Aphids on cucumbers, how to fight, effective control methods

Aphids often appear on cucumbers, which must be combated using the most effective methods of processing and protecting the crop.
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The fight against the parasite begins after planting the cucumbers in a permanent place.

We will tell you how to effectively get rid of the parasite in this article.

What does the pest look like on cucumbers, signs of damage

Aphids are black, green or yellow very, very small bugs. The size of aphids is 1-2 (and sometimes even smaller) millimeters.

In just a few days, aphids can infest all the cucumber beds in the garden. Colonies most often live on the underside of leaf blades and shoots of cucumbers.

The pest makes punctures through which it drinks juice and takes away nutrients. The parasite instantly sticks to the entire cucumber bush and depletes it, so the cucumbers die.

IMPORTANT! In open ground, aphids usually appear after June 20, and in a greenhouse they live from the beginning of spring.

What happens to cucumbers when aphids appear:

• the tops of the stems are deformed;
• the edges of the leaves curl downwards;
• cucumber growth stops;
• shortening of internodes (areas between the stem and shoot) occurs;
• new fruits are not formed;
• the leaves are covered with honeydew - a sticky sweet liquid;
• the ovaries fall off and the leaf plates located below wither;
• ants appear next to the cucumber bush;
• You can see the larvae on the underside of the leaves.

What aphid affects cucumbers?

Planting cucumbers in closed and open ground is affected by green and black aphids. The length of the bugs is 2-5 mm. The body is soft, covered with growths and hairs of varying lengths. The antennae are located on the forehead, and the organs of touch are located on them.

The oral apparatus is represented by a proboscis, with which the aphid bites through the plant tissue and sucks out the juice. The legs are long and thin, performing walking and jumping functions. On the abdomen there are juice tubes that secrete honeydew.

The insect adapts to any weather conditions . Asexual females reproduce at lightning speed. During the summer, they lay 50 eggs at a time.

Colonies accumulate on the upper leaves, the lower leaves are too dense for them. Therefore, superficial treatments are sufficient to kill insects. In spring, when the air warms up to +5 °C, aphids become active.

When drinking juice from leaves, aphids secrete a sticky coating, which leads to impaired photosynthesis and the development of a bacterial infection.

How to treat aphids - effective preparations

The industry has developed many effective insecticides to combat aphids.

The group of biological products that can get rid of aphids includes:

• "Fitoverm" instantly destroys aphids; it is possible to treat a large area with it.
• “Aktofit” is the same active ingredient as in “Fitoverm.” The drug inhibits the nervous system of aphids and effectively kills the parasite within a few hours.
• "Akarin" is another effective biological insecticide. It is necessary to repeat spraying at intervals of one week until the aphids are completely exterminated.
• "Biotlin" - the main advantage of the drug is that it provides effective protection for three weeks. This is possible due to the special principle of action of the drug: the substance enters the bush, and then penetrates into all affected parts of the cucumber bush. After eating the leaves and shoots of cucumbers, aphids and their larvae die from poison.
• “Bitoxibacillin” - many gardeners recommend this effective drug for controlling aphids. One of the main advantages of Bitoxibacillin is safety for humans, animals and all insects, in addition to aphids.
• “Healthy Garden” is the safest of biological products. It is used during the fruiting period of cucumbers, since five days after spraying the cucumbers can be collected and eaten. The dosage for combating aphids is 2 granules per 500 ml of water. The effect of treatment on cucumbers lasts up to 20 days.

The best chemical-based aphid control products:

• "Inta-vir"
• "Karbofos"
• "Iskra-bio"
• "Spark-golden"
• "Iskra-M"
• "Commander"
• "Aktellik"
• "Fufanon"
• "Alatar"
• "Aktara"

All these drugs to combat aphids penetrate the tissues of cucumbers so that the insect, along with the cell sap, receives a dose of a toxic substance.

Biological products

Special preparations have been developed for vegetables that do not cause significant harm to beneficial insects and humans.

