How to get rid of spider mites on cucumbers: the best remedies and ways to fight. Spider mite on cucumbers - the best pest control measures Antimite from spider mite on cucumbers

Almost every gardener grows cucumbers, but this culture is not as simple as it might seem. In addition to the requirements for heat, humidity, soil nutrition, cucumbers are also known for easily picking up diseases and are often affected by pests. One of the most dangerous of them is the spider mite: it is able to multiply very quickly, and it is not very easy to deal with it.

Spider mite on cucumbers: what kind of pest is it and why is it dangerous

To save the cucumber crop from the invasion of the tick, it must be detected in time, and this is not easy to do. On each visit to the site, the owner should carefully examine the leaves of cucumbers, having previously familiarized themselves with how the spider mite looks.

The appearance of the spider mite, the degree of its danger

To see a spider mite, you must have excellent eyesight, or at least a good magnifying glass. This is a very small creature, its size is less than a millimeter. The mite is colored brown-orange, has four pairs of legs. Tick ​​larvae have one pair of legs less. They are painted in a greenish color, which in some places gradually turns into a brownish.

At high magnification, you can also see the paws of the tick

Ticks spend winter in the soil, and creep out to the surface of the beds closer to summer, when the amount of greenery necessary for their feeding grows. In summer, they feel best in hot and very dry weather (at a temperature of about 30 ° C and a humidity of not more than 60%). The tick is extremely prolific: each female lays about 100 eggs at a time. In just a few days, larvae appear from them, which soon turn into adults.

The tick lives for no more than a month, but due to the high rate of reproduction it is a great danger.

On cucumber plants, the mite is usually located on the underside of the leaf, as well as on the tops of young shoots (almost like aphids). Piercing the pulp, it sucks the juices from the plants. Having disfigured the leaves, it can move to the stems and even to the fruit ovaries, where it continues its activities. Closer to the ground, the number of ticks is insignificant: it loves the upper, young parts of plants. The tick forms a dense web that entangles the stems and leaves, as a result of which oxygen exchange is disturbed, and the process of photosynthesis stops. The yield is significantly reduced, and in the absence of pest control, the bushes may die altogether.

First of all, the tick destroys the leaves

The tick is able to settle on cucumbers both in unprotected soil and in a greenhouse, and it is even more comfortable for it in shelter, because it is warmer there, there is protection from precipitation and winds, and there are no birds capable of fighting it. The tick moves from bed to bed, using pieces of the web created by it, as well as “moving” to animals or even to humans. Therefore, it is impossible to completely protect cucumbers from the invasion of this guest.

Signs of damage to plants by spider mites

Most often, signs of damage are detected before the gardener notices the pests themselves. The results of his harmful activity can be expressed in the following:


Yellowing of leaves in cucumbers is not only due to spider mites: many diseases and lack of nitrogen nutrition are to blame for this, but in the case of such a symptom, a thorough examination of the leaves with good glasses or a magnifying glass is required. The fight against the tick should begin immediately after its discovery: unfortunately, it does not always lead to victory.

Spider mite control methods

Many gardeners try not to use chemical plant protection products on their plots, but in the case of a spider mite, especially with a large number of it, this is indispensable. Although, of course, at the initial stage, you can try to do without chemicals.

Folk remedies

Before starting any treatment of plants, one should carefully cut off those fragments that can no longer be restored, and pull out the dead bushes. All residues removed from the garden must be burned. If possible, try to remove the cobwebs from the plants left. If it is relatively small, you can try to use the following "improvised" means:

Infusions can be prepared from:

  • dandelion (500 g of grass insist half a day in 10 liters of water);
  • marigolds (100 g of flowers per 1 liter of water, several days);
  • onions, garlic (200 g of husks are insisted for at least a day in 10 liters of water).

Decoctions are prepared, for example, from the leaves of yarrow or dope. Spraying is carried out repeatedly with an interval of several days in cloudy weather. It should be recognized that spraying cucumbers with folk remedies against spider mites is often ineffective. If after the second treatment the amount of the pest does not decrease, it is urgent to turn to purchased preparations.

