3 proven ways to fight armyworm caterpillars in a greenhouse

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Published: 04/17/2020

Reading time: 12 min

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• 1 Why do caterpillars appear in a greenhouse?
• 2 What to do to prevent caterpillars from appearing in the greenhouse again - preventive measures, autumn preparation of greenhouses
• 3 Why do they appear?
• 4 Why do I get rid of caterpillars in the greenhouse
• 5 Caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse: what to do and how to fight, reasons for appearance, photos
• 6 Options for getting rid of the pest
• 7 Fighting methods
• 8 Methods for controlling whitefly on tomatoes in a greenhouse
• 9 Folk ways to get rid of scoops
• 10 People's experience
• 11 Prevention
• 12 Prevention of caterpillars in the greenhouse
• 13 Prevention and treatment of tomatoes
• 14 Various pest control methods
• 15 Tips from vegetable growers
• 16 Scoops
• 17 Chemicals
• 18 Chemicals for processing tomatoes
• 19 How to treat and how to get rid of caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse
• 20 Effective methods for getting rid of caterpillars in a greenhouse

Why do caterpillars appear in a greenhouse?

Caterpillars enter the greenhouse in two main ways:

1. An adult flew into a greenhouse and laid eggs. Caterpillars have already developed from them.
2. The soil in the greenhouse is contaminated - pupae and larvae remain from last season. With the onset of warmth, they become active, quickly develop and reproduce.

Cutworms and whiteflies are attracted by the comfortable greenhouse microclimate - warmth, humidity. Therefore, I do not forget to ventilate the greenhouse to get rid of condensation and ensure normal air circulation.

Pests also love overly thickened plantings - they lay eggs there. Therefore, timely weeding, thinning, and formation of cultivated plants are so important. Do not forget to cut off stepsons, old lower branches, and unnecessary side shoots.

Signs of appearance

The appearance of caterpillars on tomato bushes significantly affects their well-being, so it is quite easy to spot pests based on the following signs:

• leaves dry, curl and fall off;
• stems and foliage are damaged and holes appear on them;
• plants look weakened;
• growth slowdown;
• delay in the appearance and ripening of fruits;
• poor fruiting;
• deep black holes in fruits;
• the foliage becomes covered with a black coating;
• when shaking the bush, a swarm of white “midges” rises into the air;
• On the reverse side of the leaves, clutches of eggs and larvae are found.

Did you know? Cutworms have natural enemies in nature. Among these insects are Trichogramma, tahina fly and ichneumon fly.

Why do they appear

There are not many reasons why pests appear on tomatoes. Butterflies look for favorable places to live in a warm and protected greenhouse, where they remain.

Several reasons for the appearance of caterpillars in a greenhouse:

1. Lack of preventive measures when setting up a new greenhouse. Cutworm and whitefly eggs overwinter in the soil. If the greenhouse is installed in an infested area, then with the onset of warm weather, pests can be expected to appear on greenhouse plants.
2. They penetrate through vents, windows and doorways. Butterflies can simply fly into the greenhouse and stay there, giving life to new generations.
3. Infected new plants. Whitefly larvae can also take root on plants recently purchased at the store. It can be very difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to notice them.

Useful tips

In addition to the use of various means that are used to treat tomato bushes when infested by caterpillars, mechanical action must also be included in the arsenal of the fight (only in this case the effect will be as effective as possible).

The recommendations are:

1. Since both cutworms and whiteflies overwinter in the top layer of soil, it is necessary to dig it up in the fall after harvesting and in the spring before planting.
2. If the contamination of the greenhouse was significant, then in the fall it will be necessary to completely remove the entire top layer of soil (about 15 cm).
3. Before planting, the soil can be calcined with boiling water or disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, which not only destroys pests, but is also a fertilizer.
4. If caterpillars are found on leaves, additionally remove them manually. Turn over the leaves and collect caterpillars and eggs.
5. Carry out treatment measures at the first appearance of pests. Do not allow caterpillars to grow up, as they become increasingly difficult to kill as they age.
6. Throughout the growing season (from planting tomatoes to harvesting), loosen the soil regularly. This will allow you to destroy butterfly eggs in a timely manner.
7. Weed the soil in the greenhouse and destroy weeds, which act as additional food for butterflies and caterpillars. If insects are killed on tomatoes, they can remain on the weeds and from there spread again to garden crops.
8. In winter, soil that has been infested with parasites can be filled with cold water. The soil will freeze well, which will significantly reduce the number of pupae and eggs in it.
9. Whiteflies are well attracted to regular sticky fly strips (especially if they are yellow). Hang these over diseased plants and by evening you will see how many butterflies will be trapped.

Why do I get rid of caterpillars in the greenhouse?

I always try to prevent pests from appearing in my area. If uninvited guests show up, without wasting time, I begin processing the plants. Being late threatens the destruction of plantings and serious damage to the harvest.

Caterpillars, one of the most voracious pests, are especially dangerous here. If measures are not taken in time, they will deprive the harvest. Such pests can be found not only in open garden beds, but also in greenhouses. In the comfortable conditions of a greenhouse, they are active and voracious. They practically do not have to fear natural enemies - birds, predatory insects.

Having discovered caterpillars in the greenhouse, I turn to proven folk methods. If the method is not effective, turn to specialized chemicals. And I don’t forget about preventing the appearance of these gluttonous enemies.

Where does the cutworm come from on tomatoes?

In greenhouses, greenhouses and vegetable gardens, cutworm pupae and caterpillars overwinter in the ground. Suitable conditions in cold climates are created by plant residues that have not been harvested since autumn, warming the soil. Sometimes the armyworm enters the site along with purchased soil, “enriched” with the pest overwintering there.

Coming to the surface, the pest begins to feed on weeds. By the time crops are sown or planted, the cutworm is usually ready to lay eggs.

It is impossible to completely prevent its occurrence even by annual deep digging and disinfection of the soil in the fall. The armyworm flies well and can move from a neighboring area or migrate from afar.

Some species are capable of covering vast distances with air currents. In the Far East you can sometimes even find tropical cutworms. But they do not overwinter there and die at the end of the season.

Options for getting rid of the pest

When dealing with the question of how to get rid of caterpillars on tomatoes, gardeners try all sorts of tricks - advice from neighbors, buying special insecticides, planting plants that repel the pest and other effective methods.

Among the means available to summer residents, the following methods are used:

1. Chemical treatment. In this case, you cannot do without purchasing pesticides to poison insects.
2. Biological poisoning. Here, “gentle” agents are used to treat developing plants.
3. Folk remedies. This option involves destroying caterpillars using time-tested methods.

The choice of a specific approach is determined by personal experience and the current situation. Let’s find out in more detail how effective the listed points are, and how to save the plantings with minimal damage.

How to prepare a greenhouse for planting

An excellent prevention of infection by these pests will be preliminary preparation of the greenhouse, soil and equipment used. The described methods will also be useful for ensuring safety from attacks by other garden pests and bacterial contamination.

Basic methods for preparing a greenhouse for planting:

1. Carefully check the condition of the structure, replace damaged wooden elements, and check for leaks.
2. It is better to consider protective mosquito curtains for the doorway and windows. This will protect the greenhouse from butterflies getting inside.
3. Dig and loosen the soil. If necessary, add pre-treated soil.
4. Sprinkle the surface of the soil with a prepared pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water. This will help get rid of eggs overwintering in the soil.
5. Choose a planting plan according to the rules of crop rotation. You should not plant related types of crops in the same place to prevent the appearance of similar pests.
6. Seedlings are planted at the necessary intervals to prevent the plantings from becoming crowded. It is also important to regularly pull out weeds and loosen the soil.
7. After harvesting, be sure to remove all the tops from the room, dig up and destroy the roots of the plants, in which pests can also overwinter.

