Insect pests are a scourge for crops. Among them are beautifully singing cicadas, whose singing was highly valued by the ancient Greeks, unaware of the harm these insects caused. The white leafhopper is one of the most dangerous pests of field crops and vineyards. Adults and larvae are harmful: feeding on the sap of plants, insects deplete them and can destroy young specimens.
What damage do cicadas cause?
Leafhoppers are quite dangerous jumping sucking pests; they suck out the sap of plants, and in a year they can easily destroy a significant part of the expected harvest. All species of this insect are similar; they are very voracious and polyphagous (polyphagous). No one can yet name the exact number of species of cicadas, but it is known for sure that there are more than 100,000 of them. Cicadas make a rather loud sound, and if these insects have appeared on the site, then in the evenings the cicada chorus can be clearly heard.
Since all varieties of this pest suck out plant sap, this leads to plants losing immunity and slowing growth. Branches and shoots become thinner, become brittle, damaged parts of plants gradually die, and the leaves of fruit trees are partially shed. Leafhoppers damage young plant seedlings and spread many diseases.
Many species of leafhoppers can be myrmecophilous (cohabit with ants like aphids) - during the day they usually hide in their nests, and at night they feed on plants under the protection of ants. Ants brazenly use the secreted honeydew, which flows abundantly from the plants - the whole garden becomes sticky.
Folk methods of struggle
The most popular method is considered to be a solution of laundry soap, which destroys the pest in 2-3 treatments. The solution is prepared using 300 grams of soap dissolved in 10 liters of warm water.
An equally effective way is to prepare onion or garlic infusion. To do this, take 250 grams of chopped garlic or onion and add 1 liter of water. Infuse for 1 week in a closed container. The resulting infusion must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:50 and applied to the plants. The result will be visible after just a few treatments.
White leafhopper (Metcalfa pruinosa)
Metcalfe or citrus leafhopper is suitable for dry, warm climates. More than 300 different cultivated plants are known to be damaged by the annoying white leafhopper.
It affects many flower and cereal crops. Among vegetables, it prefers potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, carrots and others; it harms many fruit trees, pears, apple trees, plums, etc. It also does not ignore currants, gooseberries and other berry bushes. Of the conifers, it can settle on thuja.
The defeat of any plant by the white leafhopper manifests itself in plant lethargy, poor development, as well as a large number of fallen fruits and dry shoots. Metcalfa leaves a sticky secretion that spoils the appearance of plants, and is also a good environment for the appearance of various bacteria and sooty fungi that interfere with photosynthesis.
The place for laying insect eggs is the bark of trees and shrubs; one female can lay up to 90 eggs. The insect overwinters with eggs in the bark of trees and shrubs. In May or June, overwintered larvae (nymphs) emerge. During the summer period, the insect goes through five instars, feeds on plant sap, piercing the leaf from the back with its proboscis, and a white dot appears at this place. It happens that the leaf is completely covered with white specks. Leaves discharge in the form of a white waxy coating (similar to cotton wool). Cicadas of younger ages have a white color, later ones change, become gray, jump well and even fly. When feeding, they secrete honeydew. Only one generation of white leafhoppers can develop in one year.
Biological methods
Exterminating cicadas is not an easy task, but with persistence and desire, success can be achieved. And even without the help of chemicals:
- Collection and disposal of damaged parts of crops (they contain larvae). In this case, combustion will be most effective.
- Digging the soil after the autumn harvest . This will help bring egg clutches and larvae of insects that have settled in for the winter to the surface of the soil. Frost and hungry birds will do the rest.
- Bird feeders, birdhouses, and houses will help attract birds to your property , and birds are the worst enemies of leafhoppers.
- The areas of vegetable gardens and orchards that have been attacked by cicadas should be left fallow for several seasons. It’s great if you can plant the area with onions or garlic.
And one more important rule: no weeds! All parasitic plants must be destroyed on the vine, especially during the breeding season of the pest.
Green leafhopper (Cicadella viridis)
Just as omnivorous as metcalfa, the feeding process is identical to the previous variety, with one difference - gum deposits form on the leaves affected by green leafhoppers. It feeds on cereals, stone fruits, pome crops, as well as berries and fruits, and even settles in urban green spaces. During the egg-laying period (autumn) it greatly harms currants, pears, apple trees and quinces, and does not bypass gooseberries, grapes and plums. The pest rarely settles in old gardens and prefers a humid environment.
The insect, like the white leafhopper, overwinters in the egg stage in the bark of trees and cereals. Settles in swampy areas and wet meadow areas. Over the course of a year, 2-3 generations of the green leafhopper hatch, the first appearing in mid-summer. One female insect lays from 100 to 200 eggs. The body of the insect is 5.5-9 mm long.
