Pine moth

Damages

common pine.

Spreading

Pine moth is common in the pine forests of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia and Altai.

Favorite stations

Primary foci of outbreaks of pine moth formed during internal parts pure pine forests of II-IV age classes, with a density of 0.8-1.0, more often of artificial origin, located on a flat or low relief and more often belonging to the group of green moss forests or their complexes with long-moss forests, white mosses and less often - to shrub forests. Secondary foci arose in plantations of the same types, but less dense, or in complex forests.

Generation

one-year.

Diagnostic features

butterflies

in a wingspan of 3-4 cm; male forewings dark brown, with yellowish and whitish large longitudinal spots near the anterior and inner edges. The hind wings are similar in color, but yellowish spots are located across the wing in the form of a band; antennae feathery. The fore and hind wings of the females are red-brown with a dark pattern in the form of longitudinal and transverse bands, the antennae are filiform. Butterflies are more easily recognized by the spotty-white color of the hind wings on the underside and by black spots on the white edging along the edges of the wings.

At the beginning of the outbreak, moths with a more strongly developed dark pattern of the forewings from above dominate.

testicles

1.1 × 0.5 × 0.25 mm, slightly shiny, flattened-ellipsoidal in shape, slightly depressed from the lateral surface, with a delicate structure, light green, then yellowish green, mother-of-pearl before hatching caterpillars. Arranged in a chain along the needles. At the beginning of reproduction, there are from 10 to 30 testicles in a chain, at the end of reproduction it is much less - up to 1-3 testicles.

caterpillars

about 30 mm, bluish-green with five longitudinal white stripes, of which two lateral ones pass onto the head and reach the base of the upper jaws. Below them on the sides (above the legs) are yellowish stripes.

Caterpillar feces are small, irregularly angular in shape, consisting of randomly arranged stubs of needles, clearly visible to the naked eye. In appearance, feces, especially adult caterpillars, resemble small sawdust or small tobacco.

pupae

7-15 mm long, shiny, first green, and then becoming yellowish-brown. The cremaster is roughly and irregularly wrinkled, gradually passing into a short smooth conical process, the length of which may either be equal to the wrinkled part of the cremaster and be blunt, or the process is longer than the wrinkled part, elongated and pointed, or notched at the apex. The punctation of the abdomen is medium in density and size of the pits. The pupa rests under the litter or in the soil without a cocoon.

Phenology

First year of development

butterflies - May (3), June (1-3); eggs - May (3), June (1-3), July (1); caterpillars - June (2-3), July - October (1-3); pupae - September (3), October - March (1-3);

Second year of development

Note: Decades of the month are indicated in parentheses.

Moth caterpillars molt four times and go through five instars, differing in head width. Age - I, II, III, IV, V, respectively, head width in mm - 0.3; 0.6; 1.2; 1.9; 2.6.

Overwintered pupae require for their development the sum of average daily temperatures - 321 ° (thermal constant), considering the threshold of their development as 5 °. The thermal constant for egg development is 180° at a developmental threshold of 8°.

For the nutrition and development of caterpillars, the weather of the second half of summer and especially autumn is of decisive importance. Caterpillars of the most responsible instars IV and V feed during autumn. The premature onset of rains and especially cold weather does not allow the caterpillars to finish feeding and even leads to their death. Only in a warm and long autumn do they have time to finish feeding, give full-bodied pupae and prolific butterflies. The repetition of such an autumn for several years in a row leads to the development and implementation of the outbreak. For full rearing, each caterpillar requires up to 3.5 g of needles.

Duration of outbreak

moth is more often 8-year-old, of which 3 years falls on the second phase. Sometimes the duration is reduced to 7 years due to the reduction of the second phase to 2 years, or, conversely, the outbreak drags on to 9 years with the second phase lengthening to 4 years. The development of the outbreak can be completely interrupted by the early onset of autumn frosts, causing the death of caterpillars.

Reconnaissance supervision

can be carried out on the feces of caterpillars and typical damage in taiga zone in September, and to the south - in October. The small size of the feces requires a careful examination of the soil on the cleared calorie sites. It is well noticeable and retained on the leaves of the undergrowth and cover, covered with hairs, such as hazel or lungwort. The typical damage of caterpillars of the first and second instars is that they eat through the needles, mainly from their flat side and most often at the top and along the edges, narrow longitudinal grooves. The tops of such needles to the level of the lower end of the grooves subsequently dry out and turn yellow. It should be noted that when the needles of the tarworms are injured by feeding caterpillars, resin flows out of them, floods the caterpillars and leads to their death, which is observed in viable trees under the condition of sufficiently rainy weather. In dry weather, the intensity of the resin-releasing reaction decreases sharply and makes the feeding of young caterpillars safer. Caterpillars of subsequent ages jagged needles from the sides, sometimes to the central nerve, droplets of resin protrude from the wounds and harden. In the future, the tips of the serrated needles also dry out to the level of the lower teeth. Damaged twigs take on a grayish-yellow color (from protruding resin droplets and shrunken parts of needles). By these signs, it is not difficult to detect damage caused by caterpillars, especially on undergrowth and on the lower branches of trees.