Small leaf-eaters on tomato or pepper plantings look harmless, but even a small colony can destroy the entire crop in a matter of days. If these pests are found in a greenhouse or beds, it is imperative to take all measures to destroy them.

How to get rid of caterpillars in the garden and greenhouse, as well as methods of prevention and protection against these insects are discussed in the review.

Fighting methods

In nature, the enemies of pest caterpillars are Trichogramma. They lay eggs in the cocoons of butterflies, thereby destroying garden pests. Insects can be purchased at a special store. They are released onto tomato bushes 3 times per season. It is necessary to plant 5000 trichograms per 1 hectare of land.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with pear jam in slices for the winter - it turns out amber and transparent

Bracones pose a danger to caterpillars. These are predatory flies that parasitize the larvae of other insects. The females pierce the caterpillar's cover and inject poison, which stops the digestive system. Then the adult injects about 20 larvae into the victim’s body. Bracons eat the caterpillar from the inside until they reach adulthood.

Getting rid of armyworm infestations is not easy. You can fight the pest in different ways, from the most radical to the most gentle. You will achieve results faster if you start removing caterpillars with chemical or biological preparations. But when environmental friendliness and harvest purity are a priority, folk remedies are more suitable.

Caterpillars on tomatoes and external manifestations of infection

The appearance of an unsightly butterfly , similar to a large moth, on tomato bushes at the beginning of summer should immediately alert you. During this period, they are not dangerous, feed only on nectar and lay eggs. It is the caterpillar that causes damage to the plant.

The fertility of the moth is high . During the season, an adult lays from 500 to 1000 eggs. In warm weather, eggs mature in 5 days, in cool weather - in 10.

The caterpillar development period is 20 days . All this time she gnaws the stems, leaves and fruits of tomatoes. Then the caterpillar goes into the ground, turns into a pupa and overwinters in the ground until the next season.

The caradrina or tomato cutworm at the butterfly stage has a wingspan of up to 3.5 cm. The front pair of wings is gray-brown in color, the back pair is pink-tinged. Ornament with strokes, zigzags and stripes.

Appearance of caterpillars:

• large body – 25-30 cm in length;
• color - from green to brown;
• on the back there are thin longitudinal stripes with edges;
• on the sides there are dark wide stripes, and under them there are thinner, yellow stripes;
• the abdomen is light with white spots.

Pest activity begins at night : the caterpillars gnaw holes in greenery and fruits, and in the morning they hide underground to a depth of 5 cm.

Methods for controlling whitefly on tomatoes in a greenhouse

To get rid of whiteflies on tomatoes, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive measures, since the effect of protective agents on adults and larvae is different. As a result, experts recommend treating tomatoes in a greenhouse every 3-4 days with alternating medications, which will eliminate addiction.

Important! You can only cope with the pest by having patience and endurance, since only adult insects die during protective measures, so the problem cannot be solved in one procedure.

There are several main ways to combat whitefly on tomatoes in a greenhouse: chemicals, folk remedies, mechanical devices and biological methods. The gardener decides which one to choose, based on his capabilities. But first of all, in order to make a decision, you need to familiarize yourself with each method in advance.

Folk methods of getting rid of scoops

If caterpillars eat tomatoes, but there is no money to purchase chemicals, you can use traditional methods of control. Among them are:

Caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse do not like the smell of garlic, so all seedlings must be treated with an infusion with the addition of garlic. To prepare it, take a bunch of garlic arrows and mix with boiling water in a 3-liter container. All this should be insisted for 3 days.

You can use a decoction of wormwood. Approximately half a bucket of water is filled with wormwood and filled with water. The mixture must be boiled for at least 30 minutes, after which it is used to spray tomatoes.

Traditional methods of fighting caterpillars on tomatoes CATERPILLARS IN THE FRUITS OF TOMATOES - HOW WE GOT RID OF THEM

You can add a bar of soap to any of these solutions. In the greenhouse, the caterpillar on the tomatoes is afraid of the smell of this detergent.

You should also water the insects with cold water. The procedure is carried out early in the morning.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):

Folk remedies can be used not when the caterpillars appear, but when the butterflies of these pests fly. Tinctures with pungent odors are used to disorient insects, because They find food sources by smell.

How to deal with cutworms in the garden and greenhouse

Cutworm

If the cutworm has already appeared on the site, it will be difficult to save the crop. This is due to the fact that the lepidoptera is active in the dark and hides the rest of the time. To catch him at the crime scene, you will have to climb the beds with a flashlight.

So prevention is of paramount importance in protecting vegetable beds from the winged pest.

Measures designed to reduce the number of moths include:

• frequent weeding of beds and adjacent areas (nettles, quinoa and pigweed, as well as flowering weeds, are especially carefully destroyed);
• joint planting of vegetables with dill, nasturtium, calendula, chrysanthemums, parsley, marigolds and lemon balm;
• quick removal of any organic debris from the site, as well as plants damaged by the pest;
• deep and regular loosening of the soil between rows and plants;
• digging up the soil with 1.5-2 shovels before the first serious frost;
• repeated digging in the spring with manual collection of surviving pupae and caterpillars.

In the event that the caterpillars have eaten up several bushes, natural poisons and repellents can still cope with the problem.

Tomato cut with a scoop

But before we begin listing these drugs, we need to study the processing rules:

1. Work is carried out at dusk, early morning or evening. At this time, the caterpillars feed on leaves and stems, so that they are easier to “get.”
2. The weather should be warm (not lower than +15 degrees) and windless. On cool nights, pests are inactive.
3. No precipitation should be expected in the next 24 hours.
4. The solution is applied to the entire plant, paying special attention to the undersides of the leaves, the lower tier and the soil around the main stem.
5. Treatments with natural compounds can be carried out throughout the season with an interval of 5-7 days.
6. Spraying with pesticides is done no more than three times during the summer, strictly following the instructions on the package.

Of the biological products, Lepidotsid, Bitoxibacillin, Fitoverm, Agrovertin, Actofit have proven themselves well. But keep in mind that the products work normally only at air temperatures above +18 degrees.

Fitoverm

Repellent solutions based on special herbs and substances are also used:

1. Wormwood . 300-500 grams of flowering plants are crushed, 100 grams of wood ash and a tablespoon of liquid soap are added. The mixture is poured with 10 liters of boiling water, left for 5-6 hours, filtered and sprayed on the plantings. Or you can dry the tops of the plant, crush them into powder and sprinkle them on the soil and lower tiers of vegetables.
2. Fresh hot pepper . 100 grams of pods are cut into rings and boiled in a liter of water for 30-40 minutes. After cooling, the composition is filtered, the volume of liquid is brought to 10 liters and liquid soap is added (1-2 tablespoons).
3. Onion . Add the crushed pulp of 5-6 large onions to 10 liters of water. Let it brew for 8-12 hours, filter and use immediately.
4. Garlic . Finely chop 400-500 grams of garlic cloves, arrows, pulp and add 3 liters of water. After a week of infusion, the product is filtered. For 10 liters of water, it is enough to add 50-100 grams of concentrate and 30-50 grams of soap.
5. Tobacco dust and ash . The substances are combined in a 1:1 ratio and the lower parts of the plants are dusted in the morning until the dew has disappeared. They can also be used separately.
6. Celandine, chicory, castor bean, tansy . The tops of the plants are dried, ground and sprinkled with powder on the beds and the crops themselves (on moistened leaves or on dew). The second method is infusion of fresh raw materials. Fill a bucket with greens to 1/3 of the height, add water and leave for two days.

