Gypsy moth - how to deal with pest invasion

Many butterflies are pests. One of these is the pine silkworm, or, as it is also called, the cocoon moth. The insect harms conifers. Belongs to the group of pine-eaters. More often, the cocoon moth infects pine trees. The insect at the caterpillar stage is quite voracious. When an individual appears, it is necessary to urgently begin to fight it. Otherwise, coniferous plants will be completely destroyed and will not be able to grow further.

Cocoon moths are considered pests

Description and features

The silkworm goes through four stages in its development.
First the eggs are laid. The laying of eggs is called grena. Larvae or mulberry worms emerge from the eggs. The larvae pupate. Next, the last, most amazing phase of transformation occurs - the pupa reincarnates into a butterfly (moth, moth). The silkworm in the photo most often appears in the form of its winged essence, that is, a moth. It is rather nondescript, painted smoky white. The wings have a standard appearance for Lepidoptera, consist of 4 segments, and spread approximately 6 cm.

The pattern on the wings is simple: a large web of longitudinal and transverse lines. The silkworm butterfly is quite furry. She has a furry body, fuzzy legs and large hairy antennae (antennae).

The silkworm has a feature associated with long-term domestication. The insect has completely lost the ability to take care of itself: butterflies are not able to fly, and voracious caterpillars do not try to find food when they are hungry.

The origin of the silkworm has not been reliably established. The domesticated form is believed to have originated from the wild silkworm. The free-living silkworm butterfly is smaller than the domesticated one. It is capable of flight, and the caterpillar independently devastates thickets of mulberry bushes.

What are the stages of development

The silkworm goes through 4 stages of development, each of which is described in the table.

All 4 stages are required. One generation of insects is replaced by another. Cocoon moths are voracious and need urgent destruction.

Pupa is one of the stages of butterfly development

What does a gypsy moth look like?

The gypsy moth is a butterfly belonging to the order of Lepidoptera from the family of moths. A distinctive feature of these insects is the noticeable differences between male and female individuals.

Differences in adults are noticeable in color and shape:

1. Females - the size of the wings when unfolded reaches 90 mm. The thick body has the shape of a cylinder. A grayish fluff is visible on the abdomen. The antennae are thin and long.
2. Male - wingspan 40-50 mm, body thin, covered with hairs. The color of the wings is brown, the surface is covered with a pattern of dark spots and broken lines. The antennae are comb-like.

Gypsy moth butterflies prefer open forests, dry places with sufficient light. The first centers of spread are usually located on the edges. During droughts, large outbreaks of mass reproduction of silkworms occur. This species is the leader among pests in terms of the number of outbreaks of reproduction and the duration of these periods.

Give for nuts

Almost 450 million rubles are needed to save the cedar forests. It is planned to allocate about 50 million from the regional budget for next year to combat the Siberian silkworm. Therefore, the regional authorities turned to the Federation for support: Governor Sergei Zhvachkin wrote a letter to Rosleskhoz.

– We cannot write off the social significance of cedar forests. Most of them are village-based, that is, they are located near populated areas. And for many local residents, harvesting pine nuts is the main source of income,” emphasized Anton Balaburkin.

The ideal option is to treat the entire affected area. The optimal time for carrying out such work is the first ten days of May. At this time, the caterpillars emerge from the litter, climb into the crown and begin to actively feed. And at this moment it is necessary to strike from the air - to spray special means using air transport.

Siberian silkworms are poisoned using the biological drug “Lepidocid”. It is harmless to people and animals, including bees.

“We are currently trying to obtain permission at the federal level to use chemical control agents. Biological drugs are effective, but they have a very serious limitation - the temperature of use, notes Anton Balaburkin. – “Lepidotsid” acts at an average daily temperature of 18 degrees and above, and here in early May it will be at most plus 10.

The problem is that all Russian chemical products have expired certification periods - they need to be renewed. And this also takes time. During the Soviet years, there were more than 20 different products approved for use. Tomsk residents turned to the government with a request to use at least some of them.

The amount of work ahead is very large. But success will be achieved only if everything works out: federal money comes to the region, competitive procedures are successfully completed... At stake is the priceless asset of the region - His Majesty the Siberian cedar.

The Siberian silkworm caterpillar has six instars. Basic nutrition occurs starting from the third age. During the third or fourth period, the caterpillar eats at least 30% of the tree crown, during the fifth or sixth period, everything else. In the Tomsk region there are areas where overeating is 100%.

