The presence of aphids on currant bushes can be determined by curled leaves and a large accumulation of ants on the plant. If, on the leaves of the currant, swellings of a reddish color appeared, then this indicates the presence of gall aphids. In both cases, it is necessary to immediately take up the treatment of the plant from the pest.
How to deal with aphids on currants
To begin with, decide how you will deal with aphids, that is, with the help of folk remedies or bio- and chemical. drugs. If this is the first option, then you will have to be patient, since currants will have to be processed more than once. But it seems to be environmentally friendly. The second option is the destruction of aphids with special preparations that will destroy aphids in 1 application and protect the plant from further attack by the pest. The effect of such drugs is usually at least 30 days. Of course, this is chemistry, but if you follow the instructions for use, then harm to a person is minimized, since a waiting period is indicated for all drugs, that is, after how many days currants can be eaten without fear for their health.
As a prophylaxis against aphids on currants, it can be advised to plant those plants around the bushes that repel this pest: marigolds, calendula, garlic, dill, parsley, basil, mint, coriander, tansy, yarrow. Maybe this will not help 100%, but in any case, the number of pests will be much less.
How to treat currants from aphids
Consider the methods of struggle with folk remedies, biological and chemical preparations. Folk remedies are good because they can process a plant at almost any stage of plant development, even for already formed berries. And here is the chem. preparations after tying berries are not recommended.
Ants and aphids are inseparable, so if you have a lot of aphids in your garden, then fight the ants too.
Folk remedies for aphids on currants
Spraying with soapy water. Grate 300-400 g of laundry soap and dissolve in a bucket of water. You can dip the flexible branches of the currant directly into the bucket with the working solution (the aphids of the tops of the branches are usually more damaged), or you can pour it into the sprayer and process the bushes from it, wetting the leaves on both sides.
Spraying garlic infusion. Chop 200 g of garlic and pour 1 liter of water and leave for 3-5 days. Then take 50 ml of this infusion in a bucket of water and spray the entire currant bush abundantly.
Spraying currants with celandine infusion. Half a bucket of crushed plants (cut the celandine with gloves, as hands are not washed from it for a long time) pour water to the brim. Day to insist. Strain and spray the aphid-affected bush with this liquid.
Treatment of currants from aphids with iodine and milk. Combine 100 ml of any milk with iodine (from 1 pharmacy vial) and 1 liter of water. This mixture can be sprayed and bushes and trees, and even roses from aphids.
Spraying from aphids with vodka. Take cheap vodka (the price is up to you), add some liquid soap to it (to stick the solution to the leaves) and spray the branches and leaves affected by aphids with this solution.
Spraying currant bushes from aphids with soda. Consumption rate: 75 g of soda per 10 liters of water. Such spraying can be applied at any stage of plant development.
Aphid preparations on currants
- Of the biological preparations that cope with aphids, we recommend a time-tested Fitoverm or Aktofit. Prepare the spray solution strictly according to the instructions for use given on the back of the drug pack. Wet the leaves on both sides.
- Strong insecticide with contact-intestinal action Aktara will protect currants from aphids in 1 application. Actara treatment is carried out as soon as the leaves begin to appear. This preparation will protect your plants from many other pests.
- Can be used for aphids insecticide Kinmix. It also rids bushes of other common garden pests. Plants should be sprayed strictly according to the instructions.
- From aphids on currants will also help Confidor. Many gardeners believe that this is the best remedy. 2 g of the drug is diluted first in a small amount of water and then the volume is adjusted to 10 liters. If there are a lot of aphids, then take 4 g per 10 liters of water. Be sure to add a little liquid soap (40-50 g) for better adhesion to the leaves.
- Preparations will also help get rid of aphids on currants Intavir, Decis, Spark.
If you are faced with the problem of aphids on currants, please write how you solved it. By what means did you overcome this pest? What aphid killers and control methods would you recommend to other gardeners? How to spray bushes so that aphids disappear forever?
