The larva of the mole cricket and the cockchafer: what is the difference and what they look like

Description of the pest

The mole cricket is an insect, a representative of the order Orthoptera.
The adult specimen is characterized by significant size (up to 6 cm). For orientation in space, whiskers are provided, and the limbs are designed so that the insect has the opportunity to dig the soil. Life expectancy is 5 years. An adult mole cricket feeds on plant roots and can damage up to 15 plants per night

The mole cricket is distributed throughout Russia (with the exception of the regions of the North and East), Europe, and Asia. Acceptable conditions for existence in the ground are from +10 degrees or more. The pest is nocturnal, during which time the mole cricket climbs to the soil surface. The insect reaches a soil depth of up to 2 m. It overwinters closer to the surface (at a level of no more than 15 cm from the soil surface). This insect moves quickly, can swim, fly (rises to a height of up to 5 m).

Signs of appearance

Considering that pests do not appear during the day, they are not easy to detect. However, according to some signs, it is quite possible to assume the appearance of a mole cricket:

General destruction of seedlings: leaf lethargy appears, plants wither;
Violation of the integrity of root crops;
The soil becomes loosened, piles of soil and passages are revealed;
Holes in the ground.

External signs of eggs

The pest reproduces very quickly, as there are about 500 eggs in one clutch. The mating season lasts several months: from May to July. Eggs of the mole cricket pest are found under a layer of soil, in manure or a garbage heap. The insect builds a nest. This is a small chamber: approximately 6x6 cm. The walls are sealed. The nest of a mole cricket contains beige or yellow-brown offspring.

The chamber is filled with yellow or light brown eggs, similar to ant eggs, but larger.

Externally, the eggs resemble ant eggs. However, the larger size makes it possible to verify that these are the offspring of mole crickets. The egg reaches a length of 3.5 mm. The incubation period lasts about three weeks. In order for the offspring to develop normally, the mole cricket sets up its nest at a depth of no more than 15 cm from the surface of the earth. This ensures the supply of oxygen. The female takes care of the offspring and periodically turns the eggs, which reduces the risk of mold.

Description of the larva

Considering that an adult insect lives on average 5 years, it takes 1-2 years for the offspring to develop. During this period, the young go through 4 stages. After emerging from the shells, mole cricket larvae develop to a size of 1.5-3.5 cm. Formation in more acceptable conditions (ambient temperature, opportunity to feed) occurs faster.

With each moult, it becomes more and more similar to an adult: the body darkens and takes on shape.

In terms of external characteristics, the mole cricket larva resembles an adult. The only difference is the sizes. Thus, young animals are half as long as mature insects. The larva goes through several stages of molting. Gradually she reaches sexual maturity and acquires the ability to reproduce. In one season, as happens with most insects, the offspring of the mole cricket does not have time to develop and remains to overwinter, remaining in the larval form.

During the cold season, some of the offspring die, because not all individuals tolerate frost well. This ability is influenced by the supply of nutrients accumulated during the warm season. This factor also determines the female’s fertility in the future. Immediately after emerging from the eggs, the larva begins to feed. The source of food for her at this stage is the remains of the protective shell, as well as salivary secretions, which the female used to build the chamber/nest.

When the offspring grows up (closer to autumn), the source of food is the food familiar to adult mole crickets: roots, root crops, lower sections of the stems of plantings. As they develop, the larvae become more voracious. At first, the offspring move along ready-made passages dug by the parent insects. When the larvae's capabilities increase, they begin to dig the ground on their own. This happens forcedly, as there is a need to find new sources of food.

Metamorphosis

First, we will look at how mole crickets reproduce. This period falls at the end of spring - beginning of summer, when the air temperature remains quite high at night. However, in greenhouses, clutches can be found much earlier - they are often discovered as early as March. After mating, females go into the soil to a depth of about 10-15 cm, making burrows in it, which are combined into a small nest. Moreover, the vault of such a “room” has a dome-shaped appearance and rises somewhat above the surface of the earth.

In one clutch there are usually several hundred eggs, from which, after some time, larvae appear. Moreover, the latter are very similar in appearance to adult individuals. It should be immediately noted that mole crickets are insects with incomplete metamorphosis, and therefore they do not have a pupal phase.

Some gardeners often mistake a cockchafer larva for a mole cricket larva, and to correct this situation, we suggest you find out what a mole cricket looks like at each stage of its development?

Eggs

They have an oblong shape and are colored light brown. The size of the eggs is small and is no more than 3.5 mm in length. For their normal development, sufficient humidity is required, which is constantly monitored by adult individuals, and depending on weather conditions, they close and open the entrance hole of the burrow from time to time.

The eggs of mole crickets are somewhat reminiscent of ant clutches in appearance, only in the latter they are slightly smaller. At the same time, it is quite difficult to crush a mole cricket egg, since it is covered with a dense film on top. Development in the egg under optimal conditions lasts about two to three weeks.

Larvae

they have only 6 legs, not 8, like a mature mole cricket;
they are blind;
They eat only the embryonic yolk, which is in their crop;
First instar cabbage larvae do not have wings.

Before turning into an adult insect, the larva experiences several moults with an interval of 3-4 months. After the first, her diet becomes more varied: the young can already feed on humus, the remains of the shell and the salivary secretion of the female, which remains on the walls of the hole.

A month after hatching from the egg, the larvae become very active and voracious. By autumn, the young reach 3-4 years of age and leave the nest. They move through tunnels that were previously dug by their parents and switch to the usual menu for adult insects: they eat roots, bulbs and lower stems of plants.

Having the opportunity to eat normally and move quickly, the larvae go in search of new habitats. The full cycle of their development takes about 2-2.5 years and after the last molt they turn into adults, fully ready for further reproduction.

First of all, we should return to the features of the mole cricket’s metamorphosis. As mentioned above, it is an insect with incomplete transformation, that is, young animals emerge from the egg, which in appearance resemble sexually mature individuals. Therefore, the mole cricket larva cannot look like a caterpillar - it looks like a smaller copy of the imago.

