How to fight aphids on cherries. Black aphid on a cherry

04.08.2019

The appearance of black aphids on fruit and berry crops does not lead to the result that every gardener expects during the fruiting period of trees. Cherries and sweet cherries, on which the pest likes to settle, are especially affected. Plants lose their leaves, stop producing fruit and become vulnerable to various microorganisms that carry diseases. There are several methods known on how to deal with this insect and how to protect your garden from an unwanted guest.

How to recognize black aphids
Causes and symptoms of plant infection
What harm does black aphid cause?
Methods of pest control
Preventive action

Description of black aphids

Aphids are insects from the genus Hemiptera. Cherries, plums and other stone fruits are attacked by black aphids. These are small creatures that reach a size of no more than a couple of millimeters. The body shape of an insect is always different.

Aphids can be both wingless and winged. The wingless type of insect does not leave its habitat and constantly reproduces there. One individual insect can produce 4-5 generations of offspring within a couple of months. The number of individuals reaches several hundred thousand, which constantly reproduce. In summer, 10-12 generations can be born.

Aphids are attracted to cherries by their juice. They extract it from the plant by piercing the surface of the shoots with their proboscis. Aphids prefer the juiciest plants for food; it is easier to get food from them. Black aphids infect the bases of leaves and tops of shoots.

The winged subspecies spreads aphids to other plants. It is not born in every generation, but only when the colony becomes too large for one plant. Also, winged aphids appear during cold weather and other unfavorable conditions.

During feeding, aphids secrete sweet honeydew, which attracts other garden insects. Bees use honeydew to create honeydew honey. The main lovers of the sweet substance are ants. They become a kind of protectors of aphids. Ants protect aphids from other insects and transfer them to other plants.

How to drive away ants

Some other pests are attracted to the smell of honeydew, a sweet substance secreted by aphids. Ants carry aphids and help them spread throughout the garden. Therefore, they live together on mutually beneficial terms.

The simplest and most effective way is to tightly wrap the tree with foil with the reflective side facing out. This deprives them of the ability to crawl along the bark due to insufficient tenacity of the legs to the surface.

Boiling water

Not the most effective method, but it can help with small invasions. The advantage of this method is absolute environmental safety. To get rid of ants, you need to boil a sufficient amount of water, stir up the ant city and generously pour hot liquid on it. You need to repeat the procedure several times. Surviving ants can be driven away with much less insecticide.

Hemp oil

Anti-aphid oil should be generously lubricated at the base of the trees. The components and the fatty base act in a complex manner - they repel ants and prevent them from climbing up the trunk.

Hunting belt

This is the name given to a circle of special products that are generously coated on a tree trunk to stick insects and get rid of ants.

Includes:

polyisobutylene - a polymer that provides resistance to moisture;
polybutylene - added for viscosity and plasticity of the composition;
cycloisan is a catalyst for triggering the action of adhesives.

The fishing belt looks and acts like flypaper and allows you to catch a large number of individuals.

Kerosene

The caustic liquid has an intense and unpleasant odor for aphids.

To get rid of ants you will need a number of steps:

mix kerosene and 10 liters of hot water;
stir up the anthill or make several holes;
pour the prepared mixture into them to the full depth;
cover with polyethylene or felt material.

After this, the anthill will become uninhabitable, and the ants will quickly leave the place with a hateful smell.

Reasons for the appearance of black aphids on cherries

Before you fight aphids on cherries, you need to pay attention to the causes of tree infestation. The main reasons for cherry aphid infestation are:

• a large number of weeds around the tree; • colonies of ants living nearby; • weak plant immunity.

An unkempt garden with a lot of weeds will quickly lead to the appearance of various diseases. Winged aphids can reproduce on weeds in early spring, and then transfer their relatives to cherries in June, when cherries are in fruiting period.

Aphid colonies would not be able to develop quickly without the ants. The wingless aphid would be destroyed by other insects or would die from lack of food. Winged aphids reproduce poorly and would not be able to restore the colony. The wingless subspecies cannot move normally around the plant without ants.

Causes

Three main reasons for the spread:

Affected trees have appeared in the neighboring garden, and since some species of aphids are winged, they can quickly move to neighboring trees.
Black ants feed on the secretions of aphids and therefore can carry larvae while moving from one tree to another.
Pests can produce up to 15 generations per season. They overwinter in the egg phase, from which larvae hatch in early spring and form numerous colonies. After 14 days, females emerge from the larvae, giving rise to a new generation.

