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Every gardener groom and cherishes his plants, counting on the harvest. But the pests are not asleep. They also want to eat vegetable plants and without the help of a gardener they have little chance of surviving. One of the most vicious enemies of vegetables from the nightshade family is the Colorado potato beetle.
It is a leaf-eating pest that can multiply very quickly. In one season, the Colorado potato beetle can change up to 3 generations, each of which gives life to new pests. The larvae of the beetle are very voracious, growing up, crawling along the neighboring bushes of plants, continuing their harmful activity.
Every year, gardeners make a lot of effort to cope with this insidious pest. Everyone fights the Colorado potato beetle as best they can. Someone collects pests by hand, some use folk methods. But most often it is impossible to do without the use of chemical means of protection. We have to use various drugs to destroy the Colorado potato beetle.
Varieties of insecticides
Substances designed to fight insects that damage garden crops are called insecticides. They enter the body of pests in various ways:
- When an insect comes into contact with a damaging drug. Such insecticides are not able to penetrate into the inner tissues of plants, which they are designed to protect, so they can easily be washed away by the first rain. This method of protection is not very reliable.
- When a pest eats a plant that has absorbed an insecticide, that is, through the intestines. With this method of treatment, the drug is absorbed by all parts of the plants and easily moves through its vessels. This way of destroying pests is more reliable, but at the same time less safe for the plants themselves, especially if the insecticide is phytotoxic.
In practice, most insecticides have a mixed effect, both contact and intestinal.
Insecticides can contain different substances.
- Organochlorine.
- Synthetic and natural pyrethrins.
- Based on carbamic acid derivatives.
- Preparations containing mineral and herbal poisons.
- Based on organophosphorus compounds.
- The safest drugs in which bacteria and viruses are the active substance.
Description of Tanrek remedy
Recently, drugs based on neonicotinoids have become increasingly popular. Several substances from this group are allowed for use in Russia. The most commonly used insecticides are imidacloprid. One of these drugs is Tanrek for the Colorado potato beetle. Each liter of the drug accounts for 200 g of imidacloprid.
How does it work
The action of this drug is based on the ability of imidacloprid to be absorbed by the leaf mass of potato bushes. When a beetle or larva tastes such a leaf, the drug enters the stomach of the pest along with it.In this case, the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase in the pest is blocked, which, in turn, causes a blockade of nerve impulses. Insects become overexcited and die. Thus, Tanrek acts in three ways at once: contact, intestinal and systemic. The effect of the treatment is noticeable after a few hours, and within a few days all pests will die. For another three weeks, the potato foliage will be poisonous to the Colorado potato beetle or larvae.
How to apply
Imidaproclide dissolves well in water, in which it must be diluted. It is impossible to store the solution, therefore, dilute the drug immediately before processing. Dilute one ampoule of the drug with a volume of 1 ml with a small amount of water, stir and bring the volume to 10 liters and stir again.
Substances with an alkaline or acidic reaction negatively affect the properties of the drug.
The drug is poured into a sprayer and processed. It is better to do this in the morning or in the evening. The weather should be calm.
You can process potato plantings from the Colorado potato beetle once a season. Unfortunately, the pest can become addicted to the drug, so for reprocessing it is better to choose an insecticide based on another active substance.
Toxicity and safety measures
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Instructions for the use of Tanrek from the Colorado potato beetle indicate that this drug has a hazard class for humans and other mammals - 3. It decomposes in the soil after 77-200 days, therefore the hazard class of the drug for resistance in soil is 2. The same value and for fish, therefore, it is forbidden to use the drug near water bodies, and even more so to pour it there. This substance is very dangerous for bees, as it causes the disintegration of their families. The apiary should not be closer than 10 km from the processing site.
Using this remedy for the Colorado potato beetle can reduce it due to the death of earthworms.
In order not to harm your health, you need to process plants in a special suit, respirator and gloves. It is imperative to wash, wash your hands and rinse your mouth after that.
Benefits
- Works on pests of any age.
- The spectrum of action is wide enough.
- There is no dependence on the weather.
- Easy to prepare and apply.
- It lasts long enough.
- Relatively safe.
- Low consumption and low price.
When deciding to use chemical pest control measures, remember that this is a last resort. Use them when other remedies have already been tried and have not yielded results. Any harsh interference with the existing biological system upsets its balance and is fraught with unpredictable consequences. Take care of your health and the health of your family and friends.
