecticide, 48% c. (2-3 ml per 1 weave).
in ecogardens and household plots dispense with the use chemicals, in the morning, manually shaking the beetles from the trees onto pre-layed paper, film or burlap. Collected insects are taken out of the garden and destroyed.
How to deal with the larvae of the May beetle - Khrushchev: reviews, tips and recommendations
I have only two beds of garden strawberries (strawberries), but the harvest is enough to eat enough, and it still remains for harvesting for the winter. And the berries, as from the picture - large, beautiful, fragrant!
I don’t complain about the strawberry harvest, the gardener complains, but, however, on the condition that it will be possible to protect it from the cockchafers (larvae of the May beetle), which eat up the roots. This pest has recently been a real scourge in our area (near Minsk). Somehow I planted two valuable bushes of the Linos variety of Italian selection, a day later I returned to the dacha, and the plants lie on their side. When I poked them with a shovel, I saw a huge white larva.
I tried to put baits for adult beetles, collected larvae by hand, treated the plantation with various insecticides, dug up the soil in late autumn ... Not to say that everything was in vain, but strawberry losses were still significant. The situation changed when the tireless summer resident tried this method.
10% vial ammonia(40 ml) diluted in 10 liters of water and watered the soil with this composition not only on strawberry plantation, but also under the rest fruit crops(once a month, until about mid-summer). The larvae of the May beetle became noticeably smaller.
And in next year I want to try another interesting method that I read about on the Internet, in one farm of ecological farming, a bed for strawberries is first sown in early spring white mustard. It sprouts and grows for about 40 days. Then it is mowed down (before flowering), embedded in the soil, and literally on the same day mustard is sown again in this area. And again, it grows for 40 days, then it is mowed, embedded in the soil, and after 2 weeks, strawberries are already planted on this mustard “pillow”. And here's the most interesting thing: the farmers noticed that there was no Khrushka on such a plantation. It turns out that the roots of white mustard form and secrete sulfur, which the pest does not tolerate. The protection effect lasts for two years, and then everything needs to be repeated again. interesting way. I'll test it and still find the right for Khrushchev!
Victoria GULKO
WORD TO THE SPECIALIST
Ammonia really helps in the fight against the larvae of the cockchafer. The main thing is not to be too zealous with the dose of the drug, but the author has the right proportions - a vial for a bucket of water.
As for white mustard, it is rather not the sulfur secreted by the roots of the plant that fights the beetle, but the aroma of the culture itself - it tritely disorients the larvae in space, they crawl "in the wrong direction" and die of hunger.
Nikolai KHROMOV, Ph.D. agricultural sciences
Fewer bugs - fewer larvae
In May, during the flight of May beetles, in the morning I shake them off the trees onto an oilcloth spread on the ground. Fewer beetles - fewer larvae. During the autumn digging on the site, I launch neighboring chickens, which actively eat the larvae.
And in the fall I prepare manure traps. Digging in different places there are several holes in the plot, I fill them with fresh manure and wait for the May beetle larvae to winter in it - this is an ideal place for them.
And as soon as frosts come, I scatter manure with pests - on the surface, the larvae die from the cold.
Anastasia TSEKHANOVICH, Minsk
Iodine lotions
With the larvae of the cockchafer strawberry patch pharmacy iodine helps me cope. I breed in a bucket of water 1 tbsp. and water after harvesting only on wet ground, spending 1 liter of liquid per bush.
Tatyana MARKOVA, Perm
How to get rid of cartilage - questions and answers
Hello. Learn how to deal with the Maybug or, as it is called in a simple way, Khrushchev. Selecting its larvae from the soil by hand is very troublesome and time consuming. I would like to know if there are any effective methods protecting plants from this pest.
Vladimir Pleten
May beetle, or cockchafer harms both young and productive grape plants.
