Content
The gooseberry moth is a dangerous pest that attacks berry bushes at great speed. More damage to the bushes is caused by caterpillars, eating the buds and leaf plate to the veins. In the season of mass reproduction, insects can destroy the entire plant, therefore it is necessary to begin treatment with chemical or folk remedies at the first sign.
What does a gooseberry moth look like?
The gooseberry moth belongs to the order Lepidoptera, the moth family. It is a small butterfly with a beautiful color. It can be recognized by the following external indicators:
- the wingspan of a butterfly is 45-50 mm;
- the wings are painted in snow-white lemon color with pronounced black spots;
- the insect's head is black, the yellow abdomen is covered with dark dots;
- decapod caterpillar up to 40 cm long;
- the back of the caterpillar is snow-white with diamond-shaped black spots;
- light yellow abdomen covered with numerous, small, dark spots;
- head, chest plate, legs - black;
- pupa - black with lemon transverse stripes.
Caterpillars of the gooseberry moth winter in the fallen vegetation. In early spring, the insect emerges from the shelter and begins to eat the buds and young foliage. During this period, pests cause great harm to the berry culture, as a result of which the plant loses strength and weakens. The adult pupates on the inner side of the leaf, on shoots, in the root zone or on the walls of nearby buildings. The cocoon is located in a thin web, so it will not be difficult to find it.
The pupa develops in about 25 days. In the middle of summer, a winged gooseberry moth appears from the pupae, which, having fertilized, begins to lay eggs on the inner side of the leaf.
The butterfly is nocturnal, hiding in the foliage during the day. After 2 weeks, voracious caterpillars emerge from the eggs. At the end of summer, before the beginning of leaf fall, the caterpillar envelops itself in a spider cocoon, falls to the ground and remains there for the winter. Fallen foliage is a shelter from frost, therefore, after leaf fall, it is necessary to collect all plant residues and burn.
Pest signs
When a pest appears on the foliage of a gooseberry or currant, numerous through holes appear. During a mass destruction, the caterpillars are able to gnaw the foliage completely.
You can also find the gooseberry moth in the evening or at night. Beautiful butterflies of small size will fly over the plant, which make massive egg-laying on the inner side of the leaf.
Why is the appearance of a moth on gooseberry bushes dangerous?
When the gooseberry moth appears, there is a danger - this is a lack of harvest and the loss of a bush. Young, voracious individuals eat up the foliage to the very veins at a fast speed, which leads to a weakening of the bush, a stop in growth and development. Flowering is weak, yield drops. On a weakened plant, various diseases begin to appear, thereby weakening it completely. Such a bush will not prepare for winter and will die with the onset of cold weather.
In order not to face difficulties and preserve the berry culture, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner. And when the gooseberry moth appears, start immediate treatment with folk remedies, chemical or biological products.
How to deal with gooseberry moth folk remedies
Very often, experienced gardeners ignore chemicals, thereby saving the environment and beneficial insects that pollinate and feed on pollen from flowers. The gardeners carry out the fight against the gooseberry moth by a mechanical method and folk remedies.
Mechanical way of dealing with gooseberry moth:
- manual collection of caterpillars;
- destruction of cocoons;
- the use of glue belts;
- cleaning the trunk from plant residues.
Fighting the gooseberry moth without the use of chemicals:
- A decoction of tomato tops. 1 kg of chopped tops is poured into 10 liters of water and left to infuse for 4-5 hours. Next, the bucket is put on fire and after boiling it is boiled over low heat for about 3 hours. The cooled broth is filtered and diluted with water in equal proportions.
- Infusion of burdock. The burdock leaves are finely chopped, filled with 1/3 of the volume of the bucket and filled with water. The solution is left for 3 days in a warm room, after which the gooseberry and currant bushes are filtered and processed.
- Milkweed decoction. 4 kg of rod-shaped milkweed are poured into 5 liters of water. The broth is boiled for 3 hours, cooled and filtered. The finished solution is poured into a 10 l bucket and added to the brim with clean water. The first treatment of the bushes is carried out when caterpillars appear, the second - 5 days after the first.
- Spicy pepper. 100 g of chopped chili peppers are poured into 1 liter of water, boiled for about an hour and left for 3 days to infuse. Before processing 1 tbsp. l. the solution is diluted in 10 l of water with the addition of 50 ml of liquid soap.
- Wormwood infusion. 1 kg of chopped wormwood is combined with 2 liters of water and boiled for 10-15 minutes. The cooled and strained infusion is poured into a 10 l bucket and water is added to the brim. Processing is carried out once every 7 days.
- Tansy powder. Flowers, leaves and shoots are dried and crushed into powder. The affected bushes are powdered in the early morning or evening, in dry weather.
How to get rid of gooseberry moth with chemicals
In case of mass infection, at the beginning of the growing season, you can use chemicals. But it must be remembered that they are toxic to the human body and to pets.
After using chemicals, all open areas of the skin are washed with water, and if it gets on the mucous membrane, it is better to see a specialist soon.
Commonly used chemicals:
- Bromophos;
- Karbofos;
- Kizlar;
- Inta-vira;
- Peremethrin.
Fighting moth on gooseberry with biological products
If there is no time to prepare folk remedies, and the gooseberry moth attacked the plant during the fruiting period, gardeners use biological preparations. They are harmless to humans and animals, but have a detrimental effect on insect pests. In addition, these preparations contain beneficial microorganisms that have a positive effect on the growth and development of the plant.
These drugs include:
- Bitoxibacillin - after processing, the drug enters the caterpillar's body through the foliage and affects the gastrointestinal tract. After a few days, the insect loses its ability to eat foliage and dies.
- Dendrobacillin - the processing of the bush is carried out during the growing season. The number of treatments depends on the degree of infestation. Caterpillars die 3-4 days after treatment.
- Lepidocide - an insecticidal biological product of intestinal action.When the drug enters the body, the caterpillar paralyzes, and it dies.
Prevention measures
So that the gooseberry moth does not damage the currant and gooseberry bushes, and also does not ruin the crop, it is necessary to take preventive measures. For this:
- In autumn, all fallen vegetation is collected and burned.
- Deep loosening of the root zone.
- For the winter, the trunk circle is covered with a film or roofing material so that in the spring the hatched caterpillars cannot attack the bushes.
- If single individuals are found, manual collection should be carried out.
- Treatment with folk remedies before bud break after flowering and harvesting.
Conclusion
The gooseberry moth causes great harm to berry bushes. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner and observe agrotechnical rules. If a pest is found, you can use chemical, biological preparations, as well as herbal decoctions. Daily inspection of the bushes for the presence of pests will save the plant and collect a bountiful harvest of tasty and healthy berries.
