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A worm in a cherry indicates that the plant is most likely affected by the larva of the cherry fly. Females of this type of pest make holes in the fruits of the tree and lay eggs in them. Then the developing larvae begin to eat cherries, which causes damage to the berries.
When such fruits fall to the ground, the larvae burrow into the soil for the winter and reappear in the spring as flies. If cherries are infested with these pests, you need to act quickly to get rid of them before too much damage is done.
Why cherries are wormy: causes and methods of struggle
The cherry fly is a small insect whose length varies from 3 to 5 mm. She spends the winter in the upper layers of the soil, and when it starts to warm up, she gets out to the surface to find food. These pests consume cherry aphid secretions, which have a sweet taste, as well as cherry and cherry juice.
When the flies are satiated, they start laying offspring. Pests lay eggs inside the cherry. The wormy fruits begin to rot and fall to the ground.
The detection of worms in early varieties of cherries is a rather rare case, because the flies do not have time to lay their larvae in them. In order to fight these pests, gardeners loosen the ground around the tree trunk in autumn, summer and spring. The crop must be harvested very quickly, and the fallen cherries must be thrown away. When there are too many cherry flies in the garden, the trees need to be treated with insecticides.
Life cycle of the cherry fly
The life cycle of the cherry fly is divided into three stages.
Departure and mating stage
This type of fly belongs to the family of variegated flies. She is born within a year. Adult insects fly out of the ground when it becomes warm and the ground warms up to +10 °C.
They don’t start laying eggs right away. First, the female should eat the juice of the early fruits. She does this within 12-14 days. Next comes the mating stage, and the female lays the larva.
Oviposition occurs during sunny weather. The temperature must be at least +18 °C. First, females hatch from eggs, males – on the 4th or 5th day. Adults fly for about 45 days. After the fly lays an egg, it dies.
Stage of development of the larva
A week after oviposition, a white worm half a centimeter long hatches. The larva begins to eat the pulp, approaching the fruit bone.
This stage lasts 16-20 days. After its completion, when the length of the pest is already from 6 to 8 mm, it is selected and passes into the pupal state.
pupal stage
Usually the first pupae appear in early June. In order for a fly to complete its life cycle, it needs a low temperature. That is why cocoons hibernate in the ground. They become flies in April or May of the following year.
Damage caused
The cherry fly harms all varieties of cherries. The damaged fruit becomes soft, darkens and ripens ahead of schedule. Because of this, the cherry begins to rot and fall to the ground.
These pests can destroy the entire cherry crop. Because of them, small depressions appear on the berries. The larvae devour the flesh of the fruit, making it soft to the touch.
How to use worm cherries
Wormy cherries can be eaten and various jams or compotes can be prepared from it. To make sure that there are no pests in the fruits, it is necessary to first clean the fruits from larvae.
How to peel a worm berry
To get rid of pests in sweet cherries, they can be soaked in salt water for several hours. In particular, such a procedure is desirable before preparing jam or compote from berries.
Just pour water into a large container and add a couple of tablespoons of salt. You need to stir the liquid and pour the cherry into it. After 2-3 hours, the worms will get out of the berries and float to the surface.
Is it possible to eat wormy cherries
Many people eat cherries without looking inside to check for pests. And those who check, throw out the berries that the worms damaged.
There is a small chance of poisoning if the worm has been living inside for too long and the berry has had time to rot a little. But eating fresh infected fruits does not affect human health in any way. Wormy berries can be eaten without fear for your condition.
What can be done with wormy berries
After cleaning the worm cherries, various compotes and jams can be made from it. You can just eat it, but not everyone is pleased to realize that there were worms in the berries. So if a person is squeamish about damaged berries, but it’s a pity to throw them away, preservation is an excellent way out.
Cherry fly control
To fight the cherry fly, at the beginning of spring it is necessary to cover the ground around the tree trunk with black film or roofing material. They will not allow overwintered pests to fly out of the soil.
