Hello, dear readers!Even if you invest all your time and effort into caring for tomatoes, you may miss something. We are not artificial storage devices! Each of us has our own business, favorite hobby, family, and finally. How can you manage everything here?

This seemingly harmless insect is capable of destroying the entire standing crop, biting into the juicy pulp of the fruit and eating tomatoes from the inside, without choosing whether they are green or red. This is an activity.

The dark brown body of the armyworm grows up to three centimeters in length, these caterpillars are quite large. Light wavy lines stretch along their bodies, and this animal also likes to eat peppers, eggplants, cabbage, onions and many other crops.

In June, when the cutworm pupa turns into a butterfly, these winged creatures lay a mass of eggs, and already on the fourth day, a merciless caterpillar crawls out of each egg and settles on the plant. By the way, in just two weeks it will become an adult, which is aimed at destroying the future harvest, and will begin to cutworms from the leaves.

The armyworm is active, in any of its states - from pupa to caterpillar, only at night, and it is either leaf-gnawing or gnawing. In simple terms, this means that the first lives on the ground, and the second lives underground.

Fighting caterpillars

Experienced summer residents use different methods of controlling caterpillars, depending on the condition of the pest and its period of development, and in this article we will figure out which of them are more effective.

• Moth owls are controlled using traps. Pheromone baits are hung at approximately waist level and filled with sour, fermented kvass. You should ensure that there is always leaven liquid in the trap containers, and remove all weeds in time before they bloom, so as not to leave food for butterflies.
• To get rid of pupae, you need to carefully dig up the ground in the fall and loosen all row spacing, selecting pupae by hand - they overwinter in the soil at a depth of 7-8 cm. If you start the correct crop rotation on the site, you can avoid the establishment of pupae.
• Spraying the soil and vegetation in the spring with various insecticides will help get rid of caterpillars. Drugs such as Karate or Proteus have already proven their effectiveness. But in the summer, it is best to treat tomatoes with organic preparations containing phosphorus: Zolon or Dursban.

External treatment against caterpillars of already mature and flowering tomatoes should be carried out in the evening, and if the plants are in the fruiting phase, then the tomatoes should be sprayed a month before picking the fruits.

There should be no more than two such treatments per year with full compliance with all dosages. Among drugs of biological origin, Fitoverm is the most famous.

• An effective method of combating underground or gnawing cutworms is Bazudin, which is buried directly in the moist soil.

Basic Rules

1. It is important to ensure that no plant debris remains on the site, as pupae can overwinter in them.
2. It is also worth fighting weeds in early spring for the same reason.
3. Constantly inspect plantings and greenhouses for pests.
4. Carry out preventive work in a timely manner and repeat after 10 days, since the cutworm reproduces constantly.
5. Do not allow the caterpillars to mature so as not to complicate your task.

Folk remedies

If you are against chemicals, or it is no longer possible to use extreme measures due to the ripeness of the crop, then in this case the following methods are quite applicable:

• Celandine, wormwood, tobacco and garlic are infused in a bucket of hot water for 24 hours in equal proportions per bucket of water. Next, this solution is filtered and mixed with planed soap to fix it on the sheet.
• Potato tops are infused in the same way, only it needs to stand for four hours. Insist on the ratio of a kilogram of tops to a bucket of water.
• You can sprinkle the plants with salt. Or dissolve it in water and thoroughly spray it on the foliage. For better adhesion, also secure with soap.
• A decoction of wormwood will also help against the scoop. It needs to be boiled for 15 minutes and applied twice every other week. You should take a kilogram of herbs and boil them in three liters.
• Caterpillars are also afraid of burdock. For those who have time, you can use the following recipe: pour fresh leaves with water and leave for three days. Process according to foliage.

Anti-aphid products are also excellent in the fight against cutworms.

Fight fire with fire

There are other ways to exterminate caterpillars. For example, setting those who feed on them against pests.

