Of course, the primary task of every gardener is to get a rich harvest on their own plot.
Unfortunately, insects and pests always stand in the way of this, which are very willing to destroy vegetable crops, reducing the work of a summer resident to zero. The cabbage fly is especially troublesome in this regard.
Often, the owners of suburban real estate, engaged in the cultivation of vegetables, after a while notice that the white cabbage begins to fade. Many attribute this to a banal lack of moisture, so they immediately take out watering hoses and irrigate the cabbage to the maximum, confidently counting on the fact that in a day or two the plant will come to life. However, time passes, but the beds with white cabbage continue to be in the same, and sometimes even worse condition, and then the gardeners begin to wonder what is the matter, and some even experience a slight panic.
And everything is explained not by the lack of moisture. The cabbage fly caused damage to the crop. This is a very dangerous pest for white cabbage.
What is thisinsect
It should be noted that the adult individual of the insect in question does not cause damage to cabbage. Another thing is cabbage fly larvae. It is they who destroy the white cabbage. However, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. Of course, you can’t save cabbage with a fly swatter or ordinary Velcro, but there are still means to combat the above pest, and we are talking not only about chemicals.
It should be emphasized that two types of insects cause damage to the crop: the spring cabbage fly and the summer one. At the same time, there is no particular difference between them, except that the first is a “descendant” of the second.
Beginner gardeners should know that both variations of this insect can cause great harm to cabbage beds. Do not forget that summer flies do not fly away for the winter, remaining in the gardens until spring, and with its arrival they begin to give offspring, which then grows into spring "copies".
Distinctive signs of a pest
In fairness, it must be said that visually the cabbage fly is not much different from the usual one. However, it is somewhat smaller and lighter in color than the latter.
When the larvae appear
The beginning of the phase of the appearance of spring fly larvae is the period of lilac flowering, when the soil at a depth of 8 centimeters warms up to about +10 degrees Celsius. And it is this moment that is a certain starting point for all the troubles that thisinsect. Why? Everything is very simple. The female spring cabbage fly is ready to perform a reproductive function - she lays up to 150 eggs. Moreover, she does this on the root neck of a vegetable or in its immediate vicinity under lumps of the topsoil.
After a week and a half, the eggs hatch into larvae, which cause irreparable damage to the crop.
What is dangerous cabbage fly
Young individuals require constant nutrition, and this task is realized through the root system of the white head. And often not only she suffers, but also the leaves of plants. As a result of the destruction of the rhizome, through which the cabbage receives nutrients, the entire vegetable dies over time.
The average damage period is 3 to 4 weeks. This period is enough for the larva to turn into a pupa. This process takes place in the immediate vicinity of the white head, which was food for the larvae. 21 days after the final formation of the pupa, the second generation of the above insect is born. Moreover, when favorable conditions are created, the third and even fourth generation of the cabbage fly may appear. The only consolation in this case will be the fact that the harm caused by individuals of the latest generations will not be as significant as that of the “ancestors”.
Experts recommend regular crop rotation of vegetables to minimize damage.
Ways to destroy the pest
Becausethe cabbage fly is the worst enemy of the white cabbage fly, the question of how to get rid of this pest remains very urgent for many.
Chemicals
One of the common ways to control insects, of course, is the treatment of plants with pesticides. Currently, there is a whole arsenal of drugs that effectively destroy the cabbage fly. You just have to go to the market or to a specialized store and purchase it. Next, read the directions for using the product on the label and proceed. You can use drugs such as Karbofos or Bazudin. If you are not a supporter of the use of chemistry, then the cabbage fly, the control measures for which are effective in almost everything, is easily destroyed with the help of natural components.
Prevention measures
Those who are seriously concerned about the problem of how to deal with the cabbage fly should remember: the best weapon is prevention. First of all, as already emphasized, do not forget about the crop rotation of vegetables.
Be sure to dispose of the stalk of the plant outside your site after cutting the forks. Thus, you will significantly reduce the risk of the emergence of a spring cabbage fly next year. Do not forget to systematically plow the territory of the land where you grew cabbage. This will destroy most of the larvae that have already pupated.
Certainly, a formidable opponent is the cabbage fly. Methods of dealing with this insect, of course, one prevention is notlimited. What else can be done?
Alternative control measures
Some experts recommend taking soil from the plant before the hilling procedure. To do this, you need to remove the top layer of the earth, located within a radius of 10-15 centimeters from the plant, and bring soil to this place from another place within the boundaries of your garden (for example, from the area where you planted onions or carrots last year).
So, we found out that the cabbage fly is still vulnerable. Measures to combat this insect can be successfully combined and combined.
A certain part of experts in the fight against insects advises to cover each fork of cabbage with paper. First, you must prepare circles from paper, the diameter of which is 15 centimeters. In their middle, you need to cut a hole for the cabbage stem, after which we make a cut along the radius of the circle to its center. The next step is to hoist the workpiece on the stem and lay it on the soil. Thus, you will make every effort to ensure that the offspring of the cabbage fly is not on the stem of the seedling or the soil near it, but on the paper structure. Naturally, the eggs on the circles will soon die without turning into larvae.
Another part of experienced gardeners effectively destroys the pest by treating the plant with naphthalene or tobacco dust. Some use flower traps treated with special glue.