Description of the pest
Leafhopper
Cicadas belong to the hemiptera family. Insects have a small to medium-sized oblong body, 1.8–4 mm long. Adults can have either inconspicuous gray-brown, brown, light green or bright colors, often with an intricate pattern of lines, dots and spots.
The short head of the leafhopper is articulated with the prothorax. There are 2 large compound eyes on it. Between them there are 3 more simple eyes, forming a triangle. The insect has short antennae with 3 segments and a well-developed oral apparatus. The front and middle legs are mobile, the hind legs are of the jumping type. Large teeth are visible on the lower front femora.
Cicadas fly well; their flight patterns resemble butterflies and whiteflies. Their wings are transparent, the front wings are membranous, and they are longer than the hind wings. In hot weather, cicadas are active and difficult to catch. In humid and cloudy weather, insects are inactive and shy.
Males have a special chamber located on the bottom of their abdomen, which helps them make loud sounds during the mating season.
After wintering, adult leafhoppers place several ovipositions under the bark, in the stems, under the upper veins of leaves, with an average of 10 eggs in each . The development of the larvae, which appear in May-June, occurs deep in the soil and in the lower part of the trunks.
The larvae do not resemble adult insects and grow no more than 5 mm in length. They are light in color, have long antennae and powerful front legs. With their help, the larvae dig the ground to hide for the winter and survive during the cold period.
During development, larvae go through 5 instars; in females this process takes longer than in males. At first they are inactive, but from the third age they can jump in search of young and juicy shoots. 1–2 generations of insects appear per year .
Leafhoppers: control measures without the use of chemicals
It is extremely difficult to fight insects, since in addition to cultivated plants, the diet of leafhoppers includes various weeds. Collecting and destroying weeds on the site may not help, since they are jumping and can move easily and quickly. It’s unlikely that you’ll want to monitor and care for the area adjacent to your garden, right?
Unfortunately, there are very few traditional methods of combating leafhoppers. Basically, this is the use of planting onions and garlic in tree trunk circles. So perennial onion-jusai will help you.
Another folk remedy for combating leafhoppers is treating plants with a solution of tar soap. To prepare the solution, you need to dissolve 200-300 g of soap in 10 liters of warm water, and carry out treatments 2-3 times a week in May-June.
Among the folk remedies for protection against all sucking insects, a garlic-tobacco mixture is effective. Of course, you need to understand that one of the methods cannot be a complete protection; you need to comprehensively help the plants: clean off the exfoliated bark, feed and water your green pets. Well, predators will come to our aid: lizards, birds, and bats feed on nymphs and imagoes of leafhoppers.
It is very important to have time to destroy some of the individuals before they are fully developed, since it is almost useless to fight adult insects; almost nothing affects them. It will not be possible to completely drive out leafhoppers from the site in one year; you will have to be patient. Warm winters favor the spread of these southerners.
Special preparations
special drugs designed specifically to kill pests come to the rescue Such drugs include insecticides such as, for example:
- Calypso;
- Confidor;
- Aktara;
- Akarin;
- Proteus;
- Vizcaya;
- Decis.
Spraying of plants damaged by cicadas with preparations must be carried out 2-3 times, with an interval of 10 days.
Usually, after the second, you can achieve maximum results in the fight against harmful insects:
- The treatment should be carried out in the evening in calm weather .
- An important condition for effective control is the mandatory contact of the drug on the lower part of the plant leaf, since the larvae and young individuals are usually located there.
- When spraying, it is important to use a small sprayer .
- Storing leftover working solution is prohibited , so try to prepare the required amount of solution.
- Prepare the spray material as specified by the manufacturer in the instructions .
After spraying against cicadas, you must thoroughly wash your hands and change all clothes. When working with the drug, do not touch your face with your hands. If the drug gets into your mouth or eyes, be sure to consult a doctor!
Black-spotted leafhopper
It parasitizes herbaceous plants, preferring ethereal ones. Most of all she loves mint, catnip, and sage. In the second phase of its development, it prefers labiate plants. Now distributed almost everywhere.
The insect overwinters in plant debris. Appears in April-May. The butterfly itself is slightly larger than 3 mm in size and is yellow or green in color with black spots. The larvae are yellow-green.
Extent of damage
Particularly harmful are the larvae that suck the juices of mint leaves. As a result, spots appear on the leaves, then they age and fall off.
Pest control measures combine thinning, complete removal of plant debris from the beds in the fall, and spraying with insecticides.
How to plan control?
