The miniature pest is capable of destroying up to 90% of the yield of fruit trees in the garden. For this reason, every farmer takes appropriate measures to combat gall mites on pears. At the same time, many take preventive measures to prevent the spread of the dangerous parasite. Before starting the dressing procedure, first get to know the unusual animal better and learn the main symptoms of crop damage.
Description of the pest
This small insect has an elongated body no more than 0.2 mm long. If you look at the photo, you will notice that the tick looks like a worm. It has 2 pairs of legs and a piercing-sucking mouth. Most adults are females. It feeds on the sap of fruit trees. Its larvae are brought to the site by the wind, birds and insects. For the winter they hide under the scales of the buds.
After the air warms up, the females begin to lay eggs. Several generations are born during the season. The task of the first ones is to reproduce and parasitize on trees; in the middle of summer, the last generation begins to penetrate the buds in order to overwinter there, waiting for the next spring.
What danger does it pose to a fruit tree?
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In general, the pear mite multiplies quickly and can, infecting branch after branch, cover the entire tree. By sucking the juice from the leaves, it causes the leaves to drop. The pear simply gets sick because of this, the normal process of photosynthesis is disrupted. And the fruits either do not appear at all, or are set in small quantities, small and dry.
This is what a tick looks like under a microscope
Therefore, it is important to know how to treat a tree against a pest and take action immediately after detecting it.
The danger of pear gall mite
The gall mite is dangerous in the sense that because of it, new shoots slow down their growth, it spoils the buds, ovaries, and buds. Because the buds are damaged, changes occur in the leaves and photosynthesis is disrupted. The ovaries turn out ugly, fall off prematurely or do not form at all. Infectious agents easily penetrate through the punctures they leave. The tree begins to lack nutrients.
If a gall mite is detected on a pear, control measures must be taken immediately, otherwise the crop losses will be colossal - up to 95%. And young seedlings can quickly die from a massive pest invasion.
Preventive measures
To prevent the gall mite from infecting the pear, it should be treated twice (on the opening buds and buds) with Preparation 30 Plus or Iskra M.
It is also necessary to follow agricultural practices when caring for these fruit trees and carry out the following sanitary measures:
- in autumn and spring, clean the main trunk and skeletal branches from remnants of old bark;
- in the fall, clear the trunk circles under pear trees from remnants of vegetation and fallen leaves;
- twice a season (spring and autumn) carry out sanitary pruning and remove weak, damaged, diseased branches, as well as those shoots that grow inside the crown and thicken it;
- in the fall, dig up tree trunk circles on the bayonet of a shovel so that pests overwintering in the soil end up on the surface and freeze.
If a gall mite appears on a pear, the fight against it should begin immediately after detection. Otherwise, this pest can destroy almost the entire crop or cause various diseases. Fighting mites is quite difficult, sometimes you have to treat trees several times during the season, but the harvest of tasty pears is worth it.
Signs and causes of ticks
In spring, buds affected by the pest are clearly visible. Although they are quite large in size, their development is delayed by about 14 days. If some buds have already opened, and other larger ones do not even form, it can be assumed that a gall mite lived in them during the winter.
Attention!
It is necessary to more closely examine the bottom and middle of the crown as close to the trunk as possible.
After the females emerge from the buds, they begin to suck the juice from the young leaves, pierce them and lay eggs. When infected, you can see 2 swollen stripes on the leaf. The damage resembles greenish blisters, their length is 3 mm. Gradually, the pests turn dark brown and cover the entire surface. Over time they become black. If there is no control of the mite on the pear, the damaged leaves twist and fall off.
In addition to wind, birds and insects, gall mites can appear if sanitary pruning of the crown is not carried out for a long time. The appearance of the parasite is caused by an excessive amount of phosphorus fertilizers, certain stimulant drugs and insecticides, due to which insects die, for example, dragonflies, which destroy this pest.
How to recognize an insect pest
Alas, it is almost impossible to notice this pest - its size is about 0.2 millimeters. But it is easy to see traces of its activity - swellings appear on the leaves, similar to burns on human skin.
Traces of tick activity
Over time, there are so many of them that they cover the entire surface, which is why the latter wither and fall off. By this time, the mites have time to move to other leaves.
Fact ! The gall mite overwinters in the kidneys, and in the middle of one there can be up to one and a half thousand insects at the same time.
Chemicals for tick control
One of the most effective methods for protecting and destroying gall mites is treatment with chemicals.