The introduction of Trichogramma or Bracona is a well-known practice and is the main means of mass pest control. They are bred in laboratory conditions.

is an entomophagous insect. It is capable of destroying more than 160 species of caterpillars even in the egg phase. This predator is very effective at exterminating precisely those insects that are not so easy to detect, such as cutworms.

Thus, with the help of some insects you can successfully exterminate other insects that harm the crop. And do this at different stages of armyworm development.

This is especially true for the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. And maybe for many of you this will be a discovery, but the functioning of the heart and blood vessels greatly depends on the health of the musculoskeletal system.

Therefore, now, during the autumn-winter dacha stagnation, I highly recommend Alexandra Bonina’s courses. "Secrets of a healthy lower back" And "Secrets of a healthy neck", a doctor and trainer who herself successfully overcame a disease such as osteochondrosis, and now helps others who want to get rid of it. I myself follow her lessons, and the effect is very noticeable!

And you, dear friends, have time to improve your health very well before the start of your dacha worries - you just need to purchase the course and do the recommended exercises!

Subscribe to my blog, dear friends, and you will learn many more interesting things.

Happy harvest and see you soon!

With all respect, Andrew

Enter your email and receive new articles by email:

Kira Stoletova

Caterpillars on tomatoes eat leaves, depriving the fruit of the necessary shade. They are also able to eat eggplants, bell peppers, cabbage of various varieties and crops growing nearby. Let's look at how to get rid of caterpillars on tomatoes and what drugs are effective in combating them.

Preventing caterpillars from appearing on tomatoes

Cotton bollworm usually appears on tomatoes in a greenhouse. It damages various crops: corn, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers. The cotton bollworm butterfly leads a hidden lifestyle and appears at dusk. In appearance it resembles a large moth with a wingspan of up to 3 cm. Cotton bollworm caterpillars can have different colors - brownish-green, dirty purple, etc. and have dimensions of up to 4-5 cm. If a cotton bollworm appears in the greenhouse, you should immediately begin to fight it. In a greenhouse, an insect appears through a window. To prevent this from happening, mosquito nets are installed on doors and windows. This control method helps prevent the appearance of caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse.

Precautions to help avoid pests:

• getting rid of weeds;
• treating the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate before planting tomatoes;
• checking the greenhouse for pests, treating seedlings with chemicals and from time to time;
• spraying at least once a week to prevent new eggs from appearing in case of infection;
• spraying with biological substances;
• getting rid of all remnants of vegetation after harvesting tomatoes;
• replacing the top layer of soil by 15 cm at the end of the season (earworm larvae overwinter in the soil).

Chemicals for processing tomatoes

The most effective method of controlling caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse is to treat the plants with chemicals. These substances are removed from the fruit within a month.

To fight the caterpillar with pesticides, you should follow the instructions for this substance, since excessive amounts of them in tomatoes can cause serious poisoning. Let's consider the most effective means:

Other effective poisons that help fight caterpillars on tomatoes include Aktara, Iskra, Mospilan, and Admiral. Over time, the caterpillar located on tomatoes treated with these pesticides develops immunity. After this, the drug should be changed.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):

In order not to miss the appearance of insect pest butterflies, and also to catch them, you can use glue traps. All insects are attracted to the color yellow. Gardening stores now sell these yellow glue traps. You can make them yourself. A sheet of yellow paper is glued onto the cardboard and coated with non-drying glue. Several of these traps are hung in the greenhouse. The appearance of butterflies stuck to the traps signals that it is necessary to spray the tomatoes in the greenhouse with insecticides.

Folk methods of getting rid of scoops

If caterpillars eat tomatoes, but there is no money to purchase chemicals, you can use traditional methods of control. Among them are:

• soap solution;
• wormwood decoction;
• decoction of tobacco dust;
• lather;
• very cold water, etc.

Caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse do not like the smell of garlic, so all seedlings must be treated with an infusion with the addition of garlic. To prepare it, take a bunch of garlic arrows and mix with boiling water in a 3-liter container. All this should be insisted for 3 days.

