How to get rid of caterpillars on an apple tree

Apple trees grow on almost every garden plot, yielding a bountiful harvest each year to their owners. However, many problems are delivered by harmful insects and their larvae, which love to feast on foliage and fruits.There are many ways to deal with caterpillars on an apple tree. The choice of method depends on the volume of damage, the time of detection of pests.

Pests of fruit trees and harm from them

Caterpillars are a form of existence and development of butterflies, moths or other insects that lay their eggs and parasitize in the green of shrubs and trees. Their most negative trait is gluttony and good adaptability to the conditions of life. Larvae or caterpillars on an apple tree are able to completely destroy flowers, leaves, ovaries and fruits on a tree.

In order to begin the fight against such pests, it is necessary to determine the type of insect whose larva damages fruit crops on the site. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a regular external inspection of the trees in order to detect the caterpillars and the results of their activities.

Signs of larval settlement on the tree:

• The spiderweb found on the apple tree makes it possible to accurately ascertain their presence on the plant. The main types of pests capable of producing it are ermine moth, peppered moth, ringed and gypsy mothhawthorn
• The appearance of small black caterpillars on an apple tree indicates its defeat. hawand large and shaggy, 6-7 cm long, are the larvae of the silkworm.
• Larvae that have settled under the bark, can remain unnoticed for a long time. They gnaw through numerous passages in the trunk, damage it and increase the risk of a tree becoming infected with fungal diseases and bacteria, which can lead to shrinkage and death of the tree. Under the bark live caterpillars of such lepidopteran insects: apple-glass, woodworm, moths, etc. In order to detect them, it is necessary to look for the entry points, surrounded by their excrements and residues of life activity.
• Small caterpillars on the leaves of an apple tree are the larvae of the moth, which are able to devour the young greens completely, leaving the tree without foliage and ovaries.
• The settlement of the caterpillars in the buds can be easily detected, which allows you to quickly take steps to destroy them. However, it is they who cause the greatest harm to the future crop, eating away flowers and ovaries. For lovers of buds include caterpillars of wormweed, moth, and haws.

On a note!

Leaflets can appear not only on apples, but also on pearsgooseberry currant and other fruit and flower cultures.

Caterpillars on the apple tree

Methods of struggle

To get rid of caterpillars on an apple tree with high efficiency, it is necessary to consider 2 factors:

• Correctly classify the pest: the presence of wrapped leaves indicates an attack of leafworms; spiderweb in the crown of an apple tree indicates its defeat from the apple moth. Gray caterpillars appear from eggs laid by the hawk butterfly, etc.
• Use an integrated approach that includes timely cutting of the tree, feeding and watering, carrying out preventive measures against the appearance of butterflies and laying their eggs - such actions should be carried out regularly throughout the year, starting in early spring and ending in a frosty winter.

Moth fight

Caterpillar codling moth is one of the most common pests of fruit trees. Its pupae overwinter in the soil near the trunk, and in the spring butterflies that have emerged from them lay eggs, from which small worms appear, which begin to eat away the core of young fruits and even seeds, moving from one apple to the next.They are capable of spoiling a large number of fruits, from which the immature apples fall down.

The effective methods of dealing with codwort include:

• timely collection of fallen fruits to destroy them along with the tracks;
• regular cleaning of the bark and the imposition of trap belts on the trunk;
• the use of insecticides is carried out after the flowering of trees: to treat apple trees from caterpillars, solutions of chlorophos (0.2%) or karbofos (0.3%) are used.

On a note!

Before spraying the whole garden, it is recommended to first treat 1 tree to check the effect of the solution and the absence of harm to the plant. If everything is fine after a day, the chemical preparation can be applied to the rest of the landing.

Methods of dealing with the leaflet

Green caterpillars, which appear from the eggs of the butterfly-moth, feed on flowers and young buds on the apple tree, and then settle in twisted leaves covered with spider webs.

