Aphids on carrots

Carrots are one of the most common root crops among gardeners. Carrot fruits are juicy and healthy due to their high carotene content. To obtain a high-quality harvest, it is necessary to protect plants during the growing season from the attack of various pests and diseases. One of the worst pests for carrots is aphids. It is very important for summer residents to know how to deal with these insects, because they do not just eat your plantings, but can be carriers of various diseases.

Varieties of aphids

Almost in all places where they are engaged in agriculture, they know about small pests - aphids. Aphids not only eat carrots, but also spoil trees, flowers and other garden crops. The pest multiplies exponentially. Carrots are attacked by three main types of aphids, how they differ, we will find out later.

Insect pest - carrot aphid

aphids on carrots

The most common carrot aphid, there are individuals, both with wings and a demon. She prefers to settle on the umbrella. Insects with wings can fly and capture new territories to destroy plants, without wings they take an active part in reproduction already on the attacked plant. On average, the size of aphids is about one and a half millimeters.

First generation

The first individuals appear with the onset of warming; the eggs spent the whole winter on unharvested green shoots or on wild roots. The mother is green with a blue head, no wings. In the spring, the aphid finds a suitable plant and reproduces asexually. Virgin individuals begin to appear, they also do not have wings. They give birth to the main offspring, with wings and without wings.

Individuals with wings

Insects with wings are needed to spread over other plants, they fly from plant to plant. Such insects have to find the places where the carrot grows, the lower parts of the carrot tops fall under the attack. The head and chest are black, the abdomen is blue. They also destroy plants, feed on their sap.

Fall activity

In the autumn, a full-bodied generation ripens. With the help of it, bisexual individuals are born asexually, they can reproduce sexually. Fertilized eggs are laid by females in the tops or on wild plants.

Insect pest - hawthorn aphid

aphids on carrots

The next type of aphid is the hawthorn aphid. Such aphids have two owners, the first owner is a hawthorn bush, the insect lives there in winter. The second owner is already directly carrot plantings, aphids fly to them at the beginning of summer.

Description of appearance

Usually, an adult is no more than two millimeters in length, has a black, greenish or brown body. Each stage of the life period is distinguished by the morphological structure of the body.

Generation

During the season, asexual individuals that do not have wings appear from the main individual, they are already giving birth to the next generation - cloned females. Female clones are the generation that gives birth to live individuals, during this period there are most aphids. About twenty such "chains" can change over the spring and summer.

Summer activity

In the summer, winged, but sexless individuals are born. Such individuals begin to appear if insects torture the plant on which they live too much. Insects begin to search for new, not yet touched plants to organize new colonies, either carrots or hawthorns.

In the onset of autumn, detachments of winged stripes appear, their main task is to return to the hawthorn and give rise to new individuals. The new generation consists of winged males and females without wings. The winter of the laid female eggs passes in the hawthorn and then all generations repeat again.

Insect pest - willow-carrot aphid

The final type of carrot pest living on the edges of the leaves is the willow-carrot aphid. Individuals also come with and without wings. Insects without wings have a green body, small whiskers (they are half the size of the body), the average size is about three millimeters. Wintering of this species takes place in the bark of willows and on various buds, then they hatch in the spring. At first, individuals live on willow and absorb the juices of buds and young leaves.

Individuals with wings

It is the winged individuals that fly to carrots, also to dill and parsnips. The whole body is usually green and there are faint specks on the sides. During the warm season, a certain number of generations of aphids change. If individuals return to willows closer to autumn, the last generation of females will appear from them. These females reproduce and lay eggs that will endure the winter.

Importance of processing

It is very important to observe the plants and start processing from them in a timely manner, then it will be much more difficult to do this. For different types of aphids, the same control methods remain.
How to determine the presence of aphids and how they can cause damage

Where do carrot aphids live?

Habitats of carrot aphids:
1) the lower surfaces of the leaves;
2) inflorescences;
3) petioles.

The most favorable weather for rapid and multiple breeding is hot and dry. During rains and cold snaps, aphids reproduce much more slowly. Aphids quickly capture plants in spring and adapt to life on them.

What eats

The root crop itself is aphid, as food is not interesting, they feed on the juice of the tops. If you notice a thin whitish film on the leaves - the first sign of the appearance of insects.

What can cause aphids on carrots

Basically, aphids enter the plant through ants, so a large number of them next to carrots will not be a favorable neighborhood.

Evidence of presence

On the petiole, and especially on the backs of the leaves, you can easily see hordes of aphids. Individuals are close to each other.

Where is it better not to plant carrots

It is better not to plant carrots in the immediate vicinity of good-smelling trees: 1) linden; 2) bird cherry; and 3) viburnum, they can lure insects. Also, aphids are impressed by the presence of: 1) petunias; 2) begonias; 3) nasturtium; 4) poppies; 5) mallow; 6) cosmic; and 7) glue. Of course, the aphids will not mind sucking the juices out of them. In the presence of such plants nearby, reproduction will accelerate.