• Spark Bio (Akarin). Unlike other insecticides, effectiveness remains at temperatures of 28 °C and above. This allows the drug to be used in greenhouses and greenhouses with cucumbers. For spraying, dilute 8 ml of concentrate in 1 liter of water. 1-1.5 liters of solution are used per bush.
• Fitoverm. A biological product based on fungal metaplasma begins to act after 12 hours. Destroys only adult individuals, ineffective against larvae. To completely exterminate aphids on cucumbers, it is necessary to carry out 3 treatments with an interval of 14 days. The solution is prepared from 5 ml of Fitoverm, diluted in 1 liter of water.
• Biotlin. The active ingredient of the drug is a concentrated tobacco extract. The death of the pest occurs as a result of paralysis. The effect is noticeable 2-3 hours after spraying. You only need to dilute 5 ml of the drug and 10 liters of water.

When working with the listed products, it is recommended to strictly adhere to the consumption rate of the finished substance, use a mask and gloves. Vegetables can be eaten 2 days after spraying.

How to fight aphids on cucumbers using traditional methods

Grandmother's recipes for control are effective. Organic insecticides do not accumulate in the pulp of vegetables and soil.

With the help of folk recipes, there is a chance to get rid of aphids at the beginning of infection.

IMPORTANT! To permanently get rid of aphids in the garden, you need to carry out at least 2 treatments.

How to spray with ammonia and ammonia

A 10% ammonia solution quite effectively destroys aphids and egg clutches, and does not cause any harm. For processing, you must prepare a solution in advance consisting of the following components:

• ammonia (2 tablespoons);
• grated or liquid soap (20-30 g);
• sunflower oil (1 spoon);

Mix everything, pour water into a container and spray the cucumbers with the resulting mixture.

How to remove aphids with soda

Soda is recommended by many gardeners who have struggled with aphids in their area.

Also, soda is effective in the fight against fungal, bacterial and viral diseases and helps increase the yield of cucumbers.

The recipe for an effective remedy is quite simple: for 1 liter of water you will need 2 teaspoons of soda and a little grated laundry soap. Mix thoroughly and sprinkle cucumber bushes with this solution.

How to use soap solution against aphids on cucumbers

Laundry soap is an inexpensive and quite effective substance that can be used to fight aphids. It contains natural fatty acids that help get rid of the parasite.

It is important to prepare the solution correctly to combat uninvited guests on cucumbers. To do this, rub 1.5 pieces of laundry soap marked “75%” using a coarse grater. Next, add about 2 liters of warm water to the soap shavings and stir until completely dissolved. Add 8 liters of water to the resulting concentrate before use. You should get a clear solution that can be used to fight aphids on affected specimens.

Is it possible to use vinegar against aphids on cucumbers?

Vinegar effectively repels aphids with an unpleasant odor. The most effective way to fight insects is with this solution: pour 2 tbsp into a bucket of water. spoons of essence 70%. Spray once every 20 days for prevention, and to combat aphids - spray 3 times with an interval of 4 days.

Garlic infusion against aphids on cucumbers

Garlic helps get rid of aphids due to its pungent odor. Within a couple of minutes after treatment, the pests will have to leave the cucumber bed.

Recipe for garlic infusion: 0.5 kg of peeled and grated or chopped garlic per three-liter jar of water. Mix thoroughly and add a branch of celandine to the container with garlic. Close the container tightly with a lid and leave for about five days.

50 ml of the resulting concentrate is diluted in water and the cucumbers are sprayed once a week.

Infusion of potato tops

You can get rid of the parasite using potato infusion. To prepare it, take only healthy and disease-free tops. 1 kg of grass is crushed and kept for three hours. Then the solution is filtered and the cucumbers are treated with it, leaf by leaf.

