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One of the most common and very dangerous pests is the peach aphid. This parasite attacks with the onset of May and gradually destroys the tree throughout the growing season. The result of its activity is the death of young pagons, curling of foliage and withering of buds that have not yet opened.
Naturally, the pressing question of almost all novice gardeners arises when aphids appear on peaches: how to fight them. Below we will find out in detail how to identify this parasite in a timely manner, what means will help in the fight against aphids, and what preventive measures will help protect the garden from the attacks of this insect in the future.
Causes and signs of appearance
Aphids are a pest that is difficult to detect at the time of initial infection.
Usually gardeners grab their heads when there are so many aphids that the crown of the tree dies before our eyes. Particularly dangerous for peach is the blood aphid, which not only infects the leaves, but also sucks the juice from the branches of the tree and its trunk. Such aphids are clearly visible. Most often it appears in the fall after a hot summer. The leaves turn red, then curl into tubes, wrinkle and fall off.
Causes of aphids and consequences
Aphids are small bugs on the trunk of a peach, the size of which is no more than 3 mm in length. The usual way of inhabiting insects is in colonies; in warm weather, at least 20 generations of insects are born. Already in the last days of summer, you can notice individuals with wings, which later fly to other plants. Aphids on peach can be of the following types:
- Large peach;
- Green;
- Bloody black.
Aphids on peach leaves
Before treating trees, it is necessary to determine the presence of pests. Aphids on peach leaves and stems are distinguished by the following characteristics:
- The black bloody species is characterized by the accumulation of colonies, which are easy to notice when examining the plant;
- The underside of foliage is considered a common habitat for insects;
- A sticky layer secreted by pests is noticeable on the buds;
- The process of dying off the tops of plants begins;
- The bug drinks the juices from the foliage, which leads to its curling into tubes, drying out and staining;
- Inside the leaf tubes you can see insects of different colors, depending on the variety.
Important! If a peach is affected by pests and diseases, control measures must be applied urgently. The affected tree stops growing and developing and becomes noticeably weaker. The plant and fruits become sick more often, and the crop yield decreases. When infected in the summer, trees do not tolerate winters and severe frosts well.
The activity of black blood aphids and other species poses a danger to young seedlings. Colonies of pests can cause foliage discoloration, wrinkling and curling. Flowering begins to fall and dry. The large peach species is characterized by sucking juices from bark and branches.
The black species typically colonizes the peach crown in early spring, and by early summer migrates to plants of other crops. Most often, pests prefer legumes. The majority of aphids on peach trees are female, which contributes to the rapid birth of new colonies of insects. The development of black sooty fungus is often provoked by black aphids.
Powdery mildew on peach is a dangerous crop disease. Similar to the damage caused by aphids, the disease affects shoots, foliage and crops. A sign of damage is the presence of white spots that harden and darken over time. Fungal infections are easily spread by wind. The dry season is an excellent period for the reproduction and development of fungus. You can get rid of it by removing the affected areas and disposing of them.
How dangerous is the disease and how does it manifest?
In early spring, curling is caused by a vocal fungus. This is usually facilitated by low temperature and high humidity. During this period, buds bloom on the trees. Spores quickly begin to intensify, which provoke the development of diseases. Leaf curl is a disease that is best treated in the early stages when the fungus appears. In the event that measures to eliminate it are not taken, the infection spreads to the leaf buds, and the disease begins to develop. The leaves first become dull and then acquire a reddish tint.
Treatment should begin immediately, but using gentle methods. An advanced disease leads to damage to the shoots and then destroys the ovary. The fruits themselves begin to harden and lose their taste. Over the course of several years, leaf curl will not only lead to the loss of the entire harvest, but will also kill the tree.
Methods for controlling insects on peaches
You need to start fighting small pests as early as possible. Aphids on peaches spread quickly; there are proven methods of controlling insects: carrying out agrotechnical measures, insecticides, folk remedies and recipes.
Agrotechnical method
It is recommended to begin pest control using a number of agrotechnical techniques:
All affected foliage and removed diseased branches are burned. The tree is sprinkled with wood ash at the root. Whitening trunks with lime is a proven way to protect plants from aphids.
These techniques are effective at the initial stage of the disease and are good prevention against infection of plants by aphids.
Chemicals
The use of pesticides is an extreme measure, but if the plant is completely affected by aphids, you cannot do without them. Treatment with insecticides against aphids can be carried out in three stages:
It is dangerous to treat peach crops with chemicals during the fruiting period - the harvest reduces its quality, the fruits are not recommended for food within 20 days after treatment.
