One of the problems I face when growing seedlings is soil flies. These pests appear mainly due to the poor quality of the purchased soil.
Who are soil flies
Soil flies are the common name for a whole family of dipterous insects. Mushroom mosquitoes, sciarids, detritus, leaf mosquitoes are all representatives of such pests.
Each species has its own characteristics. Adult flying individuals do not harm plants. Many representatives are even deprived of oral organs. The problem lies in the larvae devouring the underground part of the tender seedlings.
One fly is capable of laying a couple of hundred eggs. All of them turn into larvae that feed on organic matter. Pests at best take food from plants, at worst they eat roots.
At the seedling stage, I carefully monitor the appearance of flies. If I notice, I immediately start to fight.
Folk methods of dealing with soil fly
Since I grow seedlings in a residential area, I try to use pesticides that are harmless to humans.
In my experience, I have tried many remedies that are more or less effective. The first thing I do is hang sticky tape near the plants. Adults stick to it, which lay eggs. As insects stick, I change the tape.
The second stage of the struggle is directed directly at the larvae. If there are a lot of flies, then I change the top layer of soil. I make sure not to damage the tender roots of the seedlings.
Helps ash scattered on the surface of the soil. If there is a lot of garlic left after winter, then I use it. I cut the cloves into four parts and stick them near the plants. Be sure to remove the garlic after a while, otherwise it will turn from a remedy for flies into additional food for them.
Purchased means of struggle
When a problem becomes a disaster, I turn to pest control chemicals. In this case, Aktara helps a lot. I dissolve 1 g in 10 liters of warm water and water all plants.
In addition to "Aktara" I tried to use "Thunder 2" and "Flycat". All of them have shown their effectiveness.
Prevention against soil flies
It is difficult to avoid the appearance of flies, but you can minimize the likelihood of this. First of all, I cultivate the soil for seedlings.
If I buy soil in winter, it is usually already frozen in the supplier's warehouse. If I use the soil since autumn, then I definitely leave it in a cold room until the planting period.
If I have suspicions about the poor quality of the soil, then I ignite it. This can be done on the stove or even in the oven.
Before direct use, I spill the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Since fly larvae develop well in moist soil, I will definitely follow the watering regimen. I water the seedlings only after the topsoil dries out. The larvae usually breed in the upper part of the soil.
When I grow seedlings in cassettes, I try to use the bottom watering from the pallet. Periodically, be sure to loosen the soil.
Thanks to these simple rules of prevention and control methods, my seedlings do not suffer from soil flies. If pests appear, then I get rid of them before they have time to destroy the tender plants.
Unfortunately, this problem occurs year after year. Therefore, I will be glad to learn about your methods of dealing with this popular pest.
Read also: Three ways to clean the garden of infection and restore its fertility
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