Cherry aphids mainly inhabit the tops of young shoots. If the cherry is young, then by attacking the growth zones, aphids slowly kill the plant.

Damage from black aphids on cherries

The action of the pest leads to the following negative consequences:

• infestation by aphids can lead to the death of the tree; • plants have an increased chance of being infected by various viruses; • yields are significantly reduced; • berries become small and ugly; • the possibility of infection of all neighboring plants.

Black aphids can infect currants, gooseberries, raspberries and other neighboring plants. The insect can also harm plums, apricots and other stone fruits. The pest feeds on plant sap, which disrupts the flow of nutrients into the leaves. They dry out and curl, and the affected surface turns black.

There is a risk of getting infected from black aphids. Various fungal diseases can develop on the shoots. Along with insect saliva, various microorganisms enter the cells. Sooty fungus can lead to crop loss, and if the tree is not cured before winter, it will die.

Fungal diseases

Fungi reproduce in spring and summer in fairly cool (8–14°C), but rainy and windy weather. These diseases are highly contagious, so take care of all the trees in your garden, otherwise the fungus may spread to other crops.

If you notice signs of any fungal disease on your neighbors' trees, then also inform them about the need to begin treatment.

Coccomycosis (reddish-brown spotting)

The first symptom of coccomycosis is the appearance of reddish-brown spots up to 2 mm in diameter on the outside of the leaves. As a rule, this occurs between the end of May and the beginning of June. If the cherry is severely affected, then brown spots may appear on the berry stalks and young shoots. Towards mid-July, small spots begin to merge into large ones. On the reverse side, the leaf is covered with tubercles - spore deposits of light pink or light gray color. In mid-to-late August, such leaves turn prematurely yellow and curl, and then fall off.

With coccomycosis, the cherry sheds its leaves early, which greatly reduces the tree’s ability to prepare for winter.

The crop also suffers from coccomycosis: the skin of the berries becomes covered with brown spots, and the pulp becomes watery. In addition, the disease greatly undermines the viability of the cherry, and the tree may freeze in winter. The disease is widespread in central Russia and Siberia; in warm regions it is quite rare.

The most resistant to coccomycosis cherry varieties are Shokoladnitsa, Turgenevka, Bulatnikovskaya, Malinovka. Also, large-fruited felt cherries (Alice, Delight, Fairy Tale) practically do not suffer from this disease.

Prevention of cherry coccomycosis:

Take care of your garden in a timely manner. Collect and burn all garbage, especially fallen leaves, in the fall, since fungal spores overwinter in them. Not only cherry trees, but also other trees need to be trimmed, fed and whitened.
In early spring or mid-October, dig up the soil in the garden, including the tree trunks of cherries and other trees.
Whiten the trunk and skeletal branches regularly. The most suitable time is from mid to late September (at a temperature of 4–5°C). The foliage should completely fall off. Whitewashing should be done on a dry day. A few days before, clear the trunk of old bark. Composition of the mixture: 2 kg of slaked lime + 300 g of copper sulfate + 10 liters of water. The thickness of the applied layer is 2–3 mm.
Repeated whitewashing should be done in the spring before buds open. Usually this is the period from the end of March to the beginning of April, the temperature should not be lower than 5°C.
If it is not possible to whiten the tree in the fall, then in early to mid-October, wash the trunk and skeletal branches of the cherry with a urea solution (30–50 g of granules per 10 liters of water). If you have already whitened the tree, then pour this solution onto the soil around the trunk to disinfect it.

Treatment:

In the spring, during the period of bud swelling (early to mid-May), treat the cherries and the soil in the tree trunk circle with Bordeaux mixture. Preparation: dilute copper sulfate (300 g) in 1 liter of boiling water. In a separate bowl, dilute quicklime (400 g) in 1 liter of boiling water. Dilute both mixtures with 4 liters of warm water, then strain the lime solution and mix it with the salt solution.
Instead of such a solution, you can use copper oxychloride (the most popular drug is Hom). Dilute 40 g of powder in 10 liters of warm water. If necessary, repeat the treatment 2-3 more times with an interval of 10 days.
You can prepare Bordeaux mixture yourself or buy a ready-made mixture
When the buds appear, spray the cherries with a solution of Horus (2-3 g per 10 liters of water).
After 2-3 weeks after the end of flowering, spray the cherries with a solution of the drug Skor (1 ampoule per 10 liters of water), after completely cutting out the most affected branches.
At the end of August, treat the cherries with Bordeaux mixture. Preparation: dilute copper sulfate (100 g) in 1 liter of boiling water. In a separate bowl, dilute quicklime (150 g) in 1 liter of boiling water. Dilute both mixtures with 4 liters of warm water, then strain the lime solution and mix it with the salt solution.
Whiten the trunk and skeletal branches or treat the tree and trunk circle with a urea solution.
Whitewashing cherries is one of the measures for the prevention and treatment of coccomycosis

