How to deal with pest rhododendron?

Rhododendrons are exposed to a large number of pests and diseases. To prevent the death of plants, it is worthwhile to constantly check the condition of the shrubs, if necessary, to take actions to eliminate harmful organisms and diseases. Consider the main pests of rhododendrons in the photo and talk about combating each of them.

Furrowed weevil

This is one of the most formidable pests. Many plants suffer from it, including rhododendrons. Its danger lies in the fact that mature insects eat foliage, flowering, buds, and embryos, while in the ground, destroy the root system down to the trunk. The bark of young plants gnaws completely, which leads to wilting and drying.

Foliage goes along the curve, starting from the ends. Damaged plants lose their beauty.

The mature individual reaches 0.8-1 cm, colored with a blackish pattern with yellow splashes on massive, corrugated wings with a small nose.Mature insects move a little and do not fly. They devour the plants only at night, and in the daytime they hide in the ground, therefore their detection is a very difficult task. If the plants bloom, then they can be found in the buds themselves. When detected in the morning, insects from touch touch and fall down, making them invisible against the background of the soil.

The larvae are fat, have a light yellow color, reach a length of 1.5 cm and are a few millimeters thick, with no limbs. Externally similar to the embryos of May beetles. They devour the rhizomes and the beginning of the trunks because of what the rhododendrons die. Under suitable conditions, this trash gives offspring throughout the calendar year, but especially in the second half. For plants, this is the black period, since pests show maximum activity. Insects ripen by the end of winter in the form of pupae, and by the end of spring adult beetles are ready to devour greens. Eggs laid by females, best ripen in fertilized soils or compost heap.

For applying a large deformity of foliage, flowering and plant trunks enough for a few individuals, and the larvae can devour many green seedlings.

To deal with this insect is a big job, in view of the difficult determination of their presence in the soil. Large larvae and mature beetles have low sensitivity to treatment with drugs. When identifying the larvae of this insect in containers in which green saplings of rhododendrons grow, it is necessary to transplant the plants into the new soil, and with the old one it is necessary to thermally process them.

For prophylactic purposes, all seedlings should preferably be treated with a mixture of insecticide solutions.

In the period of high activity of beetles, plants must be treated with insecticidal and acaricidal solutions, preferably at night, when insects come to the surface.

Spider mite

Spider mite settles in plants in dry and hot weather, feeding on foliage liquid. In view of the tiny size, it is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. And only a superficial analysis of the plant will determine the presence of this pest. One gets the impression that the bottom of the foliage is entwined with a fine web, and the leaves themselves are colored in brown tones, wither and die.

Shatter-pan

This is a small roundish insect with a brown color. The larvae make holes in the bark with their proboscis and attach themselves to the trunks of the plants. Because of this, the rhododendron loses its vitality, looks pleasant and dries out over time. To clean the leaves of this pest, you can use a brush, cloth, alcohol or soap solution.

To prepare an alcohol solution with soap, you need to take 10-20 g of liquid soap, the same amount of alcohol and pour one liter of water. First check how sensitive your plants are to this solution on a single leaflet. At high sensitivity, try to apply the solution directly to insects. If the lesion is very severe, then it is recommended to use such drugs: "Actellic", "Phosbecid" and "Aktara" in accordance with the instructions.

Tobacco thrips

It is a pest of small size with a noticeable black color.Eats foliage and flowering from rhododendrons. Because of this, the leaves and buds wither, fade and die prematurely. The development of green plants is slowed down, the buds are deformed. To combat tobacco thrips use nicotine solutions, spraying with a dust of a metaphos or “Phosphamide” emulsion at the rate of 2 g per liter of water.

Rhododendron bug

Rhododendron bug is recognized as the most harmful and popular insect that devours these plants. To notice its presence, small dark dots on the underside of the leaves will help - an area where the pest makes holes and defecates.

The destruction of the bug is carried out with the help of contact and systemic preparations. But the treatment must be done carefully so that the pest does not develop immunity to insecticides.

Greenhouse whitefly

The greenhouse whitefly is a carrier of various infectious diseases. It breeds all year round. It is very easy to notice its presence on plants - it is a small white midge at the bottom of a leaf.

To overcome this pest, it is recommended to use pesticides safe for insect pollinators, and recently neonicotinoid preparations have gained popularity,active ingredients in which are acetamiprid, imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam.

Rhododendron whitefly

This pest can be found mainly on rhododendrons with large leaves. The greatest effect in the fight against these insects is the treatment of foliage from the bottom with a nicotine solution and an oil emulsion in spring and autumn. For prophylaxis, it is advised to treat with the help of nicotine dust in the summertime, and to break and destroy damaged foliage.

Shellfish

Rhododendrons are badly damaged by mollusks and snails, devouring the leaves and flowering of these plants. Fighting them consists of two methods: either assemble by hand, or process with special means - molluscicides.

Passed Slug

This pest damages the foliage of green rhododendrons, making large holes in it.

Slug must either be destroyed by hand, or water the plants with TMTD solution.

To combat each pest, it is important to timely detect and use the most effective measures that will help preserve all the beauty and sophistication of rhododendron plantings.