Spider mite on tomatoes

Spider mite on tomatoes and the fight against it

Spider mites are a big problem for many summer residents and their planting. In the article you will find out why this pest occurs and how to deal with it.

Description of the pest

Spider mite is a common guest in the greenhouses of the summer residents. It can often be seen on tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, eggplants and some flowers. There can be great damage to plants.

This pest is difficult to recognize at the beginning of its occurrence. It is small and looks like a small point, the size of which is no more than 2 millimeters. To recognize it, summer residents often inspect plants with a magnifying glass.

The body color of a spider mite can be red, green, yellow or orange. His larvae are characterized by the fading of their colors, it will also be difficult to notice them.

If you notice the occurrence of a spider mite on your plant, you urgently need to deal with it. In fact, this pest can lay about 500 new eggs in a short time, especially since the greenhouse is an ideal place for its reproduction due to the high temperature and low air humidity.

In addition, due to the attacks of this pest, new diseases form in the plant. They disrupt the process of photosynthesis, and there is also a decrease in immunity, which increases the likelihood of catching new viruses. All of this has an adverse effect on the condition of both the fruits and planting itself.

Reasons for the appearance

Spider mites can occur on tomatoes both in the greenhouse and in the field. Most of the time, this happens due to the fact that the summer resident acquires already known infected seedlings in which there are larvae. It is difficult to notice your presence immediately, as the tick can either reliably hide from curious looks either in the ground or deep in the leaves.

In addition, it can also arise from the fact that the country on which the planted plants are located is already infected, ie the pest has already parasitated it, and then simply hid in the ground or in the remains of the plants, harvesting the last year , wait for the best times.

This also happens because it is not easy to get rid of a tick. To prevent this, you have to treat the earth with certain preventive methods.

The spider mite also occurs in areas in which many wildflowers and various weeds grow on which it loves to parasit.

It is most common in greenhouses, which is due to high temperatures and lack of air circulation.

A spider mite can occur quickly, but it takes much longer to get rid of it and treat the plants affected by it. Therefore, both the processing of the plants and their testing for the presence of this pest must be paid great attention.

Signs of defeat

At first it will be a little difficult to find out that a spinning mite has started on a plant because its size is low. However, you will soon be able to determine this based on the condition of the harvest and their leaves. The mite infects the plant, feeds on its cells and exhausts its nutrient reserves. In the end it stops growing and soon dies.

You can determine your plant’s presence of this happy pest based on a number of factors.

Bleached places on the sheets. Gradually their coloring ceases to be monophonic.

The appearance of small transparent dots on the leaves. Their drying and falling.

The appearance of a thin web, which is the result of the process of his life.

To detect the tick yourself, you have to make a lot of effort, since its dimensions are small. To do this, you need to carefully inspect each leaf, namely: its underside. This process is quite expensive in terms of time, but this way you can definitely protect your plants and notice the pest in time.

With what to fight?

chemicals

The use of such funds is most often resorted to only when there is no other way out. They have high toxicity, which, when used, can harm the environment, the plant, and neglect of safety rules for a person.

Despite this, chemicals in the fight against ticks have high efficiency. They often spray plants, process greenhouses before planting them.

To use chemicals, several drugs with different compositions are usually purchased at once. It is not enough to spray the plant once to complete the tick, and processing the same tool several times is a meaningless profession, as spider mildew quickly develops addiction.

Among the chemicals, the most effective and popular are: the following:

It is necessary to carry out processing by such means depending on the conditions of the weather and climate in your area. For example, in the scorching sun and heat, it is necessary to process the plants at least once a week. They most often do this either early in the morning before sunrise or in the evening after vacuuming so the substances don’t evaporate too quickly. At the same time, with the help of chemicals, it is necessary to use gloves, a mask, robe and glasses so as not to harm your health.

In addition, such funds can not be used during fruiting. After such processing, fruits are unlikely to be suitable.

Biological means

These drugs have many benefits. They do not harm a person, or fruits, or the environment, and a beneficial insect. They are allowed during the period of active appearance of fruits, but the effect of their action may not be as quick as in chemicals.