Another safe and effective way is to release trichogramma into the garden three times. This natural enemy of the moth destroys the butterfly's oviposition without any harm to the environment. However, this option is often not available to the average summer resident.

Sagebrush

On a note. 300-400 units of trichogramma are purchased per hundred square meters of land. The break between releases should be no more than 7-8 days.

Simple traps also help to catch some of the moths, thereby reducing their numbers. Containers with water are placed in the beds, at a height of about a meter, in which beer or old jam is previously diluted.

Here's another, more effective way. Pick thistle, quinoa, goosefoot or gills and chop thoroughly. Treat them with a pesticide solution and distribute them in heaps around the beds that the armyworm has chosen. The caterpillars will crawl down to eat the poisonous bait and quickly die.

Watch the video on how to fight the night bat using yellow pheromone traps:

If the moment is missed and the butterflies have multiplied greatly, they resort to chemical treatments. They use drugs like Decis Profi (5 ml/10 l), Sherpa (1.5 ml/5 l), Tzipi (1 ml/10 l), Alatar (5 ml/5 l), Fufanon (10 ml/10 l), Karate Zeon (1 ml/5 l) and similar ones.

But here it is important to understand that these products poison not only the cutworm, but also other useful inhabitants of the beds. When using them, you must strictly adhere to the waiting period. The latter is super important for fruit-bearing vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.

In addition, in relation to gnawing species of bats, whose caterpillars mainly do dirty work underground, these insecticides are often ineffective. To protect seedlings and seedlings from the pest, when planting in holes and furrows, add granules of Bazudin (1.5 g/sq.m.) or its analogues - Zemlin, Anteater, Flycatcher, Provotox, Medvetox, Grom, Pochin and so on.

People's experience

Let’s move on to methods that have been proven over dozens of generations and are “harmless” to the health of plants and people. Treating tomatoes against caterpillars with folk remedies is accessible and inexpensive, and most importantly, it is no less effective than, for example, using chemicals. However, we note that this method will be effective only if small insect colonies are detected.

Regular laundry soap comes to the rescue. A strong solution with water in the proportion of a third of a bar per bucket of liquid and regular watering increase the chances of protecting the plants.

The following components will help enhance the effect:

1. Tobacco. To create a decoction, take 300 g of shag and dilute it in a bucket of boiling water. Then let the mixture sit for a day and add a glass each to the prepared soap solution.
2. Potato tops. The crushed leaves are steamed in a ratio of 1:10, left for up to 2 days, and a quarter of a bar of soap is rubbed into the mixture. The crops should be sprayed with this solution twice a day during morning and evening watering.
3. Garlic. One head of the plant is crushed and poured with a liter of boiling water. Let the resulting solution stand for three days and add half a glass to the soap suspension. Making such a product is not difficult, and the result will pleasantly surprise you.
4. Sagebrush. The grass is finely torn, the bucket is filled to a third and filled with cold water. Then the mixture is boiled for 30 minutes and left for 2 days. The effectiveness of the effect on those who like to eat other people's tomatoes is achieved by adding the infusion to the soap mixture in a ratio of 1:10.

In addition to the options listed, you can spray damaged bushes with a strong saline solution. For three liters of liquid, use a pack of table salt and treat the beds.

A stream of ice water will also help clear tomatoes from whitefly infestations. However, such “shocking” watering for the plant is advisable no more than 2 times a week before sunrise.

What to do if caterpillars eat tomatoes in a greenhouse: effective drugs and advice from agronomists

Reading time: 6 minute(s) Pests can destroy your entire tomato crop. The most effective fight against them will be if you start it at the first signs of plant infection. However, it is not always possible to detect a pest attack at the very initial stage. For example, the presence of a moth is difficult to immediately notice, and this can lead to significant damage in the future.

To prevent the loss of the entire harvest, take preventive measures in advance, as well as treat your beds with folk remedies that are completely safe for both vegetables and humans.

Why does someone eat tomatoes in a greenhouse: what kind of insect has appeared and the reasons for its appearance

The moth caterpillar pest is quite difficult to get rid of.
It destroys not only tomatoes and can ruin the harvest of beans, eggplants, bell peppers, corn and other garden crops. However, she still gives the greatest “preference” to tomatoes.

In order not to lose the entire harvest, you need to begin destroying the pest as soon as its appearance in the greenhouse is established.

Signs of a cutworm

Some gardeners see with tears in their eyes how the still green tomatoes grown with such difficulty are covered with holes of various sizes.

Sometimes you can see a green caterpillar crawling out of the made windows and passages. Damaged fruits can no longer survive on the bush until harvest.

They first turn brown and then fall off. Is it possible to prevent the appearance of a dangerous pest? How to deal with it?

Gray, black or brown butterflies appear in the dark.

There are many varieties of cutworms.

The greatest danger are caterpillars; they emerge from clutches of eggs laid by butterflies and happily feed on leaves on warm summer days.

Experienced gardeners have learned to check whether the armyworm has settled in the greenhouse. To do this, you will need a special trap, which is easy to make with your own hands.

You need to take a bottle with a narrow neck and pour a small amount of compote, kvass or diluted fermented jam into it. Leave the trap overnight.

If in the morning several gray or brown butterflies are found in the bottle, it means that some crops in the greenhouse or on the plot are already infected.

Insect development cycles

Cutworms spend the winter in the soil. There they are in the form of pupae. And only in the first ten days of June butterflies begin to emerge from cocoons.

After 3-4 days, the eggs they laid appear on the leaves and stems of the tomatoes. After another three days, if the weather is warm, the caterpillars begin to hatch from the eggs.

The caterpillars develop within two or three weeks.

During their growth period, they eat literally everything, and especially love to feast on tomatoes.

How dangerous is the cutworm?

Caterpillars eat leaves and stems of vegetable crops with excellent appetite. They gnaw through the fruits, which then rot.

Even if a tomato manages to ripen, the caterpillar causes such damage to it that it is no longer possible to eat it.

It is quite difficult to remove pests.

During the summer and until the very beginning of autumn, generations of caterpillars replace each other.

That's why it's better to prevent cutworms from appearing in your garden or greenhouse than to fight them all summer.

Reasons for appearance

If we talk about a greenhouse, then cutworms can only get into it through an open door, windows or large cracks. To avoid this, special nets are hung that prevent butterflies from flying inside.

The appearance of cutworms in the garden is caused by insufficient digging depth of the soil. The fact is that cutworms overwinter in the soil, approximately at a depth of 15–17 cm. And when in the spring the soil warms up above +10 °C, they immediately migrate to the surface layer and pupate in special caves.

If you dig up about 25-27 cm of soil in autumn and spring, then all the pupae and caterpillars of the fall armyworm will be destroyed.

How to fight caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse: effective means and advice from vegetable growers

Cutworm caterpillars reproduce very quickly, so protecting a tomato plantation from these pests is a labor-intensive process.

The struggle process is further complicated by the fact that the caterpillars go out to feed at night, and during the day they take refuge near plants in the ground.

Provided that the spread of the cutworm affects only individual beds, you can use folk remedies that will help you successfully cope with the problem when it is still in its early stages.

When pest infestation has gone too far, you need to start treating the plants with chemicals, otherwise the crop may be completely lost.