And if we talk about the larva of the cockchafer, then it will already be similar to a caterpillar. A more detailed description of it is as follows:

the body is painted white, about 2 cm long and no more than 0.8 cm thick;
on the front of the body there are three pairs of legs;
there are small hairs on the body and legs;
dark brown dots are clearly visible on the sides;
the back of the body is darker.

Don’t waste time and start destroying the mole cricket immediately. Have a good harvest!

Medvedka - description and photo

At the end of the abdomen, the mole cricket has two paired appendages in the form of a thread - cerci, up to 1 cm long. At the bottom of the abdomen there are numerous golden hairs. On top there are elytra, under which there are large wings, which when folded look like thin scales.
On the head there are two large eyes, long mustaches and tentacles near the mouthparts (photo 6, photo 7). The pair of forelimbs is modified and consists of short, powerful paws with thick shins, which are an excellent tool for digging the ground.

The mole cricket begins to be active at the end of May, when the mating season begins. At this time, female insects leave their underground shelters and crawl to the surface of the earth to meet the male.

After mating, the female prepares a nest at a depth of 10–15 cm and lays eggs there. One of the two passages leading to the nest opens onto the surface of the earth. After rain or watering, the mole cricket clears the passage of clogged soil, leaving piles of loose soil on the surface, from which the location of the insect’s nests is clearly visible.

Adult mole crickets overwinter together with larvae in compost or in the ground at a depth of more than 2 meters.

As mentioned earlier, the mole cricket is a very large insect with small hairs on its body. Its shell is brown on top and yellow-brown underneath. The body length can reach from 3 to 5 centimeters, and the thickness is 1-1.5 cm. The head is located straight in relation to the body, and their axes completely coincide.

The insect's foredorsum is massive, flat, the lateral lobes slightly hang downwards. It is this feature that will help you recognize the cabbage plant. The front part and head have a strong chitinous shell, which is why it is compared to a crayfish. It helps the insect when digging underground tunnels, as it has the properties to successfully compact and push the earth.

The belly of the mole cricket is thick, its diameter reaches approximately 1 centimeter. In males and females, the anal and genital plates are located on it, but no ovipositor was found in females. The last plate of the abdomen has cerci, also called caudal appendages, which look like antennae. More details about mole cricket reproduction are described in a separate section below.

Mole crickets have 3 pairs of limbs. The front legs are very strong, designed for digging the ground. The thigh and lower leg are widened, and the legs are shortened. There are four spikes on the shin, which are painted black, and two on the paw. They help the insect cling to the ground and dig through it. The hind legs are also strong, but they are intended only for movement and have from 1 to 4 spines. There is no jumping function.

Where can you find a bronze fly larva?

To begin with, I will repeat myself and briefly tell new readers of the site what these “animals” are, and also tell you about my new experience.

Briefly about larvae in compost and under mulch. Bronze larvae, living in compost and under mulch, feed only on dead organic matter, that is, the mulch itself or the compost itself. By feeding on plant debris, they produce excellent quality compost for you in a compost heap, or they do the same thing, but in the garden, eating mulch. These larvae increase the fertility of YOUR EARTH.

Bronze beetle larva.

A mother bronze knows what her babies will need for nutrition, so she lays her eggs in compost (preferring grass and leaf compost) or in mulched beds.

Under the mulch you will find bronze larvae.

May beetle larva

To the question of how beetle larvae differ, you can answer briefly - everyone. From the very first stage of development to the last.

The reproduction process begins in early spring, when the first leaves appear on birch trees. With the onset of persistent warmth - in May, the female cockchafer burrows deep into the soil up to 1 m. There she lays numerous white, transparent eggs.

The mole cricket rarely lays eggs at a depth of 1 m. Because the successful development of the offspring requires warmth and air. The female periodically opens the entrances to allow fresh air to enter. At a depth of 1 m, it is problematic to perform such manipulations. When digging a garden to a depth of 50 cm, there is a greater chance of stumbling upon a nest, the offspring of a mole cricket and destroying all unborn pests.

The baby beetles are born after 20 days. In appearance, they are thick, white caterpillars with well-defined rings. Over time, they become larger and rise closer to the surface, feeding on plant roots. It takes several years for the cockchafer larva to develop.

If we compare the larvae of two pests, we can say the following. The offspring of mole crickets cause damage to agricultural crops almost immediately after their birth. Therefore, gardeners use various means of combating them. The young cockchafers are initially harmless and are not so voracious in nature.

As they mature, the baby cockchafers turn into a yellowish, fatty worm, a caterpillar. The head is brown, without eyes, with a well-developed gnawing apparatus. There are 3 pairs of legs in the front part. The body is translucent, food remains are visible in the intestines. There are brown spots on the sides of the rings. These features distinguish the cockchafer from other insects. There is no way to confuse them with baby cabbage mushrooms.

A photo of the larva of the May beetle and the larva of the mole cricket is presented below.

Preventive actions

The following preventive measures will help protect the site and future harvest from the invasion of voracious insects:

deep digging of the soil in spring and autumn (the soil around trees and shrubs must be thoroughly loosened);
if a decision is made to apply manure as a top dressing, it should be applied in the fall so that the larvae die from the cold during the winter (before spreading, the manure should be inspected and, if possible, sifted in order to notice and remove the larvae);
the beds need to be kept clean, getting rid of weeds in a timely manner;
garlic, mint, cilantro, planted between the beds, will repel pests with their smell;
if you mulch the soil with sawdust or chopped straw, it will be more difficult for female insects to lay eggs;
natural enemies of insects are attracted to the site: birds, moles, hedgehogs, shrews, lizards, ground beetles.

If you use these methods, the area will be well protected and will no longer be attractive to pests.

Pest Control

The consequences of the presence of the mole cricket and the cockchafer in your garden are enormous and their principles of sabotage are similar. Therefore, there are some general methods for controlling these pests. Let's look at ways to effectively get rid of these insects.