Video: cherry coccomycosis

Moniliosis (monilial burn)

With moniliosis, cherry flowers and leaves suddenly begin to dry out, acquiring a brownish-brown color. This is especially noticeable on young annual shoots. If the development of the disease began during the period of fruit ripening, then they become covered with dark spots and dry out. The disease is often found in the European part of Russia and Western Siberia.

The varieties Anadolskaya, Tamaris, Turgenevka, Molodezhnaya, Bystrinka have the greatest resistance to moniliosis. The least resistant varieties are Lyubskaya and Vladimirskaya, as well as felt cherry.

With moniliosis, cherry branches look burnt

If you doubt that your cherry tree is sick with moniliosis, then cut off the affected branch and look at the cut. The presence of black rings is a sign of this disease.

Prevention:

When planting, try to place the seedlings at a distance of at least 2 m from each other, since monoliosis often affects crowded cherries.
Do not choose a place for your cherry orchard in lowlands or on excessively wet soils.
Carry out tree care in a timely manner (properly form the crown, carry out sanitary pruning, apply fertilizers in a timely manner, remove and burn all garbage in the fall).
Regularly dig up and disinfect the tree trunk circle. A solution of urea or 1% Bordeaux mixture is suitable for these purposes. Digging can be done after the leaves fall or immediately after the snow melts.
In spring and autumn, whiten the trunk and skeletal branches.

Treatment of moniliosis:

During bud break, treat the cherries with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Instead of Bordeaux mixture, at the same time you can use special preparations (Horus, Kuproskat, Topsin-M), preparing them according to the instructions. Typically, 2-3 sprays are required at intervals of 10 days.
After flowering, use the preparations Fitosporin-M and Fitolavin, preparing solutions according to the instructions.
Remove infected branches in a timely manner. Remember that pruning should be carried out by capturing 10–15 cm of healthy wood. If you need to remove a branch larger than 1 cm in diameter, be sure to cover the cut with garden varnish. Burn all cut shoots immediately.
After leaf fall, but no later than the end of September, whitewash the cherries and treat the tree trunk. If this is not possible, then in early October, wash the trunk and skeletal branches with a solution of urea or 1% Bordeaux mixture and water the tree trunk circle.

Video: remedy for stone fruit moniliosis

Bacterial cancer

If you notice any signs of bacterial cancer, begin treatment immediately, since cherries, especially young ones, can die within 1-2 seasons.

How plant parts change due to cancer:

the flowers become brown;
Yellowing watery spots appear on the leaves, which then turn brown. The dead tissue falls out, causing holes to form;
a thick orange liquid is released on the shoots;
the bark becomes covered with cracks, growths and blisters, and subsequently peels off;
the fruits become covered with dark spots and rot.

The disease is most often found in areas with warm climates.

There is another type of cancer - black, but it manifests itself mainly on pome crops (pear, apple), and cherries are not affected by it.

If a cherry is affected by bacterial cancer, then numerous cracks form on the bark

Prevention:

Do not forget about standard care measures: the formation of the seedling crown,
regular sanitary pruning,
cleaning and burning fallen leaves.

Take care of the tree trunk: dig up in spring and autumn and disinfect with 1% Bordeaux mixture or urea solution.

Don't forget to bleach the cherries.

When processing cherries (pruning, grafting), use only clean tools.