​Similar articles​​5. Remember that the caterpillar is easy to kill with drugs at a young age. When it grows up to five centimeters or more, it is not so easy to kill it with poisons.​

Scoops - who are they and what is their harm?

Why can't she be defeated?

Effective means against this pest are some ammonia fertilizers, the use of ash, chalk or lime, as well as the removal of wheatgrass from the area, the roots of which the wireworm feeds on.

• ​"Tsitkor";​
• ​One of the most dangerous pests for tomatoes is the mole cricket - an insect with small elytra and powerful digging paws, with which it makes deep nests and lays a large number of eggs there. The pest lives in the soil and therefore gnaws mainly on the roots and lower part of the stems of tomatoes.

​Various methods are used to combat this pest:​

Potato scoop

​All of these measures are really very good. But, nevertheless, experts are developing new ways to combat this harmful insect, since every year the armyworm adapts to existing drugs.​

But fortunately, there are methods to combat this insect:

​Eggs are laid in small groups on the leaves of weeds, sometimes just on the soil. The viability of the caterpillars occurs within a week.

How to destroy

​Both species are active only at night. Both butterflies and larvae hide during the day and remain in a stationary phase until dark. Let's take a closer look at each pest separately.​

exclamation scoop

​Back in 1969, the moth was brought to the American continent for industrial purposes for breeding silkworms. But attempts to develop this area failed, and the delivered insect eventually became a major pest in most of the United States and Canada.​

​6. Be sure to destroy in the fall all plant debris and fruits damaged by the cotton bollworm, and thoroughly dig up the area occupied by nightshade vegetable crops in order to reduce the number of wintering pupae. In the summer, be sure to carry out loosening, preferably with a cultivator between the rows - this way you will destroy many hidden “partisans.”

​To understand how to cope with a pest, you need to know its biology. The armyworm overwinters in the soil in the pupal phase. In early June, butterflies hatch from the pupae, and after 3-4 days they lay scattered pale yellow eggs on the leaves, stems and other parts of tomatoes or other cultivated plants. Depending on the temperature, the caterpillars can hatch as early as the third day. The development of the caterpillar lasts from 13 to 22 days. First they damage leaves, buds, and flowers. They cause especially great harm to tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants by penetrating into their fruits. In beans, they eat the leaves and seeds in the beans; in corn, they eat the cob. What makes the fight more difficult is that usually the emergence of bollworm moths lasts for a month or more. Therefore, the appearance of one generation subsequently overlaps with another, and summer continues without interruption until October - until frost kills the tomatoes.

​It is important to remember that tomatoes in a greenhouse cannot be protected from pests using one method - comprehensive measures to prevent harmful insects from causing damage to tomatoes are the most effective.

• ​"Leptotsid";​
• There are several ways to deal with mole crickets - you can try to either destroy it or expel it from the site. To repel insects, stretched strips of fabric soaked in kerosene are used, since its smell repels the creature. Vinegar or ammonia are also suitable for these purposes. Do not forget that over time the smell disappears and the fabric should be replaced. Another way is to place chrysanthemum branches next to the tomatoes: the mole cricket does not like this plant, and therefore is highly likely to leave the area.

Cabbage scoop

​Catching butterflies with bait.​

​One of the most popular pests that affects both root crops and plants that bear fruit on the surface is the common cutworm. Potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb and about three dozen other plants that are affected by this type of pest. The butterfly has a bright and two-color wing color of rusty yellow and brownish purple. Its caterpillar is large in size, reaching up to 0.5 cm, and has a yellow, sometimes off-white color.​

How to destroy?

To avoid damage to the crop by the armyworm, early planting of seedlings is recommended.