Needles on shoots damaged by caterpillars current year. The presence of damage to the needles on 10% of the shoots indicates the need for control counts.

The caterpillars themselves are harder to spot because of their protective coloration. Caterpillars feed mainly at night. During the day, they sit, stretched out along the needles, and merge with them so much in color that they can be detected only upon careful examination, and even then by the protrusion that forms the head on the side surface of the needles.

Butterfly supervision is no less difficult. They usually sit in the crowns among the needles, males fly in the morning and evening hours, but also mainly in the crowns. Only a few butterflies are caught at the same hours flying below, and their flight is rather fast and chaotic. Butterflies sitting in the crowns can be detected by sharply hitting the trunk or making a sharp sound (shout, whistle, etc.). At the same time, butterflies take off, flutter over the crowns for some time and soon sit down on them again.

Detailed supervision

The weight of healthy pupae of females of the pine moth varies from 0.045 to 0.240 g, and the fecundity varies from 0 to 250 testicles. According to the flash phases, they vary within the following limits.

In the first and second phases of the outbreak, the maximum weight of pupae is 0.24 grams, with an average weight of 0.18 - 0.20 g. Fertility in this case is 250 eggs and 220-230 eggs, respectively.

In the third phase of the outbreak, the average weight of pupae is 0.14-0.16 g with a fecundity of 130-160 testicles.

In the fourth phase of the outbreak, the average weight of pupae is 0.08-0.10 g with a fecundity of 50-80 testicles. The minimum indicators are equal to 0.045 g and 0 testicles, respectively.

In Siberia, these figures may be lower by 15-20%.

According to the number of healthy female pupae found on samples, the degree of threat to supervised, controlled or surveyed plantations from the pine moth in the coming year is calculated.

The light method is not applicable, since the pine moth is a diurnal insect. The chemical accounting method has been tested, gives nice results and can be recommended for use. The sexual method has not been tested.

Control measures

Spraying plantings with insecticides for caterpillars of younger ages.

Pest type: Pests of conifers

Row: Lepidoptera - Lepidoptera

Family: moths - Geometridae

Happens everywhere. Damages Scotch pine, less often spruce, fir and others. conifers.

Butterfly with a wingspan: female 35-40 mm, male - 30-35 mm. The forewings of the female are ore-brown with a darkened apex and two dark-brown transverse bands; antennae filiform; male forewings dark brown with yellowish oblong spots in the middle; antennae feathery. Egg size 1.2 × 0.5 mm, light. Caterpillar 30-40 mm long, naked, greenish, with yellow-white stripes on the back and sides of the body; two pairs of ventral legs, head flat, with three wide light stripes. Pupa 7-15 mm long, yellow-brown, shining, with pointed wrinkled cremaster.

The pupae hibernate in the forest litter, in a small depression, without a cocoon. Butterflies fly from the end of May and lasts for a month. The maximum falls on the first half of June. They fly during the day at temperatures above 11 ° C. They fly into the light at night. butterflies additional food do not require and already on the second day they begin to lay eggs.

The female lays eggs in rows, 7-30 pieces per old needles. Fertility - 150-200 eggs. The lower threshold of development is 8 °C. The caterpillars, revived after 10-20 days, eat out oblong grooves on the needles of the previous year, without touching the vein. Damaged needles are covered with drops of hardening resin and dry out. Caterpillars of recent centuries eat the needles whole, leaving small stumps. At the end of August and in September, the moth damages the needles of this year.

During a long development, one caterpillar eats an average of 100 needles, or 3.5 g of needles. Massive damage leads to the weakening and drying of trees.

During the development of the female caterpillar, six centuries pass, the male caterpillar - five. In September-October, the caterpillars leave the fodder trees and move to the forest floor, where they pupate after 2-3 days and remain there until spring. One generation develops per year.

Accompanying species are: flower pine moth. Found everywhere. Damages pine, rarely spruce; smoky coniferous moth - Peribatodes secundaria Esp. Found everywhere. Damages young conifers in nurseries.

