May bug larvae: how to deal with them, a review of methods

Good day! I think that every gardener at least once in his life has encountered such an unpleasant phenomenon as the May bug, or the larvae of the May bug.

Both that and another not especially attractively looks, and besides it brings huge harm to plants.

So, of course, when you find them in yourself, it is worth starting the fight immediately.

At one time, I happened to encounter the larvae of the May beetle, helping my grandmother in the garden. And, I must admit, I was surprised at what damage these insects are capable of.

So small and so much harm. Naturally, my grandmother did not tolerate such a neighborhood and began to actively fight with them. As a result, they managed to get rid of them.

Want to know more about the harm that the larvae of the May beetle can do, how to deal with them and how to prevent their appearance? Then read the article below.

How to deal with Maybug larvae?

It so happened that one of the signs of the arrival of spring is the appearance of May beetles, which in themselves do not do much harm to the crop.

Especially their favorite treat is considered garden strawberries (strawberries), in which they gladly eat the root system. Over the years, scientists have been looking for the most effective ways to get rid of the larvae of the May beetle.

It will be difficult to get rid of this pest, since their soil is located in the deep layers of the soil. However, if you do not destroy the larvae of the May beetle and the adults themselves in time, then you can remain without a crop and lose the plants themselves.

Those who have encountered the larvae of the May beetle firsthand are interested in how to destroy the pest in a short time and, thereby, save the crop. Today there are many effective ways, but you need to use several at once to prevent the emergence of new generations and consolidate the result.

How to push off larvae from a site

When the first adult individuals appear on the land, they should be caught and not given the opportunity for the next reproduction. You can install special bait. They are made from improvised unnecessary containers, coated with any sticky substance, a flashlight is installed on top.

Early in the morning you can collect beetles directly from the trees.To do this, go to a tree, spread a blanket and shake the branches. Now we collect all the individuals of the May beetle and destroy them. So you can overcome the problem and prevent it from filling the soil en masse. By preventing the propagation of pests, you can save your crop from death in the future.

The main signs that the plant has been hit by a Maybug larva are wilting, yellow and dried plants. They eat plant roots. You can discourage beetles from your site by establishing several birdhouses in the trees. Starlings successfully fight with larvae. In addition to starlings, hedgehogs and field mice eat them.

Folk methods

As for folk remedies, herbal infusions, which need to be cultivated, are most effective against parasites.

The following components are applied individually:

These infusions are recommended to be replaced one after another and applied immediately after preparation.

Fighting adult insects is also very important - shaking bugs in the morning or using masking tape will be a good method. The fewer adults in the garden, the lesser offspring they can give.

Other popular methods of controlling beetle

Effective will be the fight against krushch folk remedies. An old way of catching the May beetle is to shake them from the trees. The procedure should be performed in the morning or evening hours. Individuals that have fallen from the tree are collected so that the females cannot postpone the laying, and are destroyed.

You can use birds to get rid of the beetle. Just set them on a certain plant with the help of cereals or any other food, you can also hang birdhouses or get chickens.

Hang a white sheet on the rope and illuminate it with bright light. Such a trap will attract males of the May bug, they will begin to crawl under the sheets and rustle in the grass. It remains just to collect them in a separate container and destroy. This trap does not affect females.

Infusions

You can fight the May bug and its larvae using folk methods. According to many gardeners, the most effective are herbal infusions, which are sprayed on the ground part of plants:

1. One kilogram of dry white acacia bark is infused in a bucket of water for three days. The finished infusion is filtered through gauze and irrigated with plants.
2. Five hundred grams of sunflower flowers insist in ten liters of water for three days.
3. One kilogram of fresh walnut leaves is poured with one bucket of boiling water and insisted for a week.
4. Half a bucket of poplar leaves is poured with boiling water and boiled for fifteen minutes. Then bring to a volume of ten liters with water and insist for three days.
5. Three hundred grams of crushed leaves of stems of wormwood are mixed with two hundred grams of wood ash, poured with a bucket of hot water and insisted for three hours.
6. All of the above infusions are effective if the treatment is carried out in calm and dry weather. Evening time is best suited for such a procedure.
7. To obtain the desired result, it is necessary to use several solutions in turn, and within two to three hours after their preparation.
8. Plants such as marigolds, calendula, nasturtium, coriander, matiola and hemp produce an unpleasant odor for the May beetle and its larvae. Such repellent plants should become permanent residents in the area where this harmful insect gloats.