Your feedback and additions will help many gardeners get rid of aphids on currants.
Currant is a useful plant, the taste of the fruits of which has been known to everyone since childhood. The healing properties of the shrub and its berries ensured its widespread use in folk medicine. But fans of currants are not only people, but also pests. The most active and aggressive is the aphid.
Aphid is a small insect (up to 5 mm). Its shades range from green to black. With the advent of spring, female aphids emerge from the overwintered eggs and begin to actively multiply, affecting the shrub. The pest pierces the leaves and shoots of the plant with a thin proboscis and feeds on its juice as much as possible. Having exhausted the plant, the aphid moves to new and new bushes. Ants are one of her faithful companions. Therefore, starting the fight against the pest, take care of the adjacent anthill.
Stages of fighting aphids on currants
Having found the affected plants, the destruction of the pest should be dealt with immediately. Sick bushes give a small crop of not very high quality.
Means for the destruction of aphids on currants
Both organic and chemical compounds are used to treat affected bushes.
Chemical exposure
organic compounds
- In 10 liters of water, add 200 g of onions. The resulting composition is left for a day, and then currants are processed.
- 200 g of onion peel are aged in 10 liters of water for 4 days. Next is processing.
- Combine 100 g of hot pepper in pods and 1 liter of water. Boil the composition, let it brew for 2 days and squeeze. Before spraying the bushes, dilute the composition with water in a ratio of 1: 7.
- Pour 1 kg of medicinal chamomile with 1 bucket of water. The resulting solution should be insisted for 12 hours and filtered. Before applying to currant bushes, dilute the composition in a ratio of 1: 3. To enhance the effect, it is possible to add laundry soap.
- Collect 3.5 kg of fresh celandine and place it in a container with 10 liters of water. Leave the composition for a day, and then apply to diseased plants. Dry grass is suitable for fumigation.
- 100 g of dried citrus peel pour 1 liter of water. Insist for a day.
- Place 400 g of shag or tobacco in a bucket of warm water. Leave for 24 hours and strain. Before treatment, the solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2 and 50 g of soap is added.
- Dilute 1 tablespoon of soda in 1 liter of water. It is recommended to add some soap.
The optimal frequency of processing is 1 week.
Prevention of the appearance of aphids on currants
As with any disease, prevention is easier to cure. What measures will reduce the likelihood of an aphid attack?
Since early spring, summer residents have a lot of worries: watering, weeding and pests are annoying. When the first leaves on the currant bloom, aphids immediately appear. The pest settles on young shoots, which are deformed and dry out. The currant crop is declining. What to do and how to deal with aphids on currants?
How to detect aphids on currants
Most often, gall aphids, a small sucking insect, settle on currants. The aphid feeds on young shoots and currant leaves. You can find a colony of pests on the bottom of a currant leaf. On damaged leaves, red or yellow swellings are formed, tubercles - galls.
Around mid-July, when the currant leaves stop growing, the aphids develop wings. At this point, the pest leaves the bush. If there are a lot of weeds around the plantings, the gall aphid will move to them, where it will feed until autumn. During the season, more than one generation of pests is bred, which in the fall, around September, migrate back to the currant bush. The females begin laying eggs.
Gall aphids on currant bushes are a great danger, especially for young plants. Weak bushes, affected by a large number of pests, are unable to develop normally. The yield of adult bushes drops sharply, the berry becomes smaller.
How to deal with aphids on currant bushes
One of the important factors in the fight against gall aphids on currants is prevention. From early spring, you need to carry out the main preventive measures:
Be sure to remove all weeds under the bushes;
Carry out sanitary pruning of the bush, cutting out all diseased branches;
Attract beneficial insects that feed on gall aphids, such as ladybugs;
Conduct spring scalding of the bush with boiling water.
Important! If ladybugs and lacewings have settled on currant bushes, then insecticides should be used carefully. It is better to replace them with infusions of herbs. Beneficial insects will help to quickly get rid of aphids.
