An extensive family of moles includes a wide variety of pests living in apartments, food depots, fields and gardens.
One of the most dangerous species is the mining mole, which threatens tomatoes, chestnuts, apples and other plants.
It is difficult to fight the pest, complex measures are applied, including the prevention and destruction of insects that have already appeared.
Mining moth: appearance and habits
The name of the mining mole received because of the food cravings of caterpillars. They gnaw long strokes in the leaves of plants. From the outside of the leaf, the damage is not visible, but the affected plant quickly loses its vitality, doesn’t, wither and inevitably perish. Inside the leaf the insect is well protected by an egg shell and does not surface until it turns into a butterfly.
Small butterflies wingspan reaches 1 cm. Adult insects have a long proboscis for sucking vegetable juice.
Mature females lay eggs, piercing the leaf shell. In laying about 50 eggs, they can be distributed on different leaves. Larvae hatch from eggs, protected by a dense cocoon. Insects do not come to the surface of the leaf, starting to feed heavily on the plant's juices and making fine moves.
The next stage is the transformation of the larva into a caterpillar.. At this stage, the insect acquires developed legs, allowing it to move quickly, mastering new territories. Caterpillar has a powerful oral apparatuswhich easily copes even with the densest leaves.
In the caterpillar stage, the insect expands the pre-laid paths inside the leaf, not getting to the surface. After a week and a half of active nutrition, the insect pupatesand then turns into a butterfly and is selected to the surface, starting a new life cycle.
Mining moths live in coloniesthat is particularly dangerous for landings.
After laying eggs thousands of larvae appear simultaneously, massively eating the leaves of plants. A colony of caterpillars is capable of destroying entire plantations, and having turned into butterflies, they will move to new territories.
Most of the mining moles feed on the leaves of certain plant species: horse chestnuts, tomatoes, potato, honeysuckle. But there are also "universals", able to feast on the greens of any shrubs, flowers and vegetable crops.
Insects not only damage the plants, sucking out their life juices, but also actively tolerate viral diseases: mosaic, fusarium wilt, etc..
Green
Green or leaf miner mole damages landings soy, melon crops, various shrubs, celery or tobacco. Minerals are not indifferent to garden flowers: violets, zinnias, chrysanthemum.
At the initial stage (egg laying phase), the presence of a pest can be detected by numerous punctures on the surface of the sheet.
Later, winding passages appear on the outside or inside, well visible to the light. Usually the larva moves along the edge of the leaf.eating away the juiciest and least hard parts.
South American "tomato thunderstorm"
South American tomato moth - an insect from South America. Causing great damage tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and other nightshade. A few years ago, miners began to appear in Europe. Pests penetrate greenhouses, transported with seedlings.
Larvae and caterpillars affect all parts of the plant, acting throughout the vegetative cycle. Infected plants wilt, the leaves wither and fall off, the ovaries dry out without developing into fruits, and the already formed tomatoes begin to rot right on the bush. In the stage when the tomato moth planting damage becomes noticeable, pest control measures are very complex.
Next you will see a photo of a tomato moth:
Chestnut
Chestnut miners appeared in Europe before tomato varieties.
This kind specializes in horse chestnutsadorning the streets of many southern cities. Insects capture vast territories, while pupae and larvae tolerate wintering without any problems.
Chestnut alleys are annually treated with chemicals, a special article of the city budget is allocated for preventive measures. Among the most effective and expensive methods are injections into the tree trunks of modern insecticides.
Cherry and Apple Moth
Pests specializing in fruit treesSettled on private farmsteads and in large industrial gardens. Insects winter in gaps in the barkcoming to the surface at the very beginning of spring. Females lay their eggs in the newly bloomed leaves, inhibiting the development of trees, flowering and the formation of ovaries.
It is very difficult to detect pests in the crown.It usually occurs in the stage of deep destruction. To attract and detect pests on fruit trees hanging small yellow boards.
Control measures
Solve the problem of the mining moth will help time taken decisive action. It is worth considering that it is very difficult to fight with larvae and caterpillars, toxic chemicals act badly on them. But in the course of active measures it is possible to destroy adult flying insects and prevent new clutches and the subsequent expansion of the colony.
- Start work with careful control of landings. A careful examination of the leaves allows you to detect tiny punctures - traces of egg-laying. All affected leaves break off and burn immediately. Routine inspections continue throughout the season. Particular attention is paid to plants located next to the affected specimens. Preventing the emergence of miners is easier than trying to destroy an already developed colony.
- During the estimated departure of adult insects, affected landings are covered with non-woven fabric.. This technique is effective for shrubs, tomatoes, potatoes and other solanaceous, as well as for melons and gourds.
- Helps thorough spilling of foliage of trees from a hose. The procedure is best carried out to the stage of flowering and repeat daily.
- Greenhouses must be treated with insecticides before planting. Before planting, seedlings are carefully checked to exclude external contamination. Purchased adult plants and seedlings are kept in quarantine for at least 1.5 weeks.
- Planting heavily affected by pests can be sprayed with pyrethrum-based insecticides. The procedure is performed 5-6 times with an interval of 2-3 days. If necessary, the treatment will have to be repeated. The spilling of soil with an aqueous solution of pyrethrum also helps. As a preventive measure, it is possible to carry out periodic spraying with a chamomile infusion.
Minerals, bringing great harm to gardeners and gardeners - not a sentence. With adult insects and their larvae can be fought using complex measures. It is advisable to unite with neighbors, mass events will help to destroy swarms that already exist and prevent the emergence of new ones.
In conclusion, we bring to your attention the video "miners":