Nitrogen - Against Maybug Larvae

Most experts agreed that circles around the trunks of garden trees should be sown with white clover.

Having done this sodding, gardeners will very easily get rid of the annoying pest, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the fruits growing on the tree. In addition, clover planted at the base of garden trees will help supply them with nitrogen and displace weeds.

We fight the pest in proven ways

The extermination of adult insects is also useful and highly effective. Indeed, thanks to older individuals, small white larvae are born. Therefore, there are effective means of destroying May beetles:

Manually collecting grubby larvae

At different times of the year, the larvae of the horsetail live at different depths. They hibernate at a depth of 1-2 meters. They begin to dig into this depth in the fall, when it begins to get colder. Well, in the spring heat lures them to the surface. Larvae love heat and humidity and the most optimal soil temperature for them is about + 24 ° C.

Summer is the most suitable season for collecting the May beetle larvae, since at this time they are in a 10-20 centimeter layer of the earth.

True, with drought, they can dig deeper. That's just to collect them you need to dig the soil, and this is not good from the point of view of natural agriculture. Yes, and to collect them all in this way is unlikely to succeed.

Soil sodding

This method is better from the point of view of ecological farming. Yes, and less labor. As modern biologists have found out, the larvae of the beetroot cannot tolerate nitrogen.

At the same time, nitrogen accumulating in the soil makes it unsuitable for the life of larvae. Sodding is a safe method that will help get rid of not only the larvae of the May beetle, but also weeds.

By the way, it will be more difficult for female beetles to break into the blackened ground, so it will fly in search of a more convenient place for masonry.

Attraction of animals and birds

Another safe and effective way. Insectivorous birds (starlings, rooks, thrushes) pose a serious threat to larvae, as well as adult beetles.

Attraction of birds is facilitated by the placement of birdhouses in the garden. It is estimated that during the nesting period one pair of starlings catches up to 8 thousand beetles and larvae per season (among this number there are not only snakes, but also other insects and their larvae).

Among the insects that live in nature, there are also enemies of the larvae of the snake, but they do not greatly reduce their number.

Destruction of larvae on the beds

Each summer resident should know how to deal with the May beetle in the garden if he wants to keep his plantings. Especially when it comes to preventing the appearance of malicious larvae.Therefore, the main steps taken in the fight and pests will be:

1. Preventive digging of their land for the winter. This is due to the fact that the eggs of May beetles are located in the ground at great depths and when digging it is possible to detect and destroy them.
2. In the garden, planting a white clover will have a positive effect, on the roots of which special bacteria that produce nitrogen live - insects cannot tolerate such an unpleasant neighborhood.
3. Another plant that repels beetles is considered turnip - by planting such a vegetable crop, you can protect yourself from the invasion of the pest.
4. Some owners, while plowing a garden in the spring, simultaneously sprinkle soil with crushed eggshells.
5. The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers for the site will not only positively affect the crop, but also relieve the pest.
6. A large number of starlings living in the neighborhood reduces the number of adult insects, so it’s worth considering the construction of several birdhouses. This, of course, is a good way to get rid of the larvae of the May beetle, but it can be fraught with a loss of the crop of berries - the birds can eat it all together with the beetles.
7. Vole mice also do an excellent job with the enemy of plantings, but this is also not always the best method.

Catching Adult May Beetles

The most reasonable and effective method of struggle is the timely capture of adult May beetles. Given that one female beetle is capable of laying up to 70 eggs, the rationality of this method becomes very reasonable and understandable.

To catch beetles, you can use the following options.

Method number 1. Light trap

Method number 2. Glue trap

Buy a fly-sticky substance from the store and apply it to newspapers. Beetles stick to them instantly.