Agrotechnical method. After harvesting and in early spring, you need to not only loosen the soil, but dig deep in order to disrupt all the underground passages of the mole cricket and destroy its egg clutches and larvae. To get rid of the May beetle, it is necessary to destroy its larvae when digging. And in May and early summer, loosening the soil will disrupt the conditions for molting and pupation of beetleworm larvae, as a result of which they will die. You should know, however, that in a dry summer the larvae of the cockchafer will lie half a meter deep in the ground and this method will not work.

Planting in places where pests of special plants occur. The mole cricket is repelled by the smell of marigold; plant this plant around the perimeter of the garden bed. A field infested with beetle larvae can be planted with perennial lupine, since other weeds will not grow here; the beetle larvae will have to feed only on the roots of lupine, which, in fact, is poisonous to them.

Watering the area with a special solution. An area inhabited by a mole cricket should be watered with an infusion of onion peels or onion waste (900-1000 g of onion peel, pour 10 liters of warm water, leave for 5 days). Before watering, the infusion is diluted with water 1:5 and the plants are watered 2-3 times every 5-7 days, preferably after rain or organized watering. An infusion of chicken manure (2 kg per 10 liters of water) also helps against mole crickets. After diluting with water (1:5), dry soil is watered with it.

A solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 1 liter of water) will save you from the voracious larvae of the May beetle. Plant bushes should be watered with it. Another effective way to water beds from beetle larvae is to prepare a solution: 200 g of regular salt and 2 tbsp per bucket of water. l. ammonia. During the flowering period it is used for pest prevention.

Capture of adults. One of the most environmentally friendly ways is to lure, catch and neutralize. We lure the mole crickets into vegetable oil. Pour a couple of drops of vegetable oil into the hole left by the mole cricket, then pour in water (no more than a glass). The mole cricket will crawl to the smell and die. The cockchafer flies well, often at night, so you need to make a light trap for it. We hang the light bulbs, and under them containers with water and a few drops of kerosene. The beetles end up in the water when they fly into the light. If you don’t want to rack your brains with traps, then in the morning just brush the beetles off the branches onto the blanket and burn them or pour boiling water over them.

We use helpers in the garden. Some gardeners have noticed that if a couple of cats live on the site, then the plants remain in their places, because cats catch everything that moves, including mole crickets. Starlings will be good helpers in the fight against cockchafers and their larvae. Hang up a birdhouse and you don’t have to worry: it has been proven that one singing family destroys up to 8 thousand cockchafers and larvae. Even ordinary chickens will help you destroy cockchafer larvae.

Chemical attack. If you decide to radically control pests and use chemicals, remember that you can use products from the garden only 30 days after the last treatment. For the mole cricket and its larvae, Vofatox, Medvetox-U, and Thunderbolt are used. The drug “Regent” is mixed with boiled buckwheat and drops of beer (for smell).

Potato plants and tubers are treated with Prestige against mole crickets and May beetles. For soil from cockchafer larvae, use Medvetox U, Gromoboy, Gromoboy2. The garden is treated immediately after flowering with the following preparations: Aktara, Arrivo, Decis, Sherpa, Match, Confidor, Confidor Maxi.

Prevention has always been one of the effective methods of pest control; inspect your garden and vegetable garden. Uproot old stumps, remove rotten and rotten boards and beams from the ground, if any. Mole cricket and cockchafer, their larvae are harmful and dangerous insects. They multiply very quickly, so pest control must be balanced, clear and thoughtful. This way you will save your long-awaited harvest and protect plants and trees from damage.

How to deal with mole crickets in the garden

Ways to fight

You can tell that mole crickets live on the site by the small mounds of peculiarly rolled lumps of soil on its surface, which are especially noticeable after rain.
The greatest activity of these insects can be observed in May, when mole crickets crawl out of the already warmed ground. It is at this time that shallow holes should be dug in the area and filled with chopped straw or fresh manure. Mole crickets will crawl into holes to lay eggs so that the hatching larvae can feed on manure or straw. After 3-4 weeks, the contents of the traps along with the larvae are removed and burned. In order to destroy this dangerous insect, it is necessary to find all the mole cricket nests. Since they are not located very deep, they can be found when digging

The nests are carefully dug up, placed in a bucket and then destroyed. Try to do this so that the female does not come to the surface

Take the pesticide and spread its granules in all the passages leading from the nest - this way you will destroy the female as well.

There is another way to get rid of mole crickets. Once you locate the nest, fill it with soapy water so that it fills all the passages dug by the insects. The soap solution will kill both the larvae and the female if she is in one of the passages. If she is not there, be prepared for the fact that after a while the female will again make a nest in the same place and lay eggs in it.

The soap solution is prepared as follows: 10 g of grated laundry soap and 50 g of washing powder are dissolved in a bucket of water. Instead of a soap solution to fill the passages, you can use water with vegetable oil - stir a tablespoon of oil in 4 liters of water - or water with kerosene - 100 g of kerosene per bucket of water at the rate of 30 g of solution for each hole.

If you discovered mole crickets towards the end of the growing season, wait until autumn and, at a soil temperature of at least 8 ºC, dig trapping holes 50-60 cm deep, line the bottom and walls of the holes with plastic film, fill them with manure that has begun to rot and cover with an improvised lid. As soon as stable frosts set in, remove the manure from the pits along with the mole crickets that have crawled into a warm shelter for the winter, and scatter them around the area. The mole crickets will die from frost, because even at a temperature of +5 ºC they become inactive.

Remedies and preparations for mole crickets

The fight against mole crickets in the garden is also carried out with pesticides, however, chemical preparations for mole crickets are used only as a last resort, when other methods of control have proven to be ineffective. There are several effective remedies for mole crickets:

Medvetox is a unique granular preparation that has an attractive taste for insects and a killer effect.

To die, a mole cricket only needs to eat one pellet;

Medvedka is one of the most effective remedies for mole crickets, which does not have a harmful effect on the environment, which is used in the form of a solution;

Rubit is an effective and relatively safe remedy for humans against mole crickets in the form of brightly colored granules, which are laid out in passages dug by the pest;

Thunder - this drug is effective, but contains carcinogens, so it must be used with caution, placing 3-4 granules in the mole cricket’s passages;

Grizzly - bread-colored granules based on Diazinon, which are used with great care, laid out in the passages dug by the mole cricket;

Bankol is a low-toxic insecticide of contact-intestinal action for humans, immobilizing the insect, which deprives it of the opportunity to receive food and leads to death after 2-3 days;

Phenoxin plus - granules with an attractive aroma and taste for the pest, which should be used pointwise, placing several pieces in the passages dug by mole crickets;

Boverin is a biological drug that causes a fatal disease in mole crickets. The advantage of Boverin is that it is harmless to warm-blooded animals and beneficial insects.