By attracting beneficial insects to the garden, you can get rid of gall aphids without resorting to chemicals. To attract insects, experienced gardeners practice planting medicinal plants under currant bushes:
Marigold;
Allisum;
yarrow;
Many insects that are useful for the garden prefer to live in plantings of dill or buckwheat.
How to get rid of aphids on currant bushes: garden fumigation
Very often, one of the methods of dealing with aphids is fumigating the garden. Experienced gardeners practice fumigation with rubber, tobacco and fungus.
It is necessary to carry out fumigation before bud break, at the moment of their opening.
Fumigation with rubber is carried out as follows: a piece of rubber is placed in an old pan and put to smolder under each currant bush.
Fumigation with tobacco and mushrooms with a raincoat is carried out with the help of a beekeeper's smoker.
You need to fumigate the garden for at least three hours. This should be done in the evening, in calm weather. The aphid dies completely, there is no need to use chemicals.
The disadvantage of this method is acrid smoke, which adversely affects human health.
Fighting aphids on currants: treating bushes with chemicals
Chemicals that need to be applied in several stages will help get rid of gall aphid colonies on currants. It is necessary to use chemicals only in advanced cases and mass attacks of pests.
1. The first spraying of currants is carried out in the spring, at the time of bud break.
2. The second time it is necessary to carry out the processing when the shrub is flowering.
3. It is better to spray currants for the third time immediately after flowering.
4. The last treatment should be carried out only after the full harvest.
How to treat currants from gall aphids?
For treatments, chemicals are used that are dissolved in water. The following drugs have proven themselves well:
Actellik (dilute 15 ml per 10 liters of water);
Novaktion (dilute 5 ml per 10 liters of water).
Folk remedies in the fight against aphids on currants
Using folk remedies in the fight against aphids, you can get rid of the pest without interfering with beneficial insects. For these purposes, use the following infusions:
Tobacco infusion;
Infusion of marigolds;
Infusion of red hot pepper;
Infusion of tomato tops;
Infusion of onions and garlic;
Ash infusion with wormwood;
Soda ash solution;
Infusion of celandine.
1. Tobacco infusion
An infusion is prepared from tobacco dust or shag, with the addition of laundry soap and water. To do this, 500 g of tobacco dust is poured into 10 liters of water and the mixture is infused for several days. The finished infusion is filtered, diluted with 10 liters of water and 100 g of grated laundry soap is added as an adhesive.
Spraying is carried out in the evening, in clear weather. Repeat after rain.
2. Infusion of marigolds
Very effective in the fight against gall aphids is an infusion of marigolds, which is prepared from dried flowers. For a 10 liter bucket, take ½ of the crushed marigolds, which are poured with warm water. Infuse the mixture for three days. The finished solution is decanted and 50 g of grated laundry soap is added.
3. Infusion of red hot pepper
You can prepare a concentrated infusion from red capsicum. To do this, 1 kg of fresh pepper must be cut and put in a saucepan, pour 10 liters of cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. The cooled solution is removed in a warm place for several days. The prepared solution is filtered and stored in the cold.
For spraying, a working solution is prepared from the concentrate. For 10 liters of water use 1 glass of concentrate. You can add grated laundry soap to the solution as an adhesive.
Important! Ready-made working solution and red hot pepper are used not only in the fight against aphids. It is good to use against slugs.
4. Infusion of tomato leaves
From tomato tops, a good infusion is obtained to combat gall aphids on currants. To do this, dry tops of tomatoes, about 2 kg, and fresh tops of 4 kg are crushed by pouring 10 liters of water. The mixture is boiled for 30 minutes. The resulting concentrate is cooled and stored in the cold. Before spraying prepare a working solution. To do this, the concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5, adding grated laundry soap.
Important! The working solution of their tomato leaf concentrate can be used to control ticks, scoops, codling moths, cruciferous flea and gooseberry sawfly.