What harm can it do

In fact, the main harm from aphids is infection with possible diseases that are carried by insects. An important consequence is the wilting of plants due to the fact that aphids on carrots suck their juice. Often because of this, the root crop cannot be fully formed. The leaves often change and change color, and the very tops on young shoots can become hard.

What happens to the plant

The breathing process becomes difficult due to lack of air, this happens "due to" the formation of a film on the leaves.These secretions are also a good breeding ground for fungal infections; they cover the leaves with an impenetrable film. Because of the same layer, photosynthesis cannot work at full strength and this is already one factor due to which the condition of carrots worsens.

Aphid control

With the right choice of aphid control method, you will overcome. Sooner or later, many are faced with the problem of pests, one must be prepared to repel the attacks of harmful insects.

Proven ways from aphids to carrots

At the very beginning, the gardener or summer resident needs to understand how much work he had to face and whether he is ready to spend a lot of energy on pest control. The number of applications of the drug also depends on the methods. The methods are in three groups: insecticides and bio-preparations, as well as home methods. The action depends on the selected method. Gardeners are advised to carry out complex processing and not use only one of the above methods. Prevention is also a very important part of working with carrots.

Important! It is best to beware of using overt chemicals in edible crops and only use them when absolutely necessary. Chemicals can poison plants and stay in them for a long time.

Biological preparations

Biologics are good to use and work well with small numbers of attackers. Means protect the plant from aphids and prevent the development of future generations, it is safe for the environment.

Traditional methods

If the attack has just begun and you are lucky enough to notice it, homemade preparations that you can prepare yourself are well-applied. Such treatments will not harm either you or the plantings. Unfortunately, folk remedies do not have a long duration, therefore, in order to avoid hordes of aphids, you will have to carry out treatments regularly.

Chemicals

Pesticides will help to quickly and permanently remove pests, insects will be destroyed very quickly. But due to the chemical composition, harmful substances can be in plant tissues for a long time, they cannot be eaten. To completely destroy aphids, one treatment is usually enough, but you can repeat it after a month. To consolidate the result.

Commonly used substances:
1) the commander;
2) confidant;
3) prestige;
4) biotlin;
5) actor;
6) tangrek;
7) kinmix;
8) arrivo.
To quickly lime aphids, more preparations are applicable: 1) pyrimicabr; 2) arrow; and 3) karbofos.

Safety precautions when working with chemicals

It is important and obligatory to follow safety rules when working with hazardous substances. It is possible to spray with preparations in dry weather, in the evening, when there is no exposure to direct sunlight. It is best to wear a protective suit to prevent toxins from entering your lungs and skin.

Bio preparations

Biologically active drugs help well in the fight against aphids in the garden and are recommended by many summer residents. The action of such substances is long enough and they are absolutely safe for plants, humans and the environment. After processing, after a few days, the remnants of the preparations will be removed from the plants and they can be safely eaten.

Most often used: 1) acarin; 2) phytovern; and 3) actofit.
Insects are not able to get used to such drugs, as was the case with chemicals. Changing the funds is also completely optional. It is better to repeat the treatment several times over the summer.

Home remedies

You can do without store tools and do everything at home. Each person will be able to prepare simple tools that will help you get rid of a just beginning insect attack. Treatment in this case will be irrigation. Possible solutions /

The first chamomile recipe
Contains chamomile. You will need: a kilogram of dry chamomiles and ten liters of water.Pour the raw materials with water and let it brew for half a day, it is imperative to strain the resulting solution. Then you need to dilute the mixture in thirty liters of water and processing can be carried out.

Second recipe based on tobacco dust
On tobacco. Stir four hundred grams of tobacco dust in ten liters of water, insist for a day, strain and add half of the water and a little liquid soap.

Third recipe based on potato tops
On potato tops. You can take both fresh and dried tops. Pour raw materials with ten liters of water, leave for about three hours and pollinate.

The fourth recipe based on garlic
Garlic. Grind two hundred grams of garlic cloves and dilute in a liter of water, the mixture should be infused for five days, then the mixture must be filtered. You will need twenty-five milliliters of the mixture for every ten liters of water.

The fifth recipe based on laundry or baby soap and wood ash
Soap-ash solution. Three hundred grams of wood ash and fifty grams of household or baby soap must be diluted in ten liters of heated water, filtered and immediately processed plantings. Ash should be from a clean wood, that is, not painted, not varnished, not glued.

Prevention of aphid attacks

• In order to avoid destroying the crop, the very first step is preventive action. They are not complicated and do not require much work. Below are some helpful tips.
• It is important to harvest the tops in the fall, the aphids will have nowhere to spend the winter.
• Not only the infected plantings need treatment, but everything around them, in order to avoid relocation.
• It is important to follow the rules of crop rotation and not plant carrots in one place for five years, pests do not like such changes, but the plants, on the contrary, will say thank you.
• Organic fertilizers repel aphids.
• It is important to remove the ants from the area.
• Regular and sufficient watering is important for carrots; drought should not be allowed.
• Also, proper watering will ensure the carrots have the correct root shape.

Conclusion

If aphids appear in your garden, you do not need to panic and kill because of the possible death of the crop. If you follow all the rules, you will definitely eliminate pests and save beautiful plants.