Adults fly out in April, live for about 3 weeks, that is, by the end of May, their activity is on the decline. They fly at dusk, feed on leaves. The flight of this insect contradicts all the laws of aerodynamics, since the body of the beetle is thick and the wings are small. But, nevertheless, it flies at speeds up to 3 m per second. Females choose loose fertile sandy soil for laying eggs. After 5~6 weeks, larvae emerge from the laid eggs - the harmful stage of this insect.
They remain in the soil all summer, feeding on humus, manure, and later on young roots. cultivated plants. For the winter, they dig deeper, can sink to a depth of 1 m, depending on weather conditions.
May beetle larvae "mature" to the pupal stage for more than two years. Adult larvae reach 4-5 cm in length, their body is cloudy white color, with three pairs of legs and a large brown head. Thanks to the powerful jaws, the larvae of the May beetle can gnaw through not only the roots, but also the shoots of grape cuttings in the school.
Beginning growers often do not understand why young, newly planted vine bushes do not develop, but dry out after a while without visible signs of disease. To find the cause of the death of the bushes, it is enough to dig up the soil in the root zone - there you will find several voracious larvae of the cockchafer.
The easiest way to deal with them is mechanical. This is a plant-friendly, environmentally friendly, but somewhat time-consuming method of clearing the ground from May beetles. It is suitable for owners of small summer cottages and personal plots. When digging the soil, the larvae are harvested by hand and then destroyed. During the summer, beetles are shaken from the bushes to the ground and also destroyed. You can also run omnivorous chickens into the garden. who are constantly trying to diversify their diet - they dig up the ground with their paws and peck at every found larva or adult insect.
Main chemical agent control - insecticides of a new generation based on hexachloran (for example, Antikhrushch). Such drugs can be purchased in specialized stores, they are approved for use against insects, but are toxic to plants, fish, birds, warm-blooded animals and people. Hexachlorane affects nervous system insects, causing paralysis of their limbs. They cannot move, eat, and die after a while.
Hexachlorane-based insecticides are used with all necessary precautions, and in the most extreme cases - for example, in areas with a very high concentration of larvae.
The powder is evenly scattered on the ground, and then the area is dug up or loosened so that the pesticides mix with the soil. In spring and summer, hexachloran is embedded to a depth of 10-15 cm, and in autumn - to 20-25 cm.
Vaclav ZADRANOVSKY
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If a tree in your garden was gnawed by hares, mice, goats, as well as water voles, incorrectly called water rats, then a lot depends on who exactly gnawed, where, and most importantly, how quickly you missed.
If immediately, or at least until the spring heat, then everything is not lost yet, the cambium is alive, and much can be fixed. So, the sooner you find a bite, the less loss. For those who don't know, cambium is the thinnest succulent layer between bark and wood. But it is he who is the most important in the tree. It is to them that it grows in thickness, laying annual rings, and also building up the bark.
Therefore, if the cambium is damaged in some part of the trunk (it is especially dangerous if it is damaged by a ring or almost around the circumference), then the tree dies, unless, of course, proper measures are taken. This is exactly what some animals do. Moreover, different breeds of fruit crops suffer from bites in varying degrees. The apricot is the most damaged, but it is still quite new and rare in middle lane culture, so it is not so noticeable.
However, those gardeners who grow apricots need to take special care of its safety. In most gardens, apple trees most often suffer from gnawing - both the most common and the most preferred by animals to taste. Then comes the irga, but it is very tenacious, in addition, it gives a lot of new offspring, so the damage on it is not so noticeable. Plums, cherries and other less common fruit trees are next in terms of frequency of damage. And, finally, this list is completed by a pear, which for some reason is not very favored by animals (for our happiness).
The damage inflicted by different animals is also very different in appearance. For example, mice usually gnaw on the outer layer of the bark in a narrow ring without even reaching the cambium. Therefore, these damages are the easiest. But if they are not treated, then they can lead to the death of the tree. Usually in the case of bark chewing by mice it is enough to tightly wrap the damaged area plastic wrap .