More than 100 species of parasitic Hymenoptera and Diptera are known, which play an important role in limiting the number of moths. Eggs infect various trichograms; caterpillars and pupae - braconids; ichneumonids, etc. Forest ants, ground beetles, birds (rooks, jackdaws, crows, cuckoos, woodpeckers, tits, thrushes, finches), shrews, moles, hedgehogs feed on caterpillars and pupae. During the years of mass reproduction, the death of caterpillars of older ages is noted.

Great popularity on garden plots enjoy different types of pines. These beautiful evergreens are not only pleasing to the eye all year round, but also have a special healing aroma. But, despite the external power and greatness, a large number of various kinds pests about the fight against which this article will be devoted.

Those trees that grow near the pine forest are at particular risk, where a large number of insects live, which can easily move to your pines. Of insects that feed on needles, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to sucking pests. They are small, often inconspicuous, but their development significantly weakens the tree, which, as a result, makes it easy prey for bark beetles.

Large insects that feed openly on needles are easy to detect. For example, beautiful caterpillar- pine hawk. But there is no need to panic, and run after the sprayer too. These insects are usually seen in low numbers and can be easily collected by hand, especially if the pines are small.

AT recent times sawflies are very harmful to mountain pine, settling on them with more willing than on Scots pine. From the beginning of May, carefully inspect the pine needles for the presence of sawfly nests. With timely detection, it is quite possible to remove them manually or treat the tree with Decis, Karate, Bliskavka preparations.

Insects that damage needles

Red pine sawfly(Neodiprion certifer). It is especially harmful to Scots pine, Crimean and mountain pine, eating their needles. Damaged trees weaken, lose their decorative effect, reduce growth, die and are populated by bark beetles.

The female is reddish, 7–8 mm long, with yellowish wings. The male is black, 6–7 mm long. The sawfly larva is a greenish-gray caterpillar with a lighter narrow strip along the back and a black head. Hatching of larvae occurs simultaneously with the flowering of Scotch pine. The larvae live in groups (nests) of 20–30 or more individuals and feed on needles from previous years. Caterpillars of the first or second age eat only the soft tissues of the needles and do not touch the vascular fibrous bundles. From this, the needles twist and dry out, forming brown spots, clearly visible against the background of the green crown of the pine.

It is worth paying attention to the appearance of these branches with dry twisted needles in order to destroy the pest in time. When feeding older larvae, only "stumps" remain from the needles. In June, the larvae cocoon in the litter under the trees. In August-September, adults emerge, which lay their eggs in one-year-old needles.

Control measures: the sawfly is well affected by pyrethroid preparations - Decis, Karate, Bliskavka, etc., as well as viral preparations. If the pines are small, then the larvae can be collected by hand and destroyed.

common sawfly caterpillars

Common pine sawfly(Diprion pini). dangerous pest pines, during the reproduction of which not only last year's needles suffer, but also the needles of the current year, which significantly affects the viability of trees. They eat pine needles, especially common, mountain, Crimean. Adult female of variable coloration, 7.5–10.5 mm long. The male is black with yellow tarsi, 5.5–8 mm long. Two generations develop per year. The flight of the first generation begins at the end of April. The flight of the summer generation takes place in the middle of summer. The female lays about 100–150 eggs in needles. In spring, females lay eggs only in old needles, in summer - in the needles of the current and last years.

The larvae of the first three instars gnaw the needles, leaving the central part untouched, which is why they dry out and twist. Adult larvae eat the needles completely. The larvae pupate in barrel-shaped cocoons, which are on the branches in the spring generation, and in the litter in the autumn generation.

Control measures: treatment of larvae with preparations Decis, Karate, Aktara, etc. On small trees, the pest can be collected by hand.

Redhead, or public sawfly- weaver(Acantholyda erythrocephala L.). It develops primarily on Scots pine, but has also been noted on Weymouth pine. Adult weaver sawflies have a blue body with a metallic sheen, females are 12–14 mm long, and males are 10–12 mm long. The head of the female is red, the head of the male is black. The flight of adults begins in the last ten days of April and continues until June. Eggs are laid in rows on last year's needles. The larvae live in large web nests that contain excrement and needle residues. Larvae of the last instars live individually. At the end of June, the larvae descend into the litter and pupate in cocoons.

Control measures:

Pine silkworm(Dendrolimus pini L.). A dangerous pest of Scots pine, can develop on Crimean and mountain pine.

Butterflies with a wingspan of 5-9 cm in females, 4-7 cm in males. The general color of the wings is the color of pine bark, very variable - sometimes more gray, sometimes more red.

