How to properly and how to spray apple trees from pests in summer

Harmful insects are dangerous even for unpretentious apple trees that are resistant to adverse environmental factors. They affect all parts of the plant: trunk and shoots, leaves, inflorescences, roots, fruits. This leads to crop damage, foliage falling, malnutrition, drying out and death of the tree.

Insects are fought for prevention or when a problem is detected. Treatments are carried out throughout the growing season, taking into account the nuances of each phase of growth. Consider what and how to spray apple trees from pests in the summer.

What pests threaten apple trees in summer

The main treatments for diseases and pests of apple trees are carried out in spring and autumn.... However, in summer there are risks of insect damage to trees. Gardeners often notice plants with damaged leaves, shoots and fruits.

In order to carry out the most effective treatment, it is important to find out the type of insect that caused the negative symptoms.

Pests that often infect apple trees in summer:

1. Aphid. A small green insect feeds on the sap of leaves, buds, young shoots. It settles on the underside of leaves and tops of shoots in whole colonies.
2. Apple felt mite. Small reddish or black insect sucks juices from leaves and young shoots. On the back of the leaves, a white felt blotch with red blotches appears, which turns brown over time.
3. Fruit moth. A whitish-pinkish caterpillar with a brown head, butterflies are dark gray. Insect larvae feed on apples. The exit of the caterpillar on the fetus is covered with a cobweb with excrement. The departure is observed from late spring to autumn.
4. Shield. The larvae of the pest feed on the sap of the plant, causing it to dry out. Development ends in late July or early August. After that, the female lays the larvae under the shields and dies. Usually the insect is found at this stage.
   

   Shield
5. The Nutcracker and the Beater. Beetles eat the leaves of trees, and the larvae feed on the roots throughout the growing season. The main feature is leaf skeletonization. Without timely treatment, the apple tree dies.
6. Apple flower beetle. The brown beetle with a proboscis on its head feeds on buds in early spring. During flowering, the female lays the larvae in the buds. In early summer, there is a massive bloom of adults that skeletonize leaves.
   

   Apple flower beetle
7. Fruit goose. In the summer, the females of these raspberry weevils lay the larvae in apples and then gnaw at the stalk. The fruit decays quickly. In August, beetles fly out and eat fruits and shoots before frost.
   

   Fruit goose
8. The barbel is fruit. A small brown-yellow beetle gnaws at the leaves in June. Females lay larvae on shoots, which feed on wood, leading to its drying out.
9. Small maple barbel. Black narrow beetle with long whiskers. From May to July it swoops down on trees, gnawing holes in the trunk and branches.
10. Leaf roll. A yellow or brown butterfly lays green larvae in the crevice of the bark. In the spring, pests move to the leaves, wrap them in a cobweb and feed on them. Years are observed from May to late July. Some types of leaf rollers damage fruits by sticking leaves to them.

Timing and frequency of treatments

Experienced gardeners believe that in order to completely protect the plant from pests, it will take up to 14 sprays. Most summer residents do not process trees so often.

Spray the apple tree can be scheduled for preventive purposes. In this case, the risks of plant infection are reduced. The harvest is fully preserved.

Some gardeners spray trees when they are already infested with insects. In this case, pests manage to spoil part of the leaves and fruits before processing. To deal with the problem, you have to use more serious chemicals.

Spraying by growth phase

If signs of pests are found, the apple trees are sprayed regardless of the schedule.

For prophylaxis, treatment is carried out according to the growth phases:

1. Immediately after flowering... Plants are treated for diseases and pests. Many gardeners use tank products, which are a mixture of insecticides and fungicides.
2. During the loss of an extra ovary. This takes place in the first half of June. To protect the tree from the moth, insecticides are used.
3. 20 days after the end of flowering. They are treated against gnawing, sucking pests and scab.
4. 5 days after the previous procedure. To protect the apple tree from harmful caterpillars, they put trapping belts.

Subsequent treatments are carried out as needed or before the expected emergence of pests. Stop using funds 15 days before harvest.