This should be done as soon as possible after detecting damage to the tree. The time factor with such and described below damage plays a very big role. After tying, if the remaining thin layer the bark, and with it the cambium, has not dried out, then everything will be in order. If the bites were discovered late, and the bark with the cambium died, then in order to save the tree, it may be necessary to put up bridges or inlay the bark from another tree. However, if the death of the bark and cambium, although annular, is rather narrow, no more than a centimeter, then under the film the callus influxes formed from above and below will close and the wound will heal. In any case, since mouse bites are shallow and go in a rather narrow ring, this is not so bad.
Worse if the bark is gnawed rabbits or goats. Both are usually gnaw or rip it off large area
. Moreover, they do it before the cambium, with a "mesh", i.e. leaving only small pieces of uneaten bark in places of bites on the trunk. However, goats sometimes rip off the bark in a narrow, albeit long strip. If such a wound is not wider than half the diameter fruit tree, then the situation can be corrected quite easily, even if the cambium is already dry.
Such a wound is covered . It is best to do this with cow dung in half with clay or garden pitch, and tie plastic wrap on top in case the cambium survived. And then cover it with roofing material for warmth and elimination negative impact Sveta. If the cambium on such a wound is preserved, then a thin young bark will gradually form under the strapping, and then everything will be in order. In the summer, only the wound will need to be looked at, if necessary - cleaned of dead tissues, covered again and wrapped.
If the cambium is dead, then healing will take much longer. The edges of the wound for several years will gradually approach each other until they close. It is only necessary to take care of it periodically - to apply scratches along the edge of the growing roller of living tissues - this stimulates their growth - and cover the wound with var. In the end, only a scar will remain.
If more than half the diameter of the trunk is damaged, or even the entire bark around, the situation is worse, but even here all is not lost. If you find the bites in time, coat them or wrap them, it is best to use a stretch film - it stretches well, fits snugly to the surface, even uneven, and creates a completely air- and moisture-proof coating. But you can use thin polyethylene. And from above everything is covered with roofing material. If everything is done in time, then you may have saved the cambium, in which case the bark will grow. But if he died, be prepared to put up long bridges at the end of spring. If the bark is partially damaged, then there may even be one bridge through a not too wide wound. However, if the damage is circular, then there should be at least two, or even much more. To do this, when bites are found in winter or early spring, long shoots are cut, 15 centimeters longer than the wound.
It is best if they are of this variety or any other, but only necessarily highly winter-hardy; wrap them in wet plastic wrap and bury them in a large snowdrift with north side at home or a barn, then the snowdrift is covered with sawdust from above. In mid-May, when the trees begin to wake up, you need to make sure that the cambium has died. To do this, unwind the strapping and see if there is a juicy whitish layer on the wound - cambium. If there is, then it is closed again. If not, they are vaccinated, they put bridges. Remember: if more than half the diameter of the trunk is damaged, they still need to be installed, although, of course, the preserved "strap" of living bark will make it easier for you. For example, if for some reason you cannot put up bridges this year, then the operation can be postponed until next year. But if the damage is circular, and measures are not taken in a timely manner, then the tree will dry out. There were times when I was invited to help in similar situations and just had to shrug. Late. In this case, there is only one thing left - cut down a dried trunk, cover the cut with pitch and try to grow a new tree from awakened dormant buds.
The worst situation if your tree was gnawed by a water vole. The particular danger of the damage caused by it lies in the fact that they are not visible. This rodent does its dirty work underground, gnawing at the roots of a tree, and the gardener often does not notice anything until it suddenly falls or dries up. And it's too late to fix the situation. If the trouble is discovered in time, then something can be done here. To correct the situation to the tree from two sides, and if it is large, then from four, seedlings are planted and grafted, the tree itself, so as not to fall, is tied to stakes. And the crown, in order to balance the aboveground and underground parts of the tree, is heavily pruned.
