With the onset of spring days, the appearance of greenery in the garden plots, insect pests wake up and attack young leaves and shoots. Among the worst enemies of the currant are aphids. She sucks the juices from the tender leaves, causing great damage to the plant. To start fighting aphids, you must first find it.
How to spot aphids on a bush?
Among the main signs of aphid damage are:
- reddish swellings in the central part of the leaves;
- red-brown growths appeared on the branches;
- leaves curl, then dry up;
- the bush grows slowly, the shoots are weak.
What is the danger of aphids on currants?
Aphids feed by piercing tender young leaves with their proboscis and sucking the juice out of them. The leaf surfaces are deformed, red-brown swellings appear on them. The leaf dries and dies.
Another species of aphid sucks juices from the shoots, preventing their growth. Since young shoots of the shrub are affected, gardeners may lose part of the harvest not only of the current year, but also of the future.
The insects will not destroy the entire bush, but it begins to wither, weaken, fruiting will be insignificant. In addition, insects are carriers of various viruses that cause disease.
For more information on diseases and pests of currants, you can read here.
What aphid attacks currants?
Despite the many types of pest, two of them parasitize on currants: gall and gooseberry aphids. Read about them in detail below.
Gall aphid (leaf)
Gallic aphid (leaf) or red currant, as its name implies, prefers a shrub with white or red berries. This is due to the fact that the foliage of these species is more delicate, the leaf surface is thinner, which allows pests to easily pierce the leaf, pumping out juices from it.
Brown thickenings, galls appear on the damaged area. This is how the plant tries to heal. If you turn such a sheet, you can see many small insects under it.
The specified type of pest lives wherever red currants grow. The gall aphid has an oval body, a little over 2 ml long, with small hairs. The color is pale green.
In most cases, insects are wingless. Females are very fertile, having hatched from an egg in the spring, on the second day of life they are ready to reproduce. Being viviparous, they produce up to hundreds of new aphids.
Hot and dry summers contribute to the active spread of the pest. Winged forms of pests appear when it is necessary to colonize another place after the destruction of the previous one.
Gooseberry aphid (shoot)
Gooseberry aphid (shoot) lives on black currants and gooseberries. This is a very numerous, prolific species. Insects are small, about 2 ml long, greenish in color.
They feed on the sap of leaves and young twigs, accumulating on their tops, which is why the leaves curl, forming spherical lumps or cocoons. The branch stops growing, a colony is located inside the damaged leaves, actively feeding and reproducing.
Females have a winged shape, which complicates the fight against the pest. New generations of aphids can destroy the entire garden, flying from bush to bush, especially in dry, hot weather.
Pest control methods
Process currants from aphids in the morning or evening, in dry, calm weather. Wear a respirator, gloves and goggles when working with chemicals or caustic products.
Aphids of any type live in symbiosis with ants, which are attracted by the liquid secreted by insects - milk. Ants are very fond of "milking" adults, so they protect their settlements, transfer them to new places, even drag them underground to winter. If you want to completely eradicate aphids, exterminate garden ants.
Gardeners and summer residents have in their arsenal many methods and techniques for dealing with an annoying pest. In addition to proven folk remedies, there are many chemicals that destroy the enemy of berry bushes.
Chemicals
When aphids attacked in large numbers, all folk methods have been tried, and there is no time to make decoctions and infusions, chemical agents will come to the rescue. Modern insecticides are available in a wide range of stores.
Among them are:
- Actellic;
- Aktara;
- Biotlin;
- Spark double effect;
- Intavir;
- Kalash;
- Karbofos;
- Fufanon and others.
Each product has its own instructions for use, which must be strictly followed. It is recommended to pay special attention to the timing of application.
It is strictly forbidden to use chemicals during the fruiting period and pick berries no earlier than 20-30 days after spraying chemicals. You should work in protective clothing, respirator, glasses.
The use of chemicals poses a poisoning threat to beneficial insects, birds, and domestic animals. Before starting work, weigh all the risks and make the best choice. Despite strict restrictions, pesticides have a quick effect - aphids die almost immediately.
Biological preparations
Fruiting begins, and aphids swarm on the currant bushes. For such cases, modern biologicals are acceptable. They do not harm plants, are safe for humans, and are produced on the basis of soil organisms. The most common:
- Aktofit;
- Biotlin;
- Bio spark;
- Fitoverm.
Such drugs do not work immediately. Aphids, eating them, slowly die. Use biological products according to the instructions supplied. Precipitation wash off the biological product, so repeat the treatment after rain. Collect berries 5 days after the treatment.
In this video, an experienced gardener talks about the varieties of aphids that parasitize currants, and also gives recommendations for combating it with biological products:
Folk remedies
Lovers of organic farming and gardening use biological products. Consider the various types and methods of destruction of aphids, both gallic and gooseberry.
Tearing off and destroying diseased leaves
In the spring, when young twigs began to grow on the bushes, and twisting appeared on their tops - the result of the work of aphids, so feel free to tear off the damaged leaves. The shrub will not be affected.