Chemicals enter the diet of insects along with tree sap. The aphids paralyze, and within two to three days the colonies die out.
Modern chemical plant protection products are varied, their choice depends on the period when the plant needs help and the type of aphid that attacked the plants. During the flowering period, you can use Confidor. Phosfamide will quickly destroy black and white aphids. DNOC will get rid of larvae and overwintered aphids. The dosage of drugs is determined according to the instructions.
Important! It is prohibited to treat trees against aphids before harvesting.
Pesticides must be alternated. Aphids quickly develop immunity to the drugs, and the drugs become ineffective.
Traditional methods and recipes
The use of folk remedies is justified, they do not affect the quality of the crop, the poison does not penetrate the juices of fruit trees. You can use folk recipes at any period of plant development.
The arsenal of folk methods of combating aphids includes:
In the fight of gardeners against aphids on peaches, many methods were born to destroy small pests: Coca-Cola, ammonia, vinegar and boric acid - all means successfully proved themselves in the fight against aphids. The gardener decides on his own how to spray or treat peach against insidious aphids. It is recommended to try several methods to find the most effective one.
Spraying schedule
The quality of fruiting of peach plantations is affected by care. The spraying schedule involves several applications per season.
Spring prevention
In the spring, several sprayings will be required. The tree is treated for the first time before buds open. This is necessary to destroy aphids overwintering under the bark of the trunk and branches. Spraying is carried out using fungicides from copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture. A common option is to use diesel fuel - it forms an oily film on the peach that blocks oxygen for the aphids.
It is important to spray the tree to avoid curling. The infection begins to spread as the tree begins to grow and develop. Fungal pathogens live in the bud scales, which is why the leaves, as they grow, acquire a reddish tint, begin to curl, and fall off.
It is necessary to combat pathology before the appearance of foliage, before the formation of buds. The trunk, branches, and green cone are subject to spraying. Treatment is carried out with drugs like Delana or Horus.
Next, you need to spray the pink buds - this will strengthen the plant’s immune system, prevent powdery mildew, scab, and moniliosis. The procedure is carried out using Bordeaux mixture or Topsin.
The final spring sprinkling of the peach is carried out after it has bloomed. The procedure is carried out with ordinary urea - it will destroy aphids and feed the tree.
Summer work
Summer sprinkling is carried out using urea - the most popular modern fungicide. The effect of the drug is similar to acid - it burns all harmful insects.
When diluting the solution, you must strictly adhere to the dosage so as not to burn the peach.
Young trees are sprinkled carefully; it is recommended to use traditional methods rather than chemicals. Sprinkling the peach with garlic, tobacco, onion, and lavender tincture will be effective.
Autumn time
The purpose of autumn sprinkling is to destroy the causative fungus. In the autumn, with high air humidity, active proliferation of fungi occurs. The treatment is carried out using copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture.
Chemicals
When biological and mechanical methods do not help, the time comes for radical measures, that is, you need to start treating trees with chemicals.
It is important to take into account that they will remain on the plants for a long time, usually for twenty days, so it is strictly forbidden to process the peach during fruiting, when it is time to harvest.
Peach plantings should be sprayed in the spring, when there are no leaves, or during the period when the first ovaries appear. Among the effective means, experienced gardeners identify the following:
- Aktara;
- DNOC;
- Confidor;
- Karbofos.
Professional preparations
How to treat a peach against aphids to get quick results is with insecticides. Broad-spectrum drugs cause paralysis and death in aphids within 3 days. They penetrate the body through contact with plant sap, as they are absorbed by the leaves. Poisonous properties persist for 20 days.
Insecticides should not be used during peach blossoms, during the period of intensive fruit ripening.
Treatment by spraying is carried out in early spring, before the first leaves bloom, or immediately after flowering. They consolidate the result with folk remedies.
The most effective are recognized:
Biological products are allowed to be used throughout the growing season at intervals of 14 days. The result is noticeable a week after careful treatment:
You can save a peach from aphids by implementing complex measures. It is necessary to begin pest control in late spring, when insects lay eggs, continue in early spring, and monitor the condition of the tree all summer.
Traditional methods
Here are just a few:
Which processing method to choose
There are three ways to destroy a harmful insect:
- chemical;
- biological;
- using traditional methods.
- First, you need to remove all fallen leaves and weeds near the tree.
- Remove, by stripping, the old bark on the trunk itself and branches.
- Use a garden hose to wash off all pests from the peach.
- Remove severely damaged foliage by cutting it from the branches, collect it, take it outside the dacha area and burn it.