The flight of butterflies occurs from the end of June - in July. Females lay about 200 pcs. rounded, rather large eggs in heaps on pine twigs, needles and pine bark. Caterpillars emerge after 15–20 days, usually in early August. Caterpillars are hairy, gray or dirty reddish, the color of pine bark. Adult caterpillar up to 9 cm long. The caterpillars feed until the onset of frost, then go to the litter for the winter. In early spring, the caterpillars rise to the crown and begin intensive feeding, sometimes completely eating the needles from the tree. One caterpillar during the development period can eat up to 700-800 needles. In June-July, they complete development and pupate in loose cocoons attached to branches.

Control measures: treatment in autumn or spring with drugs Decis, Karate, Akrata, Engio, etc.

Pine hawk(Hyloicus pinastri L.). Damages the needles of common and Crimean pines. The butterfly is large, gray, with narrow long wings 6.5–8 cm in span. Flies in May - June. The female lays singly on needles up to 200 eggs. Caterpillars appear at the end of June - July, develop for about 1 month, feed on pine needles. An adult caterpillar is 6.5–8 cm long. Body color is variable, mostly green. There is a black-brown horn at the posterior end of the body. Caterpillars pupate in the forest floor. The pupae hibernate. outbreaks mass reproduction does not give, but sometimes significantly damages pine needles.

Control measures: caterpillars can be collected by hand or treated with insecticides on pine trees.

pine cutworm(Panolis flammea Schiff). It damages the needles of Scots pine, can feed on the needles of other types of pines. Butterflies are reddish or greenish-brown, the color of pine buds that have begun to grow. The wingspan is 2.5–3.5 cm. The caterpillar is green with five white stripes and an orange lateral stripe above the legs. Butterfly flight begins at the end of March - April, in colder years it can continue until the end of May. They fly at dusk. Females lay eggs on the underside of pine needles, 2–10, and sometimes more. After about 14 days, caterpillars emerge from the eggs, which eat the tops of the newly blossoming young needles, which is very dangerous for the life of pines. Caterpillars of older ages eat the entire needles. After 4–5 weeks of feeding, usually at the end of June, the caterpillars descend to the soil and pupate in the forest floor.

Control measures: treatment with drugs Decis, Karate, Aktara, Engio.

Pine moth(Bupalus piniarius L.). Damages the needles of Scots pine, mountain, Crimean. Butterfly with a wingspan of 30–40 mm. The wings of the male are dark brown, the antennae are feathery. In the female, the fore and hind wings are red-brown, the antennae are filiform.
Butterflies usually fly at the end of June. Females lay eggs in rows on the underside of old pine needles (from 4 to 7 pieces in one row). After about 14 days, caterpillars emerge from the eggs. The adult caterpillar is grayish-green with five longitudinal white stripes, up to 30 mm long. They begin to eat needles from above and from the outside of the crown. The needles are eaten completely, leaving only the middle rib. Resin appears on the needles, the needles turn yellow and fall off. Caterpillars complete development in late summer or early autumn. Pupation usually takes place in October in litter or soil.

Control measures: treatment with drugs Decis, Karate, Aktara, Engio.

Sucking pests

Pine root bug(Aradus cinnamomeus). It severely harms pines by sucking out their tissues, which leads to weakening of trees. An adult female is 4.5–5 mm long, has a flat, rusty-brown body, similar to the color of pine bark. Males are smaller than females, 3.5–4 mm long. Females of two forms are noted: long-winged and short-winged. The larva resembles an adult insect, but is smaller in size and has shorter antennae. The bugs have a specific smell of pear essence. Larvae of the 4th instar and adults overwinter in the litter around the trunk or in cracks in the bark in the lower part of the trunk. In early spring, the bugs climb up the trunk and begin to feed and multiply. During this period, glue rings or adhesive tape can be applied to the trunks, this will help to detect and destroy them. A sign of the colonization of pines by a root bug is the appearance of yellowish and then brown spots on the trunks. In the future, the bark cracks, resin streaks form on it. The color of the needles also changes, it becomes dull, pale, the May growth falls off, the shoots shorten.

Control measures: the treatment of trunks and the near-trunk part of the litter in autumn or early spring is effective with systemic preparations Engio, Confidor, Mospilan, etc.

Pine brown aphid(Cinara pinea Mordv). They feed on plant sap. The body of aphids is thick, dark or brownish with a sheen. In spring, aphids settle in dense, large colonies mainly on young shoots and needles of the current year, and in summer they move to thicker branches, where they can multiply in large numbers. Winged specimens are as common as wingless ones. In autumn, females crawl onto annual shoots, where they lay large dark fertilized eggs in rows. The development of foundresses from eggs occurs in late April - early May, always accompanied by Lasius niger ants.

