Pests and diseases of honeysuckle: signs of damage and methods of combating them

Honeysuckle is a plant that can look completely different depending on the variety. Decorative varieties are a vine and bloom in large beautiful inflorescences. Blue-fruited edible honeysuckle is not as aesthetically pleasing during flowering, but produces tasty and healthy berries. Despite their differences, these species have similar growing requirements.

The most serious and common problem for all types of honeysuckle is pests. Because of them, the plant loses leaves, inflorescences and harvest. Without timely treatment, it stops developing and dies. Read more about diseases and pests of honeysuckle and methods of combating them.

Pests of edible and ornamental honeysuckle and methods of combating them

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle and the edible variety of this plant are equally susceptible to pest attacks.

Insects, mites and bedbugs feed on sap, leaves, shoots and berries. Because of this, productivity decreases, the quality of berries deteriorates, leaves and inflorescences fall off, photosynthesis is disrupted, and the growth of new shoots stops. Some of the pests cause the death of the crop.

To prevent the appearance of harmful insects, gardeners spray the garden with insecticides in early spring. But one-time treatment is not always effective, and for edible honeysuckle the use of chemicals after the appearance of inflorescences is unacceptable.

What to do if the plant has already been attacked by pests? To get rid of them, you need to correctly recognize the insect. Depending on this, they choose the method of struggle.

Spider mite

Spider mites are the most common pest of garden plants. It appears in dry weather and reproduces quickly.

The honeysuckle mite feeds on juices from leaves and young shoots. This leads to leaf fall, decreased winter hardiness, and loss of yield. Without timely treatment, sick honeysuckle simply will not survive the winter.

Spider mites are recognized by the following signs:

1. A cobweb appears on the underside of the leaves. The pest multiplies in it.
2. If you look closely, small insects are visible on the affected areas. They come in black, red, brown, yellow and green.
3. Irregular spots appear on the leaves. Gradually they merge, and the leaf turns yellow. Premature leaf fall is observed.

Removing a tick is not difficult. It is recommended to tear off the affected leaves before treatment. If the presence of the mite is noticeable on most of the leaf blades, the pest is first washed off with warm water.

How to deal with spider mites on honeysuckle:

1. Soap solution with tobacco. Dissolve a piece of grated laundry soap in a bucket of water at room temperature. 1 kg of tobacco is also added there. The mixture is infused for a day, then filtered and used to spray a diseased bush or vine. The procedure is repeated every 5 days at least 3 times.
2. A decoction of bitter herbs. To prepare the product, 0.5 kg of dandelion, wormwood, yarrow or celandine is poured into 2 liters of water. The herbs are boiled for half an hour and left to infuse for a day. The broth is filtered and diluted with 8 liters of water. Used to spray the affected plant.
3. Insecticides. Such chemical preparations allow you to quickly get rid of the pest and protect against re-infestation for 2 weeks. However, they are poisonous to people, animals and the environment. For edible crops they are used only as a last resort. Similar products include “Rogor”, “Aktellik”, etc.

In addition to bitter herbs, an infusion of onion and garlic, hot pepper or citrus peels is often used.

Note! Folk remedies are also used to prevent the appearance of the pest.

Caterpillars

The caterpillars feed on the leaves and fruits of the plant. Some varieties can even eat honeysuckle wood and buds.

If the caterpillars have already infested the plant, it will be difficult to get rid of them. Species that eat leaves are eliminated using chemicals and folk remedies. Pests found in fruits are much more difficult to control. In this case, the affected crop cannot be saved.

How to deal with caterpillars on honeysuckle depends on their type. Characteristic signs will help you recognize the pest.

Sawflies

Caterpillars of the honeysuckle striped sawfly have a thick body that is light green in color with yellow stripes. They feed on the leaves of the plant, eating away the tender part and leaving behind the veins. A large number of pests can leave honeysuckle without leaves.

The variable sawfly also feeds on the tender part of the leaves. This is a thinner caterpillar with a yellow head and a green body with black speckles.