Chemical and biological agents

Most chemicals are toxic to humans to one degree or another, and besides, pests quickly adapt to old remedies, so they constantly invent new ones. In this regard, gardeners often turn to biological agents: their action is based on the action of microorganisms. Recently, the following drugs have become popular:


Any treatment should be carried out taking into account the toxicity of the drug, that is, using personal protective equipment (clothes, goggles, respirator). Usually, the death of ticks begins 6-10 hours after the procedure, the drug is effective for 1-2 weeks.

Having found a tick on my cucumbers this year, I was afraid that I was late, there were so many of them. Fortunately, there was a bag of Fitoverm in the box. Arriving at the dacha a week later, I could not believe my eyes. A lot of young clean leaves appeared on the bushes, and the pests disappeared.

The most effective drugs against any ticks are acaricides, they destroy not only adult pests, but also their larvae, acaricides even affect egg laying. However, for humans, these drugs are very dangerous, and they should be used only as a last resort. This, for example, Apollo, Floramayt, etc. Thus, Apollo is positioned as a specific acaricide, highly effective in the fight against many types of ticks. This is one of the safest acaricides for people. The effect of Floramite on ticks is similar, but the degree of its danger to humans is the subject of heated debate: in Europe, after its use, control over the residual content of the drug in fruits is mandatory.

Video: fight against spider mites

Prevention measures

Preventive measures include:


On hot days, summer residents are faced with the problem of the appearance of spider mites on cucumbers. It is tiny, but causes tremendous damage to young plants. Small insects can destroy plantings in just one week. Seedlings in a greenhouse can die even faster.

It is easy to carry out the confrontation, but you need to know effective ways to fight and how the tick can penetrate plants.

In order to identify methods of combating a tick, you need to know how it penetrates the plant:

  • the insect crawls from the ground after wintering, when the soil is already warm enough to attack young plants;
  • weeds surrounding plantings are often breeding grounds for spider mites;
  • seedlings for greenhouses, as well as greenhouses, can be a gateway for penetration.

pest danger

To save the cucumber crop from the invasion of the tick, it must be detected in time, and this is not easy to do. On each visit to the site, the owner should carefully examine the leaves of cucumbers, having previously familiarized themselves with how the spider mite looks.

To see a spider mite, you must have excellent eyesight, or at least a good magnifying glass. This is a very small creature, its size is less than a millimeter. The mite is colored brown-orange, has four pairs of legs. Tick ​​larvae have one pair of legs less. They are painted in a greenish color, which in some places gradually turns into a brownish.

At high magnification, you can also see the paws of the tick

Ticks spend winter in the soil, and creep out to the surface of the beds closer to summer, when the amount of greenery necessary for their feeding grows. In summer, they feel best in hot and very dry weather (at a temperature of about 30 ° C and a humidity of not more than 60%). The tick is extremely prolific: each female lays about 100 eggs at a time. In just a few days, larvae appear from them, which soon turn into adults.


First of all, the tick destroys the leaves

The tick is able to settle on cucumbers both in unprotected soil and in a greenhouse, and it is even more comfortable for it in shelter, because it is warmer there, there is protection from precipitation and winds, and there are no birds capable of fighting it. The tick moves from bed to bed, using pieces of the web created by it, as well as “moving” to animals or even to humans. Therefore, it is impossible to completely protect cucumbers from the invasion of this guest.

Most often, signs of damage are detected before the gardener notices the pests themselves. The results of his harmful activity can be expressed in the following:


Yellowing of leaves in cucumbers is not only due to spider mites: many diseases and lack of nitrogen nutrition are to blame for this, but in the case of such a symptom, a thorough examination of the leaves with good glasses or a magnifying glass is required. The fight against the tick should begin immediately after its discovery: unfortunately, it does not always lead to victory.

The spider mite is engaged in the fact that it sucks the juice from the cells of cucumbers. By these actions, he brings the death of young plants closer. After a tick attack, cucumbers cannot resist infections.

Many gardeners are concerned that the tick can threaten human health. This is a myth, since this pest is only dangerous for the crop. The only thing that the pest will bring is damaged nerves when looking for a remedy against it.