Control measures:

Shield pine fusiform(Anamaspis lowi). Often found on almost all pine trees grown in Ukraine. Larvae and females feed on needles. In the place of sucking, the needles turn yellow and die, which can cause it to fall and significantly weaken the trees. These are peculiar insects, the body of females is covered with a shield, they lead a motionless life, only sucking juices and laying eggs. Scutellum of the female is elongated, white, widening towards the end. The size of the female with clutch is about 2 mm. The females and larvae overwinter. Overwintered scale insects feed and lay eggs from spring to autumn. The larvae of the new generation appear in May, they are mobile and are called vagrants. After emerging from the eggs, they actively settle in plants.

Control measures: treatment with Calypso, Confidor Maxi, Mospilan, etc.

Pine Hermes(Pineus pini). Damages Scots pine, Weymouth, Cedar. Hermes are peculiar aphids that develop only on coniferous plants and suck their juices. On the needles of infected pines, small reddish-brown aphids covered with white waxy twisted hairs can be found. The development cycle of Hermes is complex. Pine Hermes gives 3-4 asexual generations per year. The larvae hibernate and turn into egg-laying foundresses in the spring. From the eggs laid by the founders, virgin larvae emerge, which, having reached maturity, lay unfertilized eggs, giving rise to a new partogenetic generation. Sometimes winged settlers appear, which form colonies on other trees. In the presence of a number of fir trees, development can occur on another host, where the larvae develop in galls.

Control measures: treatment with Calypso, Confidor Maxi, Mospilan, etc.

Red pine gall midge(Thecodiplosis brachyntera). Imago of the gall midge is a small two-winged insect up to 2.5–3 mm, Brown color. A female with a long ovipositor lays up to 100-120 eggs one or two or three at the base of young needles. The larva is colorless at first, later (in September) brightly colored orange-yellow-red. The development of larvae leads to the fusion of a pair of needles at the base. The place of development of the larva expands, swells, forming a gall 2–3 mm in size. Damaged needles are always noticeably shorter. In autumn, the feeding of the larvae ends, and they leave for the winter under the scales of the shoot. Larvae pupate in spring in a small whitish-gray cocoon 2–3 mm long. Flight of adult gall midges in May.

Control measures: treatment of needles with Engio, Aktara, Mospilan, Calypso preparations.

Moths (lat. Geometridae), or surveyors are an extensive family of butterflies with over 2,000 genera and about 23,000 species. For garden and garden plants, moth caterpillars, which eat both cultivated and wild plants, are more dangerous. Most often, in the conditions of our climate, there are such representatives of the family as pine and winter moths, moths peeled off and gooseberry moths, or gooseberries.

Moth butterfly - description

The moth butterfly has a wingspan of 9.5 to 51 mm, but in most of the insects it reaches 30 mm. Butterflies have a weak body, wide and delicate wings, although there are species among the moths with both a thick body and underdeveloped wings. The moths have no eyes, the proboscis is weak, spiral, and the legs are thin. The forewings are usually wide-triangular, while the hindwings are rounded and pinched. Moths fly mainly at night, their flight is weak and uneven. At rest, the wings are most often spread flat or folded into a house. In males, they are well developed and have a protective coloration, and the antennae in males are feathery. In many female moths, the wings are shortened or absent at all, and the antennae are filiform.

The moth caterpillar is most often naked, long, thin, worm-like, usually painted in the color of leaves, stems or bark. The two front pairs of legs of the caterpillars are undeveloped, and because of this they creep strangely, as if measuring space with their body, like a surveyor's chain, or a span - hence the name of this family. The moth larva has such developed muscles that it can for a long time stand on the hind legs, stretching out the body: at these moments, the caterpillars look like leaf stalks or broken twigs.

In the photo: Moth caterpillar

Smooth, without a cocoon, red-brown, gray, green or yellow pupae hibernate in cracks in the bark, in spider web nests on trees, in the ground or on its surface. After leaving the pupa until mating, adult moths are nocturnal and feed on the nectar of flowers, but there are species that do not need food. After mating, females lay their eggs on seed pods, buds, twigs, leaves, or needles. Caterpillars hatched from eggs feed very intensively, then pupate.