• ​At first they lead an open lifestyle, and then they hide, but with the onset of darkness they crawl out for reinforcements. Young insects gnaw out the juicy green leaves of plants right down to the veins, then bite into root crops, roots, and eat embryos and seed sprouts right in the soil. During the summer period, only one generation of this pest manages to reproduce.
• This insect breeds on ordinary non-chernozem soil. This species leads to colossal yield losses of potatoes, onions, rhubarb, sorrel and other plants. I would especially like to note the breeding of cutworms on tomatoes. Its appearance on tomato plantations is very common and leads to almost 100% yield loss. A butterfly of this species is characterized by large grayish-yellow wings with a red or brown tint. Its caterpillar is bright yellow or red in color with a longitudinal stripe on its back and reaches a size of half a centimeter.​
• Every year new methods of dealing with this problem appear. Similar pests include the cutworm, which causes significant harm to gardeners every year.​
• ​Electronic newspaper: "economy"​
• ​How to fight the armyworm​
• ​It’s interesting that pests’ tastes change noticeably. So, in recent years, Colorado has begun to avoid planting tomatoes and even eggplants.​

​"Decis".​

Heart owl

​Another fairly effective way is to create manure traps in a greenhouse with tomatoes: since the mole cricket loves manured soil, you can make holes with humus for it, and insects are highly likely to concentrate in them.​

Collecting caterpillars during harvest.

​Eggs successfully survive winter at the base of plants, as well as at elderberry bushes. Young caterpillars in the active phase are especially dangerous. They invade the stems and gnaw them from the inside. Such plants no longer have a chance to recover; they break and simply dry out. At the beginning of summer, mature caterpillars descend along the passages made in the stems and gnaw holes for the butterflies to emerge, after which they successfully pupate. One plant can be affected simultaneously by several caterpillars.​

Cutworm

​As an option, collect caterpillars and eggs of the pest by hand.​

​Methods of dealing with the exclamation scoop are as follows:​
​The laid eggs of the potato cutworm successfully survive the winter, and already in May they begin their revival.​

How to destroy?

This family has about 100 species. They are butterflies of various colors - gray, brown, often dark. Cutworm butterflies do absolutely no harm to the plant, since they feed exclusively on their nectar. But their offspring - caterpillars, eat everything that gets in their way.​

• ​1. It is necessary to regularly destroy weeds, starting in spring, to reduce the food base of butterflies and caterpillars.​

​All of them are quite effective against cutworms, but they need to be applied at the right time: in early June, when tomato fruit sets. In addition, it is recommended to do this systematically - be sure to re-spray after a week. By the time tomatoes ripen, the use of insecticides is not recommended; it is better to use biological agents, also several times, and do not delay it. In addition, be sure to remove damaged fruits, stems and leaves of tomatoes from the area in order to get rid of the pupae that will overwinter in them.​

​And after September, when the cold weather sets in, you just need to dig them up, and then lay them on the ground in a thin layer, and the mole crickets will die from the cold.​

LetovSadu.ru

Who eats tomatoes in a greenhouse / Caterpillars eat tomato fruits, photos and videos

​Destruction of all weeds, especially nettles, quinoa, and white goosefoot, on which the armyworm especially likes to lay its eggs.​

Medvedka

​The methods used to combat this cutworm are the same as those used to destroy the potato cutworm.​

​Foliar feeding of plants with potassium chloride and superphosphate.​

Careful destruction of all weeds that serve as food for young caterpillars;

​The initial food for young caterpillars are leaves and stems of cereals. Already adult insects move to larger plants, damaging the stems and root system in their path. The period of transformation of caterpillars into pupae takes place at the beginning of summer directly in the soil near the affected plants. The mature adult butterflies fly out and lay new eggs on wild plants such as timothy and wheatgrass until mid-autumn. Eggs can also be laid on potato and rhubarb leaves. This species reproduces only one generation.​

Scoop

​Depending on their feeding method, these insects were divided into two groups:​

They were taken to some kind of laboratory and immediately destroyed! The control sample devoured two caterpillars and one laboratory assistant.​