Pests are controlled in the following ways:

1. Insecticides. This is the most effective way to combat caterpillars. On decorative honeysuckle it is used at any time, but on a plant with edible berries - only in early spring. Examples of effective products: “Karbofos”, “Arrivo”.
2. Wormwood with soda.1 kg of wormwood is poured into 10 liters of hot water and left for 3 days. The infusion is filtered and 100 g of soda is added.
3. Pine infusion. 2 kg of pine needles are cut or twisted in a meat grinder, pour 10 liters of water and leave in a dark place for a week. During the entire infusion period, the mixture is stirred at least 2 times a day. After this time, the infusion is filtered and diluted with warm water in a ratio of 1:3.

Leafrollers

Leaf roller larvae feed on leaves, as the name of the insect suggests. Honeysuckle is usually affected by 3 varieties of this pest:

1. Willow crooked. The caterpillar is bright green with a brownish head and two triangular spots on the front shield. It eats fruits and leaves, first entwining them with cobwebs. Rolls the leaves into a tube or ball.
2. Grass leaf roller. Black caterpillars with white spots and a brown head. They roll several leaves into a tight tube, settle inside and eat large holes in them.
3. Various. Gray-green caterpillars with black warts on their chests and a brown head take up residence inside a bundle of leaves.

Many gardeners, when asked what to do if there is a cobweb on the honeysuckle, answer that they need to fight the mite. In fact, the leaf roller can also weave leaves with thin fibers.

Control the pest using the following means:

1. Systemic insecticides. They make the leaves of the plant themselves poisonous. The most effective against leaf rollers are Actellik and Karbofos.
2. Decoction of tomato tops. 4 kg of tomato tops are poured into 10 liters of water and left for 4 hours. Then 30 min. Boil over low heat and let it brew for 24 hours. The decoction is filtered, bottled and stored for a month.Immediately before use, dilute with water in a 1:1 ratio and add a little soap.
3. Wormwood decoction. The bucket is filled halfway with wormwood, the rest of the volume is topped up with water. The grass is allowed to brew for 3 days. Then cook for half an hour over low heat. The broth is cooled and filtered. Add water so that the total amount of the mixture reaches 10 liters. Before use, the infusion is diluted in half with water.

Mole

The moth lays larvae that feed on the leaves of bushy plants. Honeysuckle in the garden is usually attacked by the following types of pests:

1. Nondescript. Small burgundy caterpillars feed on the leaves of the plant.
2. Baby honeysuckle. Small larvae feed on leaves, leaving characteristic white winding paths behind them.
3. Pestryanka. The white-yellow caterpillar feeds on leaves, leaving whitish paths behind it.

Regardless of the type of moth, the methods of dealing with it are the same. To get rid of the pest, the bush is sprayed with Fufanon or Karbofos.

Moth

The pest caterpillar resembles a small twig. May be brown, green or yellow-green in color. It has developed muscles, when moving it strongly arches its body, and can stand on its hind legs for a long time.

It feeds on leaves, gnawing large holes in them. In this case, the veins remain intact. The pest forms spider nests.

To get rid of the insect, it is shaken off or collected by hand. If this does not help, use insecticides.

note! Moth invasions can last for several years. When the plant is heavily infested, the caterpillars eat all the leaves.

Cabbage cutworm

Cabbage armyworm affects more than just cabbage. It also feeds on fruit and berry bushes.The pest settles in the berries, causing them to rot.

Cabbage cutworm caterpillars are brown or brown in color and have many black and dark brown spots, so the insect is invisible on the tree.

To get rid of the pest, use one of the following:

1. Pyrethroids. They act selectively and are not addictive. Such drugs as Decis and Inta-Vir are suitable.
2. Tobacco, ash and mustard. 15 g of mustard powder and 1 tbsp are poured into a bucket of water. ash and tobacco. The ingredients are poured into 10 liters of boiling water and left for 3 days. Then filter and mix with 40 g of grated soap.
3. Hot peppers. Finely chop 200 g of hot pepper and boil for 15 minutes. in 2 liters of water. The decoction is infused for 2 days. Then filter and dilute 8 liters of water.

Hawkmoth bumblebee honeysuckle

Honeysuckle bumblebees lay light green larvae with a dark green head and light spots on the body. The pest feeds on young leaves, causing significant damage to the plant.

Insecticides are used to combat it. A decoction of wormwood or an infusion of hot pepper is also suitable.

This is interesting:

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Beetles

Beetles on honeysuckle are no less dangerous than caterpillars. They feed on the bark and leaves of the tree. They often cause plant death.