Moths are leaf-eating and needle-eating pests that eat the generative and vegetative organs of plants and can cause serious damage to fruit trees and shrubs over large areas. As a result of their pest activity, the quality of fruits deteriorates, crop yields decrease, winter hardiness of plants and resistance to other diseases weaken. unfavorable factors. Moths are characterized by periodic outbreaks of mass reproduction, the consequences of which can last for several years, and during such periods the moths can completely destroy the leaves on plants.

Types of moth

Pine moth , like all lepidoptera pests, has a protective coloration that makes it invisible against the background of pine bark: gray-brown wings are decorated with zigzags and black, white and dark brown spots. Green caterpillars of the pine moth feed on needles and, at the peak of voracity, can deprive entire hectares of young pines or Christmas trees from their leaves.

birch moth over the past hundred years has changed its color. This is due to the fact that the soot deposited on birch trunks made their bark darker, so the birch moth butterfly learned to produce black pigment: the outer side of its wings is covered with black spots, and the butterfly sitting on the birch practically merges with the trunk. Green birch moth caterpillars. They feed on leaves not only of birch, but also of alder and hazel.

black moth - Eurasian forest species with a wingspan of 13-15 mm. Both the body and the wings of the butterfly are black, along the top of the front wings there is a thin white border. The caterpillars of this species are velvety green, they prefer to eat earthen chestnut and kupyr, although in the absence of these plants, pests can change their tastes.

fir moth lives on Far East and in the eastern part of Siberia. Its grayish wings are decorated with gray or white wavy lines. The caterpillar of the fir moth looks like a fragment of a dry branch. The larvae usually feed on larch and fir needles.

gooseberry moth , or the gooseberry has a bright color: on the back and head, yellow hairs and black spots form a T-shaped pattern, clearly visible on a white background, and below on the wings, large merging spots and black-yellow lines are located in a wavy line. The caterpillar of this moth, strewn with large dark spots, also has an elegant appearance. The caterpillar damages not only gooseberries, black and red currants, but also rosaceous plants: plum, apple, apricot. The caterpillar feeds on leaves, buds and seeds of berries, and glues the damaged areas with cobwebs and pupates in them.

winter moth looks inconspicuous: transverse dark dashes on gray wings. Caterpillars of this species damage stone and pome crops, as well as wild deciduous trees, eating away from the inside the buds and young bones. Eggs laid in autumn overwinter in cracks in the bark at temperatures down to -7 ˚C. For the full course of the winter moth cycle low temperatures necessary.

skinned - under this rough name there is a brown, cream or greenish butterfly, whose wings are decorated with two wavy stripes. Its larvae damage the leaves, buds and buds of not only apple trees, cherry plums, mountain ash, cherries and blueberries, but also wild maples, birches, lindens, oaks and wild roses, leaving characteristic ragged bite marks on them.

On the photo: moth butterfly

Big green moth is different large size: its wingspan can reach 45-50 mm. Butterflies that have just pupated are colored bright green color, against which transverse white stripes are clearly visible. This species lives in the forests of all Europe, feeding mainly on the leaves of hazel and birch, but this does not mean that for others hardwood he is not dangerous. The brown caterpillar of the green moth reaches a length of 25-30 cm. The insect hibernates underground and in cracks in the bark, and in spring it becomes green with brown spots.

mulberry moth distributed mainly in Central Asia. The females of this species do not have wings, while the males have brownish-gray ones. Caterpillars of mulberry moths eat buds and leaves of mulberry, peach, apricot, quince, plum, apple, poplar and acacia.

How to get rid of moth

The fight against moth

It is necessary to fight moths using a combination of agrotechnical, mechanical, chemical and biological methods. To agrotechnical methods wrestling include:

• regular inspection of plants for the appearance of pests on them;
• loosening the soil in the near-stem circles of trees and shrubs with early spring until the end of April, and then from the first decade of September until the start of frost;
• digging the soil around trees in summer and autumn;
• mechanical removal of dead bark and moss from trees;
• whitewashing trees in early March and October.

Mechanical control measures- the most time-consuming, but also the safest - include:

• morning collection of caterpillars by hand or shaking them on the litter and subsequent destruction;
• application against insects of glue belts;
• collection and destruction of spider web nests on bushes and trees and plant residues in their circles.

Chemical method involves the treatment of fruit storages, plants, containers with pyrethroids, organophosphorus compounds and neonicotinoids. And under biologically the fight against moths means attracting them to the garden natural enemies, which are riders and tahini flies, for which phacelia, clover, ornamental onions and sunflowers are planted on the site, as well as spraying trees and shrubs with biological pesticides.