What does mole cricket eat?

The lion's share of what the mole cricket eats is plant food:

Plant roots, seeds, tubers, young shoots.
Seedlings of melons, sunflowers, tobacco, poppy, legumes, radishes.
Young potato tubers, carrots, beets.
Seedlings of tomatoes and peppers, crops of cereals.
Berries and fruits, if he can reach them.

The mole cricket is especially harmful to cabbage plantings; one of the names of the beetle, cabbage weed, is due to this predilection.

The beetle does not disdain nutritious finds: beetle larvae, pupae, earthworms, dead and living small insects, caterpillars.

The mole cricket is especially harmful to cabbage plantings

Voracious mole crickets not only damage crops, but also eat other pests of vegetable and cereal crops (for example, chafer larvae). The many underground passages of the insect contribute to better air permeability of the soil.

The only thing that mole crickets don’t like in the garden is the specific rich aroma of marigolds and garlic beds.

How does Khrushchev harm the garden?

The main food of the adult cockchafer is birch, maple, aspen, oak, poplar and linden leaves.
The pest, having occupied the garden, eats the greens of cherries, sea buckthorn, apple trees, black currants, plums and even lilac bushes.

Khrushchev causes the greatest damage to trees once every 3–5 years. This is due to the full development cycle: for red beetles - 4 years, black - 5 years. In two months, these insatiable insects are capable of destroying all the foliage on trees.

Larvae are no less dangerous. Young individuals eat the roots of garden trees and shrubs, seedlings, vegetable crops - corn, any seedlings, potato tubers, seedlings, strawberries and even lawn grass. The gluttony is amazing: in one day, a three-year-old larva gnaws the rhizome of a two-year-old pine.

The presence of Khrushchev is easy to notice not only by its enormous size. The beetle eats leaves, buds, and sometimes ovaries. If the larva damages the roots, the plant is easily pulled out of the ground, withers, and develops poorly.

Description of the pest

The mole cricket is an insect, a representative of the order Orthoptera. The adult specimen is characterized by significant size (up to 6 cm). For orientation in space, whiskers are provided, and the limbs are designed so that the insect has the opportunity to dig the soil. Life expectancy is 5 years.

An adult mole cricket feeds on plant roots and can damage up to 15 plants per night

Signs of appearance

Considering that pests do not appear during the day, they are not easy to detect. However, according to some signs, it is quite possible to assume the appearance of a mole cricket:

General destruction of seedlings: leaf lethargy appears, plants wither;
Violation of the integrity of root crops;
The soil becomes loosened, piles of soil and passages are revealed;
Holes in the ground.

External signs of eggs

The chamber is filled with yellow or light brown eggs, similar to ant eggs, but larger.

Description of the larva

With each moult, it becomes more and more similar to an adult: the body darkens and takes on shape.

What causes small white worms and midges in flowers?

One fine day you notice that something else has settled in the pots of indoor flowers - these are small white worms.
Not only is the soil under the plant teeming with them, but the flowers are also full of black midges! What to do with these uninvited guests, who are they and will they harm your pets on the window? It turns out that the small white worms are fungus gnat larvae , which are also called sciarids. They like to settle in moist soil next to indoor plants and lay a lot of eggs, from which small white fungus gnat larvae hatch very quickly. These are the ones you noticed in the top layer of soil in a flower pot.

These pests are dangerous for indoor plants. Not the black insects themselves, they will not harm the flowers, except that no one will like hordes of midges in the apartment. But their larvae feed on juices from plant roots, so you need to take destructive measures as soon as you notice uninvited guests.

What do sciarids look like?

This midge has many names; in addition to the fungus gnat, it is also called the tomato midge and soil midge. The adult insect is up to 4 mm long and has wings. The larvae are whitish, translucent, and have a black head. It’s easy to detect them; if you knock on the pot, midges will fly out, and if you stir up the top layer of soil, you will see white worms and even piles of skins from the molting of adult fungus gnats near the roots of the flower.

Sciarids end up in a flower pot with purchased soil or a purchased flower. Typically, midges live in waterlogged soil, but if you do not remove them immediately, but only reduce watering, they will not disappear, but will quickly get used to the new conditions and will reproduce well in a dry substrate.

Harm from cockchafers

May beetles and their larvae can cause great damage to crops such as strawberries, potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes. In just 1 season, losses of crops and young plants can become enormous. An adult is a danger to shrubs and trees. The beetles eat the ovaries and leaves, causing invaluable harm to the plant.

Most often, the larvae enter the soil along with the addition of humus or manure. They overwinter in a fairly deep layer of soil, at a depth of about 50 cm. With the onset of spring, they emerge from their shelter and are ready to forage for food on the surface of the soil. At the same time, in the spring, the female beetles lay eggs; already this season, small, very voracious larvae will be born. Which on their way are capable of devouring absolutely everything that gets in their way.

The beetle lives in the larval stage for 4 years. During this time, its jaw system becomes so strong that the larva is able to gnaw not only the roots of young plants, but even the roots of large trees. The cockchafer is especially dangerous for a number of reasons.

Reasons for the danger of the pest:

if a beetle does not find food for itself, it is able to go into hibernation for 3 years, after this period, it is able to return to a full life and reproduce the next healthy offspring;
The laying of eggs in females occurs deep in the soil, so much so that chemical treatment becomes simply pointless, so it is advisable to fight beetles and larvae during the period of their active life;
Thanks to its strong wings, the beetle can easily fly about 10 km. Often such migration occurs in huge colonies;
in some cases, when the spread of pests throughout the entire area becomes widespread, it is necessary to call in specialists, since fighting them alone can be powerless.