In our region, there was an outbreak of mass reproduction of the Siberian silkworm in the mid-1950s. Then the silkworm damaged about 1.5 million hectares of taiga. The northeast of the region was especially affected.

The Siberian silkworm feeds on the needles of almost all coniferous species found within its range. It prefers larch, often damages fir and spruce, and to a lesser extent pine trees - Siberian and Scots.

The development cycle of the Siberian silkworm usually lasts two years.

In the second half of July, the butterfly season begins and lasts about a month. Butterflies don't feed.

The female lays an average of about 300 eggs, placing them one at a time or in groups on the needles in the upper part of the crown.

In the second half of August, caterpillars of the first instar emerge from the eggs, they feed on green needles and in the second or third instar, at the end of September, they go to winter. Caterpillars overwinter in the litter under a cover of moss and a layer of fallen pine needles.

The rise in the crown is observed in May after the snow melts. The caterpillars feed until next autumn and leave for the second wintering at the fifth or sixth instar. In the spring, they rise into the crowns again and, after active feeding, in June they weave a dense gray cocoon, inside which they then pupate. The development of the silkworm in the pupa lasts 3–4 weeks.

Natural enemies

In nature, the enemies of the silkworm are:

• birds (the sparrowhawk especially likes the silkworm);
• insectivores that eat larvae and butterflies (for example, they are a treat for squirrels);
• parasitic insects (for example, these are hedgehog flies or tahini, which lay eggs in the body of the silkworm);
• pathogens (eg pebrina).

Sericulture involves human struggle with the deadly enemies of the silkworm.

Danger to humans

Butterflies pose no danger to humans, but with caterpillars the situation is different.

The common pine and marching silkworm at the caterpillar stage has hair on which there are toxic substances. The poison is contained in minimal doses and is designed to protect the caterpillar from insects and birds. However, it can also cause trouble for a person. Naturally, you cannot be poisoned by the poison from the caterpillar hairs, but it greatly irritates the mucous membranes and skin. Therefore, handling the cocoon moth at the caterpillar stage is strongly not recommended.

Reproduction of silkworms

Heavy females rarely fly; they sit on the bark of trees and attract males with the help of pheromones. Males start flying a few days earlier. They are especially active in the evening. They fly long distances in search of a mate. After fertilization, females lay eggs under the bark of trees at a height of 3-4 m. They are round in shape, yellow or pinkish in color. Size – 1 mm, number of eggs in a gypsy moth clutch – 100-1000 pieces. The insect spends most of its life in the egg state - about 8 months.

An embryo is formed inside the egg shell, which remains to overwinter. In spring, when the temperature rises to +100, the first caterpillars appear. They sit motionless for some time, then crawl along the tree. The body of small caterpillars is covered with bristles and air bubbles. This allows them to travel with gusts of wind. To travel long distances, insects can release webs.

Interesting fact. The caterpillar is the only form of gypsy that feeds, accumulating energy for the remaining phases of development.

The gypsy moth belongs to the cocoon moth family. The caterpillar appears with sixteen legs. At birth she is light yellow, but quickly darkens and turns brown or black. There are several longitudinal rows of warts on the body.

Information. Gypsy moth eggs are extremely resilient; they can withstand temperatures down to -50.

After settling in a new territory, active feeding begins. Young caterpillars eat during the daytime, gnawing small holes in the leaves. After 3-4 months, they switch to feeding at night, eating the entire leaf. In addition to foliage, the pests’ diet includes buds, young shoots, and flowers. Depending on the climate zone, caterpillars require from 50 to 80 days to develop. They then pupate. This occurs in June-July, the pupal stage lasts 10-15 days.

Information. The optimal temperature for insect growth is +20-25; if it drops to +10, development stops. Male caterpillars go through 5 larval stages to the imago (adult) stage, females – 6 stages.

Mating and egg laying

Gypsy moth butterflies emerge from their pupae in July and August, first males, a little later - females. They fly low above the ground in the evenings, find partners and mate.

After mating, each female lays from 100 to 300 eggs on trunks, branches or tree roots protruding from the ground.

Larval development inside the egg

The eggs of the gypsy are smooth, round, slightly flattened on top. The female covers the clutch with hairs from her abdomen to give it a dark to light brown color. Most of the eggs laid overwinter above the snow cover and are exposed to low temperatures, which does not lead to their death.