How to use aphid tobacco on cucumbers

Tobacco dust is very effective if you need to fight bugs. It will help you get rid of them in one day. Prepare the product as follows:

• 0.4 kg of tobacco is poured into hot water.
• Rub half a bar of soap and add it to the same container. Tar or laundry soap must be used.
• Leave for 2-3 days and stir the resulting mixture regularly.
• Next, you need to strain the product, and it is ready for use.
• It is enough to process the cucumbers 2 times at intervals of a week.

Infusion of tomato tops

Tomato tops are an effective means of fighting beetles due to the fact that they contain the poison solanine.

Healthy tomato greens are useful for making a healthy infusion. You need to take 1 kg of tops. The mixture is kept for about five hours, then a little soap is added. After flowering ends, spray the cucumbers with the solution. Number of treatments - up to four times per summer.

How to use onion peel infusion

The parasite absolutely cannot stand the smell of onions and leaves the garden. In addition, onion infusion helps get rid of pathogenic flora in the soil and enriches the soil with useful substances.

You can get rid of the pest by mixing 0.2 kg of onion scales and a bucket of water. The container is closed and put in a dark place for five days. Next, the solution is filtered and the aphids are destroyed.

Pepper infusion against aphids on cucumbers

Hot peppers are toxic to parasites. To prepare an effective infusion, it is recommended to use red hot pepper.

To fight aphids, you need 1 kg of chopped fresh pepper. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and kept for 8-10 days. The concentrated mood is diluted with soapy water (about a quarter of a piece of soap per bucket of water). The pepper mixture is added in the amount of 100 grams per 1 bucket.

How to get rid of a pest with Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola drink contains phosphoric acid, which has a detrimental effect on insects. To combat aphids, you can put the sprayer directly on the bottle of this American drink and treat the affected cucumbers with it.

Spraying with infusion of celandine

This herb has beneficial properties for cucumbers - it repels unwanted insects, strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to diseases. To obtain an infusion, take 1 kg of dried herb. When using fresh celandine, 4 times more herbs are needed. Add water and leave for 2 nights. Next, add soap, filter and spray the beds.

How to use vodka

Regular inexpensive vodka with a strength of 40° is excellent for fighting aphids. There is no need to dilute the alcohol. The affected areas of cucumber bushes are treated with alcohol, and the aphids leave them.

How to use mustard to control aphids on cucumbers

Experienced gardeners prepare this solution: add 2.5 teaspoons of mustard powder and a teaspoon of liquid soap to 1 liter of water for effective adhesion to the leaves. The cucumbers are treated with the resulting product one leaf at a time.

The dry substance can be scattered in the habitats of the ants so that they disappear and do not bring new aphids.

IMPORTANT! All the above recipes are designed for 10 liters of water.

Preventive methods

Urgent protective treatments often require aggressive measures to combat aphids, which will multiply very quickly, causing irreparable damage to plantings. It is better to protect cucumbers from pest attacks in advance by following agricultural practices for growing this crop. Basic preventive measures:

1. When preparing a site for cucumbers in the fall, remove all plant debris that can serve as bedding for the pest’s overwintering stock, and during digging, water the soil with a solution of copper sulfate to destroy larvae and pathogenic organisms.
2. Introduce the crop into garden crop rotation without planting it after bad predecessors, as a result of which numerous specialized pests and diseases remain on the site.
3. During the growing season, destroy weeds, which are an intermediate link for the migration of aphids to cucumbers.
4. Apply integrated plant protection, including biological methods - placing nearby garlic, which repels aphids, or mustard, which attracts ladybugs.
5. Fight ants and do not place beds near their “homes”.

An important agrotechnical measure that helps protect the cucumber crop from aphids is fertilizing. Thanks to the timeliness of their application, the bushes have excellent immunity. The first feeding is carried out 14 days after planting the seedlings in open ground or the emergence of seedlings using a mullein solution in a ratio of 1: 10. This accelerates the rooting and development of green mass. Further, during the flowering and fruiting phases, fertilizing irrigations with the inclusion of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used, which improve plant health and extend the harvest period. It is impossible to be late with nitrogen-containing fertilizing, since in this case it can, on the contrary, cause a meager harvest. Aphids are a dangerous pest that colonizes vegetable plantings very quickly. The best solution is to spray the plants as a preventive measure and get a rich harvest of high-quality greens.