It is impossible to notice one individual in view of the microscopic size - no more than 2 mm. The spider mite includes many species, subspecies, so the color is very different. Red and green are found on cucumbers.

What does a spider mite look like

Spider mites on cucumbers are very difficult to spot. The size of this insect is about 1 mm. The color can be different: milky whitish, yellowish green, reddish orange. After penetrating the greenhouse, the tick first approaches the bushes, which have the largest and juiciest greenery. Sucking the juices from the cells of the plant, leads to its drying and death.

Is it possible to recognize the signs of the appearance of a pest? The pest is most often localized on the inside of the leaf, since it is there that the most nutrients are located. You can recognize a tick on cucumbers in a greenhouse by the appearance of the plant. Moving along the leaf, they leave gray-white spots, which eventually turn into white stripes. The tick, destroying the cells and vessels of the plant, leads to a stop in its growth. The cucumber leaf turns yellow and curls.

After 2-3 days, the pest females begin to lay eggs, the number reaches up to 400 pieces. And after 7-8 days, the number of insects increases significantly. If a web began to be observed on cucumbers in a greenhouse, then this is a sure sign of the appearance of a whole colony of insects.

Ticks unfold their vigorous activity if it is warm and dry. For the winter, the tick burrows into the foliage, into the remains of the tops after harvesting, hides in the corners of the greenhouse or manure. It can be carried by gusts of wind. For the human body, this small insect cannot cause harm, but it can destroy all cucumber beds. The insect, devastating the inside of the leaves, leads to a decrease in immunity.

Most often, the mite becomes the cause of the development of gray rot. Large brown spots are found on the leaves, and a gray coating appears on the fruits. You can treat rot in a greenhouse with chemicals (Hom, Oxy), you can use biological products (Sodium Humate, Stimpo) or use folk methods (iodine or soda solution, composition with whey).

The spider mite is a small representative of arthropods from the class of arachnids of the mite family, which has an almost oval body 0.2–1 mm long. At the same time, males are much smaller than females. The body of insects is covered with a structured cuticle that forms folds, dots or tubercles.

The color of ticks varies from very light to yellow-green with internal organs translucent on the back. In anticipation of winter cold, adult females acquire an orange or red hue. There are species with a bright scarlet color.

On the thin legs of ticks there is a claw device that helps them cling to leaves. The oral apparatus of arachnids is adapted for piercing the surface of plants and sucking out the internal juice.

Important! The active development of spider mites is facilitated by a dry and hot atmosphere. Under such conditions, the time period from egg to adult takes only 5 days.

Most mite species spend the winter as eggs in the soil or harvested compost. At the beginning of the new season, when the air warms up to 15°C, small six-legged larvae emerge from the eggs. For several days they feed on young greens, after which they lie in a shelter and molt into the first stage of nymphs. Nymphs go through two more stages of molting, after which they become sexually mature adult spider mites. The pest easily spreads throughout the territory, spreading by air currents with fragments of its web.

You can notice the pest with a careful examination of the culture. Obvious signs of damage appear already with a significant number of colonies. The spider mite feeds on plant juices at different stages of development.

Spider mites can be found both indoors and outdoors. The insect is characterized by small size, as a rule, the female is not more than 0.5 mm, and the male is even smaller. Its size does not exceed 0.3 mm. There are voracious individuals who managed to eat young leaves and their size is 2 mm.

The shape of the body of the tick has an elongated shape. The color of the female is red with an orange tint. In one season, females lay 8,000 eggs. After that, several days will pass, the egg will become a sexually mature inhabitant of the garden. If you do not speed up the process of pest control, then there is a risk of being left without a crop.

Video tips: how to get rid of a tick with folk remedies

Tiny insects - spider mites that appear on cucumbers, are capable of quickly destroying cucumber plantings due to their voracity and fertility.

They are difficult to deal with, as they quickly become accustomed to chemicals.

Spider mite on cucumbers in the greenhouse and open field, along with melon aphids, is one of the most dangerous pests that cause severe damage to plants, which significantly reduces yields. Therefore, in this article, you will learn how to get rid of spider mites on cucumbers and what preparations to use for this.

