How to deal with a sawfly
The sawfly is the enemy of forests, orchards and vegetable gardens. These or those species of this beetle are found in almost all corners of the planet. Fighting the sawfly is difficult, but possible.
Depending on the species, the dimensions of this beetle can be from 2 to 32 mm. It belongs to the same family as wasps and bees – to sedentary belly. This means that his head is not separated from the body. Pests mate in early spring. Then they make cuts in different parts of the plants and lay their eggs there. They also inject a substance into the incision that protects the eggs. From it, part of the plant rots.
Sawfly larvae quickly eat plants
The most dangerous are not the beetles themselves, but their larvae. They look like caterpillars, but they have 8 pairs of legs and 2 eyes. Immediately after birth, these small pests begin to eat plants at a tremendous speed. Towards the middle of summer, a second wave of larvae hatch, which also actively feeds on your plants. Thus, the garden suffers from this pest in both spring and summer.
Each species of this beetle prefers its own plant – roses, gooseberries, plums, etc. However, there are no significant differences in appearance and methods of struggle.
How to get rid of the sawfly?
Here are some effective folk remedies for controlling this insect:
- Collect 1 kg of flowering herb Aconite, pour 10 liters of water into it, add 30 ml of alkali there. Insist 2 days. Add 40 ml of liquid soap and process the vegetable garden. This remedy works well, but it should be used in the spring, when the beetles are just starting to breed.
- Take 1 kg of flowers and chamomile leaves, chop them finely, pour 10 liters of warm, but not hot water. Let it brew for 12 hours. Add another 10 liters of water and 80 g of liquid soap. This remedy is effective against pest larvae.
- Pour 1,2 kg of wormwood with 10 liters of water, leave for 3 days, strain. Add 100 g of baking soda and process the vegetable garden.
- Pour 2 kg of any needles with a bucket of water and put them in a dark place for a week. Stir the potion daily. Strain the infusion, dilute it with water in proportions of 1: 3 and use for spraying.
- Add 10 ml of liquid soap and 20 g of soda ash to 70 liters of water. Mix well, use for spraying.
There are many chemicals against the sawfly – “Arrivo”, “Karbofos”, “Chlorofos”, etc. The “Aktara” remedy is especially effective, since it simultaneously affects various pests of the garden.
Remember, this pest will not leave your garden on its own. You need to fight it and use radical methods, otherwise you will lose the entire crop.