5. Infusion of onion and garlic
Experienced gardeners advise spraying currants with an infusion of green onion feathers. To do this, 1 kg of chopped green onions is poured into 10 liters of water, the mixture is infused for 6 hours. Strain the prepared solution and spray.
You can use pre-prepared onion skins. For this 500 gr. husks insist in 10 liters of water for about 5 days.
Important! Onion and garlic infusions not only fight pests on currants, but also increase plant immunity.
6. Ash infusion with wormwood
Affected currant bushes are treated with an aphid ash solution with the addition of wormwood. To do this, 500 g of crushed wormwood is poured with water, about 5 liters, adding 1 glass of ash and 50 g of laundry soap. The mixture is infused for about 5 hours. Spraying is carried out with a working solution, which is prepared from 1 part of the infusion and 2 parts of water.
7. Soda ash solution
You can treat currants against aphids with a solution of soda. Prepare a working solution of 1 tbsp. l. soda ash and 1 liter of water.
Spraying with such a solution will help get rid of not only aphids, but also drive the fungus out of the bush.
8. Infusion of celandine
Summer residents are fighting aphids with the help of celandine infusion. A solution is prepared from 4 kg of fresh celandine grass, which is crushed and poured with 10 liters of water. You need to insist the solution for a day. The finished solution is sprayed with currant bushes.
Important! When processing plantings of currants with a solution of celandine, it is imperative to use individual protection, since celandine juice is very poisonous.
What to consider when processing currants from gall aphids
Young currant shoots bend well, they can be dipped in any remedy prepared according to recipes and washed well, without the risk of breaking the branch.
You need to spray and wash each branch, without missing a single section of the bush.
You need to spray not only the shrub, but also the soil under it.
The weather during processing should be calm. Keep an eye on the bees when using chemicals. It is important not to poison beneficial insects, which are very necessary in the garden. It is better to transfer spraying to the evening when the bees no longer fly.
When spraying, it is necessary to moisten the lower part of the leaf; for this, the sprayer is directed inside the bush.
You should not have high hopes for folk methods of dealing with aphids on currants if time is lost and the pest has chosen roses, plums and gooseberries. In such a situation, the use of chemicals is indispensable.
In the fight against aphids on currants, it is important to keep the site clean, to prevent a riot of weeds and the neighborhood of shrubs with anthills. Often carry out preventive spraying with infusions of herbs, monitor the density of the bush and cut out diseased branches in time.
Colonies of small insects cause irreparable harm to currant and other fruit bushes: the tops of the leaves curl, the inflorescences fall off, the young shoots dry and fall off, the branches fall to the ground. All this leads to a decrease in yield and the development of various diseases, so it is important to respond to aphids in a timely manner.
How to deal with aphids on currants
Peak activity of the pest occurs in May-June, while the aphid remains active throughout the summer period. It actively breeds and will gradually populate the entire garden. The life cycle of an insect is:
- in early spring, new individuals appear from the laid eggs;
- they begin to multiply rapidly, spreading more and more in the garden;
- the wingless form of pests occupies young, tender leaves, buds and shoots, pierces them with a proboscis and sucks out the juice;
- when an excessive number of aphids occurs on the plant, it dries up and dies, which necessitates the birth of a winged form of pests;
- individuals scatter to neighboring fruit bushes and continue to destroy the garden;
- in autumn, aphids lay eggs that hatch the next season.
The appearance of a pest in the garden is evidenced by swollen, twisted into tubules, reddened currant leaves. If you turn over the young leaves of the culture, clusters of larvae will be noticeable on the inside. As a rule, two varieties of aphids settle in the garden, each of which prefers a certain variety of berries: gall (leaf) - white and red, gooseberry (shoot) - black. The table below shows the recommended pest control measures for different periods.
| Types of currant processing |
||
| Bloom | Fruiting |
|
| Gallic |
|
|
| gooseberry |
|
|
Processing currants from aphids
With a slight damage to the bushes, the fight against aphids on currants does not involve the use of special pesticides, which poison the soil and plants to one degree or another. If traditional methods remain ineffective against the pest, pesticides cannot be dispensed with.. However, they are allowed to be used only before flowering or immediately after it, since toxic substances remain on the bushes for about 20 days.