What can be used against aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse

In greenhouse conditions, the air temperature is always higher, so aphids infest there faster than in the beds. The following effective methods will help you get rid of the pest.

Attracting Beneficial Insects

Some predatory insects will help not only fight, but also completely get rid of aphids.

In good weather, it is worth keeping the doors and windows in cucumber greenhouses open so that ladybugs can enter and eat aphids.

Planting plants to attract aphids

Some people plant crops in the greenhouse that are more interesting to aphids than cucumbers. For example, legumes, sow thistle, dill.

You can get rid of the pest this way: inspect the plantings every day for the presence of pests. A bush damaged by aphids must be uprooted and burned.

Pest treatment

Greenhouse cucumbers are sprayed with the same means as in other places.

IMPORTANT! After the procedure, the greenhouse with cucumbers is left closed for two hours so that the fight against aphids is effective and re-infestation does not occur.

Video

This type of insect reproduces very quickly. One female produces up to 50 larvae. And after 2 weeks, having reached a certain age, they also produce new offspring. Therefore, in a short time, a colony of insects can destroy cucumbers.

It is necessary to take urgent measures aimed at their destruction. Watch the video showing available folk remedies.

The described biological infusions and remedies are also effective against spider mites, which are common pests of pumpkin crops in the middle zone.

To prevent the spread of sucking insects on plants, it is necessary to comply with preventive requirements. Avoid densely planted beds. Weed weeds regularly and feed plants with fertilizers.

The appearance of aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse brings a lot of trouble. If uninvited insects are detected in a timely manner, it is quite possible to get rid of them. Try folk remedies to combat them, and you will find the optimal solution for yourself.

Happy cucumber harvest to you every summer!

Common mistakes

1. Incorrect dosage for spraying cucumbers. If the concentration of the product is low, it will not be effective, and if it is high, the plant may die.
2. Carrying out processing during the daytime. Spray the plants only in the morning and evening to avoid sunburn due to water remaining on the leaves of the cucumbers.
3. Too frequent processing. Plants must be sprayed according to the recommendations for the use of drugs. Use folk remedies no more than once a week.

Symptoms of a pest

In the initial stages of crop damage, it can be difficult to notice small bugs. It is important to pay attention to the characteristic signs in time:

• the plant has a general sluggish appearance, lags behind in development and growth;
• the leaves dry out and curl, yellow-brown spots appear on them;
• the leaves become sticky to the touch due to the secretion of honeydew by aphids;
• the ovaries dry out and fall off;
• young shoots turn yellow and die;
• A large number of ants appear on the site.

When aphids appear, the plant has a lethargic appearance.

In the future, it is very easy to detect the pest. Whole groups of aphids are found everywhere: on leaves, stems, young shoots and ovaries. Active reproduction and population growth are promoted by high humidity and temperature.

Answers to popular questions

How to understand that a plant is affected by aphids?

The cucumber bush on which aphids have appeared fades and gets sick. The plant is covered with sticky honeydew, and small bugs can be seen on the back of the leaves.

What remedies are most effective against aphids – folk or chemical?

Products with a chemical composition act instantly, which means they help get rid of it faster. But they are more harmful compared to traditional and biological drugs. It is necessary to select a control method based on the degree of damage to cucumbers

Are there ways to get rid of aphids when cucumbers produce crops?

Folk remedies are used even when there are fruits on the cucumber bushes. After using biological preparations, you must wait 5 days before harvesting cucumbers.

Is it possible to prevent aphids from appearing in the garden?

If you start prevention in time, the risk of aphid penetration will be minimal.

