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The larvae of the beetle often infect strawberry plantings, since the soil under the plants is not completely dug up for several years. Caterpillars cause irreparable damage to plants, reduce yields by destroying leaves and roots. In order to save a berry plantation, you need not only to know how to get rid of the Maybug on strawberries, but also to choose the right method.
The female lays up to eighty eggs and then dies
What does a May beetle larva look like?
The life cycle of an insect consists of four stages – egg, larva, pupa, adult. Adults fly out of shelters in the spring, mate for a month and a half and lay eggs in the ground to a depth of 20 cm. After thirty to forty days, larvae hatch from them, not at all like beetles and live in the soil for up to four years. At first they look like little white worms. In the first year, they do not have a mouth organ, so they feed on humus and small roots. The following year, they begin to eat the roots of trees and shrubs, and a year later they reach maturity, their appetite is maximum. During this period, the body of the caterpillars is thick, soft, white, curved in an arc. Length – from 3 to 5 cm. The head is large. Three pairs of legs are yellow-brown in color, spiracles are on the sides of the body, wings are not developed.
At the end of summer, they turn into pupae, which later become beetles. The cycle is repeated again.
Signs of a pest
It is possible to detect the beetles by perforated foliage, as a result of which photosynthesis is disturbed, the plants weaken, turn yellow and wither. The larva, unlike the adult May beetle, eats strawberry roots and thereby causes much more harm to it. Such a plant dies, it is easy to remove it from the ground. When digging, you can find damaged roots and the white thick caterpillars themselves. Other signs of pests on strawberries include:
- Delayed growth and development.
- Blackening of stems.
- Lack of flowers and ovaries.
- Drooped leaves.
The caterpillar hibernates deep in the ground, at this moment it is difficult to get rid of it
What will happen if you do not fight the pest
In the first year of life, the caterpillars are small and practically harmless, but gradually their voracity grows and in the second year the May beetle larvae eats up the roots of strawberries and, if you do not fight the pest and get rid of it, all the bushes can be destroyed very quickly.
Khrushchev love sandy soils, they are less common on clay soils. Females are more willing to lay their eggs in loose soil, so they breed very quickly in well-groomed areas with rich fertile soil. If you do not get rid of them in time, only a few individuals can damage the roots of berry bushes over a large area. Most often, pests are spread around the site when fertilized with organic matter from compost heaps.
How to get rid of Maybug larvae on strawberries
To remove the May beetle larvae from strawberries, you need to use one of the methods that is most suitable for specific conditions. Depending on the degree of damage to the site, you can apply:
- Physical methods – digging, collecting, catching, destroying.
- Agrotechnical – digging the soil, the use of green manure.
- Folk – the use of products and plants with a strong odor.
- Chemical – treatment with toxic substances.
Chemical preparations from the larvae of the May beetle on strawberries
The most effective means of struggle with which you can get rid of the May beetle is chemical preparations. The toxins included in the composition leave no chance for pests. You need to purchase them in specialized stores and from trusted sellers, and apply them during the period of active growth of the bushes.
Bazudin
A non-systemic organophosphorus insecticide capable of maintaining its properties for up to six weeks after being applied to the soil. To get rid of the May bug, use according to the instructions for spring planting strawberries.
With the help of Bazudin, pests are destroyed in a translaminar way
Zemlin
Toxin of contact and intestinal action. It helps to get rid of not only the larvae of the beetle, but also other pests that live in the soil. The active substance of Zemlin is diazonin. Sprayed on the surface of the soil and added to the holes when planting strawberry seedlings.
30 g of Zemlin’s preparation is enough to get rid of the beetle on an area of 20 square meters
Force
“Force” is produced in granular form, which is convenient when applied to the soil at the time of digging. Apply a week before planting strawberries. Upon contact of the larvae with the granules, death occurs after 20-30 minutes.
30 g of Zemlin’s preparation is enough to get rid of the beetle on an area of 20 square meters
antikhrusch
A professional tool that allows you to get rid of pests at any stage of their development. The liquid concentrate is diluted with water and watered with strawberries from the larvae of the May beetle. Properties are preserved for forty-five days after processing.
With the help of Antikhrushch, it is easy to get rid of the May and Colorado beetles, their larvae, aphids, wireworms, mites and leafworms.