Among these funds, summer residents especially stand out for the following drugs:

In addition, you can resort to the use of phytophages – this is the name of a species of predatory ticks that eat spider pests. You can buy them at any store related to gardening. The effectiveness of such a tool is very high. With proper use, you can save 90% of pests!

folk methods

These means are less expensive, picking up a variety of components for them that can only be found at hand. If you use them together with chemical or biological means in the fight against a spider mite, the result will not last long. We give an overview of the most popular folk remedies in the fight against ticks.

alcohol

You will need 2 tablespoons of 96-98% alcohol and a liter of water. All this must be stirred, after which you can spray the plant. Plants need to be treated several times with frequency per week for greater effect.

You need the juice of this plant, squeezed from 2 kilograms of its leaves, 10 liters of water and 25 grams of soap chips. All this must be thoroughly mixed. Spraying with such a solution can be carried out with a frequency per week throughout the season.

This solution requires 200 grams of shells and 4 liters of heated water. The components need to be mixed and give the solution time for the tincture, which takes about 5 hours. To get rid of pests, this tool needs to be processed once a week.

tobacco

For this solution you need 400 grams of tobacco leaves and several liters of water. Mix the ingredients and leave them brewed for about a day, after which you can treat plants.

Agro-technological combat measures

In order to prevent the appearance of a spider mite on your plants and finally enjoy a large number of fruits, you need to carefully take care of the greenhouse.

Try to inspect the plants for pests as often as possible. Remove the affected leaves. Infected bushes are best dug up so that the infection does not continue.

Follow the conditions in the greenhouse. Track the temperature and humidity. The spider mite does not tolerate a large amount of moisture and is poorly treated with low temperatures – in the presence of such conditions it is unlikely to keep in your greenhouse.

Be sure to disinfect the greenhouse after the fall harvest, as this insect can hide in the ground and wait for wintering. In autumn and early spring, it is recommended to dig earthen layers to stop the spread of pests.

prevention

In order to avoid the appearance of a spider mite on your beds, it is worth paying very close attention to preventive measures.

First, carefully inspect the purchased seedlings to avoid infected plants.

Burn the affected foliage of plantings, do not use them for fertilizer or anything else. So you can stop the appearance and development of larvae.

Regularly carry out weed sickness and loosening of the earth, remove the extra vegetation like weeds, as this pest most often begins to see.

Plant your tomatoes so that there is some distance between them. In this case, it will be difficult for him to destroy all the plants due to the difficulties with moving between the bushes.

Watch your plants and fertilizer. It is best to use those that contain phosphorus. The spider mite hates it, so the more phosphorus there will be in the soil, the better off it will be for you and your plants. It is unlikely that the pest will be able to live on such plantings. In addition, do not forget about other substances needed by tomatoes. They help strengthen the plant, thereby increasing its resistance to various pests and diseases.

Spider mite on tomatoes

In recent years, this microscopic insect has become a real nightmare for gardeners and gardeners. Every year, the web of the spider mite destroys a significant part of the crop, and sometimes completely destroys the plants. Scientists link an increase in the population of these malicious insects to global climate change.

Mid-latitude winters have become much softer, which helps more females to survive. Another factor complicating the fight against the pest is associated with its size: the body of an adult female reaches 1 millimeter in length, males have even smaller sizes.

There are several thousand types of spider mites all over the world, several hundred of which live in mediu m-sized latitudes. Insects have light scarlet, (photography) greenish or brown color and usually lead a secret lifestyle. The paws of the tick are equipped with special suction cups that are firmly fixed on tomatoes or other plants. Then she pierces the leaves and begins to suck the juice out of the plant.

In its development from egg to an adult, the spider mite passes several stages. The man’s life cycle does not take long: 3-4 weeks, the woman lives in the area for several months, and the parasite eggs retain visibility for several years.

Signs of damage to a spider mite of tomatoes

As a rule, a woman of a spider mite leaves the area in the middle of spring, closer to the beginning of May. At this point, the insect prefers to decide on weeds where he lays his eggs. A month later (late May – early June), the tick moves to plant agricultural plants and begins to actively parasitate. At this point, it is very important to carry out a thorough examination of plants in order to recognize signs of tomato damage in a spider mite. Most of the time, the first pests under the lower side of young leaves are closer to the top of the tomato.

The detection of small whitish and yellowish spots (photo) or more bleached areas shows the appearance of a parasite on their tomatoes. The stains formed at the point of the puncture of the leaves on which the tick started to suck important juices from the facility. If you do not take urgent measures, the leaves will soon start twisting, drying and falling. After a while it is possible to recognize the collection of the network, which indicates the presence of a large colony of insects with the naked eye.

