How to deal with ants on the plum
Content
Life and movement, this is what fills the gardens with the arrival of spring. However, not always everything is as rosy as we would like. Particularly difficult to deliver ants. With the advent of these insects in their backyard almost every summer resident gardener came across. For forestry use of ants invaluable, but in the garden - it is far from uninvited guests.And one of the main reasons lies in the fact that ants contribute to the spread of aphids - a dangerous enemy of fruit trees, which include the well-known and beloved plum. How to get rid of ants on the sink, this article will tell.
What are harmful ants
Ants attract trees for the following reasons:
- Ants and aphids - the coexistence of these insects is due to the love of the first to the sweet juice, which reproduce the second. We are talking about honeydew - discharge, which produces aphid in the process of life. Wanting to feast on this nectar, the ants organize whole farms, gathering around the clock a precious treat for them. To this end, they spread the aphids through the branches of trees, protecting it from natural enemies.
- In addition, ants love to feast on the buds of plums, apples and other fruit and berry plants. Gnawing the future ovary, they harm the tree, depriving summer residents of the long-awaited harvest.
- Ants prefer to build their homes deep in the ground, often damaging the root system of the tree.
Therefore, to avoid the presence of pests, it is necessary to limit the access of insects to the sink.This can be done in the following ways.
Ways to fight
To prevent the spread of aphids and the ants themselves on the sink, you should use the following recommendations.
Water barrier
Water barrier for ants and aphids can be built from a car tire. It is cut lengthwise to make two identical rings. Each half is passed through a drain and placed in a shallow trench dug in the form of a ring. Then the cut tire is filled with water. Thanks to such a protective barrier, insects will not be able to attack the green space.
If the plum crown does not allow the tire to be passed through it, the structure is cut, installed in a similar way, and the joint is eliminated with a sealant or plasticine.
Hunting belt
Catcher belt - Another way to deal with ants and aphids on plums. A piece of cloth, gauze or bandage is wound around the plum stem and secured with a rope. A non-toxic glue with properties resistant to atmospheric phenomena is applied on top. It is he who will serve as a trap for insects crawling along the trunk.
Barriers in the form of a skirt
A strip of foil with a width of at least 20 cm is folded around the stem of the plum so that the design has the shape of a skirt. The sharp edges of such a barrier will prevent the movement of pests.
Application of tar
Plum barrel, apple trees or another fruit tree smeared above the ground tar. For the same purpose, you can use peat.
Wood processing
What to do if the ants have already attacked the tree. Spraying method will help to fight with ants on plums. Preparation of the following solutions will help to deal with the pest, including with aphids.
- In 10 l of warm water it is necessary to dissolve 400 g of household dark soap, after which the mixture is combined with 10 tablespoons. l kerosene and 2 tbsp. l carbolic acid. The solution is sprayed both the plum itself and ant nest. To achieve the maximum effect, it is necessary to conduct several such treatments. This recipe is also effective against aphids.
- Sparkling water - this is what treat the drain from the ants is much safer than the use of chemicals. Water is mixed with Coca-Cola in a ratio of 1: 5. Effective soda against aphids.
- An excellent folk remedy against aphids and ants is wormwood. Fresh or dry grass is poured with water, and infused for several hours. For 10 liters of water, 300 g of fresh raw materials or 30 g of dry is required. The filtered solution is used for spraying plums and other fruit trees against ants and aphids.
- Infected with aphids and ants plums can also be treated with a solution based on linseed oil. At 1 liter of water it is necessary to take 30 g, then add 1 tsp. calcined soda. Processing plums in such a composition will not harm the fruits and leaves of the tree.
Repellents
To protect the plum from aphids, as well as ants, you can plant plants with repellent properties nearby. These include: parsley and laurel, mint and anise, mustard and tansy. The aroma, which emit these plants in the process of growth, not like pests. It is possible to scare away insects, if you decompose cut plants near the anthill.
Bait
Effective in the fight with ants and lures. They can be made based on boric acid or borax. Sugar, honey, jam and even minced meat are used as the attention-drawing component.
On a note!
Bait laid out near the anthill, so that the workers, who tasted them, shared a treat with the queen womb. The insects who dine with such a drug do not survive.
If an anthill is placed next to the ants, getting rid of pests will help the ashes or kitchen salt. Enough to fill them in the nest and insects, including aphids, will no longer be on the sink. The same principle works and vegetable oil.