Treatment for bacterial cancer:

Remove all affected branches immediately. Cut out the diseased area to healthy tissue, grasping it by 4–5 cm. Wash the cut areas with 1% Bordeaux mixture or 5% carbolic acid solution and cover.
Garden pitch, oil paint or a mixture of clay and fresh mullein, taken in equal proportions, are suitable as a putty material. As a result of mixing, you should get a thick mixture, reminiscent of butter in consistency. If necessary, it can be slightly diluted with warm water so that it sticks well. The covered wound can be tied with burlap.
After pruning, feed the cherries. To do this, add a solution of superphosphate (350 g), potassium nitrate (250 g) and chicken manure (300–400 g) into the outer furrow of the tree trunk circle. To prepare the solution, soak the droppings for 6 days in 10 liters of water, mineral fertilizers - in 10 liters of water for 2 days. Mix both solutions before use. 20–25 liters are consumed for 1 cherry.
In the spring (before the buds begin to open) and in the fall (during and after the end of leaf fall), treat the cherries with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Hom (80 g per 10 l).
3–5 days after spraying, whiten the tree and treat the tree trunk.

If the tree does not respond to treatment, then it is necessary to uproot it, and the place where it grew is generously spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate (50 g per 10 liters of water). If possible, try not to plant any plants there for 3-4 years.

Scab

A symptom of scab is the appearance of brown spots on the leaves. As the disease progresses, the leaf blades dry out, curl up and crumble. Unripe fruits stop growing and dry out, while ripe ones become covered with cracks and lose their taste. According to gardeners, scab does not pose a strong threat to the life of the tree, but can significantly reduce its yield. The disease is often found in the southern and central regions of Russia.

How to deal with aphids on cherries

When black aphids appear on cherries, how to get rid of the pest must be decided as quickly as possible. An integrated approach to treatment will help to completely remove aphids and save cherries.

The fight against the parasite is carried out using the following methods:

• regular weeding of the soil to remove weeds; • destruction of cherry shoots; • timely application of fertilizing and fertilizers; • use of chemical and biological agents; • preventive treatment; • attracting insects to the cherry that feed on aphids.

conclusions

Different varieties of cherries, such as Miracle, Shubinka, are attacked by many different pests. One of the insects that harm cherry trees is aphids. The most effective methods of combating it are chemical agents:

Carbolinium solution.
DNOC.
Metaphos.
Karbofos.
Anabasine sulfate, nicotine sulfate and others.

Biological methods of controlling aphids are also often used. Beneficial insects that eat harmful ones help with this:

Sunny (five-spotted ladybug).
Lacewing.
Trichogramma.

To ensure that the products in the garden are environmentally friendly, gardeners often use various folk remedies to destroy and prevent the appearance of aphids on cherry trees.

Chemicals to control aphids

Among the most effective ways to treat cherries against aphids are the following:

• Karbofos; • Fufan; • Arrivo.

These are fast-acting contact agents. They penetrate the insect through the outer cover. This treatment leads to the death of parasites.

The fight against aphids on cherries is also carried out with intestinal and systemic drugs. These methods of control can quickly rid cherries of aphids. The substances enter the insect's body when it eats.

The following preparations will help remove aphids from leaves:

1. Aktara. The product is absorbed into the plant tissue, after which it is effective for 14 days. The active ingredient is thiametoscam. 2. Actedylic. The drug is an insecticide that contains pirimiphos-methyl. 3. Inta-vir. The active ingredient is cypermethrin. 4. Confidor. Insecticide containing imidacloprid. The duration of action of the drug is very long.

Treatment with pesticides should be carried out at least a month before picking berries. Preparations can be used at the beginning of summer or after flowering has ended; this can destroy aphids that have just attacked. It is important not to treat with insecticides during flowering, as this will lead to the death of bees. For prevention, you can apply the product 20 days before the flowers appear.

Prevention of damage to cherries by aphids.

In order not to fight aphids on cherries in the future, the necessary preventive measures should be taken.

There are quite a few simple methods, the basis of which is specific tree care:

Every year in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen off or in early spring, it is necessary to treat tree trunks with lime mortar. This method of combating aphids repels insects and prevents the appearance of clutches of their eggs. Before processing the trunk, it must be cleaned of dry and damaged bark. Whitewash is applied to a dry and preferably at least slightly cleaned surface.
Weeds around trees should be removed throughout the summer. This needs to be done because aphids often settle on herbaceous weeds, and, of course, then move to the cherries. If you do not start fighting pests in time, they will begin to move from trees to vegetable crops. Plants such as viburnum, hawthorn, linden and some others attract aphids with their scent, so you should avoid their proximity to cherries.

Thus, environmentally friendly tobacco dust has minor insecticidal properties and allows you to destroy tiny clusters of pests that are invisible to the eye of the summer resident.

It is best to use the described product during the flowering season on cherry and plum trees.