Along the network, the tick moves between the parts of the system or hikes to other tomato bushes. However, it will be extremely ruthless to wait for the appearance of the web – the fight against the tick has to begin much earlier – long before the parasites appear.

Precautions

As you know, prophylaxis is the best remedy when you are the best remedy – both from a disease and plants. Of course, you will do preventive work, but it is very likely that it helps to increase a good harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, other vegetables or berries.

Prevention measures:

• Remove all of the garbage from the location, pay particular attention to the removal of fallen leaves, stems and other parts of the system.
• Dissipline the ground when her website was invited by a spider mite last summer. The floor can wake up with boiling water, a solution from acaricid or with a solution of chlor lime and then wake up with a solution of chlorine layers.
• If you deal with the cultivation of tomatoes and other vegetables in the greenhouse, you are definitely working to disinfect ground, supporting structures and other surfaces of the greenhouse.
• It is better to disinfect the greenhouse in autumn. After disinfection or exchange of the earth, rinse all available surfaces with Acaricide solution and then use sulfur tester to disinfect the room. (A photo)
• Do not open the greenhouse for at least five days after using Smoky Checkers.
• Check each plant carefully and disinfect each plant if necessary. There are often eggs of a spider mite and adults with seedlings on the bed;
• Follow the rules of plant rotation when planting tomatoes. Do not plant tomatoes several times in the same place and make sure that cultures tend to defeat themselves with a spider mite.
• Do not thicken your beds, it is important that the tomatoes are well ventilated and ventilated.
• Water tomatoes in the open floor in good time. Create the worst microclimate for a spider mite in the greenhouse: the air humidity is over 85%at a temperature of up to 250 ° C;
• Check the plants regularly and remove the garbage near the roots. Provide a sufficient amount of phosphord fertilizers and limit the use of chemicals with a lot of nitrogen;
• Some gardeners put an adhesive tape around the bushes that delay and kill malicious insects.

Folk methods of the fight

If preventive measures have not given the desired result, we must continue to impact more effectively on the pests. Before we apply chemicals, however, we recommend that you use many years of experience that gardeners and gardeners have accumulated and fight pests.

Garlic infusion. A simple and effective tool, the preparation of which does not require any special material costs, efforts and time. Clean 500 grams of garlic teeth and grind them with a meat loop or under the press on a tire. Pour the garlic mass with three liters of boiling water, close the container well and put it in a dark place. Open the infusion after 7-9 days and strain through several gazi layers. This gives you a garlic concentrate that is bred with water in a ratio of 80 milliliters of a concentrate for 10 liters of water. After mixing, add 100 grams of chopped laundry soap and stir until soap foam appears. Ankle infusion can be used to spray and water tomatoes. You can also rinse the leaves affected by a spider mite.

Black Belena. This plant can also be used to combat a spider mite on tomatoes. However, the high risk of plants for humans should be taken into account: When preparing decocements and infusions of Belena, we recommend that you observe safety rules and record personal protective equipment. Belena’s infusion is prepared very quickly: take a kilogram of fresh grass, pour it with 10 liters of hot water and put it on for 30-36 hours. Then observe caution, burden the infusion, add 100 grams and spray their tomatoes. Most of the time you need several plants.

Infusion of onion shells. Another very popular folk remedy for processing tomatoes from a spider mite. To prepare the infusion, take 100-120 grams onion shells and pour them in with five liters of hot water. Cover the container and set yourself up for 7-8 days. After this period, strain the infusion and add 50 grams of liquid soap, stir until the foam appears. The product can be used to spray and water tomatoes affected by a spider mite.

Infusion of the calendula. The spider mite reacts very nervously to this plant, its smell makes the insect fear and prevents it from breeding it. In order to prepare the product, it is necessary to collect 400 grams of flowers, pour them with two liters of hot water, close the container and insist in a dark and warm place for a week. After this period, strain the infusion and share four more liters of water and 50 grams of liquid soap to increase gluing. The mixture must be mixed thoroughly, according to which it can be used to spray tomatoes.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Another simple and effective remedy for a spider mite on tomatoes. It is enough to take 30 milliliters of apple cider vinegar and dilute it with ten liters of water. To improve liability, we recommend adding 100 grams of crushed laundries. The resulting tool can be used to wash the tomato leaves affected by a spider mite and to spray plants. To achieve the maximum effect, we recommend this 2-4 processing per season.

chemicals

If prevention and folk funds have not achieved the right result, it makes sense to use agrochemicals that are available in large numbers in specialized pharmacies and shops.

