How to treat cucumbers from aphids: folk remedies, preparations, ammonia

Aphids are a well-known horticultural pest that parasitizes almost all cultivated plants. Despite its microscopic size, the insect causes great harm to plantings due to its abundance. Aphids on cucumbers are quite common, so plantings should be regularly inspected and urgent measures taken if pests are found. Inaction can lead to a complete lack of harvest and death of plants.

What is dangerous aphids for cucumbers

The melon aphid most often settles on cucumbers. It is a sucking pest that feeds on plant sap. The insects themselves do not differ in significant sizes, an adult does not grow more than 2 mm. However, their extreme fecundity poses a serious threat; within a few days, an aphid colony can grow hundreds of times. For their nutrition, insects make numerous punctures in the leaf plates and in young stems, which leads to the inhibition of the plant. Their growth stops, the shoots are deformed, the leaves of cucumbers curl and gradually die off.

No less harm to plants is caused by aphid secretions – a sweet honeydew that attracts ants. This sticky white substance coats the leaves, closing the pores and blocking the air exchange process. Ants that feed on honeydew use aphids as a kind of dairy cows, transferring them to new areas and protecting them from dangers in every possible way.

Another danger for cucumbers is that these insects are carriers of dangerous viral diseases such as mosaic. By piercing the leaves, these pests deliver the virus directly to the internal tissues of the plant, resulting in a rapid and extensive infection, usually resulting in plant death.

Ways to deal with aphids in cucumber beds

There are many means to protect the planting of cucumbers from the invasion of aphids. These include the following.

• Mechanical. Small colonies can be washed off with water or wiped with a damp cloth.
• Biological. Such methods include planting next to cucumbers and laying out in the aisles of some types of plants that repel aphids.
• Chemical. They consist in the treatment of plantations with various means that destroy insects.

How to get rid of aphids on cucumbers with chemicals

Chemical preparations for aphid control include intestinal and contact insecticides. They act quite quickly and effectively, but their use is possible only for a limited time, namely at the beginning of the growing season. Flowering cucumbers should not be processed, as this will kill not only the aphids, but also the bees that pollinate the plants. An additional side effect of the use of such products is that the toxins contained in insecticides can accumulate in fruits or in the soil and are removed from there for quite a long time. Therefore, after using some chemicals before harvesting, it is necessary to withstand a certain time, sometimes up to 20-30 days.

Effective remedies for aphids are the following chemical preparations for aphids on cucumbers:

• Inta-Vir.
• Karbofos.
• Spark.
• Fufanon.
• Commander
• Actellic.

For the treatment of cucumbers, the drug is diluted in clean water in accordance with the recommendations indicated on the package. For processing plantings, it is better to choose a dry, non-hot day. All plants should be sprayed, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves of cucumbers, on which aphids usually live.

How to deal with aphids on cucumbers with biological preparations

Biological preparations have one indisputable advantage over insecticides: they are less toxic and more environmentally friendly. Typically, such funds are used at an early stage of the appearance of aphids. These drugs include:

• Actophyte.
• Biolin.
• Bitoxibacillin.
• Arrow.
• Tanarek.
• Fitoverm.

Unlike chemicals, the active substance, for example, in Fitoverm, is a neurotoxin of biological origin, isolated from some groups of soil fungi. When this compound enters the body of an insect, the nerve centers are blocked, due to which the pest stops moving and eating and dies after a certain time.

The processing of cucumbers with biological products is carried out by spraying, as well as when using chemicals. It is very important to adhere to the indicated dosage when preparing the solution, otherwise other insects may suffer from the use of such compounds.

How to deal with aphids on cucumbers folk remedies

There are many ways to remove aphids on cucumbers that have been repeatedly tested by time. Many of them are absolutely harmless and are aimed not at destruction, but at scaring away the pest. It is possible to use such means against aphids on cucumbers during fruiting.

How to save cucumbers from aphids with ammonia

An aqueous solution of ammonia (ammonia) is a good remedy for aphids on cucumbers. To prepare the solution, you need 50 ml of ammonia. It must be diluted in 10 liters of clean water. For better wetting and holding power, liquid soap and vegetable oil (3-5 tablespoons) are added to the solution. With this composition, you need to process the plants, systematically spraying all the lashes of cucumbers.

How to kill aphids on cucumbers with mustard powder

Add 3 g of mustard powder to 100 liters of boiling water. Mix well, let stand. After the powder has settled, carefully drain the resulting infusion from the sediment. Cool, add up to a whole bucket of clean water, soap and 4-5 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

How to remove aphids from cucumbers with vinegar

Vinegar is a cheap and effective aphid killer, but it must be used with great care. This substance is a fairly strong organic acid and, if the concentration is exceeded, can leave burns on the leaves. It will take 1 tbsp. l. food vinegar 9%, dissolved in 1 liter of clean water, 1 tbsp. l. soap in shavings or solution.