Shafts
Insecticide for systemic contact and intestinal action. It is produced in the form of water-soluble granules. After treatment, the drug spreads through the cells of the plant, and the larvae eat them and die. It can be applied only under the root, Vallar’s foliage treatment is not recommended.
Pollution of ground and surface water with Vallar is practically excluded
The use of biological products
If the number of pests in the soil is small, it is possible to destroy the May beetle larvae on strawberries using biological products. They contain bacteria or fungi that are toxic to the cartilage. The use of biological products in the recommended concentrations does not pose a danger to people, animals, beneficial insects and does not destroy the ecosystem of the site.
Phytoverm
The drug is applied to plants during the growing season. To be sure to get rid of the beetle, three treatments should be carried out with an interval of one week. The protective action lasts from seven to twenty days. The disintegration period of the drug is three days. After processing, the berries can be harvested after two days.
For plants, Fitoverm is non-toxic, does not accumulate in them.
Nembakt
The active component of “Nemabakt” is an entomopathogenic nematode that serves as a medicine for soil infected with the cockchafer. The drug is absolutely safe for humans. After processing, you can get rid of pests for two years, “Nemabakt” destroys them even at the stage of larvae and they do not have time to harm strawberries.
Entonematoda hibernates during the cold season, and with the onset of heat, it again gets to work.
Aktofit
Aktofit is an acaricide of biological origin, a neurotoxin. Based on a soil fungus. Getting into the body of the May beetle, the drug destroys its nervous system and leads to death. Pests stop moving and eating 8 hours after spraying, and you can completely get rid of them only after two to three days.
The maximum effect of Aktofit is observed on the fifth or sixth day.
Folk remedies for May beetle larvae on strawberries
You can get rid of Khrushchev with the help of folk remedies. The simplest, but time-consuming method is manual collection of the pest. After the onset of heat, they rise in the soil to a depth of 20 cm. The method is inconvenient, since it will not be possible to collect all the individuals, and constant digging of the soil does not bring any benefit.
The treatment of strawberry bushes with onion infusion helps to get rid of the Khrushchev. To do this, 100 g of onion peel is poured into 10 liters of water and insisted for five days. After that, the liquid is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and the foliage and soil under it are treated.
You can fight the Maybug larvae on strawberries with a solution of ammonia (15 ml per 10 liters of water). Processing is carried out in spring or autumn.
Pest traps
Adult individuals of May beetles do not cause much harm to plants, but in order to prevent mass reproduction, they should be caught and destroyed. DIY traps make this process easier and help get rid of the insect. To this end, they take a plastic bottle, cut off its upper part, and pour fermented jam, compote, beer or kvass into the lower part and hang it on trees. Periodically, the tank must be cleaned of trapped insects and bait added.
To make a night trap, they take a jar, grease it from the inside with something sticky – grease, honey, syrup, and attach a flashlight to the bottom. At night, it is turned on, attracting insects that stick and cannot get out of the trap.
In addition to the beetles, other harmful insects also fall into the trap.
Landing green manure
If it is impossible or unwilling to use one of the previously described methods for the destruction of May beetles, green manure is used. They not only allow you to get rid of pests, but also improve the composition of the soil.
The site is carefully dug up and sown with lupins. Plants should be close to each other so that the pests have nothing to eat except its roots, a real poison for May beetles and their larvae.
White clover, peas and beans are used as green manure. They are able to accumulate and retain nitrogen in the upper layers of the soil, which is detrimental to pests.
You can get rid of the Khrushchev with the help of mustard crops, which are mowed and buried in the soil.
How to protect strawberries from cockchafer larvae
In order to prevent Khrushchev from entering the site and get rid of it in time, a number of preventive measures are taken:
- Mulch the soil with fine straw, wood shavings or bark.
- Elderberry branches are laid out on the ridges, the smell of which repels insects.
- Cruciferous plants are planted next to strawberries – turnips, turnips or odorous plants – marigolds, garlic, onions.
- Bury mustard shoots and cabbage leaves in the soil.
- Attract birds and hedgehogs to the site.
- Regularly change the place of planting strawberries.
Conclusion
To get rid of the May beetle on strawberries, it is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of the plants, and at the first sign of damage, take measures to destroy the pests. If you miss the alarm signals, you can not only lose the current year’s harvest, but also lose all plantings of berry bushes. A variety of methods of control and prevention allows you to work quickly and most fruitfully.