Insecticides

If caterpillars or laying of armyworm eggs are found on all the vegetable beds in the greenhouse, insecticides must be used.

In such cases, they usually use

• "Tsitkor";
• "Inta-Vir";
• "Decis";
• "Avant";
• "Spark."

You can consult a gardening store about what product you need to use to get rid of pests.

When choosing a product, pay attention to products that destroy both butterflies and cutworm caterpillars.

Please read the instructions carefully before use.

After ten days, it will be possible to repeat the spraying, securing the result.

Traditional methods

Folk remedies for pest control are resorted to at the very beginning of an infection, when the first signs of colonization of a plot or greenhouse by a cutworm are detected.

If the population has reached a large size, the use of folk remedies will no longer bring results.

“Natural” control methods are very popular among gardeners.

Here are some of the most common methods that help repel cutworms.

1. Peel the head of garlic, chop it and pour boiling water over it.

Proportion: one head per liter jar of water. Infuse the resulting mixture for three days.

Half a glass of strained infusion is diluted in a bucket of water. Then the resulting solution is sprayed on vegetable crops.

You can use garlic arrows. A bunch of fresh arrows is crushed and then a solution is made according to the scheme described above.

2. You need to pick fresh wormwood and fill it with a third of a bucket, the volume of which is at least 10 liters.

Then water is poured into it and set to boil. After 20-30 minutes, remove the bucket from the heat and infuse the wormwood “brew” for two or three days.

The broth is filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.

The resulting solution is sprayed onto the stems, fruits and leaves of tomatoes.

3. Pour 300 grams into a bucket of hot water. tobacco dust and mix thoroughly. After 24 hours, the infusion is filtered and used for spraying.

In order for each of these solutions to stay longer on the surface of the leaves and stems of vegetable crops, you need to add regular laundry soap to it.

You need to take a third of the bar into a bucket of infusion, chop it and melt the crumbs in a small amount of warm water until completely dissolved.

Then pour the resulting mass into a bucket with tobacco, garlic or wormwood solution.

The soap will make the folk remedy for cutworms sticky and allow it to literally “stick” to the surface of the plants.

What to do to prevent caterpillars from appearing in the greenhouse again - preventive measures, autumn preparation of greenhouses

To prevent the spread of the cutworm in the greenhouse, it is better to take preventive measures in advance to avoid infection.

Cutworm pupae remain in the ground all winter.

Therefore, it is imperative to dig up all the beds in the fall. There is no need to break the lumps.

If there is a very strong pest infestation, some gardeners remove the top layer of soil completely to a depth of 15 centimeters, and then add a new “healthy” layer.

Some useful tips:

• You cannot neglect preventive measures if you want to harvest a large harvest of tomatoes from your beds in a greenhouse.

To protect against the appearance of scoops in it, windows and doors are covered with mosquito nets or tulle with small cells is hung.

• Weed the beds in a timely manner, removing all weeds and moving them away from the site.

This will reduce the food supply for the caterpillars.

• In autumn, be sure to burn all damaged plants along with fruits and stems.
• Repeated spraying should be carried out after 7-10 days.

This is done in order to give time for caterpillars that have not yet hatched at the time of the first treatment to emerge from their eggs.

They die when the beds are sprayed again.

• During the period of fruit ripening, chemicals are no longer used, but only biological preparations are used so as not to harm the tomatoes.
• The larva of the cutworm butterfly, overwintering in the soil, can easily withstand even the most severe frosts.

Therefore, it is possible to expel it from your territory only by cultivating the soil.

Before planting plants in the spring, the soil can be treated with boiling water or a manganese solution.

This will allow you to destroy dormant pests in the soil.

• When the seedlings begin to bloom, you need to carry out regular inspections of the tomatoes in the greenhouse.

You can use the drug “Decis” or “Cytcor” at this time.

• Pay attention to the size of the caterpillars. It will be much more difficult to fight them when they become bigger and stronger.
• When the harvest is already harvested, completely get rid of all plant debris.

First of all, destroy those that have been infected.

• Be sure to loosen the beds in the summer and dig them up in the winter.

Another preventative measure is to treat the seedlings before they are planted.

There are many good reviews about the drug "Prestige", which is sold in a syringe. You need to carefully read the instructions and dilute the solution.

Then you need to dip the seedlings in it for half an hour. Only after this is it planted in holes prepared in advance.

With the help of complex effects, the key point of which is the impact on plants of specialized preparations that can protect tomatoes not only from the cutworm, but also from the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, you can achieve the desired.

The protective effect lasts throughout the season and usually one such treatment is enough to harvest ripe, healthy fruits in the fall.

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Prevention

Before the onset of winter, the caterpillars go into the soil, pupate and mummify until spring. Whiteflies and cutworms overwinter at a depth of 10 to 25 cm, to protect tomatoes from their invasion next season, you need to:

1. In the fall, dig up the beds freed from tomato bushes to a depth of at least 30 cm (the bayonet of a shovel), turning over and without breaking the clods of earth. Pupated caterpillars that are on top will die from the cold in winter.
2. In early spring, water the soil for tomatoes with hot water with the addition of soda or potassium permanganate. Pupae of pests, if they are preserved, will die under the influence of heat treatment.
3. Before planting tomato seedlings in a greenhouse, you can sow white mustard seeds in the beds (2 months before). Immediately before planting tomatoes, dig up the beds along with mustard seedlings, and then spray the seedlings with a weak solution of dry powder.

Preserving the harvest and not letting it be eaten by insatiable caterpillars is the primary task of gardeners. Preventive measures using folk remedies are effective in such cases and do not harm either humans or the environment.

Types of cutworms dangerous for tomatoes

Cutworms (Noctuidae) or noctules are one of the largest families of lepidopteran insects. According to the latest data, it includes more than 1,000 genera and about 12,000 species. Information that the family contains 36,000 species is outdated. Noctuid moths are excluded. There are 24,000 species in a separate family, Erebidae.

Noctuids are distributed throughout the globe - from the Arctic to Africa. More than 1,500 species can be found in Russia.

Cutworms are medium-sized butterflies with a round head and two pairs of wings. They fold along the body in a horizontal plane, are distinguished by their triangular shape and faded colors.

The front wings are decorated with a characteristic cutworm pattern consisting of three fields called bands. The spots are not randomly located, but form a system; three of them are usually called the main ones and are described when defining the taxon: round, wedge-shaped and kidney-shaped. The pattern is clearly visible in the photo. In different scoops, it allows for deviations and variations that do not fit into the general scheme.

The pest's lifestyle is predominantly evening and nocturnal. For plants, including tomatoes, it is not butterflies that pose a danger, but caterpillars. They go through several molts and have 5-6 instars.

When they are at different stages of development, the harmfulness of the caterpillars changes. Pupation occurs in the ground, at a depth of 5-7 cm, in some species in spring and summer - on leaves and stems.

Most cutworms are polyphagous, meaning they can feed on different crops. Some species are recognized as dangerous quarantine pests. It is with them that gardeners are forced to fight for the harvest. The only good thing is that the measures to combat the fall armyworm on tomatoes are the same, regardless of the type.

Cotton bollworm

Helicoverpa armigera is a polyphagous pest. It is an inconspicuous butterfly with a wingspan of 3-4 cm in the front wings, bordered by a brown stripe. Their main color is gray-yellow, with reddish, green and pinkish impurities. In the center is a dark mark that looks like a sickle. Round and kidney-shaped spots are gray, decorated with fuzzy transverse lines.