The use of a solution of vinegar for spraying cucumbers from aphids – in the video:

Hydrogen peroxide from aphids on cucumbers

Hydrogen peroxide is not only an effective remedy against aphids and other pests, but also a good top dressing. To prepare a spray composition for 1 liter of water, you need to take 50 ml of peroxide and 50 g of granulated sugar. Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable substance and decomposes in the open air, so the treatment is repeated several times with an interval of 7-10 days.

wood ash treatment

Many gardeners use wood ash as a fertilizer for top dressing, as well as a means to deoxidize the soil. The infusion of this substance is a weak alkali, so it is used to normalize the pH level in the soil, along with such products as dolomite flour, chalk or lime. To prepare a composition for spraying cucumbers from aphids, dilute 10 kg of wood ash in 0,2 liters of water and insist for a day.

A little liquid detergent is added to the composition of the mixture for better fixation on the leaves.

Soap in the fight against aphids on cucumbers

Soap solution is quite effective and safe, its solution is easy to prepare. You need to take 10 liters of clean water and add 100 g of laundry soap, previously grated, to it. Such a solution can not only process cucumbers, it is also used to wipe the leaves on which the aphid colony is located. The soap solution not only washes away insects, but also removes honeydew.

Onion peel – an effective remedy for aphids on cucumbers

An infusion of onion peel is a fairly effective and absolutely safe way for plants to get rid of small sucking insects. To prepare this remedy, you need 0,2 kg of onion peel, pour 10 liters of boiling water. After this, the infusion should be allowed to brew for 4-5 days. Then the product must be filtered, after which you can proceed to the processing of cucumbers.

Other folk remedies for aphids on cucumbers

Processing cucumbers from aphids during the fruiting period and the rest of the time can be done with other folk remedies. Here are the most popular ones:

• Pine extract. To prepare the solution, 1 tsp is enough. dilute the extract in 10 liters of water. For better retention on the leaves, it is advisable to add a few drops of liquid soap.
• Tobacco dust. This is a fairly effective remedy against many pests. To prepare the infusion, it is necessary to pour 0,2 kg of tobacco dust into 10 liters of water. Insist for a day. After that, the solution is filtered, 50 g of soap chips are added to it, after which the cucumbers are processed. Not all gardeners consider it acceptable to use tobacco dust due to the content of nicotine in its composition, therefore, in the infusion, many quite successfully replace it with celandine or dandelions.
• Garlic water. In 10 liters of boiling water, squeeze 150 g of fresh garlic. Infuse for a day, then strain, after which you can use the infusion to spray cucumbers from aphids.
• Baking soda. The well-known sodium bicarbonate can also be used to treat cucumbers from aphids in greenhouses and exhaust gases. To prepare the solution, you need 10 liters of pure water and 50 g of baking soda. The components must be mixed, adding a few tablespoons of sunflower oil and liquid laundry soap for better fixation on the leaves, and then watering the cucumbers from aphids.
• Vodka. According to gardeners, a water-alcohol liquid is an excellent remedy for aphids. This method has one significant drawback – the price.
• Coca Cola. This popular fizzy drink contains phosphoric acid, which kills aphids.

How to spray cucumbers from aphids at different stages of development

The sooner it is possible to detect aphid colonies, the more gentle methods it can be destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the plantings of cucumbers daily, and if insects are found, measures should be taken immediately. At the initial stage, aphids can be dealt with simply by washing them off with a stream of water or by wiping the leaves with a piece of cloth dipped in soapy water. If the aphid population has reached a significant number, it is necessary to use biological, and in extreme cases, chemical means.

Insecticides can be applied before flowering and after fruit set. At the same time, a certain time must pass before harvesting, during which the chemical will either decompose into safe components, or its concentration will become harmless. This period depends on the type of insecticide and must be indicated on its commercial packaging. Biological agents can be used during all periods of cucumber growth, however, they also have restrictions on the use before harvesting.

Folk remedies are the safest and can be used throughout the growing season. However, even they should not be abused. About 1 month before harvesting, it is not worth spraying cucumbers from aphids, otherwise the cucumbers will have an extraneous taste and bitterness.

How to protect cucumbers from aphids

Prevention of the appearance of aphids on cucumbers is of great importance, because it is always better to prevent a disease than to deal with its consequences. In order to prevent the invasion of insect pests, it is necessary to maintain good air exchange in greenhouses, to prevent thickening of plantings, and to remove drying and twisted leaves and tops in a timely manner. Be sure to get rid of ants on the site and not break cucumber beds next to anthills. The found colonies of ants are poured with boiling water.

To protect cucumber beds from aphids, it is recommended to plant nearby plants with a strong odor that are not attacked by these pests, such as garlic. It’s also nice to have crops growing nearby that attract aphids’ natural enemies, such as ladybugs. These include carrots, dill, etc.

Conclusion

Aphids appear on cucumbers quite often, but the gardener has a lot of tools in his arsenal to resist the invasion of these pests. In many cases, this problem can be solved without the use of heavy pesticides, the use of which for any purpose is always a last resort. You should always start with prevention, and if necessary, try to destroy aphids on cucumbers, first of all, with folk remedies, while using the most gentle, safe and environmentally friendly preparations.