​2. Observe the timing of chemical treatments: inspect the beds with tomatoes during the period of mass flowering and at the beginning of fruit set; If eggs or caterpillars are found, spray with one of the following drugs: Citcor, Decis, Inta-Vir, Iskra, Leptotsid, Kinmiks, Confidor.​

• ​At one time, the biggest concern in tomato plots was the potato aphid. Now the main enemy of tomatoes is the cotton bollworm, which makes holes in the fruit. Moreover, the caterpillars themselves act like real guerrillas - they eat fruits at night, and in the morning they hide in the soil at the base of the bushes, where they can be found by carefully raking the soil. This tactic explains the enormous harm - one caterpillar can make holes in almost all the fruits on the bush, which immediately rot!
• ​Despite the fact that the wireworm is a beetle, the main damage to vegetable crops, including tomatoes, is caused by its larvae, which are more like caterpillars or worms. The period of their formation into adults is up to two years, and during this time they can cause serious damage to tomatoes in a greenhouse.​
• ​Recently, the cutworm caterpillar has been significantly damaging the tomato crop in the greenhouse. This is a rather voracious pest, the beginning of the development cycle of which coincides with the ovary of tomato fruits, so its presence on the site can be determined by the perforated and rotten tomato fruits, which it actively eats.

​Spraying with compounds used to destroy cabbage cutworm.​

Wireworm

​The most dangerous for almost all cultivated crops is the fall armyworm. It is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of the countries of the former Soviet Union. The list of plants affected by it includes about 40 crops. But most of all she prefers rutabaga, tomatoes, cabbage and radishes. The butterfly has bicolor wings of brown and red with two spots of yellow and gray on the surface. Caterpillars come in both green and brown colors.​

​A very effective method of spraying cabbage with insecticidal infusions based on burdock, wormwood, and potato tops.​

​Treatment of crops with lepidocide solution. It is necessary to dilute 2-3 grams of the substance in 1 liter of water.​

​Methods of combating this pest are the destruction of all plant residues after harvesting, as well as the disposal of all weeds belonging to cereal varieties. Such measures are often used to destroy many other pests.​

​Gnawing armyworm feeding on underground fruits of plants. Its species include: potato, exclamation and winter cutworms.​

yavteplice.ru

How to deal with cutworms, or who makes holes in tomatoes

​I'll ask my dad... he knows​

​3. Be sure to repeat spraying with one of the above-mentioned insecticides after 7 days, since the hatching period of the caterpillars is extended, and the waiting period must be observed.

​Broad orientation​
It is quite difficult to get rid of wireworms, and therefore complex measures should be used to combat it. First of all, you need to plant a special plant among the tomatoes that is incompatible with the pest. White mustard or radish are suitable for these purposes; they can repel insects from tomatoes. On the other hand, you can plant barley or oats, which the wireworm actively gnaws. After it infects these crops, they will need to be removed from the plantation and destroyed, since they will contain a lot of larvae.​

​The fight against the caterpillar is difficult because individuals appear continuously and in large numbers. At the caterpillar stage, they can live up to 22 days, so even a small number of them can cause significant damage. Pest populations usually die in September, when the first cold weather sets in.​
​All these measures to combat the armyworm are very effective, the main thing is that they must be carried out in a timely manner and according to instructions. Then the plants will be healthy and give you a wonderful harvest.​

The garden cutworm can produce two generations in the southern regions and one in the northern regions. Corn, millet, and sugar beets are the first crops that young caterpillars begin to infect. Then they move to cereals and melons.​

​Not a single application of lepidocide, phytoverm 5 days before the start of harvest.​