Aktellik. One of the most popular and popular acaricides that effectively controls the spider mite in all stages of development concerns other pests. To treat tomatoes, they dissolved an ampoule of the drug in one and a half liters of water, stir the solution and pour it into the spray. Actelic is a highly toxic chemical. When we work with it, we strongly recommend placing gloves and a protective mask. The drug has a longer period of protective effect (depending on the weather conditions up to four weeks). Repeated tomatoes are not allowed earlier than 21 days after the first spray;

FitoMus. Another popular and above all effective and safe medication. FitoMus does not accumulate in the ground and in the fruits and causes no addiction in a spider mite. The total death of insects is observed in the first few hours after using the Phytovovem. However, for the full destruction of this pest, you need several spray tomatoes. The only disadvantage of the drug is his unpleasant smell, which must be taken into account when working in greenhouses.

FitoMus fufanon Bitoxibacillin

Fufanon. AntiCleshch. These drugs have a different name and the manufacturer, but practically do not differ from each other because they are based on an active substance. Chemists effectively control a wide range of pests, including a spider mite. Another advantage of the painting is the low toxicity. However, we would recommend using a mask and gloves when working with Funnon or ant i-elshchi. Chemists have contact, intestinal and fabrication effects that can reach the period of protective effect (under favorable weather conditions) of two weeks.

Bitoxibacil. This biological product of intestinal effects is completely safe for humans, war m-flowered animals and bees, but at the same time shows a high efficiency of the struggle against a spider mite. The advantages of Bitoxibacil should include the circumstances that do not accumulate in the ground and in the fruits of tomatoes, and does not cause resistance in a spider mite. The processing of tomatoes is best done in a morning or evening when the air temperature does not exceed 22 degrees Celsius.

sun mite. Acaricide of contact action reliably fights spider mites at all stages of their development: from egg to adult. Insects begin to die as early as 15 minutes after processing tomatoes, while Sunmite has a long protective effect: 4 to 6 weeks depending on weather conditions. Atmospheric precipitation, falling a few hours after spraying, does not reduce the effectiveness of the drug. Sunmite is safe for crops, humans, and warm-blooded animals.

Pros and cons of using chemicals

• Diverse selection of chemicals on the market;
• A wide spectrum of action (most acaricides act not only on the spider mite, but also on other pests;
• Chemicals affect not only adults and larvae, but also tick eggs;
• Many drugs are not addictive in insects and do not accumulate in the soil and fruits.

• Quality chemicals have a fairly high cost;
• Some drugs have high levels of toxicity. They can harm human health;
• There are many counterfeit products on the market.

Spider mite on tomatoes – how to fight: video review

Control of spider mites on tomatoes:

Spider mite on tomato seedlings – how to fight:

Dealing With Spider Mites On Tomatoes In A Greenhouse:

We fight spider mites on tomatoes: advice from gardeners

Anton Komaritsky, 63 years old, Tambov region:

After retirement, I decided to start gardening: I have a lot of free time, I’m still healthy – I grow vegetables both for myself and for sale. And everything would be fine, but only a spider mite got used to my tomatoes and cucumbers. I didn’t even know that such an insect existed. In the first year, the tick destroyed half of the harvest. Now I approach the issue of vegetable protection in a complex way: I carry out many preventive measures, and then I process Fufanon twice more. I can’t say I managed to get rid of this parasite completely, but it no longer has a significant impact on the crop.

Anna Sevidova, 48 years old, Kursk region:

We grow tomatoes outdoors for ourselves and a little for sale. Spider mites have been causing trouble for a long time. It is clear that he lives in the ground and it is not easy to destroy him. We dig up the soil twice a year (in autumn and in spring) and disinfect it, but it is not possible to completely destroy the females and insect eggs. If the winter was warm and the summer dry, then the pest infested the garden in incredible numbers. In such years we use Aktellik. I know the chemical is toxic, but one treatment per season is enough.