Caterpillars 3.5-4 cm long are covered with small growths, called spines in biology, and are distinguished by three dark longitudinal stripes on top and one yellow stripe on the bottom. The color of the body is variable, it can be:

• white;
• yellow;
• brown;
• green;
• black.

In Russia, the bollworm feeds on tomatoes and 120 other plant species. In the first period, the caterpillar gnaws on leaves, then moves into the stems and eats tomatoes.

The temperature favorable for the development of the pest is from 22 to 28° C, the minimum is 18° C. Fertility is 300-2700 eggs. In the middle zone, 1 generation manages to appear, in the south - 2-3. The complete development cycle from egg to mature butterfly depends on temperature and usually lasts 30-35 days. Of these, 13-22 are larvae (caterpillars).

It is believed that cutworms on tomatoes begin to pose a problem if their number exceeds 10-12 larvae or 20 eggs per 100 bushes. This indicator is usually called the threshold of harmfulness. The pupae overwinter.

Scoop Gamma

Phytometra gumma is distributed throughout the European part of Russia: in the Caucasus, Far East, Central Asia and Western Siberia. It affects 100 species of cultivated plants, including tomatoes.

Wingspan – 4-4.8 cm. Color – from gray to brown, with a purple tint. The name is derived from the marking, shaped like the Greek letter γ (gamma), silvery in color, located on the front pair of wings. The kidney-shaped and round spots are bordered.

Caterpillars that parasitize tomatoes are green, with two fuzzy, sinuous white stripes on their backs. Spiracles are yellow. Length 2.4-4 cm.

The gamma cutworm differs from other species by black spots on the sides of its head.

The larva goes through 5 instars. At the initial stages it requires high humidity (90-100%). It belongs to the leaf-eating type - it eats the plates of tomatoes and other crops, leaving only large veins. Then it becomes able to gnaw through the flowers and fruits of tomatoes.

The optimal temperature for life is 20-25° C, the minimum is 17° C. The full development cycle is 25-45 days, of which 16-25 are at the larval stage, when the caterpillars actively eat tomatoes. In the north it gives 1 generation, in the southern regions - 3, sometimes 4.

In summer it pupates on the tops or under the leaves of plants. With the onset of cold weather - in the ground. Not only pupae, which can withstand temperatures down to -18° C, overwinter, but also butterflies and caterpillars.

exclamation scoop

Agrotis exclamationis is a gnawing cutworm, a broad polyphagous species. It lives throughout the European part up to the Arctic Circle. Found in the Far East, the Caucasus, Kamchatka, and Siberia. It affects 75 plant species, including tomatoes. In the North it produces 1 generation, in the southern regions - 2.

A butterfly with a wingspan of 3.2-4.5 mm. Color ranges from gray with a yellow tint to brown. Spots:

• kidney-shaped – black-brown;
• round – a little lighter;
• wedge-shaped is a narrow black stripe.

The caterpillars are grayish-brown or faded yellow, 3.3-5 cm long, covered with pimples. The head is red. Damages tomato stems at ground level. Adult caterpillars overwinter and can withstand low temperatures well even in the North. In the spring they eat off and only then pupate.

Fall armyworm

Agrotis segetum is a cutting armyworm, a polyphagous pest of tomatoes and 150 other crops. The range in Russia covers the entire European part, Southern Siberia, Transcaucasia, and the Far East. In the North, only 1 generation develops, as you move south - up to 4. Favorable temperature - from 16 to 30 ° C, minimum - 10 ° C.

The wingspan is 3-4.6 cm. The color of the front wings is rarely purely gray, usually with an admixture of brown. The transverse stripes are clear. Spots:

• wedge-shaped - small, gray, with a black outline;
• round - in the shape of a disk or oval, light, with a thin charcoal border;
• kidney-shaped with regular outlines, large, dark gray in the middle, much lighter on the periphery, with black edging.

Caterpillars are 4-5 cm long, brown-gray, glossy. The head is red, there are small pimples and dark longitudinal stripes on the body.

At the 1st-2nd stage of development, the larvae of the winter cutworm usually feed on weeds, since they are characterized by an early appearance - the cultivated plants have not yet been planted. They can damage seeds and eat up seedlings of early varieties of tomatoes, other vegetables and herbs.

Caterpillars, starting from the third instar, rise higher and gnaw leaves, leaving only large veins. The fruits, including tomatoes, are not touched. The caterpillars feed on leaves until October, then burrow into the ground to a depth of 10 to 25 cm.

The full development cycle is usually 50-70 days. The duration of the larval (caterpillar) stage depends on temperature and region, lasting from 24 to 36 days. In the North, winter cutworms travel from the ovipositor to the adult individual over a much longer period of time. Sometimes the caterpillar stage there lasts up to 100 days.

Adult larvae overwinter and can withstand -11, and at low humidity -18° C. Young caterpillars in the south survive at -5° C.

Cutworm

Lacanobia oleracea, synonym – Lettuce armyworm, is a polyphagous pest of agricultural crops that also affects tomatoes. Distribution in Russia - the entire European part, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Siberia, the Urals, the Far East.

The wingspan is 3.3-4.2 cm, the color is brown with a reddish tint. Spots: kidney-shaped - orange or yellow, round - dark, both surrounded by a white rim. Fertility – 400-1500 eggs.

The caterpillars are covered with spots: small light and large black, bristly. Body color can be green, brown with a yellow or red tint. The head and spiracles are yellow.

They damage the leaves of ornamental and agricultural plants, including tomatoes.

If representatives of the Chenopodiaceae or Asteraceae families grow near the beds or greenhouses, the garden cutworm will pay attention primarily to them. And then he will move to the garden.

The pest lives in the larval stage for 30-40 days. The pupae overwinter in the ground. In the North, 1 generation develops, in warm climates - 2.

Scoop Karadrina

Spodoptera exigua has a second name - tomato cutworm. A polyphagous pest, its food list includes 185 crops, including tomatoes. In Russia, the species' range extends across southern Siberia and Europe. The pest is found in the Trans-Urals, Transcaucasia, and the Far East.

Butterflies are brown-gray in color, with a wingspan of 2.3-2.4 cm. The round spot seems to be covered with fresh rust, the kidney-shaped spot is dull brown. Lays eggs in groups of 300 or more. Gives up to 3 generations. Summer – from May to October.

The caterpillars are green to brown, 2.5-3 cm long. On the back there are several thin lines covered with hairs, on the sides there are wide dark stripes on top, yellow underneath. There are white spots near the spiracles. It lives 14-25 days before turning into a pupa.

The Karadrina armyworm loves tomatoes and other nightshade crops. At the initial stages of development, the caterpillars bore holes and skeletonize the leaves. Tomato fruits and flowers are affected by adult larvae when they spread strongly. The pupae overwinter.

In addition to the listed species, cabbage and clover armyworms can parasitize tomatoes. But if there is another food supply, they prefer more familiar crops. On tomatoes they are destroyed in the same way as other species.