Chemicals
| Tool name | From what aphid | Application rules |
|
| The active ingredient is imidacloprid (concentration 200 g/l). | All kinds. | Add 1 ampoule to a liter of water, mixing thoroughly. After the solution is diluted with 9 liters of water. If currants are treated with Biotlin, the aphid will die after 4 hours. It is recommended to rinse the infected shoots in the solution using rubber gloves. The bushes should be processed on a warm, calm day. |
|
| The basis is thiamethoxam (240 g/l). | All kinds. | It is necessary to process currants 1 time in early spring, while the result is noticeable the very next day. The action of Aktar continues after 2 weeks. Used for spraying fruit crops in dry, warm weather in the early morning or evening. At the same time, in order to safely process the plant, put on overalls, rubber gloves and a respirator. The package of the drug is dissolved in a liter of water, then another 4 liters are added. |
|
| The active substance is aversectin C (the concentration is 0.2%). | More effective against shoot aphids. | It is applied at any time of the growing season, the result shows after 3 days. To process currants, prepare a solution of 8 ml of the drug and 1 liter of water. 2 weeks after the procedure, re-treatment is required. Spraying is carried out in calm, dry, warm (from 18 degrees) weather. It is forbidden to treat fruit crops with a product during flowering. |
|
| Actellik | The active ingredient is pirimiphos-methyl. | All kinds. | To prepare the solution, the ampoule is dissolved in 2 liters of cold water, mixing thoroughly. In case of serious damage to the plant, the concentration of the drug can be doubled (for this, the volume of water is reduced to 1 liter). Fresh solution is applied by spraying. It is allowed to process currants only with gloves, a respirator and goggles. The death of insects occurs a couple of hours after the procedure and continues for another 3-4 days. |
| The active ingredient is cypermethrin (concentration 3.75%). | All kinds. | Used after flowering, applied as an aqueous solution (1.5 crushed tablets per 10 liters). It is better to process currants in calm, dry weather in the evening or in the morning using a household spray gun. The second procedure is carried out after 2 weeks. |
|
| The active substance is malathion (570 g/l). | All kinds. | The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. Then it is evenly sprayed onto the foci of infection until the foliage is completely wet, but you should try to prevent the chemical from draining to the ground. It is recommended to use Fufanon 2-3 weeks before the flowering of the shrub and after the leaves fall in the spring. |
Folk remedies
| Folk remedies for aphids on currants | Application rules |
|
| For 10 liters of water take 50 ml of ammonia alcohol. Before use, add 100 g of laundry soap and a pinch of washing powder to the solution. | Currants must be treated with the resulting product using a watering can equipped with a wide tip. The tool can be used only once, re-watering is carried out no earlier than 3 weeks later, otherwise the shrub will suffer from excess nitrogen. |
|
| 10 st. l. baking soda (or 2 tbsp. calcined) is dissolved in a liter of water. 9 liters of water and 100 g of grated laundry soap are also added here. | It is necessary to process the plant 2 times with an interval of 3 days. To do this, use a garden sprayer. |
|
| For a liter of cool water, take 200 ml of table vinegar, add 100 g of soap. The concentrate is diluted with 9 liters of water. | The bushes are carefully sprayed with a freshly prepared solution, paying special attention to the lower part of the leaves. It is extremely important to strictly adhere to the proportions, otherwise the leaves will get burned. |
|
| It is necessary to grind dry tobacco to a state of dust, irrigate the shrub with soapy water (100 g of soap per 3-4 liters of water), and then sprinkle with tobacco powder. An alternative option is to prepare a solution of 10 liters of water and 200 g of tobacco, which should be boiled for 3 hours and infused for 3 days. | It is allowed to treat currants with such a remedy before and after flowering, during the ripening of berries. You can use a watering can or a spray bottle. |
|