​Another harmful insect, widespread almost everywhere, is the cabbage cutworm. Her preference is the following crops: cabbage, peas, beets, lettuce and onions. This is a butterfly that has brown wings with a kidney-shaped gray spot on the surface. Initially, its caterpillar has a lush green color, then it changes to a brown-brown shade with lines on the back.​
The screech owl reproduces very successfully and is distributed almost everywhere. This species attacks the root crops of the crop. The insect got its name due to the presence of a coloration in the form of an exclamation mark on the surface of the wings. The caterpillar has a gray-brown color with a yellowish tint and reaches a size of half a centimeter. Mature caterpillars tolerate cold well and overwinter in the soil at a depth of about 30 cm, where the pupation process occurs in the spring.​
The leaf-eating armyworm eats fruits and plants located on the surface of the ground and leads a terrestrial lifestyle. This species includes: alfalfa, cabbage and garden cutworm.​
​try to eat such a bastard)))​
​4. During the period of ripening and harvesting, only biological preparations can and should be used. Carry out at least two or three treatments at weekly intervals.​
It’s hard to say what caused the “change of orientation” of this scoop. Another thing is that its caterpillars do not have much choice: the appearance of butterflies coincides with the flowering of tomatoes, and the caterpillars emerge just when a green ovary appears, which will quickly begin to ripen as soon as holes are made in it. However, the cotton bollworm is a real indiscriminate pest. He eats more than 120 types of crops: in addition to tomatoes and cotton - peppers, eggplants, beans, sunflowers, even tobacco and many others. This year, cutworm caterpillars also tried to eat corn cobs, despite frequent treatments. In particular, they treated the beetle, which stuck to the panicles and spoiled the stigmas of the cobs. But then, during the collection, they discovered a lot of caterpillars, which from the side of the stigmas were biting into the cobs, but, never reaching the grain, they died from the action of the Regent and Confidor.​
In addition to those described above, measures to mechanically destroy the pest can be effective: piles of manure are placed between the tomato beds, in which the wireworm larvae feel comfortable, and in September these piles are burned, and thus the insect is destroyed. In addition, after harvesting, you can dig up the soil to a depth of twenty centimeters, and the larvae lying in it will die from the cold.

​The first and simplest measure to reduce the number of cutworm caterpillars will be timely removal of weeds from the greenhouse, as this will limit their feeding. Next, the tomatoes should be subjected to chemical treatment. The following drugs are suitable for this:

Caterpillars have gotten into the habit of eating tomatoes - is there a type of tomato that eats caterpillars?

*noreturn*

​You can determine who is eating tomatoes in a greenhouse by the nature of the damage to the vegetables.​

While the gardener sleeps, some pests “drill” holes in the tomatoes. Dangerous insects can completely deprive the crop if measures are not taken.

Who gnaws holes in tomato fruits

Among insects, there are rare gluttons - cutworms and leaf miners. They are difficult to detect due to their nocturnal lifestyle. Holes in the fruits are made by the caterpillars of the above butterflies.

Scoops

When average daily temperatures approach 18 o C, the flight of the noctuid begins, lasting about a month. Tomatoes are most often attacked by cotton bollworms - inconspicuous gray-brown moths with a wingspan of up to 3 cm. When dusk comes, they lay yellow eggs on the undersides of the leaves of tomatoes and other garden crops. After a week, green or brown caterpillars hatch. They are the criminal elements who bite the tomatoes. True, at the beginning of development, when the gnawing apparatus is still poorly developed, young individuals are satisfied with leaves. Adult caterpillars reach 3 cm in length. 3–4 generations are born per season. Cutworms overwinter and pupate in the soil at a depth of up to 10 cm.

The bollworm has red antennae, green eyes, and several black spots on its wings.

In total, there are about 35 thousand species of cutworms in the world.

Moli

The tomato leaf miner is common in southern Russia. This light silver butterfly lays cream-colored eggs. The caterpillar is green at first and turns red as it matures, with a black longitudinal stripe appearing on its back. Maximum length - 9 mm. The pest bites into stems, stalks, and ovaries. The caterpillars pupate on the tops, wrapping themselves in a silky cocoon. A new generation of moths appears after 14 days.

The homeland of the tomato moth is South America

Control measures

Both of the above pests are dealt with in the same way.