Before removing aphids, fill the tobacco dust with water, using 1 kg of product per 10 liters of liquid.
Boil the mixture for 30 minutes, adding water periodically.
Then leave the decoction for at least 24 hours.
The strained infusion is diluted with additional water.

Used for spraying trees for preventive purposes, when aphid accumulations are almost invisible.

You can improve the solution with the help of crushed laundry soap added to the mixture; it helps flush out pests.

If you don’t know how to get rid of black aphids forever, then think about a reliable wood protectant.

Sticky belt.

Special sticky belts are not popular among gardeners, as gardeners fear the penetration of harmful toxins into the fruits, but such a statement cannot be considered true. We use it on fruit trees: plum, cherry and pear.

If your cherry is attacked by aphids, do not put off an important procedure - start treating the tree today. In the early stages of damage, harmless remedies will help you cope.

Take care of your berries and follow my recommendations, they are tested from personal experience. Keep an especially close eye on ant colonies in your area.

See you.

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Biological agents to combat aphids

Aphids on leaves can be destroyed using insecticides that contain toxic substances of biological origin. Cherries are processed with the following preparations:

• Aktofit; • Phytofarm; • Nemabact; • Anthonem-F.

The first 2 products contain avermectins, which are products of fungal synthesis. Nemabact and Eetonema use predatory microorganisms that feed on parasite eggs.

You can control pests with biological means even during the growing season. The preparations are much weaker than chemical ones, which allows you to pick berries just a few days after use. Such preparations do not remain on the leaves for a long time and do not pose a danger to bees.

Folk recipes

You can prepare an effective aphid repellent yourself, but regular treatment will be required. Homemade preparations for aphids are quickly washed off by rain and lose their beneficial properties.

You will need to spray the cherries once every week and a half. The first treatment against aphids should be done in early spring, when young leaves and shoots are just beginning to appear on the tree.

The fight against aphids on cherries is successfully carried out using an ash solution. To prepare it, you will need to take 300 grams of sifted substance and a liter of water.

Garlic

Its smell is unpleasant to many pests. For prevention, at the beginning of summer, tree trunks are tied with plant arrows. Garlic infusion, prepared according to the following recipe, can remove aphids:

chop 100 grams of garlic;
fill it with ten liters of water;
leave the product for 48 hours in a dark place.

The product is used to treat young shoots and leaves of the plant.

Home methods for getting rid of aphids

Dandelion

If there are aphids on cherries and currants, then an infusion of dandelion can destroy them. To prepare it, take 300 grams of flower leaves and chop them finely. The grass is poured with warm water and the product is sent to infuse in a dark place. After two days, the drug is filtered.

Celandine

Celandine can save a cherry if aphids have settled on it. An infusion is prepared from the weed, which is used to treat the plants.

For ten liters of water take 4 kilograms of fresh celandine. The herb is poured with water and infused in a dark place for at least 2 hours. It is necessary to poison aphids every day.

Soap solution

It is added to other infusions and decoctions to improve the adhesion of toxic substances to the leaf or used as an independent remedy. They can process cherries after flowering, when the fruits have begun to form.

Traditional methods of fighting aphids on cherries

To combat aphids, you can make various solutions yourself. Folk remedies for combating aphids should be positioned only as an auxiliary treatment. Treatment should be carried out using a comprehensive method.

One of the most popular means is soap solution. If you spray this liquid on a tree, the number of insects will be significantly reduced. To create the product you will need 200 g of crushed laundry soap, which must be diluted in 2 liters of water. To enhance the effect, you can add 100 g of ash. After complete dissolution, you need to spray the tree.

Aphids do not tolerate garlic well, so it is recommended to make an infusion from it. To create it, you need to chop the head of garlic and place it in water. The product should steep for 4-6 days, after which the infusion is filtered and diluted with water. For 5 liters you need 30 g of solution.

You can prepare a solution based on iodine. One bottle must be diluted in 1 liter of water. This solution can also be sprayed on currants, raspberries, strawberries, etc. For effectiveness, you can add a little milk to the liquid.

Cherry shoot moth (Argyrestia pruniella)

This small insect cannot be detected immediately in the garden, since its dimensions do not exceed 5 mm, with a wingspan of 12 mm. Successfully overwintered caterpillars bite into the buds that are beginning to bloom, causing their death or the appearance of underdeveloped and ugly leaves. Subsequently, the caterpillars move to the blossoming shoots and eat away the stamens and pistils. At the site of the ovary, a lump of cobwebs with small dry excrement remains.