Processing is carried out in 3 stages:
- the first time when it gets warm and the pests crawl out of their hiding places;
- in summer after flowering;
- after harvesting the fruits, before frost sets in.
Prevention
Preventing the development of gall pear mites is much easier than destroying the colony. To do this, you must follow several rules that have been tested by gardeners in practice:
- Regular pruning of old, damaged branches (in spring or autumn).
- Removing dead bark from the pear - this is where mites can grow.
- Whitewashing the lower part of the trunk of a pear, apple tree and other trees.
- Rare use of insecticides: the drugs destroy insects, including beneficial ones (for example, dragonflies), which are the natural enemies of the gall mite.
- Balanced feeding: excess phosphorus fertilizers contribute to the active development of the pest.
- Mulching the soil with peat, humus, straw or other materials. Mulch not only inhibits weeds, but also protects the soil from rapid drying out and night frosts.
- If an invasion of gall mites has previously been observed, in the fall (after leaf fall) it is recommended to water the area with a solution of Fufanon, Karbofos or Bordeaux mixture. This can be done no more than once a year.
It is quite possible to destroy the gall mite. However, it is worth remembering that for complete victory it is worth using several means at once. Moreover, it is important not to neglect preventive measures - remove old bark, leaves and shoots in the fall and burn them.
Biological agents
Effective means of combating gall mites include biological preparations, one of them is Vertimek of enteric contact action. It is used against pests that could not be controlled by treating the tree with other acaricides. Vertimek is capable of destroying parasites on the lower and upper surfaces of leaves. 3 days after processing, the fruits can be collected.
In the fight against gall mites on pears, the drug Fitoverm is used; the active substance it contains does not accumulate in the fruits. They are allowed to process the plantings during fruiting. Its active action is noted at high temperatures.
When a gall mite appears on a pear, effective control measures consist of treating it with products before the buds open and after flowering. Experts warn that these parasites develop resistance to the drugs used over time, so it is necessary to alternate biological with chemical ones.
Folk remedies
To combat a small colony of gall mites, you can use folk remedies.
Attention!
Unlike chemical and biological drugs, you shouldn’t expect a strong effect, but you can try.
One of the well-known remedies is potato tops. In summer they use green, and in order to start fighting early in spring, it is recommended to use dried. For 10 liters of warm water, you will need 1 kg of fresh water, and 0.5 kg of dry water. It is crushed, left to infuse for 4 hours, filtered, and 1 tbsp is poured into the composition. laundry soap, you can add dishwashing detergent instead. The prepared solution cannot be left for a long time; after 24 hours it becomes unusable.
You can use calendula, everything works: stems, flowers and leaves. 100 g of the plant are boiled in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes. Leave for 5 days, then dilute with clean water - 1:1. The resulting solution is ready for use; for better retention on the surface of the leaves of the pear tree, a little liquid soap is poured into it.
Dandelion infusion is considered a good folk remedy for combating gall mites. Add 1 kg of fresh leaves to 3 liters of water and place in a warm place for 3 days. Then filter, for better adhesion, add a little dissolved laundry soap. When processing, you must try not to miss the affected areas. Any processing method must be performed in the evening or early morning. Otherwise, in those places where the liquid gets in, burnt spots will appear on the leaves from the sun. You should not start work if it is expected to rain outside in the near future. The product must remain on the tree for at least 10 hours, otherwise the effectiveness will decrease.
Agrotechnical techniques for prevention and resistant varieties of pears
The main goal of such agrotechnical measures is to create uncomfortable conditions for the gall mite to live and reproduce:
- When fertilizing fruit trees, do not overdo it with phosphorus-containing fertilizers. An excess of this macroelement in the soil and tree tissue attracts the gall mite.
- Every year, carry out sanitary pruning of the tree, remove layers of dead bark from the trunk, remove all plant debris from the trunk circle (infected leaves and fruits must be burned), deeply loosen the soil. This way you will deprive the pest of suitable places for wintering. In the fall, whiten tree trunks by adding a 2% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate to the lime solution. The caustic substance eats away the mucous membrane of the ticks.
The caustic composition for whitewashing prevents gall mites from settling on the tree for wintering
Attacks of gall mites greatly weaken the pear tree - it becomes more susceptible to the vagaries of the weather and gets sick more often. To get rid of the pest, you need an integrated approach. And, of course, prevention is very important - preventing a pest attack is easier than trying to remove it later.