Caterpillar stage

Caterpillars hatch from eggs at an average daily air temperature of 4–16 °C; usually their appearance coincides with the beginning of the growth of leaves and needles on the fodder trees.

The caterpillars actively feed for 2–2.5 months, after which they gather on trunks, branches, in the crowns of trees and shrubs and pupate.

Pupa stage

Gypsy moth pupae are dark brown or matte black in color. They are covered with sparse tufts of short brown or red hairs. The length of the pupae is from 18 to 37 mm.

Silkworm. Breeding Features

- This is an unattractive little butterfly with small off-white wings. However, despite their presence, she cannot fly at all. The insect has a rather strange appearance (photo 3), which does not correspond much to the idea of ​​butterflies to which we are accustomed.

Today, the following breeds of silkworm have been bred by hybrid means:

• monovoltine;
• bivoltine;
• multivoltine.

Their main difference is the number of generations per year.

An adult butterfly has a very short lifespan, only 12 days. And during this time she does not eat anything at all, since she has no oral cavity. The entire life cycle of a silkworm consists of the main stages:

• egg;
• caterpillar;
• chrysalis;
• butterfly.

The eggs are elliptical in shape, slightly compressed on the sides. Caterpillars emerge from them, grow quickly and eat a lot. They feed exclusively on mulberry leaves (photo 4)

And during the entire period of their growth, which is 25-30 days, they eat up to 30 grams. Feeding of caterpillars occurs in special conditions: a ventilated and warm room, in special trays, in the form of sequential shelves. The growth of the caterpillar can be divided into 5 periods, between which it eats a lot, molts and grows, increasing in size and weight, from 2 mm to 88 mm and up to 4 grams. Only after the fourth moult does the caterpillar fill up the silk gland located on the lower lip, with the help of which the paired thread is released in a liquid state. With the help of such a thread, a cocoon is curled, which is actively wrapped within 3-4 days. To help the caterpillars, special bases are provided for obtaining a cocoon, as shown in photo 5.

This process requires up to one and a half kilometers of silk thread. Already in the cocoon, the caterpillar transforms into a pupa, which after 14-20 days turns into a butterfly. And the whole process repeats.

Cocoons differ in size and shape, as well as color. They can be:

• white;
• golden;
• lemon yellow;
• with a reddish or greenish tint;
• The color of the cocoon depends on the breed of silkworm.

Pearl-white cocoons are produced only by a breed of silkworm with striped caterpillars (photo 6)

The most valuable butterflies are males, it is their caterpillars that produce the best cocoons, they are much denser, and accordingly, a larger amount of thread is spent on it.

To obtain silk thread, cocoons are used only during the period when the pupa has not yet turned into a butterfly and has not damaged it. There are several ways to process cocoons, including dousing them with steam and placing them in a special roasting pan. Under the influence of high temperatures, the pupae freeze, by the way, in China and in many other Asian countries, they are eaten, and the cocoon remains in perfect condition, it is soaked and unwinded on special installations.

Nutrition

The gypsy moth butterfly has no mouthparts and does not feed at all, and the caterpillars are very voracious and polyphagous. In different habitats, gypsy is associated with different species of trees and shrubs.

The main food items for caterpillars are:

• in Europe, the Caucasus and the Far East - various types of oak;
• in the mountain forests of the Caucasus, Crimea and Carpathians - hornbeam and beech;
• in forest-steppes and small-leaved forests of Siberia - birch and aspen;
• in the mountain forests of the Urals and Sayan Mountains - various types of larches;
• in the mountains of the Altai Territory - larch, fir, pine and cedar;
• in the mountains of Central Asia - fir, spruce, pear and maple.

Caterpillars that have recently hatched from eggs feed mainly during daylight hours, while they migrate within the crown. Older caterpillars feed primarily at night, especially in persistent warm weather.

Preventive actions

Any disease of common pine caused by fungal spores or pests is much easier to prevent than to treat. To maintain the health of pine seedlings and mature trees, the following rules must be observed:

• pay attention to the quality and level of soil moisture, regularly apply mineral fertilizers;
• plant pine in well-lit areas with good ventilation - many ailments develop precisely in conditions of shading and stagnant moisture in the soil;
• choose only high-quality seedlings and seed material for planting;
• annually carry out preventive treatment of pine trees with Bordeaux mixture and fungicidal substances; the products do not harm the plant, but help prevent the appearance of pests and carry out treatment in the early stages;
• regularly weed and loosen the soil at the roots of the pine tree and prevent the growth of weeds, many of them are intermediate carriers of fungal spores and pest larvae.