The first caterpillars (they are yellowish-green with a brown head) can be found in early spring. During the period of growth and development, one caterpillar can damage 5-7 buds. At the end of June - beginning of July, butterflies emerge from the pupae, whose flight continues until the end of summer. During the day they hide on the underside of leaves, less often on trunks and branches. Towards the beginning of September, butterflies lay eggs (up to 30 pieces) on or near the buds of trees.

Measures to combat cherry shoot moth:

In mid-June, dig up the soil in the tree trunk circles and remove the pupae of discovered caterpillars.
During the period of bud break and budding, spray the trees with a 10% solution of Karbofos (75 g per 10 liters of water).
Treat trees with Iskra (1 tablet per 10 liters of water).
Remove all dry branches, leaves and destroy weeds.

Using food to control aphids on cherries

You can fight aphids on cherries with Coca-Cola. This drink contains phosphoric acid, which kills pests. The cola should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 1 and the solution should be sprayed on the affected tree.

Baking soda can kill aphids. It is necessary to dissolve 10 g of soda in 1 liter of water and treat the cherries. This method is effective at any stage of infection.

To combat parasites I use dry mustard. For 1 liter of water you need to take 100 g of mustard in powder form and mix everything. Both aphids and ants dislike the mustard scent. After treatment, they begin to quickly leave the plant. To enhance the effect, you can add a little liquid soap to the solution.

How to process correctly

It is advisable to apply the products with a garden sprayer so that the liquid completely wets the entire crown on all sides of the leaves. To protect your body and eyes, use wide goggles and thick clothing. The preparations should be sprayed towards the wind.

During the flowering period

The start of work should occur at a time when the snow melts and the air temperature reaches +5°C. At this time, the buds are just beginning to wake up, and there is still a small margin of time before flowering. During the flowering period, it is better to postpone any work to exterminate parasites. Otherwise, you can disrupt the process and end up without a harvest.

During fruiting

During the period of intensive fruit growth, it is also advisable to postpone work on exterminating aphids. Moreover, at this time, berries and fruits accumulate a lot of liquid; if there are toxic chemicals in the tree sap, they will inevitably penetrate into the fruits. Or you need to use only the safe methods listed above.

After harvest

There are no restrictions during this period. Before preparing for wintering, you need to remove too long and old branches along with aphids and burn them. At the same time, you can treat the trees with the most powerful and long-circulating substances. They will ensure the complete destruction of the colony. And next spring, a healthy tree will quickly increase its vegetative mass and continue to bloom vigorously.

Why do aphids appear and how to prevent their invasion?

It often happens that cherries grow well for many years, without diseases or pests, but in some year aphids settle on them. And not only! Ants are actively scurrying around the tree with her. They are the ones who move the small pest to a new place. This symbiosis is explained by the ants' addiction to copper jelly, which is secreted by aphids. So they carry it all over the garden. In addition to ant transport, aphids can move independently when winged individuals appear during a certain breeding period. Unlike wingless offspring, they are excellent at moving over long distances, especially with the help of the wind.

Photo 1. Black or green aphids settle on the cherry. It is located on the back of the leaves.

Experienced gardeners rightly argue that it is better to prevent a problem than to hope that it will go away on its own. It is better to take care in advance to ensure that the pest does not settle in your garden. To do this, you need to take into account that for the full reproduction and spread of aphids, a certain set of weeds is necessary. For example, most of all she loves bedstraw. Its thickets are the most suitable environment for summer egg laying. The danger is that one viable female can produce three generations of aphids, with a total number of several hundred thousand winged and wingless individuals. By autumn, the pest lays eggs in the axils of the buds, the bends of the shoots, and in fallen leaves for the winter.

In the spring, when the leaves bloom on the cherry tree, at the same time the overwintered aphid eggs turn into larvae. Already at this stage of development, pests feed on fresh plant sap. To prevent their maturation and spread, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying of trees in a timely manner. This must be done before flowering begins. It is better to use harmless products that will not interfere with budding and ovary formation. In the future, the quality and quantity of berries will depend on this.

To protect cherries from pests and at the same time get a good harvest, experienced gardeners have long used affordable, safe products that do not accumulate in the berries and do not cause harm to humans, animals and the environment. In addition, they are available and inexpensive. Let's tell you more about them.

