Bugs They are insects notorious for the stench they give off when crushed, but those who cultivate the garden know that these insects can also be a nuisance to the crop, as they sting the leaves and fruits of plants.
There are different types of bugs: the green thumbtack It is an autochthonous insect that we are used to knowing, it has recently been joined by asian insects , accidentally imported causing a real invasion in our ecosystem. There is also cabbage bugs red-black in color, which are another definitely annoying pest for agriculture.
While in recent years bugs were a minor annoyance, in recent years they have become a big problem for orchards and vegetable gardens and it is more common to find them in homes too, especially the Asian species.
make the situation worse the incredible resistance of this parasite to any treatment and the ability to adapt to even the most aggressive chemical insecticides. For this reason, it is not easy to defend against insects with natural methods and to protect your crops it is necessary to know the habits of the insect, to be able to identify it in time and to intervene. try to find out how to get rid of insects and how to keep them away from our cultivated plants always using biological methods.
Contents [Ocultar]
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Crop damage
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What crops are attacked by insects
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Fight insects with natural methods
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Manual control and physical barriers
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manual destruction
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insect nets
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insecticides against insects
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pyrethrum against insects
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Marseille soap or mild potassium soap
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Neem oil against insects
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Natural Insect Remedies
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Biological control: antagonists and pheromones
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antagonistic insects
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pheromone traps
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Types of insects…
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the green thumbtack
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The Asian or Chinese bug
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rossoneri cabbage
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crop damage
Bugs they hurt when they feed In fact, this insect eats parts of the plant and fruits.
Damage to plants and fruits. The insect attacks the plant by feeding on its sap, which is the practice of bites from which it sucks the liquid. When it attacks the particular fruit, it ruins the crop. Traces of insect attacks on plants can be recognized by the punctures that the adult insect creates on the leaves, causing chlorine brands and drying of plant tissues.
additional complications. Although the bites of these insects on the leaves and fruits are mainly aesthetic damage, the problems that the chinch bugs cause do not stop there, the lacerations of the plant tissues that they cause are indeed frequent. vectors of viral, fungal and bacterial diseases.
During the summer, starting in June, the bugs produce three or four generations. Because of this ability to reproduce, the nuisance they cause to agriculture generally increases in July and August as the insect proliferates.
What crops are attacked by insects
The insect is an insect phytophagous which means it feeds on plant parts, and polyphagous , which means that it feeds on different types of plants. These two characteristics make them a broad-spectrum enemy of the garden and orchard, stink bugs attack various types of plants.
Tomato and other nightshades. The garden plants most harassed by insects are certainly the tomatoes , favorite vegetable of the green insect and also appreciated by Asian species. Readers often write to me asking for remedies to get rid of tomato bugs. These pests also do not disdain other fruit-bearing nightshades, that is, eggplant Yes Pepper . Pepper is less harassed, probably the capsaicin it contains repels parasites.
cruciferous plants . The cabbage intended for the entire cruciferous family, is the other type of horticulture plagued by stink bugs, especially the black and red stink bug, which is also called “cabbage bug” . While it is true that in fruit plants the damage is greater, notches in cabbage leaves are always a great nuisance, so even when these plants are infested it is good to intervene.
Other plants. Among the aromatic plants, the Basilic it is the most loved by the insect, which can irreparably ruin the leaves. Other plants that attract the parasite are corn and mustard .
Insects and the garden. The insect is also the sworn enemy of almost all fruit plants: apples, pears, plums, apricots and pears are fruits that can be the object of the attention of this insect, which does not even disdain the leaves.
Fight insects with natural methods
Bedbugs, like many other insects, are able to quickly reproduce , so if you want to practice effective biological control, you have to act quickly. The best time to do this is in early summer. before this pest can produce new generations, since stink bugs reproduce during the summer at the rate of three or four generations per season.
In organic farming, insects can be controlled with the aim of eliminating them, using pyrethrum or neem oil as insecticides, or macerating them with garlic and hot peppers which act as repellents, to eliminate them. Another system that can be effective is the infusion of tobacco.
Manual control and physical barriers
Before using insecticide treatments, which are not always effective against insects, it is a good idea to experiment with mechanical barriers that can keep them away. To eliminate them on a small scale, manual insect removal is also a valid option.
manual destruction
beetle
In the garden, on a small scale, it is possible to make thorough checks in June for the purpose of eliminating eggs and neanid insects.
Neanids are the juvenile stage of the insect, black insects with white and yellow spots. They are not difficult to catch and if they can be removed early the damage can be limited later in the summer.
Mass destruction prevents bugs from proliferating but if the first generation manages to spawn then it is difficult to stop the infestation, so the operation must be done no later than June.
net of insects
In the garden you can also choose to control insects with nets which prevent the production of eggs between the leaves of the foliage of fruit plants.
It is an expensive and laborious method, but it allows not to treat with insecticides against insects. Obviously, the nets must be removed during flowering to allow pollinating insects to do their job.
insecticides against insects
Bedbugs are unfortunately very resistant insects to insecticide treatments, however there are certain products that can hit the insect and knock it down. I recommend using them as little as possible. Chemistry doesn’t always work: Fighting the insect with pesticides does not offer great long-term results, even when done with toxic chemicals: these insects are, indeed, extraordinarily adaptable and able to create increasingly resilient generations to the different products to eliminate them.
Pyrethrum against insects
Among the insecticides authorized in organic agriculture against insects, one can use pyrethrum, a biological insecticide which acts by contact. Because it works, it is very important to identify nests, usually on the tops of certain plants like ivy, raspberries and apple trees, and nests newborns (neanids) which are more sensitive to the insecticide.
The adult insect, on the other hand, is more often solitary and for this reason it is difficult to exterminate all the specimens. However, pyrethrum is an insecticide that has its own toxicity. , so heed the warnings and use it sparingly and with caution, possibly avoiding its use. In particular, since it can kill bees, it is not necessary to defend against pyrethrum bugs during flowering periods.