Advice! Every year it is necessary to carry out preventive pruning of pine trees and remove dry, damaged and diseased branches. After pruning and harvesting, needles, bark and shoots must be burned, otherwise bacteria and larvae from them will again spread to a healthy tree.

Distribution and harm

The pest has a wide distribution area. In Europe it is found up to Scandinavia, in Asia it covers many countries: Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan, Japan, China, Korea. The story of how the butterfly came to North America is interesting. The insect was introduced artificially to conduct experiments on crossing with other species. The larvae managed to spread from the experimental area into open forests. The problem that arose was not given due importance and within a few years the gypsy birds took over a huge territory. It was not until 1889 that the gypsy moth was recognized as a pest. But the insect has already firmly established itself in the new territory.

Interesting fact. Due to their wide distribution area, butterflies are divided into races. In Russia there are Far Eastern, European, Siberian and other races.

The gypsy moth caterpillar denudes deciduous trees in forests and gardens. She prefers fruit trees: apple trees, plums, and apricots. In the wild it chooses oak, birch, and linden. Avoids ash and alder. In total, the pest eats about 300 plant species, not excluding conifers. The main division occurs into the European and Asian races. The Asian group is a true polyphagous, feeding on various types of trees and bushes.

Varieties of gypsy moths

Gypsy moth butterflies are classified into different species depending on their habitat and feeding habits. Among the common groups:

Pine cocoon moth

Insects are common in coniferous forests of Siberia and Europe. They damage pine plantations, less often than other species. Grayish-brown females measure 85 mm, males – 60 mm, caterpillars – up to 80 mm. Caterpillars spend the winter in the ground under tree trunks. They rise to feed in the spring and pupate in July.

Traveling silkworm

The traveling silkworm is characterized by the ability of caterpillars to migrate to new feeding areas. At the same time, they line up in a long chain, following each other. The first caterpillar, which is the leader, releases a silk thread along which the rest of the insects are guided. There are two types of traveling silkworms: oak and pine.

Siberian silkworm

The gypsy moth feeds on coniferous trees. This species damages spruce, pine, cedar and fir. The insect settled in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Siberia. The northern border of its distribution runs along the Arctic Circle. The development of a silkworm from egg to butterfly in a cold region takes 2 years. In warm years it can accelerate to an annual cycle. Siberian silkworm butterflies are distinguished by a variety of colors. Adults of brown, gray, and black colors are found. The wingspan of females is 6-10 cm, males have more modest sizes - 4-7 cm. Three dark jagged stripes run across the front wings. The hind wings are brown. The head and chest match the color of the front wings.

The clutch of butterflies is bluish in color, the size of the eggs is 2 mm. They are deposited in uneven piles of 100 pieces. They are located in the bark, on needles and twigs. When the larva appears, it eats half of the shell. The caterpillars grow up to 11 cm, their bodies are gray or black. There are blue hairs on the back. Insects are capable of taking a threatening pose. At the same time, they raise the front part of the body and bend their head. A bright yellow stripe runs along the sides. The body is covered with hairs, in the front and on the sides they are the longest.

The caterpillar's head is brown, with orange spots on its abdomen. The Siberian silkworm pupa is dark, almost black. Its length is up to 5 cm, the cocoon is suspended on branches or between needles. Stinging hairs are woven into its shell. Local silkworms are divided into three races:

• larch;
• fir;
• cedar

Silkworm caterpillars easily tolerate the cold; they go to winter at temperatures close to 00. After wintering, they crawl into trees immediately after the snow melts. As it grows, resistance to frost increases.

Information. At frosts down to -10, the caterpillars die, and they do not survive winters with little snow.

Birch

You can meet the birch silkworm in old-growth and middle-aged forests. Typically, such areas are dominated by birch trees and there is undergrowth. The insect has a light brown color and a whitish coating. On the head, back and abdomen of the silkworm you can see fluffy yellowish hairs.

This species of butterfly is found in deciduous and mixed forests, where there are many birch trees. The caterpillars feed on birch, linden, and hazel.