Signs of aphid damage to a tree

Thousands of species of aphids are known. The black cherry aphid, in addition to cherries, affects stone fruit trees: plum, apricot, peach. The first sign of a cherry being captured by aphids is the appearance of shine on young shoots, buds, and blossoming leaves - this is the sweet honeydew that aphids secrete as a result of their vital activity. Aphids do not eat leaves, they only suck out the juice. The leaves, losing moisture, curl up and dry out, and the aphids move to other leaves.

The appearance of ants on trees is another sign of aphids; ants eat sweet honeydew, they guard aphids and carry them to other trees. Along the paths of ants you can find anthills. Ant control is an essential component in the fight against aphids.

To preserve trees and prevent the spread of aphids throughout the garden, aphids are fought with all available methods and means, without wasting time.

How dangerous are garden aphids?

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to notice a pest invasion quickly. By the time the gardener discovers the insects, they will have time to cause serious damage to the fruit tree. To maintain normal life, aphids need a lot of moisture.

Aphid invasion

Using the proboscis, the insect pierces the soft tissue of a leaf blade or bud. In affected plants, the metabolic process is disrupted, amino acid access to the damaged areas is terminated, and the following are observed:

curling of leaf plates and their early falling off;
deformation of shoot tips;
formation of growths on the stem part;
cultural oppression;
falling of ovaries and buds;
spread of fungal infections;
death of the tree.

Important! The yield of insect-infested trees is reduced. The growth rate of the crop slows down

If you do not help the plant in a timely manner and do not treat the leaf blades, then the fruit crop will not survive severe frosts.

Below you can find out how to treat trees against aphids to save your garden. By keeping the trees in your own garden healthy, you can reduce the risk of aphids starting to appear on your plants.

Note! The first sign of infection of a fruit tree by aphids is the appearance of small black dots on the inside of the leaf blades.

Spraying with soap solution

What kind of aphid is it and why is it dangerous?

Aphids are a frequent visitor to plots. This insect usually does not exceed 0.5 mm in length, which makes it difficult to detect early in the lesion. There are species reaching 7 mm. Gardeners notice aphids when their colonies become larger. First, a small black dot appears on the inside of the leaf. There the insect creates colonies.

Some species have wings to help them migrate. When treated with pesticides and other drugs, aphids fly from place to place in search of more suitable conditions. Wingless species also move around the site with the help of short legs, but within the nearest fruit crops.

The insect likes not only fruit trees and shrubs, but also vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plantings. For normal life, insects need moisture. With the help of a proboscis, aphids pierce the soft tissues of leaves and buds, thereby receiving nutrients. Due to the regular loss of amino acids, parts of the plant become depleted over time and stop developing.

Pest colonies on foliage

Signs of harmful activity of a pest colony:

leaves fall prematurely;
the edge of the leaf blade curls and darkens;
plant shoots are deformed;
growths appear on the trunk;
the buds fall;
the plant loses its ovaries;
the overall growth of a tree or shrub slows down;
the plant becomes so weak that it is no longer able to survive the winter cold.

Harmless insect repellents

Of course, traditional methods of combating aphids are less effective than industrial ones, but they are also useful if you start acting at an early stage of infection. They save the crop if there are already berries on the tree or you do not want to harm nature and bees.

Onion or garlic solution

After flowering, use an infusion of onion and garlic; take only 150 g of vegetables per 5 liters of water to prepare the product.
Carry out treatments every 10 days for 1 month, and you will get rid of uninvited guests.

Pepper and tobacco

Apple and cherry trees can also be treated with an infusion of red pepper with the addition of tobacco dust and wood ash.

take approximately 250 g of each component,
dilute in water and bring to a boil,
and then fill the resulting product with additional water and use it in the garden.

For prevention, infusions of herbs such as celandine, dandelion, and yarrow are more suitable.

Prevention and seasonal treatment

To protect against harmful insects, preventive measures are taken. The less time you spend caring for your cherry, the more parasites appear on it.

Spring

In early spring, after the onset of heat, sanitary pruning is carried out. Those branches that do not have buds are cut with sharp pruning shears, and the cut areas are treated with a disinfectant. For example, potassium permanganate or lime solution. They also dig up the soil in the spring.

Summer

In the summer, cherries are regularly inspected for insects. You also need to periodically loosen the soil and remove all weeds from the site. In addition, if damaged leaves and branches appear on the trees, they are cut off and burned away from the site.