Is it possible to spray potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle during flowering ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

Potatoes are an unpretentious crop that grows in different climatic conditions. With an initial understanding of how to water and huddle potato bushes, an inexperienced gardener can get a good harvest by the end of the season. But without protection from pests, all efforts are in vain. The Colorado potato beetle is especially dangerous for potato bushes. Chemicals are usually used to eliminate it. But during flowering, you cannot spray potatoes. Then other methods of destruction are used.

The danger of the Colorado potato beetle when potatoes are in bloom

For potatoes, these insects are the most dangerous parasites. After overwintering in the ground, the beetles come to the surface when warm weather sets in. After the air warms up to +20 degrees, they begin to multiply. Females lay eggs on the grown potato tops, from which the larvae hatch by the time of bud formation. Each of them lays up to 500 eggs.

Beetles appear en masse on potatoes during flowering. Insects devour the foliage, drink the juice from the stems. As a result, the green part of the bush dies. After that, the tubers stop developing. Without cultivating the bushes from the Colorado potato beetle, you can lose most of the crop.

Spraying products

These pests are native to Mexico, where they feed on wild plants of the Solanaceae family, including the toxic black nightshade and henbane. The body of these insects is capable of accumulating toxic substances. Therefore, for most birds and animals, adults, adults and egg clutches are inedible.

The Colorado potato beetle is also not sensitive to the effects of most drugs or quickly develops immunity against them. It is possible to cope with the pest only with modern systemic insecticides. These substances penetrate through the root system of plants into all parts and accumulate in tissues. The insect eats the foliage and receives a lethal dose of poison.

The following substances are commonly used to process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle:

means “Actellik” is used during the mass appearance of insects;
the substance “Aktara” is used for regular processing from the moment the sprouts appear;
with Colorado, potatoes are sprayed repeatedly at each pest appearance;
means “Confidor Maxi” effectively destroys insects without harming the plant.

Is it possible to spray potatoes during flowering

Potatoes accumulate insecticides in all their parts after they are sprayed. Some systemic drugs remain in the soil for up to three months. Therefore, contact with a treated bush or eating tubers from it can harm your health. Also, such processing is dangerous for beneficial insects and pets. Due to the toxicity of systemic preparations for insect predators, bees and beneficial amphibians, it is not recommended to spray potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle during flowering.

Important!

For the proper development of a potato bush, flowering is an important process. When insects damage the inflorescences, all the plant’s strength goes into the formation of new flowers. Spraying potatoes during flowering is not recommended. Poisonous substances harm flowers and other parts of the plant.

If most of the potato plantings are affected by pests, it is impossible to save the plants without the use of insecticidal preparations. In this case, you can spray the potatoes during flowering. This period is long. Therefore, without treatment, pests can destroy all plants.

Processing potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle during flowering

Since it is not allowed to poison pests during flowering with chemicals, other methods of control are used in case of mass damage to plantings. If Colorado beetles are found on the bushes, they must be collected by hand. But with a large concentration of insects, manual collection does not give high efficiency.

If necessary, you can process potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle using different means. Taking into account the possibility of pests to get used to poisons, to develop immunity against them, it is recommended to constantly change substances.

Processing of potatoes after flowering is not stopped. This culture blooms unevenly. Therefore, maintenance work is carried out for her constantly. It is impossible to eliminate pests in one spraying, since many females hide in the ground. Usually, some time after treatment, the pests return to the surface. You can re-spray the plants to protect the potato tops from damage and nourish the root system with useful components.

Chemicals

These products contain toxic ingredients that affect the vital organs of parasites. As a result of their destruction, the death of the pest occurs. If you sprinkle such preparations on the affected plants, you can destroy insects and their larvae in a short time.

Common substances that can be used to poison potatoes when they bloom include:

Liquid concentrate “Gulliver” is produced in ampoules. To prepare the solution, the contents of one ampoule are mixed with 10 liters of water. Colorado beetles can be destroyed after a single treatment.
Means “Killer” effectively kills adult insects, their larvae. The product stays on the green part of the plant for a long time without washing off. Therefore, the likelihood of reappearance of beetles decreases.
Substance “On the spot” is safe for potato bushes, but effectively destroys pests. Laundry soap must be added to its solution for the best effect.