Prevention of caterpillars in the greenhouse

I try to prevent pests from living in the greenhouse - it’s much easier and safer than resisting them. I recommend simple preventive measures:

1. At the end of the season, I clean up all the plant debris in the greenhouse - there may be pest eggs on them. I burn garbage in an iron bin.
2. Every autumn I carry out a deep digging of the greenhouse soil - the larvae, cutworm pupae and whiteflies overwinter in the substrate. If caterpillars occupied the greenhouse last season, the top layer of soil (at least 15 cm) should be removed and replaced with fresh, uninfected soil.
3. In the spring, I always disinfect the greenhouse soil - I water it with a saturated manganese solution or boiling water.
4. I carry out weeding in a timely manner - caterpillars often settle on weeds, after which they crawl onto cultivated plants.
5. I try to water the seedlings at the root. I carry out water procedures in the morning - the moisture has time to evaporate by the evening. This is necessary so as not to create warm, high humidity that is comfortable for the caterpillars.
6. If there are self-pollinating plants in the greenhouse, I make barriers to the penetration of insects on the doors and windows - gauze, tulle curtains, mosquito nets.
7. I carry out preventive treatments with Decis and Cytcor. I usually act in two stages - I plan to spray again after 1 week.

Caterpillars are small but very voracious pests. If you do not confront them in time, uninvited guests will destroy your greenhouse plantings and leave you without a harvest. Try to prevent caterpillars from appearing in the greenhouse - do not forget about simple but effective prevention.

How to prevent infection

Prevention measures:

• the soil is dug up in the fall using the fall plowing method, without breaking up the earthen clods (the pupae end up on the surface and freeze);
• apply winter watering of the soil;
• remove plant debris with roots;
• in the spring, remove 15 cm of soil and replace it with new one;
• the place where tomato bushes are planted is treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water;
• the beds are weeded, removing weeds with roots;
• plantings are periodically thinned out, the lower leaves are removed;
• plants are watered strictly at the root in the morning;
• to prevent the penetration of moths into the greenhouse, mosquito nets are installed on doors and windows;
• Bushes are regularly treated with folk remedies.

Plants that repel armyworms

Celery is planted in the area between the tomatoes . The smell of the plant repels butterflies. Similar properties have: coriander, white mustard, calendula, basil, marigolds, geranium, wormwood, sage, thyme.

Prevention and treatment of tomatoes

It is known that preventing the appearance of caterpillars is less expensive than subsequent painstaking work to correct the situation. For this reason, gardeners are advised to think about a strategy for growing tomatoes in advance.

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The first thing to do is dig up the soil. In the fall, the soil is dug up using a spade, leaving large clods. In the spring, recultivation is carried out, but with subsequent loosening.

Important! If previously the soil contamination with pupae has reached a critical level, the top layer of turf is removed by 15 cm, replacing the soil with clean soil.

The second step to effectively get rid of insects is to water the future beds in the fall with a weak solution of potassium permanganate with boiling water. Moreover, repeating this procedure is appropriate during the spring preparation of the garden.

The third method that can help beginners in the battle with the “enemy” is constant weeding of the beds. Weeds attract cutworms and whiteflies, so thoroughly clearing the soil of the roots of harmful plants and loosening the rows contributes to the victory of the summer resident.

Another nuance is thinning the seedlings. Dense beds favor the proliferation of crop eaters due to the difficulty in processing planted crops.

It is recommended to water the plants no later than 5 pm, so that excess moisture from the soil has time to evaporate before dusk.

One last thing: do not allow caterpillars to hatch from the clutch. Large individuals should be removed from the plant manually - even a “harsh” chemical effect will not have the required effect.

Various pest control methods

Chemical active substances are rightly called the most effective way to destroy caterpillars. Their disadvantages include an increased risk of introducing a significant amount of toxic substances into the future harvest, so treatment is carried out in 2 cases - before the flowers begin to set or in the event of a massive pest invasion.

Before spraying tomatoes with special preparations, you need to look at the calendar. Chemicals are removed from seedlings within 30 days, so there is no need to process the crop on the eve of harvest.

When choosing insecticides, preference is given to those substances that equally affect caterpillars and butterflies, otherwise the treatment will not be effective enough.

Drugs

Every year it is recommended to use various chemicals and biologically active substances, otherwise the pest will develop a strong immunity.

Folk methods of struggle

You need to resort to them, the sooner the better. In cases where there is massive damage to tomato plantings, popular recommendations are useless. The first recipe looks like this:

• 2 heads of garlic;
• 2 bunches of medium-sized garlic arrows;
• 1 jar, the capacity of which is 1 liter;
• put the ingredients in a container and add water;
• Infuse for 72 hours;
• strain;
• Add ½ cup to 1 bucket of water;
• add ½ bar of laundry soap, which has been previously crushed.

Treatment is carried out 2 times per season. The second folk method of fighting caterpillars includes the following ingredients:

• 1 bucket;
• fill it 1/3 with fresh wormwood;
• fill with cold water;
• bring to a boil over low heat for 30 minutes;
• Infuse for 48 hours;
• strain;
• dilute with fresh water in a ratio of 1:10
• add ½ bar of laundry soap, which has been previously crushed.

The list of folk recipes ends with a mixture of boiling water and tobacco dust. To prepare the mixture, 300 g of product and 2 liters of hot water are required. The solution is infused with the lid closed for 24 hours.

The next step is to add ½ part of a crushed bar of laundry soap. The mixture is brought to a homogeneous state. Treatment is carried out 2 times per season.

In the case where we are talking about the average degree of pest damage to plantings, the following recommendations will come to the rescue:

Effective treatment methods and control methods

When choosing methods for how to get rid of leaf beetles on your site, it is imperative to assess the degree of infestation and the risk to plants. When individual insects are detected, gentle methods can be chosen, while a total invasion of insects requires “heavy artillery.”

Special chemicals

Treatment with chemical solutions provides almost 100% guaranteed results. For this purpose, universal insecticides are used that affect caterpillars and adult butterflies. It should be taken into account that the period for removing toxins from fruits ranges from 20 to 35 days. Treatment is carried out either immediately after planting or after harvesting to prevent the reappearance of whiteflies and cutworms the next year.

Features of chemical processing:

• The solution is prepared in accordance with the instructions. It is important to maintain the necessary proportions without changing them yourself.
• It is important to take care of safety measures. Wear protective clothing, respirator and gloves.
• Processing time should not exceed four hours, even if personal protective equipment is used.
• It is advisable to spray the solution outdoors on a windless and cloudy day.
• If it rains after spraying, the treatment must be repeated.
• To prevent the accumulation of chemicals in fruits, other crops and varieties with early ripening periods must be protected from the bulk of the plants.

In the fight against various pests, you can use universal drugs. This is also appropriate in cases where the exact species of insect is difficult to identify. Less toxic insecticides with a rapid decay period: “Lepidotsid”, “Aktofit”, “Agravertin” or “Fitoverm”.

For severe lesions, it is better to use proven drugs with a contact-intestinal principle of action. These include: “Confidor-Maxi”, “Inta-Vir”, “Sherpa”, “Avant”, “Karate”, “Decis”, “Aktar”.

Important: insects quickly develop immunity to the drugs used, so re-treatment should be carried out with a product with a similar effect, but with a different composition.

Folk recipes

The reluctance to use chemicals on your property is quite logical and natural. At the same time, the effect of folk recipes is less pronounced and usually does not help with severe damage to plantings. They can be used to prevent and repel insects in case of detection of single individuals on seedlings. Having discovered a large colony of caterpillars on pepper, it is better to use more effective formulations.