Based on the reasons for the danger, it follows that it is necessary to fight the pest until it is completely destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with different control methods and find out how to get rid of cockchafer larvae on potatoes and other garden plants.

Studying the goal

The breeding season of the cockchafer begins in May, and after mating, the female chafers burrow into the ground and lay eggs.

Life cycle of the cockchafer

No later than a month and a half later, large white larvae appear, which are easily recognized by their curled position. They live for 3-4 years and before the onset of the last winter period in the development cycle, they turn into pupae, from which an adult insect emerges at the end of next summer. Well, thanks to its impressive size, peaceful but annoying disposition, characteristic brown-brown color and insatiable appetite, it is almost impossible to confuse it with another species.

Male and female cockchafer

The cockchafer does not lay eggs in turf, rocky or heavy soils. The age of the larvae can be determined by their size and behavior. Thus, in the first year of life, the width of their head capsule is about 2.5 mm, and they themselves feed mainly on humus and small roots of various vegetation. In the second year, the larva’s head grows approximately twice as large – up to 4 mm, and in the third year – another one and a half times (6-6.5 mm). In August and early September, the caterpillars hide from the cold to a depth of 1-1.5 m, and in the spring they rise again almost to the very surface of the soil - closer to the food. Three-year-old larvae are the most voracious - each of them alone is capable of destroying the root system of a young pine or spruce in a day.

Movement of May larvae in the soil during development

Pest Control

There are white worms in an indoor flower

White worms in an indoor pot that are barely visible or have filled the entire area are an equally bad sign. Due to the parasitism of worms in the pot, the root system of the plant dies.

What are these white worms in an indoor flower?

Fly larvae;
Nematodes;
Enhythrea;
Fungus gnat larvae (sciarids);

Parasites settle on a houseplant if the plant is weakened or the indoor microclimate is conducive to reproduction. They are usually localized on the lower leaves, in the upper soil layer of the pot, and on the roots of the flower. Both adult plants and larvae feed on the juices of the indoor flower, and the latter begins to get sick, withers and dies.

Fly larvae, sciarids up to 4 mm in length, white. Adult hatchlings have wings. They reproduce equally in moist and dry soil - they are more attracted to the environment in the room where they are comfortable.

Enchytraea are white worms up to 2 mm. They are similar to earthworms, as they are the closest relatives to them. If you are not a fan of fish in the aquarium that are fed with enchytraea, remove the parasites, otherwise they will multiply, each time capturing a deeper layer of the soil mixture. They appear in waterlogged soil and love rotted organic matter.

How to remove white worms from an indoor flower?

Since most of the midges and worms are in indoor flowers, we will dry the soil mixture to kill the pests.

How to remove white worms from an indoor flower:

Stop watering the plant;
Fill in expanded clay, dry hydrogel, beads - it prevents stagnation of water and prevents the laying of larvae;
To catch and poison midges - spread sticky tape over the pot and spray the midges with dichlorvos (attention: ventilate the room before sleeping);
Mix wood ash + tobacco shavings into the soil;
Clean the sulfur from the match head;

The listed methods will help kill white worms in indoor flowers, but if there are too many of them, you will have to use chemicals.

How to treat flowers against white worms:

After several stages of treatment and elimination of white worms, replant the houseplant into a healthy, fresh soil mixture. Treat the substrate and prevent the reappearance of parasites. During the replanting process, you may notice larvae or worms on the root system - remove them, trim off the damaged areas and treat the roots.

Soil treatment against white worms in flowers

The soil mixture is steamed or spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate before use. Try not to over-moisten the soil in the pot, lower the humidity and air temperature to a level comfortable for indoor flowers. Carry out insecticide prevention once a year.

↓ Write in the comments how you managed to cope with the invasion of white worms in indoor flowers? What methods did you use? Were you able to completely get rid of the parasites?

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What to do if there are white worms in an indoor flower? : 9 comments

One day, not yet knowing what to do with them - there were small white, motionless, apparently larvae and nimble little adults - I pulled the flower out of the ground, transplanted it into another, and simply took this one with the worms outside into the cold and specially checked it later. There was no one there anymore, and I used this soil later or not, I don’t remember. Now it’s the same story with another flower, but I just replanted it, so what, should I replant it again?

Three times in the winter I replanted the balsam (wet vanya) and washed it in manganese and still it appeared again, although the ground was frozen.

They say that soaking doesn’t help, you just need heat treatment, steam or something else.

I baked all the soil in the oven, and it didn’t do anything. Mom suggested a recipe for iodine + milk + water, maybe it will help.

Medvedka - description and photo. What does a bear look like?

Mole crickets are large insects. The length of their body varies from 3.5 to 5 cm, and the thickness reaches 1.2-1.5 cm. The body of the cabbage plant is colored silky brownish-brown on top, and brownish-yellow on the bottom. The insect's body is covered with tiny hairs.

Photo credit: Natasha Wright, Cook's Pest Control, Bugwood.org

The head of the mole cricket has a prognathic, or straight, position in relation to the body. Its axis coincides with the axis of the body, and the oral organs, which are powerful jaws, are directed forward.

Near the jaws there are 2 pairs of tentacles.

Photo by: Frank Dorsman

The large, clearly visible eyes of the mole cricket have a facet structure and are located on the sides of the head.

Thread-like antennae grow on the head of the insect, slightly extending beyond the pronotum. They are shorter compared to the whiskers of other representatives of crickets.

Photo credit: Katpatuka, FAL

The large and flat pronotum of the mole cricket with the lateral parts (blades) hanging down is a distinctive feature of the insect. The midthorax and metathorax of the insect are connected. The head and front part of the animal's body are covered with a dense chitinous shell - a device for pushing and compacting the earth when digging holes. Because of this shell, the mole cricket resembles a crayfish.

The abdomen of the cabbage plant is thick, reaching 1 cm in diameter, consists of 10 tergites and 8-9 sternites. The apex of the abdomen has anal and genital plates. Females do not have an ovipositor. The last segment of the abdomen has long, flexible cerci, or caudal appendages, covered with small hairs, resembling antennae in appearance.