Method number 3. Natural enemies

It turns out that the beetle larvae are a favorite treat of hedgehogs. Therefore, if there is such an opportunity, get such a “prickly weapon” on your site.

During the period of the greatest activity, the catching of May Khrushchev can also be carried out in the old antiquated way - shaking off trees. The best results are obtained at an air temperature of + 15 ° C. Therefore, the shaking procedure is carried out daily in the early morning (at this time the beetles are inactive - practically in a daze).

Caught May beetles are destroyed or given to feed poultry. Although I do not advise doing this, because among gardeners there are those who use chemicals to protect plants. Insecticides accumulate in the body of beetles and can cause the death of birds.

Some fishing enthusiasts use beetroot as a bait, which the chub, ide and asp are excellently pecking at.

To protect the site from the voracious May bugs and larvae, such actions will also help:

1. Mulching the soil with wood chips, chopped straw, crushed bark, which prevents the penetration of beetles into the soil.
2. Beetles and larvae are scared away by the smell of elderberry, lupine, and cruciferous plants. Ridges, turnips are planted with ridges, and mustard shoots and cabbage leaves are laid in the ground.

Chemical methods of control

As always, it’s not worth zealous with chemistry.Preparations specially designed to control pests living in the soil are the insecticides Zemlin (Russia), Bazudin (Switzerland), Pochin (Russia) with the active substance diazinon. “Aktara” VDG (Russia) is the active substance of thiamethoxam. Pesticide "Antichrush" (Ukraine).

Remember, all disinfecting mixtures require limited and careful use. Today, many summer residents generally abandoned the use of all kinds of soil sterilizers, trying to replace them with other means to destroy pests.

Biological preparations against Maybug larvae

Recently, biological devices are popular among gardeners. One of them, Nemabact, is a bioinsecticide that kills harmful insects at the stage of a larva in the ground.

It penetrates the larva through its natural holes and kills this larva within 24 to 72 hours. After a few days, thousands of new nematodes leave the corpse of the insect and begin the search for new victims. The drug is harmless to humans and domestic animals, bees, fish, earthworms, beneficial insects.

Zemlin

This remedy for cartilage is an insecticide of contact and intestinal damage. It also protects crops from soil-borne pests. The active substance in the composition is diazinon in a dosage of 50 grams per kg.

To protect flower plants, the drug is sprayed on the surface of the earth in a dosage of 30 grams per 20 m2. Potatoes are processed by adding 10-15 grams of the mixture to the wells when planted.

Nemabact

Biological product based on a nematode. Selectively destroys pest larvae. Maintains balance in the soil for two years. Absolutely harmless to humans and pets, does not harm animals from the environment.

The drug kills the larva within 1-3 days, penetrating into it. It is used for morning and evening watering in the proportions of 1: 100 at an ambient temperature of 10-26 degrees above zero, preferably at high humidity.

Repair

A drug for controlling soil pests. It has the same effect as Zemlin. It is packaged in the form of granules, due to which the protection time is increased.

It is used when planting plants and prevents the appearance of pests throughout the summer season. After getting into the soil, it begins its action within a day. Before planting, microbeads simply need to be poured into the soil.

Aktara

Remedy for Maybug larvae. The active substance is thiamethoxam. This is an insecticide of contact and intestinal damage. It is produced in granular form, it can be applied immediately to the soil or a solution can be prepared.

It is used at any time of the year and in any weather, humidity also does not affect the properties of the drug. Compatible with other insecticides and nutrients.

Anti-crunch

The drug from the larvae of the May beetle. Environmentally friendly pesticide with a long lasting protection effect. Resistant to rain.

The active ingredients are imidacloprid and bifentrin. Available in the form of a suspension concentrate. To protect potatoes, the plant should be sprayed with a 10 ml solution before planting. substances per 5-10 liters of water.

To protect fruit trees, a solution of 10 ml is prepared. 5 liter substances water (enough for 0.2 acres), the solution should be abundantly watered under the root. Seedlings of simple trees are also treated under the root with a solution of 10 ml. 3 liter substances water.