In the photo: Garden pest moth

Moth remedies (drugs)

It is advisable to use insecticidal preparations against moths for preventive spraying of the garden in spring time. If there is a need for plant treatments during the season, then in the case of even a very large number of pests, only preparations of biological origin are used. Preventive spraying fruit trees and berry bushes are carried out before flowering. For processing, the following drugs are used:

• Akarin - insectoacaricide, a biological preparation of contact-intestinal action, effective against a complex of pests;
• Karbofos - insecticide and acaricide a wide range actions belonging to the class of organophosphorus compounds and used for the rapid and complete destruction of sucking and leaf-eating pests;
• Zolon is a contact-intestinal insecticide and acaricide that remains highly effective even at low air temperatures. However, the drug is highly toxic to warm-blooded animals;
• Kinmiks - contact-intestinal insecticide for combating gnawing and sucking pests;
• Decis is a contact-intestinal insecticide, which is part of the group of synthetic perithroids and is used to control sucking and leaf-eating pests;
• Fitoverm - insectoacaricide of biological origin of intestinal-contact action for protecting plants from pests in open and protected ground;
• Bitoxibacillin is a biological insectoacaricide for protecting plants from pests. The term of the last treatment with the drug is five days before harvesting any crops and 10 days before harvesting medicinal plants;
• Lepidocid is a highly effective insecticidal biological preparation of intestinal action that can be used at any stage of plant development;
• Dendrobacillin is an insecticide recommended for spraying plants during the growing season against leaf-eating and other pests. The term of the last treatment is five days before the harvest of any crops and 10 days before the harvest of medicinal plants.

The fight against moth folk remedies

Chemicals are the most powerful weapon against any pest, but they contain poisons that can accumulate in fruits. If the pest situation does not look threatening, then it is better not to use strong insecticides, but to get by with time-tested folk remedies. The effectiveness of herbal decoctions and infusions in comparison with the action of pesticides does not exceed 30-40%, and you may have to carry out several treatments instead of one, but as a result you will not only destroy the moths, but also preserve the quality of the fruit. For pest control, the following folk remedies are used:

• decoction of tomato leaves: in 10 liters of water, you need to infuse 1 kg of chopped tomato tops for 4-5 hours, then boil the infusion over low heat for 2-3 hours, let it cool, strain and add the same amount of water;
• burdock leaf infusion: crushed leaves are placed in a bucket, filling it to a third of the volume, topped up with water to the brim and infused for three days, after which they are filtered and used to treat plants;
• milkweed decoction: 4 kg of crushed euphorbia stems should be poured with 5 liters of water, boiled for 2.5-3 hours, cooled, strained and filled with water to the brim. This amount is enough for two sprayings, the first of which is carried out as soon as the caterpillars are found, and the second - 4 days after the first;
• decoction of hot pepper: 100 g of finely chopped fruits of bitter pepper should be poured into 1 liter of water, boiled for an hour, then insisted for two days, then crush the pepper into a pulp directly in the broth, strain the composition and use in parts, adding half a glass of broth to 10 liters of water. For better adhesion, pour 50 g of liquid soap into the solution;
• wormwood decoction: Boil 1 kg of wilted wormwood in 2 liters of water for 10-15 minutes, let the broth cool, strain and add enough water to make 10 liters. Use for weekly treatments;
• yarrow infusion: Steam 800 g of dried herbs collected during flowering with boiling water, leave for 30-40 minutes, then add water to make 10 liters and leave for another 40 minutes. Before processing the plants, the infusion is filtered and 50 ml of liquid soap is added to it;
• tansy powder: grind dry stems, flowers and leaves of tansy into powder and powder the plants with it.

A constantly beautiful pine tree pleases the eye all year round. AT winter time year, when all nature is covered with snow, the tree still stands green.

Pine has a healing aroma. Even in ancient times, its branch was of a magical nature.

It meant that she was able to protect the house from evil spirits and bring good luck and prosperity to the house. They tried to keep the branch all year round, and replaced it only on New Year's Eve.

The tree is very powerful, but despite all this, it is very susceptible to the development of pests. They can damage the trunk, roots, shoots, which can even lead to the death of the plant.

Insects that are located directly on the needles themselves are very small and most often difficult to notice.

But they can weaken the tree very much, and can also easily attract bark beetles. If you detect and neutralize pests in time, you can help sleepyheads and protect them for many years.

You need to know which insects harm the tree the most. Consider which pests are dangerous for needles, bark and roots.

For needles

Pine silkworm is an insidious pest for wood, especially harmful for mountain and Crimean pines.

Females can lay up to two hundred eggs. The eggs are large, after fifteen or twenty days a caterpillar already appears.