Prevention of aphids

The appearance of pests in a greenhouse can be prevented by regular treatment of the soil and structures. Prevention includes a whole range of measures.

Greenhouse disinfection

Traditionally, the greenhouse is disinfected in the fall after the end of the season. Solutions for preventive treatment of greenhouses, as well as methods for their preparation and processing are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Solutions for preventive treatment of greenhouses.

Name, illustrations	Description how to use
Copper sulfate	The powder is blue or turquoise in color; when diluted, it produces a solution of copper sulfate, which kills pest larvae, as well as fungal infections. Preparation of the solution: 1 tablespoon of powder is diluted in a liter of hot water, stirred thoroughly and brought to 10 liters with cold water. Water the soil with the solution until the top five-centimeter layer is moistened, and also spray the walls of the greenhouse and the fences of the beds.
Bordeaux mixture	It is a mixture of quicklime and copper sulfate, used for cultivating soil and greenhouse structures. Preparation of the solution: 100 g of copper sulfate powder is diluted in a liter of hot water, brought to 5 liters with cold water. In a separate bowl, quench 120 g of lime, after which the milk of lime is diluted with water to 5 liters. Carefully pour the vitriol into the lime solution with constant stirring. The solution is used immediately. The walls and frame of the greenhouse and the top layer of soil are treated from pests and bacteria.
Bleaching powder	The finished powder is white in color with a sharp, specific odor. Destroys adult aphids and larvae. The powder is scattered over the surface of the soil, after which the top layer is loosened to a depth of 5-8 cm.
Karbofos or fufanon	A chemical substance in the form of a solution is used to treat the soil to kill pests. Dilute a solution of karbofos (30 g per 10 liters) or fufanon (10 ml per 10 liters) in cold water, water the soil until moist.

Important! Before processing, it is necessary to completely remove all tops and plant debris from the greenhouse - pests and larvae can hide in them.

Fighting ants

Ants often settle in greenhouses; this is facilitated by early warming of the soil and stable temperature. Ants grow aphids for their sweet juice (honeydew), for which they spread them to plants. It is pointless to remove aphids without destroying anthills - ants will quickly populate new larvae in place of destroyed insects.

Ants are fought using special means or traditional methods.

1. The Anteater product is used to kill ants in the form of a solution that is used to water anthills. A 1 ml bottle of the drug is diluted in 3-5 liters of water and watered anthills in the morning or evening, when the ants are in the shelter. Within 2-3 days, the entire population of the anthill dies.

Ant-eater

Prices for the product "Aardeater"

anteater remedy

• The product “Grom-2” in the form of granules is scattered over the surface of the anthill, having first removed the top layer of it by 2-3 cm. The removed soil is scattered on top of the preparation. Within 2-4 days the ants die, the effect of the product lasts up to 2 months.


Grom-2

• Sprinkle anthills with ash, lime or baking soda, followed by watering with hot water. Penetrating into the passages, water with an alkaline reaction has a destructive effect on ant larvae and adults.


The found anthill should be covered with ash, lime or ash.

• Digging anthills to a depth of 25-35 cm allows you to completely destroy the nest. It is performed before planting cucumbers in the greenhouse and preparing the beds. Larvae and ants are scalded with boiling water when digging.


Digging up an anthill

• Plants with a pungent odor are laid out on the beds - garlic, mint, oregano, valerian. They scare away the ants and force them to leave the greenhouse.

  
  Valerian

  
  Oregano

  
  Mint

  
  Garlic

Important! When fighting ants, it is necessary to treat not only the soil inside the greenhouse, but also the areas adjacent to it.

Preventative treatments

To prevent the appearance of aphids, you can treat young plants with one of the biological products, for example, Fitoverm. This product does not have a harmful effect on plants or soil bacteria, and its waiting period is 2 days, after which its fruits can be eaten. Fitoverm can be used to treat plants in any phase of growth and fruiting.