Effective methods for killing a moth on an apple tree:

• manual collection and burning of affected leaves along with nests;
• in case of severe injury, chemical preparations are used: with Nitrafen solution of 3%, the treatment is carried out before the apple blossoms, then repeat after 10-14 days.

Chemical methods for the destruction of caterpillars

Folk methods

In order to effectively fight folk remedies with caterpillars on fruit trees, it is recommended to apply proven methods:

1. Flushing them with a strong stream of water, then you need to collect and burn.
2. It is recommended to fight black caterpillars on an apple tree at the first signs of a lesion by simply mechanically shaking them from the branches to the film spread under the tree and then burning.
3. Planted between the trees in the garden rows of tomatoes, the smell of their tops scares butterflies and other insects.
4. The use of glue belts on the trunks of trees that prevent the movement of larvae from the top layer of soil to the foliage, branches and ovaries.
5. Spray apples from caterpillars in June can be a concentrated solution of needles, celandine, tansy or burdock 12-14 days after flowering, then the treatment should be repeated every 2 weeks.
6. Processing tincture of tansy should be done every 5-6 days.
7. Using infusion of celandine: 1 tbsp. dry leaves, pour 10 liters of water, let stand for 2 days, strain, add 2 tbsp of liquid soap and spray trees.
8. A decoction of tomato tops is prepared from 1 kg of green mass in a bucket of water, which is drawn for 4-5 hours, then kept on low heat for 3 hours. Before processing, the solution should be further diluted with clean liquid in a ratio of 1: 2.5.
9. Wormwood broth prepared from 1 kg of dried or fresh flowers and 1 liter of water, boil for 15 minutes. and add water to the bucket.
10. You can remove the caterpillars with home remedies, which include soda, vinegar and soap. Prepared solutions should be sprayed foliage and ovary.

On a note!

All herbal infusions and decoctions should be reused 3-4 times with an interval of 6-7 days. Popular recipes are often better to change, because pests get used to them quickly.

Folk fighting tools against caterpillars

Chemicals

There is a large selection of insecticidal agent for caterpillars on apple trees, which include:

• Intavir is a synthetic pyrethroid containing cypermethrin, which acts negatively on the nervous system of insects and caterpillars (moth, moth). Available in the form of tablets and powder, which must be dissolved in water. The consumption rate of the finished solution: 10 liters per tree, you can do 2-3 treatments.
• Tanrek - a systemic insecticidal drug, the active ingredient Imidacloprid, is available in a concentrated form. The solution is prepared at the rate of 3 ml per bucket of water. Allows you to poison the caterpillars for 3 weeks after spraying, but it can not be used during the flowering and fruiting of the apple.
• Karbofos, Fufanon - organophosphorus insecticidal agents containing malathion, which has a contact-intestinal effect and quickly poison insects. Duration - up to 10 days. It is recommended to do the processing only during the growing season, not less than 3 weeks before harvest. A total of 2 treatments are done.
• Phytoverm is a biological product that can process apples after flowering, so as not to apply chemistry during the period of fruit growth. The solution is prepared by adding the contents of the ampoule to 2.5 liters of water.

Important!

When using any toxic insecticidal agents, protective clothing, a respirator and gloves should be worn to avoid poisoning. Before starting treatment, you should carefully read the instructions and recommendations for preparing the solution in the correct proportion so that it is as effective as possible against these pests.

Prevention of the appearance of caterpillars on fruit

To reduce the number of larvae and adult insects, it is necessary to regularly inspect apples and other fruit trees and carry out the following activities:

• in the spring, inspect the bark on the trunks, burn nests with cobwebs, damaged leaves and discovered egg-laying;
• carry out bleaching and treatment of the trunk and apple soil with biopreparations around it (Endobacterin, etc.);
• regularly use herbal infusions for spraying and protection from pests;
• hang in the garden feeders that attract birds that can destroy a large number of caterpillars and other insect pests.

Such an integrated approach in the fight against caterpillars on apples will help to destroy the maximum number of pests, protect fruit trees and grow a rich harvest of apples.