Processing rules during fruiting

So that summer treatments do not harm the plant and people who will eat the fruits, it is important to know a few nuances:

1. In summer, spraying is carried out when the sun is not active: early in the morning or at sunset. Otherwise, burns will remain on the leaves.
2. In warmer months, it is especially important to adhere to the dosage indicated in the instructions. Hot weather and large amounts of leaves increase the risk of chemical burns. When processing young seedlings, the concentration is reduced by 2 times.
3. Many varieties ripen in the second half of summer. It is important to finish processing at least 15 days before harvest. Otherwise, the fruits will be poisonous.
4. If possible, the number of summer spraying with insecticides and fungicides is reduced as much as possible, replacing them with folk remedies and biological preparations. The chemicals harm beneficial insects and pets.
5. When handling the apple tree, hands must be protected with gloves. If possible, the upper respiratory tract is protected with a mask.

Plants are treated not only with chemicals, but also with folk remedies. The latter are most effective for prevention and are suitable for pest control in small lesions.

Insects are fought not only by spraying, but also by mechanical methods. These include the use of trapping belts and manual collection.

The choice of drug for processing

There are 3 main types of drugs that are sold on the horticultural market and in stores: fungicides, insecticides and biological agents.

Fungicides and insecticides

Fungicides - These are chemicals that are mainly used for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Some drugs are capable of infecting pests.

Insecticides - chemicals that help in the fight against harmful insects.

Fungicides and insecticides are actively used in the cultivation of apples for sale, but private gardeners and summer residents are trying to reduce the number of chemical treatments.

However, this does not always work, because such funds have significant advantages:

• fast action;
• duration of one treatment;
• decomposition of all harmful compounds within a certain period;
• good solubility in water.

Most of these products cannot be washed off with water. It is enough to apply them no earlier than 4–8 hours before precipitation. During this time, they will be absorbed and will act for several weeks.

But chemicals have serious drawbacks:

1. Over time, pests get used to the drug, so the means have to be constantly changed.
2. Chemicals are harmful to the environment, many of which are hazardous to animals and bees. If you eat an apple that has been recently sprayed with the drug, you can get poisoned, since the harmful compounds have not yet had time to decompose.
3. If the dosage indicated on the package is not followed, there is a risk of harm to the plant.

Chemicals are contact and systemic. The first ones instantly kill pests upon contact with them. Systemic drugs are absorbed into plant tissues, and until they decompose, the plant remains dangerous to insects.

Attention! Chemicals decompose on average in 15 days. It is important to consider this when choosing the processing time.

Pest control products:

• "Fufanon";
• "Alatar";
• Actellik;
• "Karate";
• "Karbofos".

There are other insect control products. The list contains the most popular.

It is interesting:

A beginner gardener's guide step by step: how to plant an apple tree in spring

Fertilizing the garden correctly: how to feed an apple tree in July for a good harvest

A step-by-step guide to planting a closed-root apple tree in summer

Biological agents

Biological products are safer than chemicals, do not harm the environment, and are not poisonous to humans. Despite this, spraying them later than 2 weeks before harvesting the fruits is also not recommended.

The action of biological agents is based on the work of microorganisms, which, falling on pests, destroy them.

Biologicals include:

• Fitoverm;
• "Lepidocide";
• "Bitoxibacillin".

There are non-spraying pest control methods. So, insects help that destroy pests: ladybugs (feed on aphids), some types of ticks, etc.

How and what to process apple trees

In June and July, it is recommended to process apple trees when signs of pest infestation appear. The list of specific remedies depends on the type of problem.

From worms

Wormy apples do not actually infect the worms, but the caterpillars of the moth. Unlike worms, their body is divided into sections and has legs.

Reference. Sometimes the larvae of bark beetles, which settle under the bark, are confused with worms. These are also caterpillars, not worms.

Insecticides and biological preparations are used to control worms in fruits. Spraying is carried out not when the caterpillars have already settled in apples, but during the mass departure of pests. Dates change from year to year.

To get rid of bark beetle larvae, branches and trunks of apple trees are sprayed with a solution of ferrous sulfate (5%). The stems are treated with garden whitewash.

