On the apple tree there are several varieties of caterpillars that feed on all parts of the tree, causing serious harm. Pests look differently, but the methods of dealing with them are reduced to preventive measures, timely care and spraying.
Fighting leafworm: how and when to spray from caterpillars on an apple tree
Leafworm is a green gluttonous caterpillar. It is wrapped in leaves of a plant, pupates and turns into a butterfly. It feeds mainly on leaves and buds, sometimes damaging the fruits. Caterpillars live alone.
Butterfly butterfly does not harm the tree. However, one individual lays up to 60 eggs per season, of which caterpillars emerge in two weeks. Most often, the leaflet affects young trees. The leaves on it look like a straw. The more affected leaves, the worse photosynthesis.
Biological preparations from leafworm
The fight against these parasites is carried out in several directions. If the defeat is not yet large, then the leaflet can be collected manually or trapped. The caterpillar loves apple juice, which is poured into glass containers and hung on a tree. The smell will attract the pest and after a few days the caterpillars will slide into a trap, you just have to remove them.
The apple tree is processed from caterpillars in several stages.
• In early spring, the old bark on the tree is cleaned, the soil and the trunk are treated with biological preparations such as "Endobacterin".
• During flowering, apple trees are treated with phytoderm. The solution is prepared from 1 liter of water and 2 ml of the drug. Spraying is carried out in cloudy weather.
Treatments are repeated every 14 days, as biological preparations quickly lose their properties.
Chemical protection against caterpillars on the apple tree
Among the chemical protection of a tree from pests, the following drugs are most popular:
• Bordeaux liquid 3%. Processing is carried out before the leaves bloom. 300 g of vitriol and 400 g of lime are used per tree.
• Sevin. The solution is effective against larvae, eggs and adults. Prepared from 200 grams of clay, 500 grams of copper sulphate, 2.5 kg of quicklime and 10 liters of water.
• Decis. An insecticide that does not penetrate the fruits, but is absorbed only in the cell sap of the tree. The caterpillar eats its leaf and dies. It lasts up to 14 days, is not washed off by rain.
• Landing. The drug is instant action, penetrates the sheet. The pest dies immediately, acts on cocoons and larvae.
• Karbofos. Caterpillars die as soon as they eat a leaf or in contact with the drug.
Chemical spraying is carried out only with severe damage to the tree, the last treatment should be no later than 15 days before harvesting.
Folk ways to deal with the leaflet
Experienced gardeners recommend alternative preparations for controlling caterpillars on the apple tree, which are no less effective.
• Infusion of chamomile. Chamomile flowers 150 g pour 10 l of warm water, leave for a day, strain and add 60 g of grated laundry soap.
• Infusion of wormwood. Fresh grass 500 gr pour a bucket of warm water, insist for a day. Then bring the infusion to a boil and cook for 30 minutes, strain and add laundry soap for sticking. Spraying is carried out 1 time per week.
• Infusion of tomato tops. Pour fresh tops 4 kg with a bucket of water, add laundry soap and cook for 30 minutes. Cool and strain, spraying once a week after flowering apple trees.
To reduce the number of pests in the garden, do not neglect the prevention. In autumn, remove all plant debris, as they may contain eggs and larvae of caterpillars. Tear off leaves from a tree, process a crown, a trunk and the soil with protective preparations.
Codling moth caterpillar on the apple tree: the fight against a dangerous pest
Codling moth is a dangerous pest that affects not only the apple tree, but also other stone fruits. The caterpillar can be recognized by its characteristic white color, the body of the pest is translucent. It feeds on the fruits of the tree and its seeds, which leads to fruit rot. Adult individuals feed on young shoots of a tree, gnawing moves in them. Gradually, the branch dries and falls off. The fight against the codling moth begins immediately after flowering.
The pest overwinters in the tree bark or soil, leaves in spring and at the end of flowering of the apple tree lays eggs in the ovary or on the top of the leaves.
Processing is carried out several times per season, later varieties are sprayed three times. In the fight against this type of caterpillar, folk remedies are ineffective. Spraying is done with a solution of chlorophos or metaphos.
As a prophylaxis, in the autumn they dig a tree trunk around the trunk, the soil is treated with suitable preparations. In spring, the tree is treated before buds open and the larvae emerge. For this purpose, copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, urea are used.
Silkworm: photo and description, control measures
The black furry caterpillars on the apple tree are silkworms. Silkworm eggs can be found on the underside of the leaf. The appearance of these caterpillars threatens the tree with viral diseases, so treat the apple with complex preparations.
Before poisoning silkworms, remember that the pest quickly adapts; preparations should be changed frequently.
• nitrofen is used before budding;
• before flowering, they are treated with malathion, ash or metaphos;
• after harvesting, chlorophosomes are sprayed.
As preventive measures, timely pruning of the tree, which is carried out before the start of the growing season, as well as whitewashing the trunks along with skeletal branches, helps. Timely process and clean wounds on a tree, gloss over cracks and hollows, this will reduce the number of wintering pests.
Winter moth: photo and description of the caterpillar, methods of struggle on the apple tree
Winter moth caterpillars are yellowish-green in color. They easily hide in the young leaves of the apple tree, fastening them with a cobweb. The pest eats leaves. Winter moth butterflies do not have wings, they creep on a tree and lay larvae, as a rule, this happens after leaf fall.
Effectively fight caterpillars helps spraying malathion or chlorophos. In autumn, a nitrofen solution is used.
Processing apple trees from caterpillars: general recommendations
Spraying trees is carried out several times during the season:
• before budding;
• on a green cone;
• in the phase of a pink bud;
• after harvesting.
For processing, it is better to choose a calm day, spray at a temperature of at least 10 ° C. At lower temperatures, pests hide in a cobweb where insecticides do not reach.
After treatment from pests, it will not be superfluous to spray with systemic drugs against diseases. Caterpillars, like other pests, are carriers of many diseases of the apple tree.
To combat pests, do not forget to use folk remedies that are available to every gardener. In severe cases, use chemical solutions.