Mulberry

The silkworm is a real butterfly - a producer of silk threads. It practically cannot fly and often settles on a mulberry tree (mulberry). Insect larvae eat foliage in large quantities throughout the day. This creature looks rather inconspicuous and has some resemblance to an ordinary bloodworm or moth.

The caterpillar, which has pupated, begins to make a cocoon from a thin silk thread. The latter can be colored white, pink, yellow and green. In order for the silkworm to produce threads efficiently, the insect requires special conditions.

The climate in the area where this voracious creature lives should be warm with moderate humidity and a large number of plants.

Large harpy

The harpy moth is characterized by a wingspan of 5.8-7.5 cm . The large insect is painted light gray and has matte zigzag lines. There are thick white hairs on the harpy's head and chest. The distribution area of ​​this species of silkworm can be considered throughout Europe.

The creature lives mainly in floodplain forests, along ponds and streams. In addition, it can be found in the alley of poplars. The silkworm feeds on poplar, aspen leaves and willow greens.

Nun

A butterfly from the moth family, a typical night moth. Caterpillars prefer to feed at night, making them difficult to spot in gardens. Causes significant damage by eating leaves of apple, oak, birch, and coniferous trees - pine, spruce, larch. Juniper, yew, pear, privet, currant and gooseberry are not subject to invasions of nuns. The wingspan of butterflies is up to 6 cm, the color is gray with a typical dark pattern in the form of zigzag stripes. The antennae are black, jagged.

The caterpillar is densely covered with hairs with 8 pairs of legs, 6 cm long. On the back there is a black spot in the shape of a heart, from which a dark stripe runs along the body. Red warty spots are visible on the ninth and tenth ring constrictions. Overwintering stage - eggs laid in folds of bark. The caterpillars are very voracious, producing webs on which they can be carried by the wind and cause outbreaks in large areas of forested areas. Each outbreak lasts 7-8 years, after which the number declines.

Oak

The habitat of the oak silkworm is considered to be the southern and eastern parts of Eurasia. He feels most comfortable in countries with warm climates, for example, Malaysia, India, Indonesia. Caterpillars prefer to eat oak, chestnut, and hornbeam leaves.

Herbal

A large herbaceous butterfly of the cocoon moth genus has a red-brown color. This insect is distinguished from others by the presence of white spots on the upper part of the wing. Females have larger body sizes and a thicker abdomen. Males have large, comb-like whiskers and dark colored wings. The grass silkworm can be found in the steppe and forest-steppe. This insect prefers wet biotopes, ravines, moist lowlands, near shores with active vegetation.

What are the development features

Each stage of development has its own characteristics. The butterfly season begins in early summer. Reproduction is 2-sexual. The insect lays eggs in groups of 20-100 units.

Egg development takes up to 20 days. The air temperature should be about 18 degrees. Caterpillars are voracious and immediately after birth they begin to actively eat. The larvae molt 6-7 times throughout the entire period. They feed on pine trees. Other trees are affected only when there is a lack of food. Pupation occurs on pine branches. This stage lasts up to 2 months.

The butterfly emerges in mid-summer. The development cycle is annual. Massive outbreaks of reproduction last 7-8 years.

Why are silkworms dangerous?

Damage to the gypsy moth

The gypsy moth causes significant damage to fruit trees and shrubs. Gardeners often have to fight caterpillars on apple trees. Strawberries, cranberries, lingonberries and other cultivated cereals suffer from it. Caterpillars pose an immediate danger by eating buds, leaves and flowers. In just 2 months of its development, one individual is capable of eating about 30 young leaves. If there are large numbers of caterpillars on a tree, they will leave the plant completely without foliage. This leads to his death.

Considering that the silkworm makes 5-6 clutches, there is a serious threat to garden and vegetable crops. To prevent this from happening, humanity has to constantly fight silkworms. For this, various methods are used, including manual collection of caterpillars. It is also recommended to use preventive measures, which include treating trees with special means.

What harm does an insect cause?

It should be remembered that each insect brings a certain benefit to green spaces. The pine cocoon moth, which can be called a forest orderly, is no exception . Its caterpillars primarily eat old needles on diseased and weakened trees.

When the population becomes too numerous, the pine cocoon moth turns into an extremely dangerous pest of pine forests.

The greatest damage to forestry is caused by cocoon moth caterpillars, which eat needles at all stages of their development and especially intensively after wintering, from early spring until

pupation. The voracious caterpillars harm not only pine forests, they can also feed on cedar, larch and spruce needles.

