Each of us in childhood rejoiced if he found a May bug. It was interesting to watch him or put him in a matchbox, but we did not even suspect that this bug is a dangerous pest of the garden. Special damage is brought to gardeners by the Maybug larva . Strawberries are their favorite plant that they destroy. The gentle roots of the bush attract them the most. So who is the May bug, and how to get rid of the larva of the May bug?
Beetles and larvae
The May bug got its name because of its peculiarity to appear in May. Only with the onset of heat can you notice the activity of these beetles, which is associated with the appearance of the first leaves of oak and birch. During the day they are located on tree branches and fly out only after sunset, filling the evening air with their buzzing. More often you can meet several individuals, but this is not an exception, when whole garlands of beetles simultaneously eat leaves. Such flocks are able to completely bare a tree. You can detect their presence by leaf stumps under the tree and beetle excrement.
Beetles and their larvae can quite easily survive winter in the soil, so you should not hope that they will die in the cold. After mating, the female beetle burrows in loose chernozem up to 10–20 cm deep and usually lays 50-60 eggs there. After 4-6 weeks, larvae appear. These are the same larvae, which then for three to four years will in every way harm your garden.
Pest Control Methods
How to get rid of the Maybug larva if they hide deep in the ground? The first thing to do is to determine if there is a larva on this site. This is pretty easy to find out. Strong jaws of the larva can gnaw even the roots of trees, so if you find a wilted plant for no apparent reason, then it is worth checking the ground.
To do this, pour plenty of water around the bush, such as strawberries, and carefully dig it out. Slowly, shaking the ground from the roots, look through the ground, as you can also get rid of the May bug beetle manually. If a pest is found, destroy it, and plant the plant back.
The second important rule is to be careful when digging up the garden, and if you find larvae, collect them and destroy them. Do exactly the same when you are going to fertilize the garden with humus or hardwood compost - this will reduce the likelihood of larvae getting into the ground.
Preventive measures are effective ways to get rid of the Maybug larva. In order to prevent the laying of eggs by the female and in time to prevent the appearance of larvae, it is enough to water the trees and shrubs with a dilute solution of ammonia: 10-15 g per 10 liters of water.
Another way is to plant the plants, three to four days before planting, to water the soil with the composition: 10 drops of iodine per 10 liters of water.
In childhood, the May bug was attracted to us with its fluffy legs and a bright, smooth carapace, but not the larva of the May bug - the photo on the left is disgusting and squeamish even to the most hardy people.