Bazudin

Another drug for khrushchka is an insecticide that kills soil pests by contact, intestinal and translaminar routes. The active substance is diazinon. It has long-term protection of crops from insects. 30 grams of substance is enough to process 20 m2.

Hazard class - 3, is not phytotoxic, but dangerous for fish, the drug must not be allowed to enter water bodies. Available in the form of granules. To evenly introduce the drug into the soil, you should prepare a liter jar, fill it with ¾ sand, add Bazudin there and mix.

Before planting, potatoes are added to the hole (15 gr. Per 10 m2), the soil surface is treated to protect cabbage (10 gr. Per 10 m2), flower crops are processed similarly to potatoes (15 gr. Per 10 m2)

The drug Vallar

Organophosphorus insecticide of systemic and contact intestinal effects.

Terms of use. Vallar from chafer beetle larvae is used only by the root method, it is not recommended to apply to the plant itself. Hazard class - 3 class.

Mode of application. Plant seedlings are dipped in the prepared solution. After 25 days, the roots are re-treated with the drug per 50 grams per 10 square meters, then they are already planted in the soil.

How to get rid of Maybug larvae on strawberries

". fighting the larvae of May beetles is not easy. The fact is that they are hiding in the ground at a depth of 50-60 cm. And they can be found only with deep digging of the site. In this case, they must be selected and destroyed manually.

There are recommendations for preventive purposes in the spring to shed the soil under the strawberry bushes with a solution of ammonia (10-20 ml per 10 l of water) or in the strawberry rows make grooves about 40 cm deep and shed them with 0.1-0.2% decis solution.

It is necessary to fight not only with larvae, but also with adult bugs. If possible, shake them in the morning from fruit trees to the litter and burn them. In the dark, beetles can be caught using light traps.

To do this, put light bulbs in the garden and place containers with water under them, where several drops of kerosene are added. Beetles fly into the light and fall into the water.

Gardeners and gardeners are greatly annoyed by the larvae of the May beetle, strawberries especially often suffer from them. Here are some ways to deal with these pests:

1. Digging the soil with the destruction of larvae by hand or chickens (gives the greatest effect together with other methods of control)
2. Attraction of starlings - planting corn on the site, the construction of a birdhouse.
3. Destruction of May beetles using traps and manually.
4. Light traps are effective - a light bulb, and underneath it is a container of sticky substance or water, for example a basin coated with solid oil. You can use newspapers coated with adhesive for flies (sold in bottles). Manually collected as follows - in the morning, flicking from trees and bushes on the litter.

But the greatest effect of course is given by special preparations for the destruction of soil-borne pests. These are insecticides - Zemlin (Russia). Bazudin (Switzerland). Pochin (Russia) with the active substance diazinon. "Aktara" VDG (Russia) - the active substance thiamethoxam.Pesticide "Antichrush" (Ukraine).

Well, the most effective and safe for plants and humans is the biological preparation Nemabact, which is based on a nematode that selectively destroys soil pests, including May larvae.

The effectiveness of "Nemabakt" in the fight against chafer reaches 80-90%. Just pay attention to the storage conditions of this drug, it contains living organisms and therefore it is better to buy it in specialized stores or from manufacturers.

Also, do not forget about preventing re-infection with the larvae of the May beetle in your area. For prevention (when the plants are still not damaged) you need:

For a long time I knew about the method of combating Khrushchev, but only today I tried it. 10-15 drops of iodine in a bucket of water and water around the tree. I specially dug up several larvae and doused them with this solution: within 3 minutes, the individuals writhed and died, which means - into battle.

Maybug larvae harm for strawberries and garden

Larvae can cause serious damage to the entire garden. Considering that they are located very deep in the soil, it can be difficult to detect them.

Especially they like strawberries. However, it can be difficult to find them in the roots, because they are located very deep. In this case, you need to dig up the culture, shake the contents of the roots and plant again.

They eat the roots of all cultures and, if you do not take measures to eliminate them, you can end up without a crop. They also nibble potatoes, tubers are especially affected, they eat away the edges, which then become unusable.

