The fig tree is one of the most resistant and rustic fruit species, so it lends itself very well to organic cultivation, which requires little fertilization and sporadic treatments, only when necessary.
Although it is rare for a fig tree to fall ill or risk being compromised by pests, when this happens we can intervene with ecological and harmless methods and means for the environment, always in terms of organic gardening. .
Sometimes the sweet nature of the fruit attracts predators such as birds or insects, such as wasps and bumblebees, which are particularly unpleasant if the fig is in the garden. So let’s see below what the main pests and insects are and what solutions to choose to defend the fig tree.
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Birds
When figs ripen, they are very attractive to birds such as blackbirds and starlings, which peck at them.
It is not easy to keep birds away with natural methods because visual bollards such as scarecrows, scary balloons, cd roms or strips of aluminum foil wrapped around branches have a limited effect over time. . The birds soon realize they are harmless threats and continue to feed on the figs.
In some cases, the birds eat the fruit more out of thirst than hunger, so it is better to install water troughs filled with water in the garden or orchard, especially if the period is dry. This way the birds will find at least one alternative water source and possibly attack fewer figs.
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In addition to birds, certain insects can damage the fig crop, especially wasps and bumblebees are attracted to the fruit, while the plant is prone to black fig and scale insect infestation.
Wasps and hornets
Wasps and bumblebees are quite aggressive insects, when the fig tree produces its sweet fruits it ends up attracting many of these insects. The damage they cause is not so much related to attacking the fruit as to the risk of stings for those who live in the garden or work in the orchard, which is particularly dangerous for people with allergies.
To organically reduce the presence of wasps and bumblebees, food traps such as Tap Trap or Vaso Trap should be used, which have a mass trapping effect. A fundamental attention is to install the traps already in the spring, when the insects leave the winter and begin to reproduce. In fact, in the spring, the queens begin to lay eggs and capturing them before this phase could lead to a significant reduction in their presence. These traps have a yellow lid, a color that attracts insects, this increases the effectiveness of the bait.
Traps should be left hanging from trees until the figs ripen so that they continue to catch wasps and hornets throughout the summer season. Remember to renew the bait at least every two weeks, emptying its contents and restoring it so that it is always attractive. Neglecting this maintenance would be detrimental to the effectiveness of the traps because too many dead insects would accumulate, which would rot and give off a bad smell, with a repulsive effect on the living bumblebees.
Baits for catching wasps and bumblebees are mainly made of sweet substances, bait recipes are simple, and they are produced by themselves from simple ingredients. For example, one can mix 1/2 liter of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a glass of red wine vinegar.
black Point
Black punch is a sort of distant origin, absent from our circles until a few years ago. This insect began to spread around 2005, first in Liguria and then in Tuscany, and continues to spread in other regions. It has no specific antagonists yet and is spreading smoothly, but it is hoped that research will gradually identify at least one species with which to begin biological control.
The black awl has a rostrum, a beak-like frontal organ, with which it digs tunnels at the base of the plant, in the neck region. Inside these galleries, it lays the eggs from which other specimens are born, which will continue to damage the wood. Punch also attacks fruit, causing it to rot. In the most serious cases, the plant wilts because the insect compromises the interior of the pots, and unfortunately it must be cut down.
Recognize the presence of the black hallmark . It is not often that the fig suffers from drought, being an aridity-resistant species, so if you see a wilted fig you must go and look at its base because the cause could be the awl. In less serious cases, it is still possible to intervene by treating with coppery green at the base of the plant, to disinfect the wounds and save it. You can also try treatments with the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, and this is a particularly ecological defense method.
cocciniglia
The fig mealybug, also called ceroplast, affects not only the fig tree but also several plant species, being rather polyphagous. Its body is protected by a rigid white-pink shield in the female, gray in the male.
The damage What mealybug colonies cause to the plant is the aspiration of sap, as well as the production of sticky molasses which encourages attack by soot or other fungi.
Each female of this insect can produce up to 1,500 eggs, but fortunately it only makes one generation per year. In July-August, scale insects are in the neanid stage, that is to say the juvenile forms still devoid of a rigid shield. East It’s the right time for the fight which is simpler and therefore achievable effectively with ecological means and products.
The most harmless way for the environment is the spraying of fern macerations, and if you have few plants we can clean the branches and the trunk with a wire brush or with cotton soaked in alcohol. If, on the other hand, there are a lot of plants, treatments with mineral oils can be carried out. mineral oils they are indeed authorized in organic farming, but they are still petroleum products, phytotoxic in some cases and potentially harmful to predatory mites (those that feed on red and yellow spider mites or other pests), so read labels carefully and use them carefully. Also, you should know that there are mineral oils for winter care and mineral oils for spring-summer care, so depending on the season you have to choose the right one.