Photo credit: Clemens Stockner, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mole crickets have 2 pairs of wings:

The forewings are transformed into short and leathery elytra, covered with thick veins. In length they reach only the middle of the abdomen. The left elytra of insects from the cricket superfamily is always covered by the right one.
The hind pair are long, wide, transparent, membranous wings with fine venation. In a calm state, they are folded like a fan under the elytra and extended along the abdomen in the form of cords. During the flight of an insect, the hind wings take an active part, while the elytra are involved to a limited extent.

Males differ from females in the venation of their elytra. There are also wingless individuals of both sexes, but they are less common. By the way, the larvae do not have wings.

Photo by: George Chernilevsky, Public Domain

The mole cricket has 3 pairs of limbs, each of which consists of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and a 3-segmented tarsus.

The hind legs of the insect are strong and designed for movement; there are 1-4 spines on their inner side. The claw-like forelimbs are a digging apparatus. The thigh and lower leg are greatly expanded, and the tarsus is shortened. On the shin there are 4, and on the tarsus there are 2 black spike-like teeth, with which the mole cricket crashes into the ground.

There are auditory openings on the front legs of the mole cricket. They have an oval or narrow-slit shape.

Photo by: Pavel Korzunovich (PaKor)

May beetles

There are 3 orders of beetles: Western European, Eastern and Rare. Within this classification there are about 25 subspecies, distinguished by their large sizes. Each of the 3 species, during the period of active movement, is capable of destroying several hectares of young forest overnight. The flight speed of an adult reaches up to 3 meters per second, and the flight altitude ranges up to 100 meters. Such a feature as flight in a straight trajectory still remains a mystery to entomologists. Another characteristic part of physiology is the direction of the head at rest: north or east.

The beetle looks unremarkable: the body is oval in shape, and the color, depending on the species, can be black or red. Defying the laws of aerodynamics, 2 double wings attached to the chest are capable of lifting the body's own weight and moving it over long distances. He has three pairs of legs. There is a main organ - the antennae, which helps with the search for food. In addition, he has excellent eyesight. Digestive organ – jaws. The pest beetle actively manifests itself at night, which makes it difficult to combat.

Where does the cockchafer live?

May Khrushchev (its second name) can be found in any country in the world, except in areas with permafrost. If we talk about the general habitat, the eastern ones have chosen high tree crowns for themselves, but the Western European cockchafers live on hills and wooded hills. Several subspecies live on the territory of Russia, which can be found in different parts of the country, including in Yakutia.

What does an adult cockchafer eat?

The adult feeds exclusively on the leaves of trees such as maple, linden, birch, rowan and almost all fruit trees and shrubs, while it does not consume grass. Another feature: beetles feed not only on leaves, but also on flowers, fruit ovaries, and do not neglect needles. The predominant time for eating: April-May, after winter hibernation of 8 months.

Effective methods of control

Only an integrated approach to exterminating the cockchafer will help completely rid the garden of pests. Follow preventive measures to help prevent pests from recurring. Useful recommendations are described at the end of the material.

Nitrogen or white clover

Many gardeners agreed that circles around trees should be sown with white clover. Why will such measures protect against cockchafers? The fact is that on the roots of white clover there live many bacteria, which, as a result of their vital activity, absorb nitrogen from the air and synthesize it into proteins. Nitrogen accumulated in the soil makes it unsightly for harmful insects.

By performing such manipulations, gardeners can not only get rid of parasites for a long time, but also improve the taste and appearance of fruits on trees. In addition, nitrogen in the soil helps slow down the growth or complete death of weeds.

DIY traps

It is possible to cope with the cockchafer population by catching adult individuals during their most active period. Considering that one female can lay up to 70 eggs, this method is popular and considered effective. To catch pests in the garden, a lot of different traps have been invented, each option has its pros and cons. Carefully study the advantages and disadvantages of each method, use the most suitable method.

Light trap:

prepare a container (preferably shallow), lubricate it inside with any sticky substance (for example, grease);
Place any source of bright light on the bottom;
After sunset, place the prepared trap in an open area, near the favorite delicacies of cockchafers.

This method will help get rid of not only beetles, but also cutworms, which will protect the harvest of cabbage, beets and many other plants. For high efficiency, place such a product every evening for a week, during which time all harmful insects will be caught.

Glue trap:

hardware stores sell a variety of adhesive substances for catching flies, purchase one package of any drug; cut newspaper into medium-thick strips and soak in an adhesive solution; hang strips of newspaper throughout the garden, paying special attention to the favorite places of parasites (near potatoes, strawberries). Change strips every day, they tend to dry out

A dry strip of newspaper soaked in a special substance will not give the desired result.

Change strips every day, they tend to dry out. A dry strip of newspaper soaked in a special substance will not give the desired result.

Biological method

In nature there are a lot of animals and birds that feed on chafers. Natural pest exterminators include:

hedgehogs They are big fans of cockchafers. To exterminate parasites, place several hedgehogs in your area, forget about the problem with pests;
starlings. Birds love to feast on not only cockchafers; they also actively consume other harmful insects. To attract birds, build several birdhouses. Starlings fight pest larvae that cause the greatest damage to crops.

Chemicals

You shouldn't get carried away with insecticides. Excessive use of chemicals can have a detrimental effect on crops. In advanced situations they use: Bazudin, Pochin, Antikhrushch, Aktara. Each product must be used according to instructions

Follow precautionary measures, protect your respiratory tract and skin from exposure to drug particles.

Preparations against pests

Modern developments are extremely popular due to their harmlessness to humans and the absence of damage to vegetation in the garden. One of these products is Nemabact, a product classified as a bioinsecticide that can destroy harmful insects in the larval stage.

The basis for the drug is a nematode (a large microscopic worm). It is able to penetrate deep into the soil, the worm feasts on the larvae of the cockchafer, penetrating into it, leaving offspring. The parasite dies after a few days. After three days, the corpse of the cockchafer larva leaves many new nematodes, looking for other victims. The use of this product will protect the crop from pests and is absolutely safe for humans and animals.