All of the above techniques - for better or worse - help to correct an already existing situation. But it’s better that in the spring you don’t have to treat the trees, don’t bring them to that, and in the fall, protect your garden well from rodents and goats. However, the latter are dangerous at any time of the year, so watch them carefully, do not leave gaps and loopholes in the fence, as well as open gates.
V. Starostin, candidate of agricultural sciences, dendrologist
Each gardener, on the eve of winter, must take a lot of urgent measures to prepare apple trees for the cold season: trees need to be treated for pests, trunks whitewashed, and sheltered from frost. But another, no less dangerous problem lies in wait for your apple trees - fluffy hares, who love to eat the bark of fruit trees. What to do if the hares gnawed at your apple tree, how to save the tree?
Regrettably, it is very difficult to cure young apple trees with gnawed bark. After all, if a tree has lost its bark in the cold season, then the consequences will be deplorable in any case. You can minimize them in several ways:
- graft the bark. It is very labor intensive and difficult process, which, however, will not guarantee the restoration of the apple tree. It is for this reason that this method is rarely used by gardeners;
- sawing the trunk for reverse growth. A radical method that involves cutting a tree above the lowest bud. The main thing is to have time to do everything before the kidneys begin to wake up, in other words, until their sap flow begins. After that, the cut must be treated with garden pitch so that the rest of the trunk does not start growing. That's all, it remains to be patient and wait for the next spring: if the roots of the tree that the hares gnawed turn out to be quite strong, they will be able to form a new shoot.
Thus, all resuscitation options are quite laborious and risky. Therefore, if in the spring you find that your apple trees are eaten by fluffy scoundrels, it is better not to waste time in vain, but to immediately start replacing them with new trees.
Protection and preparation for winter
So, if the answer to the question of how to cure an affected tree is difficult enough, you should think about such an option as protecting the garden from hares. There are several ways to help ensure that hares do not gnaw on an apple tree. What to do? To begin with, you can wrap the trunks with a piece of chain-link mesh so that it does not fit snugly against the trunk: then the rodents will not be able to get to their favorite delicacy. And if the tree is very young, and its trunk is rather thin, you can wrap it with a simple cut plastic bottle. For the same purpose, the bark of fruit trees is covered with lime before winter: this method is good not only in the fight against hares, but also with their smaller brothers - mice.
It is important to remember that the wrapping protective material must be quite dense - metal grid, plastic or roofing felt - since soft material hares gnaw successfully.
But leave small space between the protection and the trunk itself: the metal must not be allowed to injure the delicate bark. As you can see, fluffy eared animals, so harmless at first glance, can cause serious damage to your garden. And given the complexity of the procedure for saving trees, it is better to make every effort to protect apple trees from raids by uninvited winter guests.
Video "How to repair a damaged apple tree"
From this video you will learn how to save an apple tree after being damaged by rodents.
Often gardeners do not know what to do if mice or other rodents gnawed at an apple tree. Pome and various stone fruit crops delight gardeners with a beautiful spring bloom and good harvest and at the same time are a tasty bait for all kinds of pests. Therefore, the owners of the gardens need to make every effort to preserve the trees and achieve good fruiting.
If winged pests fall asleep for the winter, then those with sharp teeth are activated. At this time, it is difficult for them to feed themselves in the fields and forests. So they run to cultivated areas. Here they actively eat the bark of fruit trees.
Field mice can cause great damage to the garden. In summer they find food in the fields, and in winter they hide on garden plots. Here they have somewhere to hide from the cold and find food.
In winter, there is a catastrophic lack of food in the field, so hungry mice move to gardens, closer to food sources.
Apple trees are the favorite trees of voles. These rodents eat the tender bark of young and middle-aged seedlings. They do this with that part of the trunk that is under the snow. Therefore, the gardener will not be able to notice the damage in winter unless he opens the cover from the tree.