One adult caterpillar eats up to 60 needles per day, and during the entire period of development until pupation - about 1000 needles (approximately 36 g). This intensity of eating needles leads to the fact that damaged trees do not have time to recover and dry out completely.

In dry years, which are the most favorable for the reproduction of the pest, numerous populations of caterpillars can destroy tens of thousands of hectares of pine forests. An outbreak of mass reproduction in the same places can last about 5 years. When outbreaks occur in forestry, intensive control of the pine cocoon moth is carried out.

Benefits of silkworm

The silkworm not only brings harm to people, it also has significant benefits. During his existence, man has tamed and domesticated many animals. Insects are also included in this number and among them there is a silkworm. In China, about 3 thousand years ago, it was first noticed that caterpillars have a unique ability - they weave silk threads. Since then, the silkworm has been a domesticated insect that is completely dependent on humans.

The Celestial Country has been famous for the production of high-quality silk for many years. Sericulture has always been considered a profitable business. An area with a mild climate, where a mulberry tree can grow, is suitable for its organization. Its leaves are a source of food for silkworms. In Russia, sericulture began to be practiced relatively recently, but it has not become widespread.

Pine armyworm and Siberian silkworm: what are the differences?

Siberian silkworms and pine cutworms are common insects that can be difficult to distinguish. Both species feed on pine trees. The second individual listed prefers only young trees, and its movement is predominantly nocturnal.

The color of the cutworm resembles young bud sprouts. The wings are brown with a green tint. During the caterpillar stage, the body is green. White stripes are observed.

One of the subspecies is

Butterfly years begin at the same time. The main difference between the representatives is nutrition. It is impossible to distinguish insects by external signs without appropriate experience.

Control measures

The fight against silkworms in a summer cottage should be carried out comprehensively. Within one season, insects can destroy young individuals of garden trees, as well as reduce their productivity to a minimum. The basic principles of saving crops in the garden and garden from the voracious larvae:

• You can collect the pest from young low trees with your hands;
• it is advisable to attract natural enemies of the silkworm to the site;
• in early spring, after the snow has melted, it is recommended to apply a layer of slaked lime to the trees;
• Before the caterpillars migrate, plants should be treated with special preparations.

If you make every effort, you can get rid of the pest on trees within a season. It is advisable to use several methods at the same time. The main methods of controlling silkworms on apple trees and other horticultural crops.

Insecticides

Chemical agents in the fight against silkworms bring results within a few days. If poison is used, butterflies die within a few hours from the moment of irrigation, caterpillars die within a month. Penetration of the poison occurs through the chitinous cover of the pest, after which damage to the nervous system occurs, muscle paralysis and death. Since the poison penetrates into the tree sap a couple of hours after irrigation, the absorption of insecticides by silkworms occurs at the time of their feeding. It is recommended to poison trees in the garden several times a season. When processing in early spring, spraying can be done once.

According to gardeners, silkworm control can be effective if you use:

• "Aktellik";
• "Aktaru";
• "Karbofos";
• "Fufanon."

The use of insecticides is recommended only after all other methods have failed.

Folk remedies

To destroy silkworm caterpillars, you can use simple and safe methods. For this purpose, the gardener should use:

• herbal decoction with a pungent aroma;
• laundry soap;
• spices;
• wood ash;
• table vinegar;
• ammonia.

With the help of a soap base, the active components are retained on the foliage. You can add soap to all folk remedies necessary to fight silkworms. A good effect is observed if garden crops are treated with garlic tincture. Everyone decides for themselves how to deal with silkworms. To choose the right method, a gardener must evaluate many factors.

Biological products

The use of biological products based on active bacteria. The latter are capable of affecting the internal organs of insects and their systems. After using the biological product, you can immediately notice the beginning of the destructive effect. The results of the procedure can appear 7-10 days after treatment. If it rains, the effect of the substance on the pest is significantly reduced. Biological products can be used at different stages of vegetation growth. Good results are observed when using the following substances:

• “Bitoxibacillin” - spray plants during the growing season with an interval of 8 days;
• "Entobacterin" - used only at a temperature of plus 20 degrees;
• "Dendrobacillin" - refers to fast-acting drugs;
• "Fitoverm";
• "Lepidocide";
• "Sparks bio".