Potassium permanganate from Khrushchev. Lethal agents - tobacco, potassium permanganate and mustard

These simple remedies, which are found in every home, will help get rid of many pests and plant diseases in the garden. We already wrote about laundry soap, iodine, brilliant green and chalk in the last issue. Read how and what you can use it for:

Tobacco dust

Tobacco dust is not expensive at all and is a universal remedy for garden and garden parasites. One package lasts a long time. If you sprinkle tobacco dust on flowers (carnations, gladioli, peonies, delphiniums, irises, dahlias), you can get rid of cruciferous flea beetles and sucking insects. It is enough to scatter 30-50 grams per 10 square meters.

Decoctions and infusions of tobacco dust from moths, various caterpillars and sawflies are also widely used. The infusion is made simply: a kilogram of tobacco dust is mixed in 10 liters of water and infused for a day. Then it must be strained. The resulting infusion is diluted with water 1 to 3, 40 grams of liquid soap are added. The resulting solution can be used to spray gooseberries, cherries, cherries, currants, plums, etc. against the pests mentioned above. You can spray until the very beginning of harvest.

Potassium permanganate.

In addition to the fact that the seeds are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate before planting, it also has many uses. For example, a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate can fight gray rot on strawberries and powdery mildew on various berry bushes. To get rid of beetleworm and wireworm, before planting potatoes, it is enough to spill the prepared beds with a solution of potassium permanganate in a ratio of 2 grams per 10 liters of water.

Mustard powder

Got enough slugs in the area? – sprinkle the places where they accumulate with mustard powder and they will disappear. An infusion against sawflies and gooseberry moth helps a lot. It is prepared very simply: dissolve one hundred grams of mustard powder in 10 liters of warm water and let it brew for a couple of days. Strain, dilute with another 10 liters of water and add 80 grams of liquid soap. Spray the affected plants with the resulting solution.

This solution will also help get rid of bedbugs, aphids and thrips from cabbage and various root vegetables. If you treat fruit trees with it 15-20 days after flowering, you will protect the trees from leaf-eating caterpillars and codling moth caterpillars.

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Special means

Let's consider chemical means of combating the cockchafer and its larvae.

Zemlin

This remedy for beetleworm is an insecticide for contact and intestinal damage. It also protects crops from soil-dwelling pests. The active ingredient in the composition is diazinon at a dosage of 50 grams per kg. To protect flower plants, the drug is sprayed over the surface of the earth in a dosage of 30 grams per 20 m2. Potatoes are processed by adding 10-15 grams of the mixture to the holes when planting.

Nemabact

Biological product based on nematodes. Selectively destroys pest larvae. Maintains soil balance for two years.

Absolutely harmless to humans and pets, does not harm animals from the environment.

The drug kills the larva within 1-3 days, penetrating into it. Used for morning and evening watering in proportions of 1:100 at an ambient temperature of 10-26 degrees above zero, preferably at high humidity.

Pochin

A preparation for controlling soil pests. Has the same effect as Zemlin. It is packaged in the form of granules, which increases the protection time.

It is used when planting plants and prevents the appearance of pests throughout the summer season. After entering the soil, its effect begins within 24 hours. Microgranules simply need to be poured into the soil before planting.

Aktara

Remedy for cockchafer larvae. The active ingredient is thiamethoxam. It is an insecticide for contact and intestinal damage. Available in granular form, you can apply it directly to the soil or prepare a solution.

The result after using the drug occurs within an hour, and after 24 hours absolutely all pests die. It can be used at any time of the year and in any weather; humidity also does not affect the properties of the drug. Compatible with other insecticides and fertilizers.

Antikhrushch

Medicine for cockchafer larvae.

An environmentally friendly pesticide with a long-lasting protective effect. Rain resistant.

The active ingredients are imidacloprid and bifenthrin. Available in the form of a suspension concentrate. To protect potatoes, you should spray the plant before planting with a solution of 10 ml. substances per 5-10 liters of water. This should be enough for 1 hectare of land.

To protect cabbage and tomatoes, a 10 ml solution is made. substances per 3 l. water, before planting, the rhizomes are soaked in the solution for 1 hour, the remaining liquid is diluted in 10 liters. water and are used for irrigation.

To protect fruit and berry trees, a 10 ml solution is prepared. substances per 5 l. water (enough for 0.2 acres), the solution should be watered generously at the root. Seedlings of simple trees are also treated at the root with a solution of 10 ml. substances per 3 l. water.

Bazudin

Another drug for beetleworm is an insecticide that kills soil pests by contact, intestinal and translaminar routes.

The active ingredient is diazinon. Provides long-term protection of crops from insects. 30 grams of the substance is enough to treat 20 m2.

Hazard class – 3, not phytotoxic, but dangerous for fish; the drug should not be allowed to enter water bodies.

Available in granule form. To evenly apply the drug to the soil, you should prepare a liter jar, fill it ¾ with sand, add Bazudin there and mix.

Before planting, potatoes are added to the hole (15 grams per 10 m2), the soil surface is treated to protect the cabbage (10 grams per 10 m2), flower crops are treated similarly to potatoes (15 grams per 10 m2)

Drug Vallar

Organophosphate insecticide with systemic and contact-intestinal effects.

Release form: water-soluble granules.
The chemical composition of the drug is the main component – diazinon. The concentration is 40 g/kg.
Mechanism of action. After treating the roots, the drug spreads throughout all cells of the plant. The larva, eating it, consumes the drug and then dies.
Conditions of use. Vallar from the larvae of the cockchafer is used only by the root method; it is not recommended to apply it to the plant itself.
Hazard class – 3rd class.
Recipe for preparing the solution: 8 grams of the drug should be diluted in 1 liter of water, and then dip the roots into it.
Mode of application. Plant seedlings are dipped with their roots into the prepared solution. After 25 days, the roots are re-treated with the drug at the rate of 50 grams per 10 square meters, then planted in the soil.

Appearance of a mole cricket larva

Experienced gardeners know how to distinguish insect larvae, but beginners have to rack their brains.