Agrotechnical techniques

Moths and cutworms often lay eggs on weeds: quinoa, acorn grass, nightshade, henbane. Infected plants must be eliminated as early as May to deprive the caterpillars of uninterrupted power supply.

Cotton bollworm caterpillars can have different colors: from green to brown-brown.

In addition, agronomists advise:

• observe crop rotation;
• install nets on the transoms of greenhouses to prevent moths from entering;
• Do not throw holey fruits directly into the compost; first cut the tomato and destroy the caterpillar;
• After harvesting, burn plant residues;
• before the onset of frost, dig the ground to a depth of 15 cm to reduce the number of wintering pests;
• at the end of the season, spray the soil and greenhouse premises with insecticides.

If possible, in winter the greenhouse is cooled at a temperature of -10 o C for two weeks. Caterpillar pupae cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to negative temperatures.

To detect the pest, farmers use light and pheromone traps. The latter are produced for both cotton bollworm and tomato moth.

Pheromone traps are also used to track the timing of the start of butterfly flight.

Ordinary gardeners use homemade baits.

Making a trap for cutworms and moths:

1. Holes of 5x5 cm are cut out in the upper part of the plastic bottle.
2. The following mixture is poured into this container: beer, sour compote and a little vegetable oil or liquid soap.

Several baits are suspended in the garden at least a meter above the ground.

Tomato moth - quarantine pest

Spraying

If moths appear in your traps, it's time to act.

Folk remedies

It is easier to prevent caterpillars from infesting tomatoes than to get rid of them later. Folk remedies that repel cutworms and moths are effective.

Preparation of garlic broth:

1. Boil 200 g of garlic in 3 liters of water for an hour.
2. Strain, add water to 10 liters.

Preparation of burdock infusion:

1. Fill a third of the bucket with chopped burdock leaves.
2. Add water to the top and leave for three days.

Spray tomatoes with the above products once every 10 days.

Burdock is a useful plant that repels many harmful insects and even mice

How to get rid of cutworms - video

Chemical and biological drugs

If the caterpillars have already attacked the leaves and fruits, traditional methods are powerless. Spray tomatoes once a week with biological products:

• Agravertine;
• Bitoxibacillin;
• Lepidocide.

Insecticide Proteus - an effective remedy for pests

Almost every year I encounter cutworms on tomatoes. I try to inspect the underside of the leaves and crush the caterpillar eggs by hand. But this is not enough, we have to turn to chemistry. The most effective drug turned out to be the insecticide Proteus. True, it needs to be applied 20–30 days before eating tomatoes, so that the harmful substances decompose. The drug has a systemic effect and kills even those worms that have settled inside the fruit. I noticed that the next year after using Proteus there were significantly fewer pests.

To combat cutworms and moths, it is better to use a set of measures: agricultural techniques, folk remedies and store-bought preparations.

06.02.2018

Hello, dear readers! Even if you invest all your time and effort into caring for tomatoes, you may miss something. We are not artificial storage devices! Each of us has our own business, favorite hobby, family, and finally. How can you manage everything here?

This seemingly harmless insect is capable of destroying the entire standing crop, biting into the juicy pulp of the fruit and eating tomatoes from the inside, without choosing whether they are green or red. This is the activity of a caterpillar called the cutworm.

The dark brown body of the armyworm grows up to three centimeters in length, these caterpillars are quite large. Light wavy lines stretch along their bodies, and this animal also likes to eat peppers, eggplants, cabbage, onions and many other crops.

In June, when the cutworm pupa turns into a butterfly, these winged creatures lay a mass of eggs, and already on the fourth day, a merciless caterpillar crawls out of each egg and settles on the plant. By the way, in just two weeks it will become an adult, which is aimed at destroying the future harvest, and will begin to cutworms from the leaves.

The armyworm is active, in any of its states - from pupa to caterpillar, only at night, and it is either leaf-gnawing or gnawing. In simple terms, this means that the first lives on the ground, and the second lives underground.