Harvest must be harvested very carefully. Do not leave fruits on the tree. Fallen berries must be collected and buried in the ground for half a meter.
How to spray cherries so that they are not wormy
Treating cherries with chemicals is desirable only in extreme cases, when other means have not brought any effect. For processing, you can use any insecticide, for example: Iskra, Aktara, Karate or Fufanon.
When to spray cherries for cherry fly
Cherry trees and soil must be sprayed during the period of mass emergence of flies. If chemicals are used for processing, it must be stopped two weeks before the start of harvest.
If the trees are treated with products without chemicals, it is necessary to repeat the procedure after rains.
Spraying cherries from cherry flies after flowering
Immediately after flowering, Bordeaux liquid (0,1%) must be used for processing. If obvious signs of infection appear, Topaz or Chorus should be added to the solution.
After 2 or 3 weeks, you need to treat the cherry tree again with Bordeaux liquid.
How to treat cherries from cherry fly
Cherry fly can be controlled by various means, depending on the time of year and the degree of infection of the trees. First, the plant should be treated for prevention with folk remedies that do not contain chemicals.
If the tree is infected, and folk remedies fail, it is necessary to use chemicals.
Medicines for worms on cherries
Here is a list of the most effective drugs:
- “Spark”. The most appropriate would be the use of the “Double Effect” series. The main components of this tool are permethrin and cypermethrin. They provide the tree with protection for 60 days. Sweet cherries do not need re-treatment even after rains. The tool is sold in the form of a concentrated emulsion, which is intended for the manufacture of a working solution. It costs about 20 rubles.
- Aktara. This drug is a means of complex effects. It is available in powder form. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to dilute it in water. With this drug, you need to process the crown and the ground near the trees. It costs about 40 rubles.
- “Karate”. This remedy can be used for the prevention of cherry fly, as it fights aphids. They need to spray the leaves in the mornings and evenings if there is no wind. The price of the drug is approximately 30 rubles.
- Fufanon. This tool is suitable for pest control in a large area. The composition of the drug includes thiomethoxam. They can process cherry trees in any weather. The packaging costs about 20 rubles.
How to get rid of cherry fly folk remedies
To prevent the appearance of cherry flies, you can treat the tree with a solution of folk remedies that fight aphids. Such means include tobacco, a decoction of wormwood and laundry soap.
Spraying cherries from worms without chemicals
The best ingredient for creating a chemical-free solution is pine needles. You just need to take one branch of pine or spruce, put it in a pot filled with water, and bring it to a boil. Processing wood with such a tool is harmless and effective.
Also, to combat worms in cherries, you can use a solution with garlic, onions, wormwood, tobacco or nightshade.
Cherry fly traps
To combat worms in cherries, it is necessary to use special glue traps. Their efficiency is approximately 60-70 percent.
This tool can be made by hand. To do this, you just need to cut a lot of small pieces of red or yellow cardboard paper, grease them with glue and hang them on a tree.
When the berries have faded, you need to hang cut bottles with a sweet liquid inside on a tree. Its scent will attract insects. Traps need to be monitored, new liquid added to them and dead pests thrown out.
How to deal with a cherry fly on a sweet cherry: preventive measures
In order to avoid infection of cherry berries with a cherry fly, only early varieties of this plant can be grown. Its fruits are usually ripe before the flies start laying eggs.
However, even if the insect still manages to lay eggs, at the time of collection the larvae will be very small and invisible to the naked eye. They will not spoil the appearance of the berries and will not cause severe harm to the crop.
Also, to avoid getting pests into the cherries, it is necessary to dig up the earth around the tree trunk before the flies fly out. This procedure helps to get rid of a significant part of the pest cocoons.
Conclusion
If a person finds a worm in a sweet cherry, he should take immediate pest control measures, as all trees may be infested. For the treatment of plants, you can use both folk remedies and chemical preparations. The choice of means should depend on the degree of infection and the time of year.