There are about 500 eggs in a mole cricket's nest. The length of each of them is from 1 to 3 mm. They have a brown, reddish color. Translucent. Under a microscope you can see a living creature in them. The larva develops in the egg for about 2 weeks. Under favorable conditions, it emerges from the shell earlier.

Initially, these are small, helpless, blind creatures that outwardly resemble a bug, but not a caterpillar. They have a reddish color. Their food is the mother's saliva and egg shells. After approximately 7 days, the first molt occurs. Mole cricket larvae increase in size and more closely resemble an adult insect, which even has wings and can fly.

The full stage of imago formation lasts about 2 years. Under favorable conditions – 1.5 years. At the last stage, the genital organs develop. The mole cricket larva has to go through about 10 molts. Each time the body length increases, more and more reminiscent of an adult beetle.

Mole cricket larvae

What harm can the larvae under the skin cause?

The larva of the gadfly contributes to the development of dermatobiasis, which is an obligate myiasis. This disease is characterized by the formation of nodes under the skin, near the worm that has dug into them, which fester and become inflamed.

The place where the parasite has entered is similar to a mosquito bite. Over time, this area becomes inflamed, irritated and painful. The diameter of the subcutaneous formation reaches 3 cm; its shape is similar to a boil, from which pus is released.

It is worth noting that the larva can invade any part of the human body - the foot, upper limb and even the head. But most often it lives in the legs, armpits and back.

In some cases, the larva settles under the mucous membrane of the eye, resulting in ophthalmomyasis, which often ends in complete loss of vision. This condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:

redness,
lacrimation,
painful sensations.

Also, the larva of the gadfly can live in the nose. In this case, the patient experiences a headache, discomfort in the nose, his sense of smell worsens and the septum is destroyed. At the same time, the mucous membrane swells, and worms can crawl out of the nose on their own.

In addition, the larvae sometimes parasitize the mucous membranes of the lips, mammary glands and penis. If multiple invasions occur, the formations spread over a large area of skin.

After 12 weeks, the larvae in the human body mature, crawl out of it and pupate.

Behavior

The mole cricket spends most of its life underground. There it digs passages, builds labyrinths, and builds nests. It comes to the surface at dusk in warm weather. Looks for food or rises into the air to search for a male.

The body structure of the mole cricket allows it to swim on the surface of the water. She calmly overcomes a large puddle and escapes the flood. But if water gets into the burrow, the insect dies.

The heat-loving insect successfully survives winter frosts through half the soil. With the onset of heat it gradually rises to the surface. The presence of the pest in garden plots can be noticed as early as April. Paths form in the ground, footprints are visible, and plants die.

Mole cricket egg laying

After the mating season and mating of two insects, the female begins to build a nest. The structure is a round cave with a diameter of approximately 10 cm. Such a cave is located in the soil, at a depth of about 15 cm it contains up to five thousand eggs.

To prevent molding, the female periodically turns over the clutch, inspects and makes a selection. Eggs are slightly oval balls, similar to grains. Their color is beige or brownish with a coating. From the outside, the mole cricket masonry resembles an ant masonry enlarged in size.

The insect does not make deep nests due to the fact that enough heat reaches them through the soil layer. Therefore, detecting masonry is not difficult; just walk around the area looking for characteristic hummocks. The larvae hatch in 14-21 days.

We can say that the larval form of the mole cricket is similar to long-bodied six-legged spiders or mutated crickets. The size of the larva is up to 15 mm. The structure of the front paws (they are turned outward) allows them to rake the earth in front of them.

In general, the larva differs little from the adult specimen, except in size. Active development includes five molts, after which the larva is considered sexually mature and capable of reproducing offspring.

The larval form does not develop in one season, so it overwinters in this form until next spring next to adult pests. The thickness of the fat layer will determine whether the insect will survive the winter cold. She doesn't really like the frost. Cold also affects future fertility.

Folk recipes

In order not to damage the future harvest, the fight against the cockchafer larva begins with gentle folk recipes. If there is a lot of it, then a chemical preparation can be used simultaneously with the folk recipe.

First, they wait until the air temperature warms up to +15°C, since during this period they move to the top layer of the earth. Only after this they begin to fight this parasite.

Chlorine solution is a fairly effective method. To do this, dilute 200 grams of chlorine in a liter of water. After which it is watered around the bushes at a distance of 10 centimeters from the root so that the chlorine does not damage the plants. You can simply water between the rows. This is quite enough to get rid of pests.
Onion peels - The container is almost half filled with onion peels, then filled with water and placed in a dark place to infuse for five days. After which a glass of this tincture is diluted with a glass of water and watered the soil. A week later the procedure is repeated.
Potassium permanganate - Potatoes are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate before planting. In this way you can protect the entire planting from parasites. If the potatoes have already been planted, then carefully spray the lower part of the tops with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Ammonia - Dilute about 15 ml of alcohol in a ten-liter bucket of water, then water the berry plants from a watering can.
Iodine - Just before planting, water the soil with iodine solution. To do this, dissolve a few drops of iodine in a bucket of water.
Poplar leaves - Fill half a bucket with poplar leaves, fill the middle of the container with water and boil for about 20 minutes. Then add water to the brim and leave for about three days. Then water the contaminated soil.
Wormwood - Throw the stems and leaves of wormwood and wood ash into a bucket. Fill to the brim with hot water. Wait about three hours, cool, and water the soil.
White Clover - If planted around fruit trees, the number of insect pests and weeds will be greatly reduced. This happens because clover saturates the soil with nitrogen, which weeds and parasites cannot tolerate, but fruit plants love. Other plants act in a similar way: elderberry, mustard, turnip, lupine.
Mulching - This procedure is done in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. The beds are covered with chopped straw or shavings. Through the thickness of this protection, the female cockchafer will not be able to get to the ground to lay eggs there. Over the course of her entire life, a female is capable of laying about 70 eggs.

You can get rid of flying insects using traps that you can make yourself. To do this, accumulate several empty plastic bottles.

Then the upper part is cut off, and the lower part is filled with kvass or sweet fruit drink. Bottles are hung from trees or placed in beds. Then every day they shake out dead insects from these bottles.