How dangerous are spider mites on eggplants and how to effectively fight them
The appearance of pests in garden beds always requires immediate action. First, you need to recognize the threat in order to choose the right method of treating the plant. Further in the article we will look at what spider mites are and why they are dangerous, and we will analyze various methods of combating these insects.
Signs of spider mite damage to eggplants
The first visible signs of damage appear when the mite has already thoroughly settled throughout the plant and caused damage to it. After all, the insect itself is so small that it is simply impossible to notice it.
Main signs of damage:
- Spider web under a bush.
- Gradual drying of the tops eggplant.
- Small white spots on the leaves that eventually grow into marbled spots.
- The growth of the bush slows down significantly.
- The plant takes on a sickly, withered appearance.
The photo shows the affected plant.
Damage caused
Spider mites reach their mature stage very quickly - in just one week. Insects settle on the underside of the leaves, bite through their pulp and suck out the juice. Because of this, the plant quickly loses moisture and nutrients.
Important! After a few weeks, the eggplant may completely die if the necessary measures are not taken.
With the onset of cold weather, fertilized females form dense orange lumps covered with cobwebs, and thus overwinter. In the spring they lay eggs, and after 2-4 weeks a new generation of mites appears.
Fighting methods
Due to the short life cycle of spider mites, each subsequent brood develops greater immunity to various drugs. Therefore, measures to combat the pest must be taken immediately and as quickly as possible.
Chemical insectoacaricides
The use of chemicals is the fastest and most effective way to control pests.
Important! You should carefully read the instructions on the packaging of any chemical product so as not to harm the plantings. It is also necessary to use gloves and closed clothing to prevent the drug from coming into contact with the skin.
Let's take a closer look at some of these tools.
Colloidal sulfur
To prepare a solution, 40 g of the substance is diluted in 5 liters of water. Add water gradually so that the sulfur dissolves evenly.
Ticks die within three days from the moment of spraying.
Treatment is not carried out during the flowering period and is stopped several days before fruit harvest.
"Bitoxibacillin"
Sold in powder form. 100 g of dry matter is diluted in a bucket of water. The solution is sprayed on eggplants during or before flowering. A week before harvest, you must stop spraying.
After treatment, insects die within 3-5 days. After a week, re-treatment is carried out.
"Fitoverm"
The active substance, aversectin, paralyzes insects. The effect does not apply to mite eggs, so repeated treatments are necessary.
Paralyzed insects die within 3-6 days, depending on their vitality.
The substance remains on eggplants for 20 days after treatment. In case of high humidity or rain, this period is reduced to a week.
"Aktellik"
This is a fast-acting remedy: ticks die within a few minutes.It has an intestinal contact effect on pests.
Spraying is carried out in dry weather at an air temperature of 12 to 25 degrees.
To prepare a solution, 1 ml of the substance is diluted in 1 liter of water. This is enough to process an area of 10 square meters. m.
Biological measures
Biological measures to combat spider mites on eggplants include introducing its natural enemies into the beds. These can be lacewings, metaseiulus occidentalis, amblyseius or phytoseiulus. The latter are preferable, since they reproduce faster and eat not only ticks, but also whiteflies.
Phytoseiulus is sold in 100 ml bottles. One bottle contains about 2000 insects. They must be used within the first 18 hours after purchase. Depending on the number of acariphagous pests (predatory mites), from 10 to 50 individuals per 1 square meter are evicted. m. The bottles have special dispensers, so you just need to plant the predators on the leaves of the plant.
Important! Before using biological agents, make sure that no chemicals harmful to these insects have been used in the last 2-3 months.
This method is effective for light spider mite infestations.
Traditional methods
Calendula, chamomile, dope, yarrow, dandelion, onion skins and garlic negatively affect the insect. An infusion of these ingredients is sprayed onto eggplants.
Effective recipes:
- Pour 150 g of crushed dandelion leaves and 150 g of horse sorrel roots into a bucket of water and leave for a day. Strain and spray the affected plants.
- Pour ½ bucket of onion peel into a bucket of warm water. Leave for three days, then strain. For every liter of water add 2 g of laundry soap. Dilute the infusion with water in a ratio of 1:2 before processing.
- Pour 1 cup of chopped garlic into a bucket of water. Infuse for one day. Strain.
The plants are treated several times every 5-7 days.
How to fight in a greenhouse and open ground
It is a little easier to overcome spider mites in a greenhouse. It is easy to control humidity and air temperature here. Sometimes even simple preventive measures and folk methods are enough. But you need to be careful with chemicals in the greenhouse. Strongly toxic substances should absolutely not be used. Colloidal sulfur is excellent for greenhouses.
In open ground, it is possible to control climatic conditions only partially: cover the plantings from rain or strong winds, or protect them from animals.
At the same time, it is permissible to use any drugs on the street. But it is better to give preference to low-toxic ones, because poisons also affect the plant.
Preventive measures
The best way to control pests is to prevent them from appearing in the garden.
To do this, the following preventive measures should be taken:
- Regular ventilation of greenhouses (temperature should not be higher than 26 degrees).
- Regular watering (especially in hot weather).
- Spraying eggplant in a greenhouse with warm water.
- Soil disinfection after harvesting and before planting.
- Regular weed removal.
Read also:
Unusual Slivka tomato and how to care for it.
Getting ready for winter: how to freeze beans while preserving their beneficial properties.
Advice from experienced summer residents
Gardeners with extensive experience recommend keeping the garden clean and tidy and being attentive to your plantings. In a clean and well-groomed garden, plants rarely get sick and have strong immunity.
Some tips to help deal with ticks:
- It is better to pluck damaged parts of seedlings without sparing them.
- Don't rush into using strong chemicals. It is better to resort to their help only in case of severe damage.
- It is useful to spray the seedlings with a solution of ammonia (2 tsp per 1 liter of water).
- Cobwebs must be removed immediately.
- Increase the humidity greatly (at 90-95% the eggs die).
Conclusion
Spider mites are susceptible to various means: chemical, biological and folk. The main thing is to start treatment on time and not neglect the garden. Depending on the degree of development of the tick population, the method of control is chosen. In case of severe damage, you will have to resort to chemicals, and at the initial stage, folk recipes and biological methods are suitable.