Fighting caterpillars

Experienced summer residents use different methods of controlling caterpillars, depending on the condition of the pest and its period of development, and in this article we will figure out which of them are more effective.

• Moth owls are controlled using traps. Pheromone baits are hung at approximately waist level and filled with sour, fermented kvass. You should ensure that there is always leaven liquid in the trap containers, and remove all weeds in time before they bloom, so as not to leave food for butterflies.
• To get rid of pupae, you need to carefully dig up the ground in the fall and loosen all row spacing, selecting pupae by hand - they overwinter in the soil at a depth of 7-8 cm. If you start the correct crop rotation on the site, you can avoid the establishment of pupae.
• Spraying the soil and vegetation in the spring with various insecticides will help get rid of caterpillars. Drugs such as Karate or Proteus have already proven their effectiveness. But in the summer, it is best to treat tomatoes with organic preparations containing phosphorus: Zolon or Dursban.

External treatment against caterpillars of already mature and flowering tomatoes should be carried out in the evening, and if the plants are in the fruiting phase, then the tomatoes should be sprayed a month before picking the fruits.

There should be no more than two such treatments per year with full compliance with all dosages. Among the drugs of biological origin, the most famous are Aktofit and Fitoverm.

• An effective method of combating underground or gnawing cutworms is Bazudin, which is buried directly in the moist soil.

Basic Rules

1. It is important to ensure that no plant debris remains on the site, as pupae can overwinter in them.
2. It is also worth fighting weeds in early spring for the same reason.
3. Constantly inspect plantings and greenhouses for pests.
4. Carry out preventive work in a timely manner and repeat after 10 days, since the cutworm reproduces constantly.
5. Do not allow the caterpillars to mature so as not to complicate your task.

Folk remedies

If you are against chemicals, or it is no longer possible to use extreme measures due to the ripeness of the crop, then in this case the following methods are quite applicable:

• Celandine, wormwood, tobacco and garlic are infused in a bucket of hot water for 24 hours in equal proportions per bucket of water. Next, this solution is filtered and mixed with planed soap to fix it on the sheet.
• Potato tops are infused in the same way, only it needs to stand for four hours. Insist on the ratio of a kilogram of tops to a bucket of water.
• You can sprinkle the plants with salt. Or dissolve it in water and thoroughly spray it on the foliage. For better adhesion, also secure with soap.
• A decoction of wormwood will also help against the scoop. It needs to be boiled for 15 minutes and applied twice every other week. You should take a kilogram of herbs and boil them in three liters.
• Caterpillars are also afraid of burdock. For those who have time, you can use the following recipe: pour fresh leaves with water and leave for three days. Process according to foliage.

Anti-aphid products are also excellent in the fight against cutworms.

Fight fire with fire

There are other ways to exterminate caterpillars. For example, setting those who feed on them against pests.

The introduction of Trichogramma or Bracona is a well-known practice and is the main means of mass pest control. They are bred in laboratory conditions.

Trichogramma is an entomophagous insect. It is capable of destroying more than 160 species of caterpillars even in the egg phase. This predator is very effective at exterminating precisely those insects that are not so easy to detect, such as cutworms.

Thus, with the help of some insects you can successfully exterminate other insects that harm the crop. And do this at different stages of armyworm development.

This is especially true for the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. And maybe for many of you this will be a discovery, but the functioning of the heart and blood vessels greatly depends on the health of the musculoskeletal system.

Therefore, now, during the autumn-winter dacha stagnation, I highly recommend the courses of Alexandra Bonina “Secrets of a healthy lower back” and “Secrets of a healthy neck”, a doctor and trainer who herself successfully overcame a disease such as osteochondrosis, and now helps others who crave it get rid of. I myself follow her lessons, and the effect is very noticeable!

And you, dear friends, have time to improve your health very well before the start of your dacha worries - you just need to purchase the course and do the recommended exercises!

Subscribe to my blog, dear friends, and you will learn many more interesting things.

Happy harvest and see you soon!