The key word is monitoring . From August onwards, it is important to check for leafhoppers in the vineyard.
The leafhopper is easy to spot : if you shake the shoots, dozens—and in the case of a large population, even hundreds—of small insects begin to flutter around, which then immediately land on neighboring leaves or clusters, since they cannot make long flights. In the early stages, the use of chemicals is quite effective.
However, the problem is carrying out phytosanitary measures in the late period , when the grapes are already ripe.
If you choose a chemical control strategy, you will definitely exceed the amount of pesticide residues in your crop (MRL) before harvesting your grapes.
Measures to combat harmful insects in summer cottages
There are several ways to fight roseate leafhopper. The choice depends on the degree of damage and the capabilities of the gardener. The most common:
| Method name | Advantages | Flaws |
| Prevention | Regularity and timeliness of measures will reduce the likelihood of insect occurrence. Removing affected plants will eliminate the eggs and larvae of the leafhopper. | During the period of active reproduction, preventive measures are not enough to destroy the pest. |
| Application of systemic insecticides. | The impact on the pest occurs not only through direct contact. | Treatment is effective in early summer when the first generation of insects emerges. Be sure to repeat the procedures throughout the season. |
| Application of contact insecticides. | The drugs do not penetrate the vascular system of plants. | Frequent repetition of treatments is required due to the fact that the drugs affect the pest only through direct contact. |
| Folk compositions. | Budget and availability of funds for preparing solutions. Safety for people and animals. | Lower efficiency compared to chemicals. |
Chemicals for controlling roseate leafhopper in summer cottages
Products with chemical components effectively destroy rose pests. But, you need to purchase only those drugs that indicate:
- active substance;
- name and address of the manufacturer;
- best before date;
- rules of application.
| Drugs | Rule of application |
| Systemic insecticides: – Aktara, Calypso. | Dilute according to instructions. The first treatments should be carried out in May, and again during the summer. Use for spraying plants and watering at the roots. |
| Contact insecticides - “Bazudin”, “Fufanon” or others based on permethrin, diazinon or malathion. | Use products according to instructions. |
Carry out insecticidal treatments when there are a large number of pests to save plants, but take into account the hazard class of the drug.
Tip #1. After spraying, treat the foliage with wood ash to protect the plants from repeated pest invasions.
Signs of the appearance of roseate leafhopper in a summer cottage
Attract birds to your garden to prevent pests from multiplying quickly.
Gardeners need to know the signs of a pest in the area. Its presence can be determined in a simple way. It is enough to run your hand under a bush or from the underside of the foliage. The rose leafhopper will instantly jump from the leaves and you will notice it. The number of jumping insects depends on the degree of infestation.
The second sign of the presence of a pest is spots of damaged tissue on the underside of the leaves. The adult insect is tiny, so it is difficult to notice it on plants. But, at the place where the leafhopper pierces the leaf shell, yellow-white spots form. Later they merge into one spot with irregular edges.
The third sign that a gardener needs to know is a decrease in the resistance of roses to low temperatures. As soon as plantings suffer from light frosts, be sure to carry out preventive inspections of rose bushes.
Prevention
The most effective prevention is competent agricultural technology. Take the time to thoroughly study everything about the necessary conditions for plants in your garden, flower bed and vegetable garden. Look after them accordingly.
Prevent weeds from growing and moisture from accumulating. Thin vegetable crops on time. In the fall, harvest not only the crop, but also the tops and fallen leaves, and regularly clean the trees of old and dead parts.
Periodically organize garlic-soap irrigation. Some gardeners share their experience of preventative spraying of garden specimens with Ditox, Danadim, Tagore, Tzipi plus. The procedure must be done before the buds open and repeated somewhere in the second ten days of May, when the moth larvae appear.
The leafhopper is very difficult to remove, so do not count on instant results after the first sprinkling. The final result will require long-term hard work over several years. To avoid having to deal with a voracious insect, the main thing is to always keep your area clean and take timely preventive measures.
Folk measures: how to get rid of it without chemicals
In addition to biological methods of combating cicadas and chemicals, folk methods are very popular among gardeners and gardeners.
A common folk recipe is treating plants and trees with soapy water. To prepare it, you need to grind 300 grams of laundry soap and dissolve it in 10 liters of heated water.
An effective folk method is to spray plants with onion or garlic tincture. Onion (garlic) solution is prepared as follows:
- Finely chop 250 grams of onion or garlic;
- Pour the resulting mass with a liter of warm water;
- Infuse the mixture for a week in a tightly closed container.
After 7 days the tincture is ready. To treat plants, it must be diluted with water in the following ratio: 1 part tincture and 50 parts water.