Pine silkworm caterpillar

They begin to actively feed immediately, they can even eat the whole plant. One caterpillar eats about 700 needles.

The red pine sawfly prefers to eat ordinary, mountain pine and Crimean needles.

It damages the tree very much, because of which it loses its appearance, growth decreases and bark beetles settle on it in the future. When the active flowering of the pine begins, larvae appear on the tree.

Red pine sawfly

Usually they live in joint groups, for example, twenty or thirty pieces, they usually eat the needles of past years. Able to leave only one stump from the branches.

The common pine sawfly is very dangerous for the tree, eats plentifully of needles, which is very unfavorable for the pine. They begin to fly from mid-spring. The female is able to lay up to 150 eggs among the needles.

Common pine sawfly

In the spring, he likes to make deposits in older needles, and in the summer he chooses branches this year. Small larvae gnaw on needles, and those who are older eat all the needles entirely.

The red-headed weaver sawfly lives on an ordinary pine, sometimes it can be seen on a weymouth.

Red-headed Weaver Sawfly

They start flying already in the middle of spring. Pine hawk lives on Scotch and Crimean pine.

The female is able to lay up to two hundred eggs. Caterpillars are formed in the summer, development lasts about a month, then they begin to actively eat the tree.

Pine cutworm is very harmful to Scotch pine, but can also feed on other tree specimens.

Pine cutworm caterpillar

Females lay about ten eggs, and sometimes more. This mainly occurs from below the pine needles. Caterpillars of older years eat the needles entirely.

Pine moth prefers to eat needles from above. Subsequently, resin appears on the needles, the needles begin to turn yellow and then fall off.

Bark, trunk and roots

The pine root bug is able to suck out pine tissue, causing the tree to weaken. They also have a specific smell.

Pine root bug

The peak of reproduction and eating falls on the period of spring. The trunk begins to turn yellow, the bark begins to crack and resin flows.

Pine brown aphid prefers tree sap.

Pine brown aphid

In the spring they live on young shoots, and in the summer they move to large branches, it is preferable for them to continue their genus there.

A shooter wintering in summer begins to gnaw on a kidney, where a cobweb is formed, capable of covering caterpillars.

The summer shoot prefers to gnaw on the May shoot with needles.

summer shoot

Because of this, they become crooked and dry. Caterpillars also harm shoot tips. Bud shooter begins to fly in May and continues until early June.

The female lays her eggs among the buds, shoots, and also directly among the roots. During the summer, the caterpillar can cause great harm to several kidneys.

The best remedies for pine pests

Coniferous trees are especially unpretentious in care, but they are very susceptible to pest attacks. Therefore, as often as possible, preventive measures should be taken.

To avoid the mass reproduction of pests, it is necessary to constantly monitor the first signs of their appearance. Preventive actions it is best to start in early April.

Chemicals

You can spray plants with biological products, Lepidobactocide, as well as chemical insecticides, for example, preparations,.

You can treat pine from bark beetle with Arborjet. This drug is naturally injected into the tree trunk under pressure.

Injecting Arborjet into a tree trunk

These funds are located throughout the tree, together with the juice and all nutrients, which undoubtedly protects the pine from the inside.

It is also possible to process a tree in the spring; drugs are considered effective against pests.

Folk methods

There are also many ways to combat pests with folk remedies:

1. Dissolve potassium soap in one liter of warm water. Rub the tree trunks with the resulting solution.
2. It is necessary to take 400 grams of citrus fruit peel, then pour one liter of boiled water. Let the water rest for three days. After that, spray the tree with a spray bottle.
3. Soak 200 grams of tobacco in five liters of cold water. Then you need to leave for a day to brew, then strain. Then add 100 grams of laundry soap to this solution. With this tool, it is desirable to process pine and Christmas trees several times with a frequency of every 3 days.

Prevention of pests on pine trees

In order to prevent the fight against various pests, it is necessary to examine the tree in a detailed way or simply periodically and with inspections.

Preventive methods include organizational, agrotechnical and forestry measures.

It will also be necessary to create a surveillance service that will monitor the appearance of pests and immediately take measures to prevent their spread.

The most favorable time for pest control is the period of appearance of larval caterpillars. At this time, you can make chemical treatment or try to collect the caterpillars with your hands and burn.

This will help prevent their further reproduction and growth. After carrying out all these activities, the tree needs special care. Pine must be fed with fertilizer.

Conclusion

If you detect a pest in time and carry out the correct medical measures, then the tree will be securely protected.

Video: Spring treatment of conifers from diseases and pests