Spider mite in a greenhouse and open field: signs and causes of appearance on cucumbers

The spider mite is a leaf-sucking insect belonging to the species of mites, the spider family. Therefore, to combat the pest, it is necessary to use acaricides - agents for combating ticks.

The spider mite sucks juices from the leaves of the plant. As a result, they turn yellow (turn brown), then curl up, dry and fall off.

The main thing is to detect the pest in time and take the necessary measures.

The tick is very small (0.3-0.6 mm long), so it is difficult to see it on plants.

However, its presence on cucumbers can be determined by certain signs:


Important! Do not confuse the tick with peronosporosis (downy mildew) and thrips.

Most often, the spider mite appears in dry and hot weather at an air temperature of about +30 degrees, especially during a drought. Therefore, it can often be found on cucumbers in the southern regions.

By the way! The spider mite also often infects eggplants, currants and strawberries, petunias, roses and hydrangeas.

Accordingly, for the spider mite, the best conditions are greenhouse conditions.

Interesting!

Ticks actively breed on plants fattening from excess nitrogen. But plants that receive an excess of phosphates do not attract the pest.

Preventive measures against spider mites on cucumbers

As a preventive measure, it is necessary to water cucumbers in a timely manner and maintain optimal humidity in order to prevent dry conditions for growing crops.

Advice! In case of prolonged drought, in the evenings, cucumbers are recommended to be sprayed with warm water, and at the first signs of the appearance of a pest - with acaricides.

If the leaves of cucumbers are dense, they have enough moisture and they have excellent turgor, then the spider mite will not bite through the surface of the leaf.

Therefore, the main factors that hinder the mass development of the spider mite are.

  • timely watering;
  • making the necessary dressings in the right dosages;
  • regular ventilation of the greenhouse
  • regular weeding near cucumbers.

How to spray cucumbers from spider mites

Processing rules:

  • The procedure is carried out early in the morning or late in the evening. It can also be done during the day in calm and cloudy weather.

Advice! Read the instructions, as biological agents and others are effective only at high air temperatures.


How to deal with spider mites on cucumbers

In case of violations of the rules of agricultural technology for growing cucumbers (especially in a greenhouse) and the appearance of a spider mite, it is necessary to immediately begin the fight against the pest.

If the lesions are still minor, damaged leaves can be removed manually. However, this way you can skip the leaves on which it is simply not yet visible. Therefore, it is necessary to use different methods of dealing with spider mites on cucumbers. And also it is necessary to periodically change the means so that the pest cannot adapt to them.

How to get rid of spider mites on cucumbers with chemicals

Colloidal sulfur can be attributed to prophylactic (protective) agents with a mild effect. It works only at an air temperature of +25 degrees and above.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs)

These are potent drugs that have a detrimental effect on the oviposition and larvae of mature individuals.


These are the most toxic drugs with a long waiting time. Therefore, they are recommended to be used only when absolutely necessary.

pyrethroids

Safer and non-phytotoxic, like the previous ones:


Other means


Biological agents

Biological preparations well destroy only sexually mature mites, so the treatment is carried out 3-4 times to destroy the mites that hatch from the eggs.

But these are environmentally friendly and safe means to combat spider mites. In addition, they are very effective.


Advice! It is effective to use a tank mixture of Aktofit (Fitoverma) and Bitoxibacillin.

When cultivating cucumbers in a greenhouse, predatory mites, namely Amblyseius and Phytoseiulus, can be introduced into it so that they destroy the spider mite.

Watch the video! Is there a spider mite on cucumbers in a greenhouse? We use Bitoxibacillin

Folk remedies: how to treat cucumbers from spider mites

It is much less harmful if the fight against spider mites is carried out with folk remedies. They are no less effective.

Solutions that completely cover the tick with a film work especially well, under which it cannot breathe and dies.

To do this, use such adhesives (protein or fat)

for 10 liters of water:

Recipe 1:

  • 3 art. tablespoons of oil (sunflower or rapeseed).
  • 3 art. spoons of ammonia 10%.


Recipe 2:

  • for 10 liters of boiling water.
  • 200 g garlic minced.
  • Withstand the day, filter.
  • Sprayed.

