A small funny bug with a long proboscis nose, because of which it is called the “elephant,” is a headache for gardeners, and not only them. Just think, this pest affects with equal pleasure raspberries, strawberries, cherries, apple trees! Gets from him and flowers, even indoor. "Elephants" are capable of causing tangible damage to farmers, destroying grain in the barns. Rice weevil parasitizes on rice. There is even a cotton "elephant" and its palm counterpart. There are more than ten thousand species of this pest. Almost every corner of the world has its own voracious weevils. How to deal with so many legions?
Exotic representatives of this family are not interested in us now, we would have to deal with the locals. Long-nosed pests do not spare the most tender and vital parts of plants. Under attack are seeds, buds, buds, fruits and shoots. If you do not take any measures, then you can say goodbye to half the plantings in the garden.
Elephants prefer wintering, hiding in fallen foliage or climbing into the crevices on the bark. But in the spring they move to trees to eat swollen juicy buds. From this neighborhood, the tree begins to "cry." Juice is dripping from damaged buds, and gardeners realize that weevils have woken up. How to deal with them, you need to find out immediately, until the females have not laid their eggs in the buds. Otherwise, there will be no ovaries, the larvae completely dry delicate inflorescences. After 12 or 18 days, the release of young individuals will begin, which will attack the leaves and the few remaining ovary. And in July, all the elephants will hide in the bark.
The eradication program includes enhanced preventive measures. Fallen foliage, which serves as a winter refuge for beetles, should be collected in autumn and burned. Some gardeners even specially set up traps of foliage, laying it under
fruit trees as a bait. The most cautious weevils will not refuse such a generously proposed place for hibernation. How to deal with those who still wintered and got out in the spring? There are several ways. First of all, mechanical protection, that is, the usual shaking off of insects. It is better to do this in the early morning, when the street is still cool and the bug metabolism is inhibited. As soon as it gets warmer, the pests will fly away right away. Collect the fallen "elephants" on a film or tarp, and then burn. It is useful to tie glue belts on trees preparing for flowering.
Noticing the dried buds on your favorite Antonovka, you know - the weevil on the apple tree. How to deal with hatched larvae if the precautions have not worked? Have to spray with insecticides. Pre-wrap all damaged buds. Prepare the poisoning solution according to the instructions and treat all parts of the plant, even sprinkle the trunk soil slightly. When choosing a remedy, pay attention to the class of its danger to humans and pollinating insects.
No lesser disaster is a weevil on a cherry, you already know how to deal with it. The events, in principle, are the same, except that they will have to be held a little later. The mass flight of beetles occurs during the flowering period of cherry trees, which are slightly late compared to other garden plantings.
Weevils (how to deal with these completely harmless elephants, you know) will not stop their attacks on your plants. Therefore, a system is needed in their destruction. Combine active methods with prevention, carefully observing the state of fruit trees.