As a preventive measure, you can plant herbs around peach trees that aphids cannot tolerate: lavender, marigolds, chamomile, dill, mint and yarrow.
Another remedy is to fight the pest with the help of its natural enemies. For example, aphids are loved by birds (sparrows, titmice, wrens, linnets) and beneficial insects such as flower flies, lacewings and ladybugs.
You can feed birds so that they regularly fly to the plantings, and lure insects with specially planted plants. Experienced gardeners try to bring ladybugs to the site and leave them on healthy or already damaged trees.
Agricultural technology
Gardeners often advise not to immediately resort to chemicals, but to try available agricultural techniques. So, first of all, we remove all the weeds, remove all the root greens. Next, we clean off the old bark on the trunk and branches. We connect the hose and use a stream of water to remove the aphids from the foliage until the bloody color disappears. An excellent remedy is to plant herbs around a peach or nectarine.
Mechanical methods can be used if the peach tree is small. In this case, you can knock down the aphids with a broom or brush, tear off foliage with signs of damage and burn it. Be careful to burn foliage outside the garden area. In the fall, you can sprinkle ash around the trunk and pour boiling water over it.
Traditional methods
You can fight aphids with folk remedies at any period of development of the peach crop. The most effective recipes include:
- infusion of onion peel. The husk is filled with water and boiled for 20 minutes, covered with a lid and left for 5 days. Then filter, add laundry soap, pour into a spray bottle and spray the plant with it. It is not recommended to dilute the broth with water;
- garlic infusion. Chop a glass of garlic and pour in 1 liter of cold water and leave for 24 hours. Next, add 100 g of laundry soap, dilute with water and use;
- spicy mixture. Mix cinnamon, red and black pepper, mustard, salt, soda and wood ash in equal quantities. Dilute 200 g of soap in warm water, add the dry mixture and pour in 9 liters of water. Spraying is carried out twice with an interval of one week;
- tobacco tincture. Dissolve 200 g of tobacco powder in 10 liters of water, leave for 3 days, and mix with soapy water.
The best remedy is prevention
In order not to look for options to combat this insect, regularly carry out preventive treatments in the front garden. To do this, use the following processing schedule:
- after all the foliage has fallen, the peach crop is treated with Bordeaux mixture strictly according to the instructions;
- Before flowering, the peach crop will need treatment with Tizol;
- After flowering, spray the tree with Bordeaux mixture.
It is worth noting that most gardeners advise keeping a drug such as Actofite in a green first aid kit. It is mainly used together with laundry soap as an emergency aid for aphid attacks.
Video “How to treat peach leaf curl”
From this video you will learn how to treat peach leaf curl.
The eggs of peach aphids are initially colored green or reddish, and after some time they begin to darken and turn black just before the harmful larvae emerge. Usually the pest overwinters in the egg stage at the very base of peach buds.
The revival of the founders is observed in March, sometimes it can be observed in April or February - it all depends on the temperature regime. First, the pests begin feeding on the buds, gradually moving to the budding leaves and flowers. The average duration of development of founders is from seventeen to twenty-eight days. In April, over the course of ten to twenty days, they revive from twenty to sixty larvae. In total, two or three generations of wingless females can develop on a peach. Starting from the second generation, winged ones also appear, the number of which increases noticeably in subsequent generations.
Aphids first colonize weeds, and a little later they move to herbaceous crops. And there are up to four hundred names of secondary host plants for this pest. Males develop primarily on such plants, and subsequently fly to females, who, after mating, lay overwintering eggs - from five to ten pieces. Aphids can reproduce rather unevenly throughout the year in the south, as well as on indoor plants, in greenhouses and greenhouses.
How to fight
In small gardens, pests can also be destroyed mechanically - in places where uninvited guests gather, branches and trunks are wiped with a rag. You can also use biological insecticides such as infusions of bittersweet, tobacco, tomato and henbane, but they will be effective only when the number of pests is not very large.
Overwintering eggs of the voracious peach aphid are often destroyed by spraying in early spring with mineral oil preparations or appropriate substitutes. 60% nitrophen paste will also serve well in this case.
Like other crops, peach is often attacked by pests. Peach aphids are considered the most dangerous and common problem. Bugs on peach appear with the beginning of warm weather, in May, and do not leave the plant until the end of the growing season.
Despite its small size, the insect causes irreparable harm: it spoils the flowering of buds, destroys young shoots and foliage, and damages fruit ovary. As a result, even in a fertile year you should not expect a harvest. Read more about how to fight aphids on peach, effective drugs and folk methods used by experienced gardeners.
