Colorado potato beetle in the garden

Colorado potato beetle in the garden: a pest story

This striped pest acquired its name in 1859 after the devastation of potato fields in Colorado. A native of Mexico, the striped beetle walked across America, terrifying the inhabitants, as the Colorado beetle in the garden destroys potato crops.

In 1875, beaches near New York were covered with heaps of moving beetles, the railways were so covered with insects that trains had to be stopped. At the same time, many farmers began to abandon the cultivation of potatoes.

In 1876, this insect with a cargo of potatoes came to Western Europe. And in the 20th century it spread to the territory of Russia

The Colorado potato beetle is a real nightmare for gardeners, because it quickly adapts to any environmental factors.

He is able to hibernate at any time of the year. Despite its incredible gluttony, it is able to starve for up to 2 months. And he's very prolific.

What it eats.

The favorite delicacy of the Colorado potato beetle is potato leaves, which he chews with gusto until the end of summer. And not everyone knows that potatoes are far from the only plant that these pests can spoil.

If there are not enough potatoes, then the beetles can "switch" to eggplants and tomatoes.

The biggest threat to the crop is not the adult striped beetles, but the larvae, since the greatest nutrition is required during the period of active growth. Colorado beetles find "potato" places with the help of a highly developed sense of smell.

And this advantage can be turned against them - plant strong-smelling plants next to the potatoes (calendula, marigolds, legumes, garlic, onions and horseradish) and the number of beetles will decrease several times. Yes, they will not disappear at all, but this will help preserve the harvest.

Hatching from eggs, the larvae of this insect go through 4 stages of growth, the most voracious and dangerous they are just in the fourth stage. Having eaten densely, they burrow into the ground, after about two weeks they become beetles and crawl out to the surface.

As a result, we have the following chain: in the spring, overwintered adult beetles eat the tops, then their larvae, and then young beetles.

How to fight.

What will help us in the fight against this garden terrorist?
If you have nothing against insecticides, then you can use such drugs as "Aktara", "Antizhuk", "Zhukomor", "Ratibor", "Fitoverm" - there are many of them, there is plenty to choose from.

It is necessary to spray in the morning or in the evening in comfortable weather - when there is no wind, rain or heat. Most likely, more than one treatment will be required over the summer, and with repeated use of the drug, insects get used to it, so insecticides must be alternated.

The main thing is to carefully consider the recommendations on the packaging and be careful.
But many people prefer to fight the pest using folk methods, without chemicals, so we will consider such options.

The oldest method remains especially effective - collecting insects and exterminating them. If your potato (tomato, eggplant) plantation is not particularly large - with regular inspection and collection of insects, the crop should not suffer.

Many people dust the plants with ash. Birch is considered to be especially destructive. After the first pollination, in a couple of days you will see the result.

We remember that the Colorado potato beetle is picky and there are odors that are especially unpleasant for him, so the aisles can be covered with coniferous or birch sawdust.At the beginning of the season, do this a couple of times a week, and once a month is enough after flowering.

Experienced summer residents recommend infusions and decoctions for spraying, which will also help reduce the pest population. They are made on the basis of leaves and green fruits of walnuts, celandine, birch tar.

The recipe is very simple with a minimum amount of ingredients: pour half a bucket of poplar leaves with water, boil for 15-20 minutes, bring the volume of liquid to 10 liters and wait 3 days. Everything can be sprayed.

But sadly, we have to admit that it is impossible to eliminate this pest once and for all. So what remains is to drive him from their sites and share experiences