Spider mite on pepper
Content:
Spider mites are one of the most common pests that can be found on a wide variety of crops. Solanaceae are no exception, and on them the spider mite also loves to breed, feeding on the upper, deciduous and stem parts of the plant. In this article, we will tell you in more detail how and why this mite spreads on tender peppers, and how to deal with this pest, if it has already appeared.
Spider mite: pest description
What does a spider mite look like on pepper: photo
Many gardeners often mislead themselves by agreeing with the statement that the spider mite is an insect pest. In fact, spider mites are arachnids, which can only be seen under a magnifying glass. The body length of an adult female spider mite is only 0.4 millimeters, and the males do not even reach that size, so it is impossible to notice them with the naked eye, but the traces of their presence are very clear.
Spider mites are sucking arachnids, their color depends on what time of year they spread, as well as on what they eat. With their stylets, spider mites can pierce the leaf plate and suck out the cell sap from it until the plant loses its vitality and sheds infected leaves. Populations spread very quickly, and this can happen in several ways at once:
- females migrate with the currents of the wind in appropriate weather, and they do this thanks to the cobwebs that weave
- mites can crawl from one plant to neighboring ones simply on the soil
- also, ticks can cling to a person's clothing, or to an animal's fur, and then land on completely different parts of the site.
Spider mite: life cycle
What does a spider mite look like on pepper: photo
It is interesting to consider the life cycle of a spider mite. As soon as he settles on the plant, the female begins to very actively draw sap from the plant, and also develops a perfect web. She also lays eggs under it, making an ideal refuge so as not to harm her children. Under favorable temperature conditions, larvae and nymphs soon develop from the clutch of eggs, but this requires both temperature and sufficient air humidity, otherwise the eggs will simply die, drying out. The larvae mature in about 25 days, or even less. In one season, an average of 18 generations of spider mites grows, and all of them, of course, if no preventive measures are taken, then in the future they will simply spread to the entire plot, destroying the harvest on their way, in particular the pepper harvest.
The web is of great importance for their life. It can mark the boundaries of several dozen colonies that settle on plants, and the very necessary microclimate is created in the cobweb in order for the larvae to develop faster and more actively. Only female ticks and eggs leave for wintering, and in general, at this stage of the life cycle, there is a pause in the life of spider mites - they stop feeding, develop, they are generally in a stage called diapause. Mites overwinter in cracks in the bark of trees, as well as in wooden structures, which seem to them to be the safest and most suitable.
Spider mites on pepper seedlings: how to detect a pest?
What does a spider mite look like on a pepper: photo
There are several signs by which you can immediately understand that the spider mite has infected the peppers, and they need to take measures to combat this pest. Ticks pierce the plant, so uncharacteristic points can be seen on the leaves, which are also called "marbling of the deciduous part". Over time, the points begin to reunite, merge, and the dots acquire an unhealthy brown hue. Cobwebs also appear on the leaves and stems as the tick moves through the plant. Parts of the plant that are too tightly braided with cobwebs begin to lose their vitality and dry very actively. This may be due to the fact that the quality of photosynthesis decreases and the transpiration of the leaf progresses. If a plant is very strongly affected by a spider mite, then its yield may decrease by about 60%, and this is a fatal indicator.
There are several main reasons why a spider mite appears on pepper seedlings and spreads very quickly through the bushes. The first reason is that the air temperature is high outside or in the greenhouse. Ticks become active when the temperature reaches about twenty degrees. The rate of reproduction increases as it gets hotter. The second reason is low humidity levels. The spider mite feels great in dry air, and the optimum humidity may not exceed 40%. A third reason for the spread of spider mites on peppers is that plants can experience the most obvious water stress. If there is a lack of water in the tissues of the plant, then a soluble carbohydrate begins to be produced in the leaves, and it just increases the fertility of the mites. There is one more reason. Its essence lies in the fact that the gardener gives the plants too much nitrogen-containing fertilizers. If the plant is overfed with nitrogen, then it attracts mites even more, and also affects the weight of the females, the intensity of fruiting and the condition of the eggs.
In protected ground, the spider mite shows its maximum activity, since it is there that there are all the most favorable conditions for its development, life and, of course, reproduction. Just as vegetable peppers in most regions of our country are grown in greenhouse conditions, the fight against ticks comes first in Central Russia, the Urals and Siberia. However, in the southern parts of the country and outdoors, peppers are attacked by ticks.
Spider mite on pepper: how to fight?
What does a spider mite look like on a pepper: photo
There are several ways in which you can fight spider mites so that they do not have time to destroy the entire crop and move to new crops. Acarin is a drug that belongs to the subspecies of intestinal acaricides. During the first eight hours after the drug was applied to the plant, the mites are immobilized, unable to feed, which is why they die very quickly. It should be borne in mind that Akarin is very dangerous for bees.
- Apollo Is a selective contact acaricide that can sterilize adults very quickly. Eggs and nymphs die very quickly and have no chance to develop further. Unlike Akarin, Apollo is completely safe for bees. The third drug - Actellic - belongs to the group of non-systemic insectoacaricides. It works not only against ticks, but also against many other pests, and the essence of the action is that the drug enters the tick's gastrointestinal tract and kills it from the inside, since the pest simply cannot feed. Dangerous for bees.