Folk remedies

Without the risk of harming potatoes during flowering, plants can be treated with folk remedies. But such products cannot kill insects from the first use. Usually several treatments are needed. For an effective result, you need to start processing as soon as the first insects appear, without waiting for a massive invasion. Many herbal products can be excellent plant fertilizers in addition to pest control.

When the potato bushes have bloomed, the following remedies are used:

Dusting plants with ash obtained from burning birch logs. The procedure is carried out in the morning.
An infusion of garlic is prepared from 5 heads, peeled and passed through a press, pouring 1 liter of water into them. The mixture is left for a day. Then the concentrate is filtered and diluted with 10 liters of pure water. Spraying of potato bushes is carried out every 7-10 days.
Pine needle mulch can reduce the number of pests. The needles are laid out in aisles in a thick layer.
An infusion of onion peels should help against beetles and larvae. For its preparation, 1 kg of onion husk is brought to a boil in 1 liter of water. Then leave to brew for 24 hours. After the agent is filtered and mixed with 10 liters of water. The solution is sprayed onto the bushes with a spray bottle.
The urea solution removes insects while fertilizing the plants. The working solution is prepared from 10 l of water and 100 g of the preparation. Then they process potato plantings with it.
Infusion of tomato tops is prepared from 1 kg of herbs and 2 liters of boiling water. The mixture is left to brew for 4 hours. Then the liquid is diluted with 5 liters of water, a little liquid soap is added. Bushes are processed every 3 days.
Wormwood infusion has an unpleasant bitter taste. Therefore, it can serve as a protection for plants. Mix 1 kg of chopped wormwood herb and 1 glass of wood ash. Pour 10 liters of water and leave for 5 hours. Then the potato planting is sprayed with the agent.

On a note!

As a deterrent, you can plant calendula or marigolds between the rows of potatoes. These plants give off a strong odor that repels beetles.

Biopreparations

Many biological insecticides have now been developed. They contain fungi and bacteria that are natural pests of the Colorado potato beetle. Bacterial drugs destroy the pest’s food tract. Insecticides containing fungi affect the nervous system of the insect, causing them to immobilize and kill them. The most effective agents are those containing entomopathogenic nematodes. Microscopic worms enter the body of parasites along with food and infect the internal organs of the pest.

The means “Aversectin C” and “Avertin N” perfectly destroy leaf beetles. They destroy the larvae. Means “Fitoverm”, “Bitoxibacillin” have a bacterial basis and also effectively fight pests. Particularly good results are obtained after spraying with Nematodes, the active ingredient of which is nematodes.

Biological insecticides, their constituents degrade in a short time, have a delayed effect. If during the time of the action of the toxin not all individuals have died and egg clutches remain, after a while the insects will appear again and re-spraying will be required. The total number of treatments depends on the climate in the region. Also, the final effect is influenced by the condition of the potato bushes and the beginning of spraying.

Spraying rules for potatoes

Regardless of the reasons for the appearance of Colorado beetles during flowering, it is recommended to use sparing preparations for the destruction of leaf beetles. They do not harm health and ecology in the process of destruction of leaf beetles. The active ingredients contained in herbal preparations decompose under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, spraying should be carried out immediately after preparation of the solution. It is best to choose evening hours for this. So, together with the action of the drug, the likelihood of burns on the leaf plates can be excluded.

To keep the drug on the plants longer, you need to add laundry soap to the solution. It is recommended to periodically change the preparations so that the insects do not have time to get used to their action. Solutions for processing must be prepared strictly according to the instructions.

Important!

Before processing, it is imperative to protect hands and face with personal protective equipment. During spraying of drugs and after the procedure, there should be no children and pets on the site. After finishing the treatment, hands and face should be washed with clean water and soap.

If less than 24 hours have passed after processing the potatoes, rain or windy weather greatly reduces the effectiveness of the drugs. Therefore, it is imperative to re-process. Depending on the characteristics of the action of the drug, after the last treatment, potato tubers can be eaten only after 40 days.