Fitoverm

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Dilute the drug in a dosage of 1 ampoule per 1.2 liters of water and spray the plants in the morning or evening until the leaves are moistened. Spraying for preventive purposes is sufficient to carry out once every 15-20 days, starting from planting until mid-July. During the summer period, 3 treatments are usually carried out.

Important! Fitoverm cannot be mixed with other drugs! Treatment must be carried out no earlier than 24 hours after foliar feeding and treatment with other means.

Prices for Fitoverm

fitoverm

Damage to melon aphids for planting cucumbers

This small “harmful” bug is very voracious and can attack not only melons, but also cotton, and if the fight against it is not started in a timely manner, then the aphid can destroy plantings over a large area.

On cucumber vines, an aphid colony first appears on the lower leaf blades, but gradually the pest begins to move to the juicier upper leaves.

Important!

From the leaf plates, the aphid sucks out cell sap, which is rich in carbohydrates and amino acids; as a result, the foliage begins to turn yellow and shrink, and then dies earlier than expected.

As a result, cucumber vines reduce the rate of their development and very often die. In the remaining vegetable crops, the eaten ovaries and buds fall off, as a result, the yield of cucumber bushes decreases.

This “harmful” bug is also a carrier of a number of pathogenic microorganisms, so cucumber vines, weakened by aphid attacks, can be affected by these associated diseases.

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Mosaic virus on plants - how to identify the disease and control methods
Therefore, disease control measures should be included in the aphid control complex.

The female of this pest is not only gluttonous, but also very fertile and can lay at least 100 eggs every 12-14 days. As a result, up to 20,000 new pests may appear per season.

Such a number of aphids can destroy all garden plants in a short period of time, so the fight against them must be merciless.

Melon aphid on cucumbers: what to do? - video

Biological industrial products

Tanrek for insect control
You can poison aphids in a closed space using industrially manufactured biological agents:

• Tanrek. It is claimed that this systemic product can be used during fruiting, but it is toxic to birds, so it is better to be on the safe side. Tanrek is dangerous for bees and earthworms, and therefore is not recommended for use in open beds.
• Entobacterin. The speed of action on insects depends on temperature: the higher the air temperature, the faster the effect of the insecticide will manifest itself. The powder is diluted according to the instructions and sprayed on the plants. You can eat the fruits after a week.
• Arrow. The safest natural insecticide. Safe for warm-blooded organisms, does not harm bees. These are bacteria that are activated when water is added. The fruits can be used for food after 2 days.

Symptoms of aphids

Cucumbers are mainly attacked by the melon aphid, or as it is also called the cotton aphid. Favorite crops of this species are pumpkin, watermelon, melon, cabbage and legumes. The insect reaches 2 mm in length, the body is colored yellow or green. You can detect the pest by turning the cucumber leaf over with its back side. On the surface it is easy to notice a cluster of aphids sucking juice from the tissues of young shoots.

Literally 2-3 days after the attack, the pest can be identified by the foliage curled inward and the stems covered with insects. Flowers and ovaries fall off, shoot growth stops.

The spread of aphids is largely facilitated by ants. They feed on the sticky secretions of the insect and transfer the colony to the cucumber beds. Therefore, another indirect sign that the crop has been attacked are ant paths around the bushes and on the stems.

Aphids reproduce at lightning speed and can destroy cucumbers in a few days. You can quickly defeat a large colony using chemicals. The disadvantage of most toxic insecticides is that as a result of their use, substances harmful to humans accumulate in cucumbers. Vegetables can be collected only 3 weeks after spraying. Biological products are more suitable for processing cucumbers, the composition of which allows harvesting in a few days.

Folk remedies are safe, but do not work immediately and are effective at the initial stage of the fight, when aphids have not had time to take over a large area of ​​planting. That is why experienced gardeners are doing their best to prevent the invasion of the pest, instead of fighting it. If aphids have already appeared on cucumbers, you should determine the extent of the damage and choose an adequate method of control.