Zlatka

The goldenrod is a dangerous pest of fruit and berry bushes. The bugs have an oblong green iridescent body and a black head. The damage is caused both by the beetle itself and its larvae.

The beetles gnaw through the leaves, buds and bark of the bush. The larvae settle in the root system, gnawing passages in it and the root collar.The honeysuckle often causes the death of young honeysuckle.

Note! The goldfish is a shy beetle. At the slightest danger, he falls from the tree to the ground or hides under the bark.

To get rid of the pest, spread a light cloth or film under the bush and shake the plant. The fallen beetles are collected and destroyed. After this, the honeysuckle is sprayed with insecticides.

Honeysuckle barbel

The honeysuckle beetle is a beetle up to 2 cm long with a black back, light brown legs and head. The larvae feed on young shoots. Beetles gnaw leaves.

Get rid of the pest according to the following scheme:

1. Beetles are collected from bushes by hand.
2. Drying shoots are removed.
3. Honeysuckle is sprayed with Fufanon.
4. Fufanon is also poured into the holes in the stems.

cherry fly

The cherry fly (see photo above) on honeysuckle lays small worm-like larvae in the berries. They feed on the juice of the fruits, filling them with excrement.

If the larva has already settled in the berries, it will not be possible to get rid of it. To save the crop from the pest, preventive treatments with insecticides are carried out.

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are sucking insects that feed on plant juices. This leads to gradual withering and falling of leaves on the bush. Bedbugs rarely infect a bush in such numbers as to cause serious harm.

Single beetles are collected by hand. For prevention, bushes are sprayed with insecticides in early spring.

Note! Bugs on honeysuckle berries spoil their taste.

Honeysuckle diseases and their treatment

Not only pests, but also diseases are dangerous for honeysuckle. Fighting them takes much more time. To cure honeysuckle, it is important to correctly identify the disease. To do this you need to know the main symptoms.

Fungal

Fungal diseases most often affect honeysuckle when care rules are not followed. Without timely treatment, they quickly destroy the plant. However, if you start the fight on time, in most cases the bush can be saved.

Description of common fungal diseases:

1. Powdery mildew. The leaves are covered with a white coating. Later, black dots form on them. This leads to browning and drying out. The shoots become deformed and fall off.
2. Ascochyta blotch. The leaves are covered with irregular gray spots with a dark border. Soon black dots form. This leads to drying out and falling of the leaf plates.
3. Brown spot. Brown spots of irregular shape with a dark border appear on the leaf blades. They merge and gradually cover all the leaves, causing them to fall off.
4. Red-olive spotting. Reddish-gray spots appear along the edges of the leaves. Gradually they increase in size and cover the entire leaf blade, causing it to fall off.

Fungal diseases are controlled using fungicides. Before processing, remove all affected parts.

Viral

Viral diseases of honeysuckle include mosaic mosaic. With this disease, the leaf blades become covered with irregularly shaped light spots, rounded yellow areas and yellow veins. At the same time, a large number of weak side shoots grow. The leaves turn out underdeveloped and small.

Viral infections are spread by insects and wind. There are no methods to combat it. The diseased plant is dug up and removed from the site.

How to remove an anthill in the roots of honeysuckle

Ants eat many pests and increase the amount of potassium and phosphorus in the soil.However, they become the main cause of aphids on plants and often eat honeysuckle fruits.

The anthill in the roots of the bush must be eliminated. For this purpose, special means are used, for example, Diazinon. The drug causes paralysis of the nervous system and death of insects. At the same time, it is absolutely safe for the plant.

Advice. There are also traditional methods of fighting ants. One of them is pouring boiling water into the anthill.

What animals harm honeysuckle?

Not only insects, but also animals pose a danger to fruit and berry bushes:

1. Hare. Eats bark.
2. Mice, hamsters, shrews. They feed on the roots and berries of plants.
3. Moles. They do not eat honeysuckle, but they can dig a hole in the roots.

To get rid of harmful animals, repellers are installed. A cat will help you deal with rodents.

This is interesting:

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Conclusion

Despite the fact that honeysuckle is an unpretentious plant, danger often awaits it in the garden. Shrubs and vines are attacked by pests, diseases and even animals. They often cause the death of the plant.

To save honeysuckle plantings, it is important to regularly inspect them for infections and insects and immediately begin treatment when the first signs are detected.