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There is probably no such pest that would cause so much harm to garden crops as the Colorado potato beetle. Eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and especially potatoes suffer from it. With a large accumulation of this pest, potato plantings can be eaten clean in just a week. This bug accomplished such a “feat” in the USA back in the century before last, leaving the whole state of Colorado without potatoes, which is why it got its name.
Life cycle of a leaf-eating pest
The life cycle of the beetle begins in the spring, when adults crawl out of the ground after hibernation. Mating occurs immediately, after which the female lays eggs on the inner surface of the leaves.
To do this, you need to carefully examine the bushes and destroy the eggs. After about two weeks, and in hot weather even earlier, larvae hatch from them, which are much more difficult to fight.
The larvae grow quickly and are gluttonous. In order not to lose the harvest, they, like adult beetles, must be fought.
Pest control
You can collect these pests manually, fight them with folk methods, but all these methods are not always effective and require repetition. A radical way is to fight the Colorado potato beetle with the help of insecticides.
Characterization of pesticides
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There are enough tools that effectively help to cope with this problem. There are several main active ingredients used to control insects.
- organochlorine compounds.
- Artificially synthesized pyrethroids, analogues of natural pyrethrin.
- Alkaloids.
- organometallic compounds.
- Phosphorus organic compounds.
Clotiamet from the Colorado potato beetle
It is on the basis of the latest compounds that the drug Clotiamet from the Colorado potato beetle was created, user reviews about it are very good.
Mechanism of action
The main active ingredient of this insecticide is clothianidin. It belongs to the group of neonicotinoids. These drugs are related to all known nicotine, but, unlike it, are much less toxic to humans and mammals. The target of the insecticide Clotiamet is the nervous system of insects. It blocks nerve impulses, causing paralysis and death of insects, including the Colorado potato beetle. The drug acts in three ways at once: contact, through the intestines, getting into all organs and systems of insects.
When processing potato plants, the drug is absorbed not only by leaves, but also by roots. Pests eat insecticide-treated leaves and die. The drug is effective from the moment of treatment, and the death of pests occurs no later than a day. Clotiamet protects potato leaves for about two weeks.
How to apply
Very little preparation is required for processing. If you follow the instructions for use, only 0,5 g of Clotiamet is diluted with 2 liters of water, with which it forms an emulsion. After thorough mixing, another 8 liters of water are added. This amount is enough to process 2 acres of a potato field. Processing is carried out using a sprayer.
Processing can be carried out only once, it should be timed to coincide with the mass colonization of potato plants by beetle larvae. You can go to the treated area after 5 days.
The danger of the drug
Clotiamet is not phytotoxic. For a person, it has a hazard class – 3, i.e., the degree of danger is moderate. The same is true for mammals. For some fish it can be dangerous. Moderately dangerous to birds. Clotimet is extremely dangerous for bees and bumblebees. It causes destruction of bee colonies. Because of this, it was even banned for use by the EU. Compared to the well-known and banned in many countries drug DDT, popularly referred to as dust, the toxicity to bees of preparations based on clothianidin is almost 7000 times greater.
Advantages
- The latest development.
- Does not have phytotoxicity.
- Fast and fairly long acting.
- Compatibility with other insecticides and fungicides.
- Low consumption and easy application.
- Low price, about 30 rubles per ampoule.
With proper application and compliance with all personal safety standards, Clothiamet insecticide is a good option for controlling the Colorado potato beetle.