How to get rid and deal with aphids in zucchini, how to process them

Gardeners who first discovered aphids on zucchini do not know how to process the plants. To protect them, chemicals, folk remedies, and manual collection of pests are used. The result of these actions can be improved if preventive measures against insect infestations are carried out in a timely manner. After all, they can calmly survive the winter time, feed on weeds, and in the summer move to the leaves of zucchini and suck the juice out of them.

Reasons for the appearance

Zucchini are most often affected by melon aphids. Its larvae spend the winter among weeds, and with the onset of spring at temperatures above +12 ° C, they begin to actively reproduce. First, the pests feed on weeds, then switch to vegetable crops. Aphids develop well with the onset of warm and humid weather.

The following signs will help to recognize an attack by these insects:

• twisted foliage;
• dried buds;
• light discarded aphid shells and sticky ooze;
• many larvae on the back of the leaf;
• the appearance of a large number of ants in the greenhouse.

Pests pollute the foliage surface of squash, disrupting their development and nutrition.

What does aphid look like on zucchini

Aphids populate the bushes from July-August. Outwardly, it is dark green, even black is found. The length of the pests is 1.5 to 2 mm. They feed on juice from the leaves, which immediately begin to curl, and the flowers and ovaries fall off. Insects live on zucchini leaves in colonies that can grow very quickly and dot all the foliage.

Processing methods

How to sprinkle zucchini, gardeners decide after detecting many pests. But it is better to prevent their development long before sowing the plants. In the fall, the remnants of the harvest are burned, fires are made in the beds where the aphid was found.

You should not plant the same crops in the same place every year. Between them it is worth planting plants, whose smell will scare away pests. It is recommended to dig up the earth twice - in autumn and spring.

In the open field

Measures not taken in a timely manner to destroy insects lead to the cessation of the growth of vegetables. Aphids carry pathogenic microbes that infect the entire crop. There are several methods for dealing with aphids:

1. The larvae are collected by hand, diseased leaves and flowers are removed and burned, glue traps are placed, pests are washed off with water.
2. Plants are planted nearby, which are fond of hoverflies, earwigs, lacewings. Bird feeders are placed on the garden plot.
3. Complex fertilizers are applied, the plants are regularly watered and weeded.
4. Zucchini are treated with chemicals.
5. The vegetable culture is sprayed with herbal infusions, solutions with ash, soap or soda.

Take a look also

Scheme of how to form and pinch zucchini in the open field

Attention! For planting, you should select varieties of zucchini that are more resistant to the invasion of aphids (Aeronaut, Parthenon, Gribovsky). Their dense, dark green leaves are less prone to pests.

In the greenhouse

Greenhouse zucchini require prophylactic protection. Its methods include compliance with the norms for applying top dressing, maintaining optimal humidity up to 80% and temperature up to 25 ° C, careful weed control.

In the greenhouse, you need to remove a 5 cm soil layer. Experts recommend changing the greenhouse soil completely every 5 years. The glass parts must be washed with copper sulfate, the wooden parts must be whitewashed. Inside, you need to light a sulfur checker.

Attention! Before trying to kill aphids in a greenhouse, you need to get rid of ants.

Drugs

There are many good remedies on offer today. Their correct application will protect the site and kill insects in 24 hours. The procedure is carried out when there is no rain or wind, as the poison can be washed away or blown away.

Chemical

You can process zucchini with chemicals. When plants are actively growing, it is allowed to spray them with a 1% solution of copper sulfate.

How to process plants is up to gardeners. But if the vegetable crop is heavily flooded with aphids, it is effective to use Karbofos, Aktara, Tanrek, Kinmiks. The solution is prepared before use. At the same time, it is important to observe the time interval of 20 days between processing and harvesting.

Folk remedies

Among experienced gardeners, the following infusions are most common to help get rid of insects:

1. Wood ash (2 glasses), laundry soap (70-100 grams), water (10 liters).
2. Tobacco (50 grams), soap (10 grams), hot water (1 liter).
3. Onions (70–90 grams) or garlic (40–60 grams), warm water (10 liters).
4. Celandine (1 kilogram), boiling water (2-3 liters) - later hot water (7-9 liters).
5. Yarrow (800-900 grams), boiling water (2 liters), hot water (8 liters).
6. Green dandelion leaves (400-500 grams), hot water (10 liters).
7. Tomato tops (1 kilogram), water (10 liters). It is necessary to boil. Then dilute up to 3 times.
8. Potato tops (fresh - 1200 grams, dry - 60–80 grams), water (10 liters).

Take a look also

Description of the zucchini variety Iskander f1, cultivation features and yield

Will fertilizer help against aphids?

Zucchini with resilient, strong and dense leaves are well resistant to pests. For plants to gain strength, regular watering and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are needed. The following complex dressings will help to increase the resistance of a vegetable crop:

1. Agricola-5 increases resistance to disease and bad weather. The product can be sprayed on roots and foliage 5 times a year. The advantage of fertilizer in an environmentally friendly composition.
2. Health Turbo helps to perfectly absorb nutrients. Watering the roots every 2 weeks is used. The product contains many useful substances.
3. A clean sheet accelerates plant development and resistance to infections, insects. Fertilizer can be applied dry, as well as in the form of a solution under the root or foliage. The advantage of this fertilizer is compatibility with organic preparations.
4. Multiflor builds up the immunity of the culture, increases growth, nourishes the roots. It is used as root and foliar dressings. The advantage of using is low consumption and complete assimilation of all elements.

Precautions

For the safe use of folk remedies and chemicals, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• use personal protective equipment - gloves, closed clothing, respirator;
• do not exceed the indicated dosage;
• do not eat vegetables for 10 days after spraying.

The main mistakes when fighting aphids

To effectively fight insects, you must follow these rules:

1. Unnecessary plants must be removed from greenhouses.After all, aphids especially like to use weeds for wintering.
2. When buying seedlings, you should first check it for pests. Otherwise, there is a risk of aphid entering the area with your own hand.
3. Nitrogen fertilizers, which are beneficial for the growth of the green part, do not need to be applied in excessive quantities. Foliage that is too powerful can attract other nasty parasites.
4. It is not necessary to plant zucchini near bird cherry, viburnum and linden. Aphids also choose these crops for wintering.

Aphids on zucchini are not easy to defeat. The combination of all available methods is able to protect plants from the reproduction of pests. If you carry out prevention in the fall and spring and follow the rules of struggle, you may not even meet with these insects in your garden.