Today I will tell you about the Colorado potato beetle (ten-striped leaf beetle). This is an insect that eats plants from the Solanaceae family and is considered one of the main pests of agriculture. It is called so because it was first discovered in the US state of Colorado in 1859.
Time of appearance of the Colorado potato beetle
The beetle appears most often in early spring. Winters at a depth of fifty centimeters, previously burrowing. As soon as the temperature becomes positive and constant, the beetles come to the surface. If the female was fertilized in the autumn, then in one or two weeks a new generation may appear.
In our suburbs, its appearance depends on the temperature of the air and soil. When the soil is heated to 10 C, the Colorado potato beetle awakens.
Appearance
The beetle is medium in size: about 10 mm long and 6 mm wide. The body is oval, shiny, orange-yellow. Larvae are pinkish or bright yellow, about 15 mm long. After eating potato leaves, the larvae turn orange in color. Colorado potato beetles live on average for about one year, but there are individuals that can live for two to three years. A distinctive feature of these insects is that they can fall into a state of diapause, when their body is completely metabolic processes stop, which helps them survive adverse conditions: severe frosts, lack of food and water.
pest control
To do this, I use one of the natural enemies of the Colorado potato beetle - fragrant tobacco. Beetles love him very much, besides, he is poisonous to them. I plant tobacco near potatoes. I try to do this a few weeks before the expected moment of the emergence of adult individuals of the Colorado potato beetle on the surface.
I plant seedlings of fragrant tobacco simultaneously with planting potatoes, along the perimeter of the garden in rows with potatoes.
I also recently read that the Colorado potato beetle does not like the aromas of such plants as night violet, calendula, onion, bittersweet and marigolds. Therefore, next to another bed, I planted seedlings of marigolds and night violets as an experiment.
I process small potato beds on my own without the use of auxiliary means. I try to collect insects by hand, after taking a container with kerosene or water for this. If I see that the area affected by the potato beetle is large enough, then I use various insecticides, which are now sold in stores a lot.
To combat the Colorado potato beetle, there are many recipes and methods, both natural and with the help of chemicals. The choice of one or the other depends on your personal preferences.
Share in the comments: what methods do you use to deal with the Colorado potato beetle?
Read also: Let's see if it is worth leaving a polycarbonate greenhouse open in winter or not.
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