How to get rid of cutworms on tomatoes once and for all?

If you find small holes on the leaves of tomatoes, this may be a sign of pests. A beautiful hairy butterfly can seriously damage plantings if measures are not taken in time. In this article we will look at ways to get rid of cotton bollworm on tomatoes.

What is a cutworm

The cutworm belongs to the order of Lepidoptera insects. This butterfly has a color from milky to dark brown or gray. Its wingspan is 30-50 mm. The wings and body are covered with fluff; it looks very much like a moth.

There are many varieties of these pests. Tomatoes are most often attacked by cotton bollworms.

The cutworm larva is a green or brown caterpillar 30 mm long. It is the caterpillars that pose the greatest danger to the garden. They eat everything that comes their way: stems, leaves, fruits and even roots, while butterflies feed exclusively on nectar.

Cutworms live for two months: the caterpillar phase lasts 40 days, and the butterfly phase lasts 2-4 weeks.

During the day, both caterpillars and butterflies hide, they are active at night, so they are difficult to detect. And throughout the summer, new generations constantly appear.

The plant reacts very painfully to insect attacks and soon dies. Therefore, the question of how to protect tomatoes from the cutworm is quite complex, but solvable.

Important! The danger of the pest is that it feeds not only on tomatoes. Beans, corn, eggplants and other garden crops are susceptible to attack.

Signs of appearance

If you notice these signs on plants, you must immediately take action:

• small holes in the leaves that get larger over time;
• holes in fruits;
• clusters of white round eggs on leaves;
• the appearance of green caterpillars on the plant;
• damaged ovaries or buds.

Ways to fight

It is quite difficult to protect plantings from the armyworm due to its life cycle. If the insect population is already too large, then you cannot do without the help of chemicals.

Chemicals

There are three most effective categories pest control products:

1. Synthetic pyrethroids (“Fury”, “Kinmiks”, “Karate Zeon”, “Arrivo”, “Decis Profi”, “Inta-Vir”) - accumulate only in the surface tissues of the plant, which promotes rapid removal and minimal intoxication of tomatoes. Harmless to beneficial insects. They decompose quickly.
2. Organophosphate pesticides (“Zolon”, “Danadim”, “Fufanon”, “Dursban”) are highly active drugs with increased toxicity. They have a nerve-paralytic effect on the victim. This is the best way to treat tomatoes against cutworms in open ground. They retain their effect for up to 20 days in the absence of rain. The use of organophosphorus pesticides in the greenhouse should be avoided due to their toxicity.
3. Neonicotinoids (“Proteus”, “Aktara”, “Confidor”) - penetrate into all parts of the plant and are effective in combating cutworms. At the same time, they have a negative effect on bees, so it is not recommended to spray tomatoes during the flowering period.

Important! Chemical poison is harmful not only to insects, but also to humans. Therefore, you should use gloves and wear closed clothing. Excess of the substance on the plant can cause burns or intoxication.

Biological methods

Biological spectrum control agents can have different compositions:

1. Fungi and bacteria that kill cutworms.
2. Plant poisons.
3. Toxic waste from other organisms.

All preparations are natural, do not contain chemicals, and therefore are least harmful to plants and the environment.

The most effective are “Fitoverm”, “Akarin”, “Aktofit” and “Bitoxibacillin”.

Folk remedies

Suitable for controlling small numbers of insects. The effect of most folk remedies and drugs is repellent, not destructive. Here are some effective recipes:

1. Chop the burdock leaves and fill a bucket with them. To fill with water. Let it brew for 2-3 days covered.
2. Dilute 50 g of mustard powder in 1 liter of water. Boil for 10 minutes. Let the solution sit for a day. Before spraying, dilute the product with water in a ratio of 1:20.
3. Pour 80 g of onion peel into 10 liters of water. Leave for 12 hours.
4. Pour 350 g of chopped onions into 10 liters of water. Let it brew for half a day.
5. Pour 500 g of wood ash into a bucket of water. Add 1 tbsp. l. grated laundry soap, mix.
6. Chop the garlic arrows and fill a bucket with them. To fill with water. Leave it in the sun for a week. Stir occasionally.
7. Chop 3 kg of wormwood leaves and stems and add 10 liters of water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes.

All solutions prepared according to these recipes are used immediately, so it is important to calculate the time correctly. For spraying A spray bottle works great. No special protective equipment is required.

It is better to carry out treatment before flowering begins. You can add 20 g of ammonium nitrate to the finished solution - it will enhance the effect of decoctions and infusions.

Tomatoes need to be sprayed against cutworms with decoctions every 5-7 days for 3-4 weeks - this will drive away new hatched individuals.

Read also:

How to spray tomatoes for ovary.

How to properly spray tomatoes with potassium permanganate.

Prevention of occurrence

To prevent cutworms from appearing on your property, take a number of preventive measures:

1. Remove weeds regularly – cutworms like to lay eggs on nearby weeds, especially flowering species, as they attract butterflies.
2. Plan your site - do not plant tomatoes next to your favorite cutworm crops: beans, potatoes, sweet peppers, corn, eggplants. Scoops do not like garlic and onions.
3. Loosen the soil - the caterpillars end up on the surface of the ground, which negatively affects them.
4. Carefully clean and dig up the area in the fall.
5. Inspect your plantings regularly for any changes.

Let's sum it up

The gardener's attentive attitude towards the plot will help save tomatoes from the garden cutworm. In well-groomed, weed-free beds, pests and diseases appear less frequently. This is important because cutworms are difficult to kill due to their high fertility. But even in case of severe damage to plants, do not despair.

Modern chemicals effectively fight pests, however, damaged fruits cannot be cured.