Unlike other rodents, mice cause minimal damage to the tree, as if they know that everything can not be spoiled. They gnaw the lower outer layer of the bark in a narrow ring. At the same time, they almost do not affect the cambium, which is vital for the apple tree, which is located between dense wood and upper bark. Sap flow is carried out along the cambium, so its damage is detrimental to the fruit tree. In any case, if mice gnawed at an apple tree, it needs to be saved.
If the apple tree is seriously damaged, you can make "bridges" from young shoots, which, if the outcome is favorable, will help save the tree.
In practical gardening, several effective ways saving apple trees from damaging their trunks by mice.
In winter or early spring, the gardener, having arrived at the site, may find that the mice have damaged the trees slightly. In this case, he should treat the wounds with heteroautotoxin, lubricate with garden pitch or a mixture of liquid cow dung and clay and wrap the barrel with plastic wrap. This will protect the tree from the penetration of rain moisture and infection, which can finally destroy the seedling.
This method is good for early detection of mouse pests. Since small rodents try to eat away a narrow annular strip, then covered with a film, it gradually overgrows with callus influxes formed in the upper and lower parts. After removing the polyethylene, only a thin transverse scar will be visible on the trunk.
If, upon careful examination, it was found that the bark began to die off, the trunk dried up, that is, the cambium was significantly damaged or completely lost, urgent and drastic measures should be taken. The most proven method is the installation of cutting bridges. With partial damage to the cortex with a narrow wound, one such bridge is enough. With ring gnawing, you need to do more of them.
Thin twigs cut in winter or early spring (before sap flow) act as rescue bridges. Their length should exceed the width of the damage to the trunk by several centimeters. They are obtained from apple trees of the same variety as the wounded tree, or from another that is most resistant to severe frosts.
Before the start of sap flow, the safety of the cambium is checked. For this, polyethylene is removed from the wound. If a thin white layer is found under it, then the cambium is not destroyed and the tree can gradually return original view. If there is no such layer, then bridges are needed. It's important to know how to do them right.
- T-shaped cuts are made along the upper and lower lines of cortical damage.
- Both ends of the cutting are cut sharp knife at the sharpest possible angle.
- Prepared cuttings are inserted into the bottom line into the cuts and tied tightly cling film(it is more elastic).
- Then the other ends of the branches are placed in the upper slots and fixed with polyethylene.
- The entire "construction" is carefully covered with garden pitch.
These cuttings serve as connecting bridges between the upper and lower layers of the bark, which the mice have gnawed. If, after a while, influxes of living tissue appeared at the site of damage, then the cuttings took root and the tree was saved.
If the apple tree is eaten so that treatment is impossible, the trunk is cut down below the damage, leaving a stump. The saw cut is healed with garden pitch. Perhaps, living buds will gradually wake up and new shoots will grow.
In winter, it is useful to pack snow around the trunk to destroy mouse passages.
To prevent the winter invasion of mice, it is important to carry out preventive work in the fall. They should be done in September-October, with a warm autumn even in November.
- Collect all tops, garbage and plant debris and destroy them, it is better to burn them.
- Close the compost heap tightly.
- Whiten apple trees and others garden trees: trunk, low skeletal branches, thick roots.
- Dig carefully trunk circles about a meter away without breaking large clods.
- Tie first-year seedlings and young trees with prickly spruce branches, wormwood or elderberry, which repel rodents with needles and an unpleasant smell for them. To prevent mice from settling in a house or barn, you can also put branches of these plants there.
In winter, you should periodically look at the cottage. Especially after a snowfall. Fresh snow must be compacted around the trunks so that it becomes dense and closes the mouse passages. In parallel, it is important to examine the apple trees and take the first measures to save them. The sooner damage by small rodents to the bark is detected, the more likely it is to help the tree and keep it until spring.
Mice for apple trees - dangerous pests. But they do less damage to them than rats or hares. In the struggle for the safety of the garden, it is necessary to use comprehensive measures against all pests. Only then can beauty and good fruiting be achieved.