How to protect strawberries from pests

Strawberries and strawberries are considered a real treat for the larvae of the May beetle. Larvae with pleasure grind the roots of berry bushes, after which the plants begin to die. Therefore, I will tell you how to water or sprinkle soil for pest control, as well as what to plant between the beds:

1. Mustard can be planted between strawberries, it is also no less effective to simply dig a few mustard leaves into the ground near fruit bushes or pour dry mustard into the soil during the next digging.
2. In the spring, the site is treated with a solution of ammonia.
3. Onion peel copes well with pests on strawberries, but for the effectiveness of such an infusion, water the bushes at the root itself.

Escape method

The essence of this method is as follows: when planting in September, that is, during the period until which the larvae have time to hatch from the laid eggs, it is necessary to carefully dig the soil, select and destroy all the larvae.

Before laying industrial plantations, the field must be kept under black steam: throughout the summer during autumn planting or the entire previous year during spring. The next year, strawberries will give the first crop (the first year of fruiting).

In June – July, beetles will lay eggs, of which larvae of the first age will appear in July – August. These larvae are not yet capable of causing serious damage to the plantations.

Therefore, immediately after harvesting, until the end of June, the plantation is liquidated, and in September - they plant a new one in a new place. Thus, “escaping” is possible only with a 3-year-old strawberry culture (2 years of fruiting) and is suitable only for early varieties.

We ensure potato safety

If when digging potatoes, traces of damage on the tubers are noticeable, then it is quite possible that individuals of the May beetle worked here. It is noteworthy that it is the larva that feeds on the tubers.

Digging a plot to a rather great depth can give an excellent result. Do not use chemical agents to treat the land - they can harm the tubers and, accordingly, the person.

Another way to get rid of harmful insects is to plant cruciferous plants. When planted between rows, reliable pest protection is provided. In order to continue to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the May bug, it is worthwhile to take preventive measures in time.

These include: regular digging and tillage, timely destruction of adults to prevent egg laying. I would be grateful for the repost of the article, and I also remind you that you can follow us on social networks.

Prevention Methods

To avoid or prevent re-infection with the Maybug larvae, do not forget to timely soil prevention. If the plants on your site are not yet damaged, then you can use the following preventive methods:

So, if at the beginning of the summer season your site will be susceptible to the attack of May beetles - do not hesitate and show worthy resistance to the annoying pest, using the suggested recommendations. Good luck and tasty, healthy harvest!

Features of a gluttonous parasite

Experts believe that the birthplace of the insect is North America. The chafer beetle did not attract much attention until it began to actively destroy entire potato plantations.

In Europe, the pest appeared in the mid 40s of the twentieth century. The parasite eats not only potatoes, it is also attracted by tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. The larva of the May beetle brings the greatest damage to the crop; it often penetrates the soil with humus.

With the advent of spring, insects begin to actively get out, looking for food. Parasites hibernate deep in the ground (more than fifty centimeters).

Adult individuals, in particular females, begin to lay eggs in the spring. The larvae that emerge from the eggs begin to actively eat everything that comes in their way. Larvae resemble white caterpillars with many small paws.

By mid-summer, the larva gradually turns into a chrysalis, outwardly very similar to an adult. By autumn, the chrysalis becomes a full-fledged May beetle, wintering deep underground.

Particular survivability of the parasite is due to the following factors:

1. on the European continent, insects do not have biological enemies, unlike the Motherland;
2. in the absence of favorable conditions, food supplies, the chafer can be hibernated for three years.After a few years, the pest is able to return to life, reproduce healthy offspring;
3. female insects lay their eggs so deep, so impregnating the soil with chemicals is just a pointless action. It is necessary to destroy pests during their active life;
4. May bugs are able to cover distances of up to ten kilometers thanks to strong wings. Often, migration is carried out by whole colonies of parasites, capturing a mass of new territories;
5. for the extermination of parasites throughout the garden requires a large amount of funds, even the call of specialists.

But there are many effective methods aimed at the complete destruction of May beetles. The main thing is to adhere to the rules for the use of insecticides, folk remedies.