From caterpillars

Caterpillars of the moth, hawthorn and moths attack the apple tree in summer. They devour fruits, leaves and wood.

They fight insects with the following means:

• "Fufanon";
• "Alatarom";
• Fitoverm;
• "Karate".

From aphids and spider mites

Aphids and spider mites are sucking insects that attack the apple tree all summer long. The most effective treatments against them in the spring and after the return of the harvest. At this time, fungicides and biological agents are used.

Chemical treatment when fruit is present is not recommended. At this time, aphids are successfully fought with folk remedies (ash infusion or soapy water). Trapping belts are effective: female aphids crawl in them to lay eggs.

From scab

Scab is often confused with a pest attack, as with it, spots appear on fruits and leaves, similar to the entrances of worms. This is actually a fungal disease.

Scab often attacks the plant from early June to July. If you do not start fighting it in a timely manner, the crop will deteriorate, the plant will dry out and die.

To combat scab, fungicides are used:

• copper sulfate;
• Bordeaux liquid;
• Fitosporin;
• "Alirin-B" (soap is added to increase efficiency).

Folk recipes

Folk remedies are made from ingredients that can be found at home or in the garden.They are safe for humans and animals, and are approved for use during the fruiting period.

Homemade drugs are effective as prevention and control if the lesion is small. Such remedies work especially well against sucking pests.

However, against some pests, the effectiveness of such substances is low. The preparations are washed off with water, therefore, re-treatment is carried out after each precipitation. They do not work as fast as chemicals.

Folk remedies recipes:

1. Decoction of onion peels. Fill the pan 1/3 with onion peels, pour the rest of the volume with water. Bring the product to a boil, turn it off and let it brew for 2 days. Strain, dilute with equal amount of water.
2. Decoction of bitter herbs: dandelion, wormwood, yarrow, nettle. Fill the pan with herbs to half, pour the rest of the volume with water. Boil herbs for half an hour, then dilute with 2 parts of water.
3. Garlic onion. Chop 300 g of onion and 200 g of garlic in a meat grinder. Add gruel and husk from peeled vegetables to 10 liters of water. Insist 2 days, drain. Use for spraying trees.

The use of trapping belts

One of the most effective methods of pest control is trapping belts. Their principle of action is based on the retention of insects.

The main types of such a device:

1. Funnel-shaped. Thick paper or cardboard is wrapped around the lower part of the trunk so that a bell is formed from the bottom, and the upper part of the belt is adjacent to the wood. Attach the structure by wrapping it with thread, tape or wire. The gaps are covered with clay or garden pitch.
2. Double-sided funnel. They do the same, but the sockets are left on both sides.
3. Kleeva. The material is tied to the trunk and then greased with a long-drying glue. Usually use adhesives from rodents or insects.

The height of the belt placement varies within 0.5–1 m from the ground. The optimum belt width is 25 cm. It is important that the fishing device does not touch the crown.

The glue belts are checked daily. Insects caught in traps are destroyed.

Attention! The disadvantage of hunting belts is that beneficial insects can also get into them.

A hunting belt is an effective pest prevention tool that does not harm pets and the environment. It is allowed to be used even during harvesting.

Experienced gardening tips

Experienced gardeners know the secrets that will help increase the efficiency of treatments and not harm the plants:

1. To prevent aphids from damaging garden plants, a large amount of tobacco is planted in the garden. The smell of this fragrant plant repels insects.
2. To increase the effectiveness of the trapping belts, the material from which they are made is impregnated with insecticides.
3. It is not necessary to remove moss and lichen on old trees: they have a positive effect on the condition of the plants.
4. To treat trees evenly, it is convenient to use special cylinders with a pump.

Conclusion

Summer processing of apple trees is required when plants are damaged by pests. Some gardeners carry it out for prevention.

To prevent spraying from making the crop hazardous to health, it is important to adhere to the timing of the treatments. If possible, in the summer they use not chemicals, but folk remedies, biological preparations, mechanical methods. Chemical solutions are discontinued at least 15 days before harvest.