Eggplant spider mite control methods

A typical problem for gardeners is parasitic insects that carry various diseases to plants and contribute to their death. One such spider mite on eggplant.

Methods of combating spider mites on eggplant

Signs of the appearance of spider mites

First, light white and yellowish appear on leaves in separate places they become discolored over time. These spots become larger every day, affecting the entire plate of the leaf. It turns white and a web appears under it.

It can be difficult to notice the insects themselves on seedlings, since they very small sizes – on average, the tick reaches 0.5 mm.

Pests can be detected when they infect massive leaves: then part of the leaf plate will be densely covered with dark dots. If you do not fight them, then within two weeks they will switch to fruits, due to which the plant will completely die.

Reasons for the appearance of

Reasons for the appearance of the spider mite on eggplant :

• high air temperature;
• low humidity.

Most often, pests affect seedlings grown in greenhouses at a temperature of 30 ℃, and humidity below 50%. Such conditions also contribute to the growth of their population.

Also, these parasites may already exist at the construction sites of the greenhouse. They tend to hibernate for the winter. They can hide in fallen leaves, weeds or the upper layers of the earth. Therefore, it is recommended to clean the soil and dig up the soil before laying the greenhouse and before planting any crops in it.

If the greenhouse was built earlier, then before planting seedlings, check the condition of other crops grown. The greenhouse is a favorable environment for the survival of ticks, so the female lays eggs in it under the leaves of plants.

Harm of ticks for eggplant

Spider mites on eggplant can do tremendous damage to the culture:

1. They feed on the juice of leaves and fruits, which causes the bush to fade, and its growth slows down.
2. In just a few weeks you can lose the whole crop.
3. Pests also reduce the immunity of plants, because of this, eggplants become vulnerable to various diseases.

The problem of the appearance of ticks is exacerbated so that it is impossible to determine at an early stage. It is detected when insects have already begun their effect on seedlings. Pests spread quickly, so if you do not neutralize them on one bush, they will switch to other eggplant bushes or even other crops.

Methods of combating ticks

Proper care of seedlings prevents the appearance of spider mites. Pests are not able to survive in conditions of high humidity, so you need to regularly water the crop.

Methods of control:

• clean the land from weeds, leaves and last year’s tops;
• periodically loosen the soil;
• ensure constant soil and air humidity in the greenhouse (more than 80%);
• remove and destroy affected leaves;
• remove cobwebs from the bushes;
• periodically check all bushes for new individuals.

To prevent the spread of parasites from one bushes to other distances between ridges kami should be at least 50 cm. And in order to prevent their relocation from one greenhouse to the next, the distance between the greenhouses should be at least 1 m.

In addition to these control measures, there are other ways to destroy pests. The most common method is using chemicals. It is very efficient and simple. But you can also use folk methods by making various infusions, decoctions and solutions.

It is very difficult to deal with ticks

Alternative methods

Tinctures and decoctions can act as control measures if pests have not yet managed to spread to all the bushes.In the greenhouse, seedlings can be treated with infusions on herbs such as chamomile, dandelion, calendula, yarrow. You can use the tops of tomatoes, potatoes, garlic or onion husks. But you can make solutions and decoctions from other means.

Soap solution

You can prepare a soap solution in two ways: add laundry soap to the infusion of herbs or mix melted soap with alcohol. A solution of soap and herbal decoction sticks better to the foliage. A spirit solution helps to destroy not only insects, but also their eggs.

To prepare any soapy solution, it is necessary to melt 200 g of laundry soap in warm water with a volume of 10 l and insist for three hours. Then you can add 30 ml of alcohol or a decoction to it. Spray a solution of eggplant bushes once a week. A few hours after treatment, it is better to water the plants from a hose to rinse the solution.

Decoction of tobacco

To prepare this decoction you will need tobacco leaves and stems. One bucket of water needs 500 g of tobacco vegetation. You can stick to smaller proportions. All components are boiled and cooled. To process the bushes, it is better to dilute the tobacco broth with plain water.

Infusion of garlic

It is necessary to finely chop 2-3 heads of garlic and pour them with water in a volume of 1 liter. The container is placed in a warm place where for five days the garlic will be infused.Before spraying the bushes, the garlic infusion should be diluted with 1 liter of pure water.

Use of drugs

When using preparations against spider mites, you must follow the rule – treat eggplant with different means. This is necessary because these pests tend to develop immunity to chemicals. When choosing a drug, you need to pay attention to its composition, since in order to destroy ticks, it must contain a leading active substance.

You can fight spider mites at all stages of their life with insect acaricides. But not all preparations can be used in a greenhouse, since many of them contain a large amount of toxins, which in closed spaces can harm not only insects, but also eggplants.

Fitoverm is a suitable biological product for greenhouses. They need to spray the bushes 3 times a week, diluting 2 ml of the substance in 1 liter of water.

Other products for the greenhouse

Also in greenhouse conditions, you can use sulfur in dry and liquid form. The drug based on colloidal sulfur is used in cases of mass distribution of parasites. Spray the bushes with a solution of 70 g of the substance and 10 liters of water.

Dry sulfur is used to disinfect the greenhouse. It is produced in the form of briquettes. To destroy pests, sulfur is burned. All safety precautions must be observed during its use.