Appearance and lifestyle

Larvae regenerate from white eggs, which are laid by females of adult individuals in the ground to a depth of at least 20 cm, after which they themselves die. Caterpillars appear after 45 days. The larva of the Khrushchev has a rather large body, which is twisted to the lower side and provided with three pairs of legs.

The head of an individual is rounded in shape, has a yellowish red or yellowish brown tint. The life cycle in the earth lasts 3-5 years, after which the caterpillar turns into an adult.

During their development in the garden, the larvae feed on the roots of plants and can eat up young shoots. In the first year of their development, they do not pose a particular danger, since they eat only the remains of plant food. The next season, noticeably stronger, they begin to gnaw the root system of most plants.

Developmental stages

Like any insect belonging to the arthropod family, chafer propagates sexually. The emergence of an adult refers to a variant of indirect development with complete transformation. The stages of an egg, a larva, a chrysalis, an adult will pass a beetle for its life. The duration of one generation is five years.

It is determined by climatic conditions and the amount of food. During this period, the following stages of development pass successively:

The difference between the May beetle larva and the bear larva

To distinguish a bear from a May bug is quite simple. The larva of a khrushchka or chafer beetle looks like a white caterpillar up to 2-2.5 cm in size and up to 6-8 mm thick.

The survivability of the offspring of the beetle is large, from 3 to 4 years, they prey mainly in underground pantries. During this time, they can significantly harm your landings. The body of the larvae is soft and unpleasant to the touch. Larvae climb 60 cm deep into the ground, which means when digging the ground, you may not find them.

In front of the Maybug larva there are 3 pairs of legs covered with small hair. There is a kind of oral apparatus with very strong jaws that can cope even with the thick roots of trees.

Nevertheless, they prefer something tastier: the roots of strawberries and various vegetables. On the sides, her body is covered with brown small dots. The back of the beetle larva is slightly darker than the rest of the body.

Where do the Maybug larvae live?

They live in the soil. As a rule, the mother mother puts them in places where they can find food without any problems. Such places can be easily attributed to a dunghill or compost pit.

They can live in a fallen layer of foliage, so it is recommended to clean it in a timely manner. It can take up to 5 years to exit the egg, as long as they can live in the ground and eat the roots of plants, thereby causing serious damage to the crop.

What does the Maybug larva eat?

If an adult beetle is a threat to the ovary and foliage, then the larva brings much greater damage, because it damages the roots. Reliable fact: during the night 1 larva can completely destroy the roots of a 2-year-old tree.

According to the observations of scientists, the larva of the May beetle eats the roots of plants, depending on the degree of development:

1. 1 year: eats the root system of herbaceous plants;
2. 2 year: devours the roots of young trees and shrubs;
3. 3 year: the roots of mature trees go into nutrition.

Determining the severity threshold

Determining the harmfulness thresholds of soil pests has always been difficult and not accurate enough. The larva stage of the May beetle (eastern and western) is no exception.

And if one can still agree with the methods of accounting for the number of pests, then the threshold values ​​need to be substantially adjusted, if only because the difference in the severity of the larvae of the 1st and, for example, the 3rd age is obvious.

So, on strawberries of the 2nd and 3rd year of fruiting, the yield significantly decreases (more than 50%) already at a density of larvae of the first age - 0.35 and 0.58, respectively, of the second - more than 0.13 and 0.21, of the third - more than 0.23 and 0.36 copies per 1 m2.

Thus, we obtained more accurate harmfulness thresholds (corresponding to a 10% level of crop losses) of May beetle larvae, but these losses only concern the damaged areas where thinning of plants was observed.

Conclusion

It should be noted that, starting in early spring, you should carefully inspect the entire garden for pests. Fighting is necessary not only with the larvae of the May beetle, but also with other harmful insects, of which there are a huge number.

It has been noticed that the beetle larvae like to be in compost heaps, therefore, in the spring, starting sowing and adding compost to the beds, it is necessary to inspect it very carefully so as not to transfer the larvae to a new place of residence.