- Dicofol 20% - a low-toxic acaricide that affects the tick through its intestinal system. Effective both against adults and against eggs and nymphs, completely safe for bees. Another drug is Kleschevit.It is an insectoacaricide that also acts on the pest through the gastric and intestinal tract. As soon as the substance enters the pest's body, it causes paralysis, as a result of which the tick cannot move, eat normally, and after a while dies. The drug is also very dangerous for bees, and this should be borne in mind when purchasing.
Folk remedies
What does a spider mite look like on a pepper: photo
It is important for every gardener to know that spider mites adapt quickly enough to various chemical acaricidal preparations. Therefore, you cannot use the same remedy several times in a row - it is best to alternate funds, increase and decrease doses, but do it in accordance with the instructions for use. In addition to such chemicals that are sold in specialized stores for gardeners, there are also some folk remedies that are also quite effective against ticks.
Folk remedies for combating spider mites on pepper are practically safe for the person himself, and they will allow the gardener to save their financial resources. For example, plants can be washed with a laundry soap solution. Of course, it is impossible to completely get rid of the spider mite thanks to this tool, but for that its populations will noticeably decrease, and this is already a huge plus, because in this case, small doses of chemical acaricides can be used.
Alcohol treatment of the plant - the leaves must be wiped with a moistened sponge. Alcohol should not be diluted with water or other solutions, otherwise it will lose its effects, it will dry even longer than it will cause burns on the delicate leaves of peppers. Due to the fact that alcohol is an expensive tool, it is best to use it in small areas where plantings are located. Gardeners also prefer to spray peppers with a henbane-based decoction. For this, about three kilograms of fresh raw materials are cut, boiled for three hours, after which they are filtered and bred in a bucket. Sprinkle the peppers. Tobacco decoction is also great for sprinkling peppers, as the appropriate flavor of the decoction repels many pests. Garlic tincture has the same properties, you can also add some laundry soap to it to enhance the effect. Thanks to folk remedies, you can achieve very good results, especially if the spider mite has not yet had time to strongly infect the plant. Also, these decoctions are quite safe, so they can be used not only upon infection of peppers with a tick, but also for preventive purposes.
Of course, there are ways thanks to which spider mites can be dealt with quite successfully without endless spraying. To do this, the gardener uses an integrated approach, which consists of exactly two key components: these are activities that will increase the plant's immunity, as well as the use of natural enemies that will allow you to cope with a variety of diseases without much physical, time and, of course, material costs ... It is possible to breed their own natural enemies against ticks, but not all gardeners use this method, in truth, only a small part of them. Mites of other species - phytoseiulus - are very effective in the fight against spider mites. These are the same predatory arachnid mites that feed on spider mites. Populations are sold directly in bottles, where they are mixed with sawdust or vermiculite. In one bottle, there are about two thousand individuals who are ready to fight spider mites.
This type of mites should be used in this way: conditions are created in the greenhouse under which the humidity rises to almost 80%, the mites are poured from the bottle into special applicators with holes made, these structures are hung directly on the stems or between the pepper bushes. It is worth remembering that these mites do not live very long, so the bottle should be used immediately after it has been purchased and opened.
Stimulants
What does a spider mite look like on a pepper: photo
In order to strengthen the plant's resistance and its immunity, you can use some popular stimulants.Mival-agro is a drug that belongs to the type of organosilicon biostimulants. This preparation contains a rather powerful adaptogen and antioxidant, thanks to which the peppers strengthen their resistance to external attacks, and for this reason their condition improves rather quickly, and this is a huge plus for the gardener. The second drug - Immunocytophyte - is based on arachidonic acid, which allows the peppers to adapt faster and more successfully after the seedlings have been planted in open ground. In addition, the resistance to fungal and viral diseases is improved. Epin-extra is one of the most famous drugs on the Russian market today. Thanks to him, peppers can more successfully resist various stressful situations, temperature changes and even frost. Carvitol is a bioregulator that combines the properties of not only a biological stimulant, but also an adaptogen and fungicide. It increases the plant's resistance to various external factors and irritants, improves the appearance of the bushes and their vital processes.
There are several mistakes gardeners make when they take action to combat spider mites on peppers. The first mistake is that gardeners use a lot of insecticides. A spider mite is not an insect, so insecticides against it are completely useless and ineffective. Secondly, when a gardener uses the same drug many times, the mites can adapt to its effects, develop immunity and stop perceiving it as a killer. The third mistake is that often the gardener does not prepare the greenhouse for the ground in the best way. After the planting season is over, it is necessary to disinfect the greenhouse, wash it and remove any residues from the plants. It is also best to treat the soil immediately with acaricidal preparations. Thus, the fight against spider mites on peppers and their seedlings will be most effective if the gardener uses some preventive measures, and also monitors the health of the peppers. In addition, it is best to objectively assess lesions on plants, because in often cases it is best to get rid of the affected bush, since it will no longer be possible to reanimate it.