How to deal with a pest

Biological methods

The pine cocoon moth has many natural enemies. Shrews and hedgehogs destroy caterpillars during the wintering period. Birds eat eggs, caterpillars, pupae and butterflies. The feathered enemies of the insect are cuckoos, tits, starlings, nuthatches, orioles, hoopoes, owls and other birds.

In addition, several species of flies, egg eaters and parasites, parasitize cocoon moth eggs, which also reduces the population size. The caterpillars also die due to a disease caused by the muscardine fungus.

Elimination of small foci of attacks by pine cocoon moths is successfully carried out using biological control methods. For this purpose, additional dispersal of entomophages is used - insects that are natural enemies of pine pests.

The most commonly used is the telenomus ovidae, which parasitizes the eggs of the pine cocoon moth and leads to their death. Telenomus is propagated in laboratory conditions on the eggs of the pest. Eggs infected with the entomophage are moved into developing foci before the butterflies begin their summer.

Telenomus spreads very well. It is capable of spreading up to 300 meters from release sites, effectively infecting fresh clutches of pine moth eggs.

Ants of the genus Formica exterminate many harmful insects, including the pine cocoon moth. They successfully deal with its young caterpillars. Ant colonies are protected and, if necessary, can be resettled in affected areas.

Of all parts of the tree, the large pine beetle prefers the core. The goldentail is a very beautiful white butterfly, but it causes a lot of damage to gardens. Read here how to deal with this pest.

The raspberry-strawberry weevil is especially active when buds appear on strawberry bushes. Read about measures to combat this insect at https://stopvreditel.ru/rastenij/selxoz/malinno-zemlyanichnyj-dolgonosik.html link.

Chemicals

When a small population of pine cocoon moths is discovered, the infected area of ​​the forest is isolated with clearings and ditches so that the caterpillars cannot move to uninfected trees. The lower part of tree trunks in an isolated area is ringed with a trap made of caterpillar glue, which prevents caterpillars from crawling onto trees. The width of the adhesive ring is 4 cm, and the thickness is from 3 to 5 mm. 40 - 50 kg of glue is used per 1 hectare. These measures are carried out in early spring before the caterpillars emerge from hibernation.

In the event of large foci of infection, areas are pollinated with various insecticides from aircraft.

The following consumption rates are used:

1. Hexachlorane - from 0.2 to 0.3 kg per 1 ha,
2. Dust DDT (5-%) - from 15 to 20 kg per 1 ha,
3. Benzophosphate - from 1 to 3 kg per 1 ha,
4. Karbofos - from 1.2 to 4 kg per 1 ha,
5. Metaphos - from 1 to 4 kg per 1 ha.

Another control method is to apply a toxic ring 10 to 15 cm wide on tree trunks by spraying at chest level. To do this, a pesticide solution is made at the rate of 4 kg per 1 hectare of mature trees and 10 kg per 1 hectare of young trees. This procedure is carried out in early spring before the caterpillars emerge from their shelters.

All chemical control methods are used only after careful monitoring. Treatment with insecticides begins in early spring before the appearance of natural enemies of the pine cocoon moth, so as not to harm the beneficial inhabitants of the forest.

Of course, large populations of the pine cocoon moth are extremely dangerous for our forest wealth. However, constant monitoring and timely measures taken to protect trees from attacks by voracious pests can prevent the destruction of coniferous forests.

Geographical distribution

The habitat of the gypsy moth is all of Europe to the southern regions of Finland and Scandinavia, as well as North America, North Africa, Japan and the countries of Asia Minor.

In Russia, the pest is widespread in the south and throughout the territory where oak grows.

It is also found in Siberia, the Baikal region (55–57° north latitude), and the Far East.

The ringed silkworm is distributed in Europe, with the exception of the Far North, in South and North Korea, Japan, and northern China. In Russia, it lives in the Far East and Siberia

Meaning in nature

Gypsy moths are malicious forest pests. They completely destroy the foliage, leaving the plant to die. Moreover, it is not only the wild forest that suffers losses, but gardens cultivated by people and personal plots with fruit-bearing trees. This order has one distinctive feature: it is characterized by periodic outbreaks of fertility and mass migrations. Due to this, damage is caused to large areas. Very often such events are of a long-term nature. In order to assess the scale of the lesions, look at the photos; there are a lot of them on the global network, so the search takes just a few minutes.