At the place of separation from the axils of the leaves, new shoots will appear, which will give a bountiful harvest. Thus, you will carry out the formation of the crown of the bush and destroy the pests. Remember to burn the leaves you have torn off.
Rinse with water
Just direct a strong stream of water from a garden hose at the bush. Under her pressure, insects will fall from the leaves. The method is simple, but requires daily inspection of plants and repeated use.
Effectiveness is negligible, as aphids hide in the folds of leaves, and twisted cocoons do not penetrate water. The presence of ants will nullify the method, as they will quickly return their "herd" to its place.
Boiling water
In early spring, before the buds swell and the leaves open, it is useful to pour boiling water over the entire bush. Once the water has boiled, pour it into a shallow watering can or spray bottle and pour over the crown of the plant.
Don't worry, the hot water won't harm the branches. It will fall under the bark and destroy the egg clutches of pests. Do not forget to whitewash the trunks with lime after pouring, which will continue to kill insects.
Ammonia
Ammonia or 10% ammonia solution is a very reliable, safe and easy way to fight aphids.
Prepare a spray solution:
- Dissolve 40 g of soap in 10 liters of warm water (household, tar, etc. are suitable) or 2-3 tbsp. l. liquid green soap, as well as any detergent. Soap is needed for better adhesion of the solution to the plant.
- Add 30-40 ml of ammonia.
- Mix the resulting solution well and carefully spray the currants. Work with gloves, as the leaves need to be turned over, and the rolled ones must be unwrapped.
- Spray not only the infected branches, but the entire bush to prevent insects from crawling.
Such a shower is an additional nitrogen fertilizer. Berries can be sprayed with a solution of ammonia during the fruiting period, it is harmless.
Watch a video about the treatment of currants against aphids with ammonia:
Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate will help control aphid colonies. To prepare the solution, take 2 tbsp. baking soda for 1 liter of warm soapy solution prepared in advance.
Laundry soap (30-40 g per 10 l of water) grate, so it dissolves better in water. Spray currant bushes with the resulting product in early spring, before bud break.
Soda irritates the surface of the insect's body and eats away at their shell. They try to escape from the spray site, but the soapy solution interferes with them. Thus, the desired therapeutic effect is achieved.
Before spraying, you can wash the leaves by hand with a soda solution.
Laundry soap
Laundry soap has long been used to kill various plant pests. Preparing a soapy solution is not at all difficult:
- For 10 liters of water, take 1.5 bars of soap. Grate it, stir in 1-2 liters of warm water until it is completely dissolved.
- Then pour it into a bucket with the rest of the water. The solution is ready.
- For use in nebulizers, strain through cheesecloth.
- You can take liquid laundry soap. It will need 125 g per 10 liters.
Use a simple soap composition if aphids have just appeared on the bushes. With a large number of pests, soap alone will not be enough.
Infusion of tops and leaves of potatoes
This king of summer cottages and gardens belongs to the nightshade family, its leaves and tops contain corned beef, therefore they are poisonous. Summer residents and gardeners know about this, so they use the infusion of potato greens as a remedy for pests.
To prepare the strongest poison for aphids, take about 1 kg of potato tops and leaves, chop them, pour 10 liters of boiling water. Insist 2-3 days, strain and spray the bushes.
Do not spray in bright sunlight to avoid leaf burns. The problem is that aphids appear before the mass of the tops grows. Therefore, experienced gardeners harvest it at the end of summer, dry it in a dark, dry place and store it until the next season.
Infusion of onions
Prepare the onion infusion like this:
- Chop 100 g of turnip onions.
- Add 200 g of onion skins.
- Pour 10 liters of hot water and leave for 4-5 days.
- After straining, spray the bushes.
Repeat the treatment 3 times at weekly intervals. You can use a green onion feather, but you need 2-3 kg for 10 liters of water. Insist 4-5 days. When treating bushes, try to spray the underside of the leaves.
Tomato tops
The detrimental effect of tomato leaves on pests is due to the presence of solanine, a poisonous substance in them. When the leaves and stepsons grow on tomatoes, experienced gardeners, cutting them off, do not throw them away, but use them in the form of decoctions for spraying fruit bushes.
Prepare a decoction according to the following recipe:
- Take 4 kg of chopped tomato tops and pour 10 liters of water over it.
- After 3-4 hours, put on fire and cook for 30 minutes, covered with a lid.
- When the broth has cooled, strain.
- Dilute the finished concentrate with water 1: 4 before processing the plantings.
You can use dried tops, you need 1 kg for 10 liters of water. But dry tops should not be stored for a long time. Better spread it out under currants and other bushes to repel insects.
Onion peel
The option is well suited when you need to carry out urgent processing of landings. The infusion is prepared quickly and easily. Take 200 g of onion husks, pour 10 liters of warm water, strain after 12-15 hours.
The infusion is ready, spray it on the infected branches without diluting. Collect onion skins in advance, during the winter period.
Garlic infusion
Another powerful pet pest control. Grind 200 g of garlic, pour a liter of water and leave for 3-5 days.