Traditional methods of prevention and control of these pests:

1. Mechanical destruction of found masonry. Inspection is carried out from the back, starting from the lower leaves. The eggs found are destroyed; in case of severe damage, it is better to remove the damaged leaves and destroy them.
2. Using light traps will attract butterflies. To collect caterpillars and adults, it is more effective to use traps with sweet bait (jam, honey, syrup), yeast starter and even fermented beer (kvass).
3. Systematic destruction of weeds will also help in the fight against the pest. There will be no smell and nectar that attracts butterflies, and the likelihood of clutches near agricultural crops will also decrease.
4. Regular loosening of the soil, removal of detected larvae, alkalization with lime solutions.
5. Treating plantings with strong-smelling decoctions will help repel butterflies. To do this, you can prepare a decoction of wormwood: fill a bucket a third with fresh herbs, add water and boil. Leave for two days, then strain and use to prepare a solution in proportions of 1:10 with plain water.
6. Infusion of tobacco dust has a similar effect. To do this, pour a glass of the mixture (300 g) into a bucket of water and leave for a day. A solution with this concentration does not need to be diluted before use.
7. Chop the garlic arrows (bunch) or head of garlic and pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for three days, then strain and dilute the resulting mixture in a bucket of water. By analogy, you can prepare an onion solution.
8. A decoction of yarrow will also help repel the pest. To prepare, you need to boil 800 grams of dry herb, then strain and dilute the resulting volume in a bucket of water. Leave the mixture for at least three days, after which it can be used for spraying.
9. It is better to repeat any chosen method every 10-15 days to consolidate the result. It is better to alternate mixtures so that the pest does not have time to adapt to the composition.

The effectiveness of self-prepared solutions will be ensured by adding a solution of laundry soap. It will provide reliable adhesion to the leaves, so the solution will not be washed away by the first rain. In addition, treatment with laundry soap helps fight whiteflies. To do this, just add a third of the crushed standard bar to a bucket of water. For plants, such an ingredient will be harmless, but for many insects it will be certain death.

The use of products with minimal impact is also justified when processing during fruit ripening. The use of potent drugs in such cases is not recommended to prevent the accumulation of harmful chemical compounds. Armed with the basic methods of repelling and preventing these insects, you can also count on preserving the harvest.

Planting

Before planting seedlings, you should definitely treat the soil to destroy possible larvae in it. To do this, you can use disinfectant compounds, ignite the earth at high temperatures, and also use special chemicals for prevention.

Immediately before planting, it is recommended to use preventive solutions of the “Prestige” type. They are prepared in a given concentration, after which it is necessary to dip the roots of the seedlings into the prepared solution for a few minutes. This helps in preventing attacks by major pests, and also provides bacteriological protection to the seedlings.

Advice from vegetable growers

Caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse: how to deal with them using the advice of experienced summer residents? Baits for caterpillars and cutworms are made from sweet drinks, syrups, kvass, beer, and juices that can ferment. Place the bait in small jars. It is necessary to remove caterpillars that have fallen for the bait.

To repel butterflies, eggshells are used, which are placed between plants. Birds, especially tits and sparrows, love to feast on larvae and caterpillars, they will help reduce the number of pests. You can hang feeders for birds.

Plant cilantro and basil next to the tomatoes; cutworms cannot tolerate the aroma of these herbs, so they will fly around your plantings.

How dangerous is the cutworm?

Armyworm caterpillars are one of the most serious crop pests. If you do not notice their appearance in the garden in time, you can lose most of the tomatoes and other vegetable crops.

The danger of insects is as follows:

• a large number of pest eggs;
• difficulty in determining the moment when caterpillars emerge from oviposition;
• rapid change of generations of insects throughout the summer;
• caterpillars are difficult to detect - they eat tomato bushes only at night and hide in the soil during the day;
• a plant with eaten leaves quickly dries out and dies;
• damaged tomatoes rot quickly;
• omnivorous pest - the cutworm eats tomatoes, eggplants, beans, corn and other plants grown in the garden.

Scoops

These caterpillars affect not only tomatoes, but also other vegetable crops. They live mainly in open ground, but can also penetrate into the greenhouse.

Cutworms cause significant damage to tomato beds. If these pests are not controlled, they will multiply, spreading throughout the garden and affecting other crops grown.

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Even winter is not a hindrance to them, since the parasites overwinter in the ground.

As they develop, noctuids go through three stages:

• larvae;
• caterpillars;
• pupae;
• butterflies.

At each stage they are dangerous to plants, and control methods will differ depending on the stage of development.

Important! The greatest damage to tomatoes is caused by cutworms at the caterpillar stage, when they eat the fruits. The tomatoes in which they have settled are unsuitable for food.

The appearance of the scoop is as follows:

1. The eggs of these insects are small, up to 0.5 mm. Their lower part is flat, and their upper part is slightly elongated. Cutworms lay eggs on the undersides of leaves, making the clutch difficult to detect. Fertility is high: only one butterfly can lay up to 500 eggs during the season. During the summer, at least two generations usually change. The third generation goes into the soil for the winter. Eggs ripen very quickly - it takes from 2 to 10 days, and in warm weather the process occurs faster.
2. Caterpillars come in different colors, usually the color is not too bright: green, gray, yellow, and brown are found. The body of the caterpillars is naked, with sparse bristles. Three light stripes run along the body. It is at the second stage of development that cutworms cause the greatest harm to tomatoes. They actively feed on the leaves and stems of plants, move on to flowers, and then take on juicy fruits, gnawing holes in them and settling inside. Noctuid caterpillars live for about 20 days, after which they move to the next stage.
3. The cutworm pupa does not harm plants. The insect is inactive at this stage of development. It is sealed for subsequent transformation into a closed pupa. The color is usually dark brown. The butterfly usually goes through the pupal stage in the upper layer of soil, going deeper to 10-15 cm.
4. The adult butterfly is moth-like with a faded brown-gray coloration; there are patterns on the wings, the wingspan reaches 2.5-4.5 cm. Adults do not harm crops, since their main food is nectar. However, they lay eggs en masse, giving birth to new generations. An adult moth butterfly can live from 20 to 40 days, constantly laying eggs.

Cutworms are nocturnal insects. During the day they hide in the top layer of soil, and at nightfall they come out and attack plants.

What caterpillars appear in the greenhouse and what do they eat?

Gardeners need to be wary of two types of caterpillars: whiteflies and armyworms. I’ll tell you how to recognize them and how exactly these uninvited guests harm you.

Cutworm caterpillars

Adult representatives are inconspicuous butterflies that resemble moths. Quite small - 3-4 cm. Their body is gray-brown, and on the wings there is a pattern of strokes and stripes.

scoop butterfly

Cutworms are very prolific - an adult leaves up to 500 eggs over the summer. The masonry is made on the leaves and flowers of greenhouse plants. Armyworm eggs are convex on top and flat on the bottom. In warm conditions they ripen in 2-5 days, in cool conditions - in 4-10.

The caterpillar itself takes longer to develop – up to 20 days. Its body is naked, grayish, yellow-green, brownish dim in color. The pests are large and long – up to 2 cm. It is quite difficult to detect them – both caterpillars and cutworm butterflies are active at night. At the end of the development stage, the caterpillars move into the soil, where they pupate and survive the winter. Adult cutworms live 20-40 days.

The caterpillars do the greatest harm to greenhouse tomatoes - they start their “lunch” with tops and buds, and then move on to tomatoes. They gnaw holes in the fruits, where they live and feed, “without leaving the cash register.” Tomatoes affected by caterpillars are not suitable for consumption. In addition to tomatoes, pests are not averse to eating eggplants, cabbage, and peppers.

Whiteflies

Adult whiteflies are very small (2-3 mm) butterflies that can easily be confused with midges. I recognize them by their white, yellowish body, wings with white “powder”. I detect whiteflies by moving and shaking the seedling - the butterflies immediately take off in a friendly swarm.

