A funny little bug with a long proboscis nose, because of which it is called "elephant", is a headache for gardeners, and not only them. Just think, this pest strikes raspberries, strawberries, cherries, apple trees with equal pleasure! Gets from him and flowers, even indoor. "Elephants" are capable of inflicting significant damage to farmers by destroying grain in barns. The rice weevil parasitizes rice. There is even a cotton "elephant" and its palm counterpart. There are more than 10,000 varieties of this pest. Almost every corner of the world has its voracious weevils. How to deal with such a large legion?
Exotic representatives of this family are not of interest to us now, we would have to deal with the locals. Long-nosed pests do not spare the most delicate and vital parts of plants. Seeds, buds, buds, fruits and shoots are under attack. If you do not take any action, then you can say goodbye to half the planting in the garden.
Elephants prefer to spend the winter,hiding in fallen leaves or climbing into cracks in the bark. But in the spring they move to the trees to feed on swelling juicy buds. From such a neighborhood, the tree begins to "cry". Juice drips from damaged buds, and gardeners realize that weevils have woken up. How to deal with them, you need to find out immediately, until the females have laid their eggs in the buds. Otherwise, there will be no ovaries, the larvae completely dry the delicate inflorescences. After 12 or 18 days, the emergence of young individuals will begin, which will attack the leaves and the few surviving ovaries. And in July, all the elephants will hide in the bark.
The eradication program includes enhanced preventive measures. Fallen leaves, which serve as a winter refuge for beetles, should be collected in autumn and burned. Some gardeners even set up leaf traps on purpose, laying them out under fruit trees as bait. The most cautious weevils will not refuse such a generously offered place for hibernation. How to deal with those who still overwintered and got out in the spring? There are several ways. First of all, mechanical protection, that is, the usual shaking off of insects. It is better to do this in the early morning, when it is still cool outside and beetle metabolisms are inhibited. As soon as it gets warmer, the pests will immediately scatter. They collect the fallen "elephants" on a film or tarpaulin, and then burn them. It is useful to tie adhesive belts on trees preparing for flowering.
Noticing driedbuds on your favorite antonovka, you know - weevil on an apple tree. How to deal with already hatched larvae if the precautions did not work? We'll have to spray with insecticides. Pre-select all damaged buds. Prepare a poisonous solution according to the instructions and treat all parts of the plant, even lightly sprinkle the near-stem soil. When choosing a product, pay attention to its hazard class for humans and pollinating insects.
No less a disaster is the weevil on the cherry, you already know how to deal with it. The events are basically the same, except that they will have to be carried out a little later. The mass departure of beetles falls on the flowering period of cherry trees, which are slightly late compared to other garden plantings.
Weevils (how to deal with these not at all harmless elephants, you know) will not stop their attacks on your plants. Therefore, a system is needed in their destruction. Combine active methods with prevention, carefully monitoring the condition of fruit trees.