The infusion is so strong that only 50 ml is needed for a bucket of water. Spray the currant bushes with it completely, wetting all the leaves, especially the lower part.
Celandine
A herbaceous weed growing along roads, on the banks of rivers, on the slopes of ravines is familiar to everyone. Its bright flowers are visible from afar. And the yellow juice secreted by the broken stem leaves brown marks on the hands.
Celandine is an excellent insecticide in the fight against aphids:
- Prepare a decoction of 4 kg of chopped greens of this weed (the whole plant will go) and 10 liters of water.
- Insist 3-4 hours.
- The liquid will turn dark brown. Strain and process shrubs, watering abundantly with infusion until moistened. Work with gloves!
The video below shows a celandine pest control method:
Soda ash
A calcium-fortified version of soda. The method of application differs only in proportions. It will take 1 tbsp. soda ash per 1 liter of soap solution.
The presence of calcium gives the plants additional feeding, increases their resistance to diseases. It is indispensable in the fight against powdery mildew and gray mold, it is needed to restore leaves.
Iodine can be added to the solution. For 10 liters of water, take 2 tbsp. soda, 1 tsp of iodine and 40 g of laundry soap or 2 tbsp. liquid. The addition of iodine improves the disease resistance of the currant.
Spray with soda solution before and during flowering, but no more than 1 time in 2 weeks.
Laundry soap and wood ash
Ash is an excellent complex alkaline fertilizer, as it contains all the nutrients necessary for plants. A decoction of wood ash will help get rid of various pests, including aphids:
- Take 300-400 g of sifted ash, pour 10 liters of water and boil for 20 minutes.
- Cool, then strain through a few layers of cheesecloth to avoid ruining your garden sprayer.
- Add 2 tbsp. spoons of liquid green or 30-40 g of grated laundry soap. Stir.
- Process the currant bushes without missing a single leaf.
- Repeat the procedure 2-3 more times for prevention.
Plants-repellents
Many gardeners and summer residents successfully use the insecticidal properties of plants in their gardens. In addition to the already mentioned potatoes, tomatoes and celandine, the property of strong-smelling flowers to repel insects is widely known.
Plant lavender, marigolds, calendula or marigolds, saffron, pharmaceutical chamomile pyrethrum around the currants. Sow yarrow, wormwood, or at least spread branches of these plants under the bushes.
You can use tomato tops, garlic leaves. Onions, thyme, garlic planted near bushes will become excellent neighbors. When the black elderberry blooms, cut off its flowering branches and spread it right over the currant bush. Or make bouquets out of it and place it under the bushes.
Aphids do not tolerate strong odors.
Biological enemies
Since aphids are a very weak insect, they have many enemies among predatory insects. Its main enemy is the ladybug beetle, whose larvae en masse eat the aphids themselves and their larvae.
These bright bugs often inhabit gardens and summer cottages. Try not to use chemical pesticides that kill not only pests, but also beneficial insects.
The odorous plants planted next to them will help attract ladybirds to the currant thickets, which at the same time work as aphid repellents. To prevent the beetles from flying away, arrange the feed - mix yeast with sugar in equal proportions and add a little water. You can collect ladybirds in the meadow and transfer them to currants.
At night, aphids are attacked by lacewing - small oblong insects with transparent mesh wings. Plant cumin and tansy next to berry bushes to attract them.
Fumigation of currants
A very interesting way to fight aphids. It should be applied in early spring, before the leaves have blossomed. Make a cigarette lighter from an old tin can - just nail the can to a long stick.
Take pieces of rubber, old tires will do, put them in a jar, set fire and fumigate all the currant branches one by one. Do not bring the cigarette lighter close to the branches so that the flame does not burn them.
Make sure that only smoke gets on the branches, which will kill all aphids and germs. Careful, unhurried fumigation is guaranteed to rid you of annoying insects.
Hot pepper
Chopped pods of hot pepper pour water in a proportion of 1:10, boil for 30 minutes. Strain after 2 days. The infusion is very spicy, so dilute it: 100 ml per 1 liter of water.
It turned out a good aphid repellent. Treat all currant bushes with it, even not infected. A decoction of pepper can be prepared for future use:
- Take 1 kg of pods, cut in half.
- Simmer over low heat for an hour. Remember to close the lid.
- Insist 2 days, strain, bottle, tightly close and store in a dark place.
For work, dilute 500 g of broth in 10 liters of water, add 40 g of laundry soap. After such spraying, the aphids will have no chance of survival.
Prevention
Fighting aphids is a long and tedious task. To prevent insect infestation of berries, follow these simple rules:
- Prune your bushes annually to remove any damaged branches and shoots.
- Weed around the bush regularly.
- Dig the soil under and around the bushes.
- Destroy garden ants.
- Plant aphid repellent plants.
- Let ladybirds and lacewings live in your garden.
- In the spring, scald the bushes with boiling water.
- Whitewash trunks and branches.
You have learned how to deal with the pest of currants - aphids. Which one to choose - the decision is yours. Practice and experience will help make the right choice. Fighting aphids is a methodical, responsible and constant activity. Simple preventative measures will help ease it.