| Take 200 g of powder for a 10-liter bucket of water. The solution is insisted for a day, then boiled and 50-100 g of laundry soap are added. | With this tool, you can process currants in any period of the growing season. At the same time, it is worth choosing dry, calm weather. |
|
| It is necessary to boil water in an iron bucket, then pour it into a metal watering can. One bush will require 5-10 liters. | The treatment of currants with boiling water is carried out through a special shower head, so that irrigation occurs in thin streams, and not in a strong stream of boiling water. The procedure is carried out until the kidneys swell. |
|
| Celandine | Finely chop fresh grass and fill the bucket 1/5. The component is poured with boiling water, insisting for half an hour. | The cooled liquid is sprayed with currants from aphids. You can treat the plant with this remedy throughout the spring-summer period. |
Video
A common sucking pest that most often affects young currant leaves. Aphids live on the underside of the leaves, forming rather large colonies, and manifest themselves by the appearance on the leaves of the so-called galls - convex growths of a dark red color. As the leaf ages, the galls may become yellowish or greenish. With a strong defeat, the leaves dry up and die, the growth of shoots is inhibited.
The size of adult aphids is 2.2 - 2.5 mm, the color is from lemon yellow to brown. Eggs laid in autumn overwinter in cracks in the bark near the buds. Hatching of pests begins quite early, during the blooming of the leaves. External signs of damage - galls - appear on the leaves during the formation of ovaries. The greatest number of pests reach in June. Flight of winged females begins in early summer and culminates in July when aphids move to weeds where they feed until autumn. Then the females return to the currant to lay eggs. Wingless individuals can remain on the currant all season. During the summer, several generations of aphids (up to 8) hatch in the middle lane.
How to deal with gall aphids?
Prevention
- Timely weeding.
- Treatment before bud break with insecticidal preparations ( "Prophylactin", "Spark double effect").
- Attracting insect predators that feed on aphids (ladybugs, lacewings, camels) to the garden.
- To destroy wintering pests, it is recommended to pour bushes and tree trunks with very hot water (+80 ... + 90 ° С) before the start of sap flow.
Folk remedies for gall aphids on currants
With a small lesion, cut and destroy damaged leaves and shoots. If the number of the pest is small, you can try to cope with it with folk remedies.
- Infusion of marigolds. For 5 liters (half a bucket) of dry, crushed marigold raw materials, take 10 liters of water and 50 g of laundry soap. The raw material is poured with hot water, insisted for 2 days, then mixed with soap and sprayed on the plants.
- Laundry soap solution: 300-400 g of soap is dissolved in 10 liters of water.
- Infusion of tomato tops and onion peel. For cooking, you will need 0.5 kg of onion peel and 1.5 - 2 kg of tops or. The tops are brewed with 5 liters of boiling water and infused for about 4 hours, then boiled for 3 hours, filtered and water is added in a ratio of 1:2. The husk is poured with hot water (about 2 liters) and infused for no more than two days, after which another 2 liters of water and a little liquid soap are added. After that, both infusions are mixed
When using natural products, 2-3 treatments are required after 7-10 days. Processing is carried out in dry calm weather; if after a while it rained, spraying must be repeated.
Aphid preparations
With an average degree of damage, if folk remedies have not helped, it is recommended to use bio-based insecticides: Biotlin, Fitoverm, Agravertin. These drugs are considered one of the safest and can be used throughout the growing season.
If currant plantings are severely affected by gall aphids, you will have to resort to chemical insecticides. Drugs show high efficiency "Aliot", "Kinmiks", "Aktellik", "Confidor", "Inta-vir" etc. Usually 2-3 treatments are needed, the interval between them is indicated in the instructions for the drug. All preparations work at a temperature from +15 °C.
Be careful: chemical insecticides should not be used before harvesting! The allowable interval between processing and collection is also indicated in the instructions.