Both caterpillars and adults live on the lower part of the leaves, sucking cell juices from them. The larvae themselves are practically invisible to the human eye - small, translucent. In the first days of life they are mobile. Then they attach to the feeding site and practically do not move.

Warm and humid greenhouse climates are the most favorable for whiteflies. When the temperature drops to 10 C they die. But the eggs laid by whiteflies calmly survive the winter cold in the upper layers of the soil.

whitefly on vegetables

The danger of whitefly caterpillars is not only in drawing out cell sap. These pests are carriers of infections. Plants are inhibited in growth, do not form new ovaries, and produce deformed fruits unsuitable for nutrition. Whitefly affects most greenhouse crops - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.

Chemicals

How to deal with green caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse? Chemical treatment is the most effective method of pest control. Spraying is carried out taking into account the fact that pesticides are removed from the fruit within 20-30 days. Therefore, before using chemicals, calculate the expected start date of harvest.

Attention! Gloves are used to protect the skin, and respirators are used to protect the respiratory system.

List of effective means:

1. "Inta-Vir" is a contact-intestinal insecticide. The substance cypermethrin destroys butterflies and caterpillars. The protective effect lasts up to 15 days. Dissolve 1 tablet in 10 liters of water and use it during the tomato growing season.
2. "Decis Profi" is a fast-acting contact-intestinal insecticide. Belongs to the class of pesticides moderately hazardous to humans. Contains the substance deltamethrin. To treat 100 m², 0.5 g of the substance is dissolved in 5 liters of water. The product is used before flowering. The protection period is 10-15 days.
3. "Avant" is an insecticide of moderate hazard class for humans. Contains the substance indoxacarb. Resistant to rain, effectively destroys eggs and caterpillars. The consumption rate per 1 ha is 200-300 ml. The product is used no more than twice during the growing season.
4. "Arrivo" is a contact-intestinal insecticide. Shows high effectiveness against cutworm caterpillars at low application rates. Consumption per 1 ha – 240-320 ml. Treatment is one-time, during the growing season.
5. "Aktara" is a systemic insecticide with contact-intestinal action. The active ingredient is thiamethoxam. Destroys the caterpillar at the feeding stage. 4 g of powder for irrigation or 1.2 g for spraying are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
6. "Tanrek" is a systemic insecticide with contact-intestinal action. The active ingredient is imidacloprid. The protection period is 30 days. The drug can be combined with Fitosporin. The product is used for spraying (5 ml per 10 liters of water).
7. "Fitoverm" is an enteric contact insectoacaricide. Irrigation is carried out twice during the entire growing season. 1 ml of the drug is dissolved in 10 liters of water. The protection period in the greenhouse is up to 20 days, in the garden – up to 15 days.

Important! It is recommended to alternate chemicals used to kill cutworm caterpillars from season to season. The pest is highly resistant to such agents. What worked this year will not work next year.

How to treat and spray tomatoes against green caterpillars that eat them: preparations

You need to fight the cutworm not only after you see eggs or pupae or damaged leaves, but immediately after discovering the clutch. In addition, the most effective is prevention, which will prevent the emergence of new insects and their spread. To combat the armyworm, both folk remedies and chemicals are used. Biological substances that are active against younger caterpillars are very effective.

List of drugs:

• Agravertine
• Decis
• Zeta
• Arrivo
• Inta-Vir
• Sherpa

Basically, all these substances are dissolved in water, after which the seedlings and bushes are sprayed. You can water in the root area. For more details, please see the instructions for the specific drug.

Armyworm caterpillar

Chemicals for processing tomatoes

The most effective method of controlling caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse is to treat the plants with chemicals. These substances are removed from the fruit over the course of a month.

Chemicals to help control insects

To fight the caterpillar with pesticides, you should follow the instructions for this substance, since excessive amounts of them in tomatoes can cause serious poisoning. Let's consider the most effective means:

• "Inta-Vir" is a drug that helps fight pests at any stage of its development.
• "Decis" protects tomatoes in a greenhouse for a couple of weeks and acts very quickly.
• “Avant” is a product that is resistant to rain and even affects parasite eggs.

Other effective poisons that help fight caterpillars on tomatoes include Aktara, Iskra, Mospilan, and Admiral. Over time, the caterpillar located on tomatoes treated with these pesticides develops immunity. After this, the drug should be changed.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):

In order not to miss the appearance of insect pest butterflies, and also to catch them, you can use glue traps. All insects are attracted to the color yellow. Gardening stores now sell these yellow glue traps. You can make them yourself.

A sheet of yellow paper is glued onto the cardboard and coated with non-drying glue. Several of these traps are hung in the greenhouse. The appearance of butterflies stuck to the traps signals that it is necessary to spray the tomatoes in the greenhouse with insecticides.

How to detect a pest on tomatoes

Most cutworms begin feeding not at night, but during dusk. The caterpillars are not that small; in the evening they are easily detected by people with good eyesight.

But you can see them on the underside of tomato leaves in the middle of the day. If the bed or tomatoes in the greenhouse are mulched with grass or other plant debris, you need to rake the litter. It is likely that the larvae wait out the daylight hours there.

There should be no talk of weeds. If you do not get rid of them, protecting tomatoes by spraying and other methods will become ineffective.

Butterflies also appear in the evening. If you go out into the garden or visit a greenhouse at dusk, you can see flying pests - their wingspan is quite large.

Scoop eggs are white, yellow, and light green in color. They are clearly visible on leaves, weeds and plant debris, even if deposited one at a time.

It is much worse when it is not the pest that is found, but signs of its activity - gnawed and skeletonized leaves, which only have large veins left, a damaged stem or caterpillars inside the tomatoes.

How to treat and how to get rid of caterpillars on tomatoes in a greenhouse

All methods of fighting caterpillars are divided into two large groups:

1. Chemicals - you will need insecticides from the manufacturer;
2. Folk remedies that involve the use of natural materials and manual collection of pests.

Each method has its pros and cons, and can be quite effective if applied correctly and at the right time, when the caterpillars are most susceptible to such influence.

Important! The use of chemicals during the harvest period is strictly prohibited. At this time, it is permissible to use only natural remedies, since fruits treated with insecticides are toxic and dangerous to humans.

How to treat and spray tomatoes against green caterpillars that eat them: folk remedies

The cutworm on tomatoes can be destroyed not only with the use of pesticides and insecticides. Traditional methods will also work. The best is to use herbs. Sometimes experienced summer residents plant calendula and mint near the tomato plantings. These plants repel cutworms because the insects do not tolerate proximity to these strong-smelling plants.

Recipes of traditional methods:

• Garlic arrows. To prepare the poison, you need to finely chop 700 grams of garlic arrows and pour them into a bottle. Next, all this is filled with ordinary water, closed with a lid and placed in a cool place for 7 days. After this, 50-70 g of solution is taken from the resulting solution. Dissolve in a bucket of water. The resulting solution is used to spray tomato crops. Spraying must be done once every 10 days.
• Another great method for controlling cutworms on tomatoes is to use wormwood. To prepare the poison, 500 g of herb is poured with five liters of boiling water and left for two days in a dark place. After this, filter the solution and dilute it in a ratio of 1 to 10. The resulting liquid is sprayed on the tomatoes. This method is effective both in relation to adult individuals and in relation to young caterpillars.
• You can fight the cutworm using burdock leaves. To do this, you need to cut half a bucket of leaves and fill them with warm water. After this, leave the bucket covered with a lid somewhere warm for three days. Spray the bushes with the resulting solution. Treatment is carried out in mid-May, every 14 days.

Spraying tomatoes