Recipe 3:

  • for 7 liters of water.
  • 3 liters of serum.
  • 3 art. spoons of ammonia 10% (ammonia).
  • 5 st. spoons of crushed or liquid soap (household or tar).
  • Spray the affected bushes.

Advice! After spraying, it is recommended to immediately dust the bushes with wood ash.

Watch the video! Spider mite on cucumbers - how to detect and defeat it


Many advise planting calendula near cucumbers. She repels spider mites. But this is an inefficient method.

There are many means and methods of dealing with spider mites on cucumbers. The main thing is to take action on time, then you can get a rich harvest.

The smallest dirty trick is a spider mite on cucumbers, capable of exterminating cucumber crops with its voracity and fertility. It is difficult to get rid of it because of the rapid addiction to chemicals. The methods of struggle collected here will become an effective help for vegetable growers - each proposed remedy has been tested on successful repeated experience.

Green cucumbers that crunch so pleasantly in the mouth and leave a fresh aftertaste - that's why they are massively grown among the people. This vegetable is delicate and fastidious, sometimes it brings a lot of trouble, but the harvest for the flight table and for harvesting for the winter is worth it.

One of the important problems is the formation of a spider mite on cucumbers, the measures to combat which we will analyze, since not everyone is able to effectively deal with an insidious pest.

Who is a spider mite and where does it come from

To understand the ways in which spider mites appear on cucumbers and how to deal with a horde of these gluttons, you need to know their habitat.

  • A small harmful insect, which is to be fought, is about 0.5 mm long, painted brown or red and endowed with 4 pairs of articulated legs in the adult stage and 3 pairs in the larval stage.
  • It develops in 5 stages - egg, larva, 2 stages of nymph and adult.
  • Larvae and nymphs are greenish with dark zones on the sides.
  • Females hide to spend the winter in the ground.
  • He loves dry hot air, under such conditions quickly - within 3 days - the larvae already hatch.
  • The tick does not live long - less than a month, but manages to breed well, which complicates the control measures.
  • Settles on the reverse side of the leaves, pierces their pulp and sucks the juice from the plant, depriving it of chlorophyll.
  • It leaves behind damage on the foliage in the form of a marble pattern - whitish lifeless spots and a thin, but dense milky-colored cobweb.

Recipes for dealing with spider mites on cucumbers, as well as measures to prevent it, are largely based on the ways the pest appears.

  • A spider mite crawls on cucumbers, usually from the ground after wintering, when the soil warms up enough, attacking the growing greens.
  • Weeds that grow in the garden before cucumbers become a breeding ground for ticks.
  • Seedlings from greenhouses and greenhouses are another likely gateway for infestation of cucumbers by hordes of pests, there is an excellent environment for their habitat.

Note! The spider mite, in addition to its own damage, can “reward” vegetables with gray rot spores. It is better to prevent its appearance from the very beginning than to try to get rid of it later - to deal with it, alas, is really laborious and not always successful.

What means will help rid cucumbers of spider mites

The choice of remedy for spider mites on cucumbers is best based on the degree of damage that he managed to inflict on growing vegetables.

Important! Before spraying cucumber bushes, you need to remove the tick web - it will retain drops of liquid, and they will not fall on the surface of the plant!

Note! Acaricides are toxic to humans and should be used as a last resort when other control measures fail.

Improvised means for getting rid of spider mites on cucumbers

If the defeat of cucumber foliage is insignificant, and the owners do not know how and how to get rid of spider mites on cucumbers, they will need the means that everyone has at hand.

Cucumber leaves affected by spider mites

Such simple measures without the involvement of chemistry will neutralize the threat of extermination of cucumber bushes by ticks, if applied in time.

Plants - assistants in the fight against spider mites

Infusions with decoctions of herbs, which cause the absolute death of the spider mite, can be used in the pollination of cucumber bushes. Justified itself in the use of such vegetable raw materials for the fight against small ticks.

  • Datura- decoction: 1 kg of dry plant without roots / 2 kg of dried / 3 kg of fresh boil for about 3 hours and dilute with 10 liters of water; infusion - pour 100 g of a dry plant with a liter of water and leave for a day.
  • Dandelion- infusion: pour 0.5 kg of fresh chopped herbs with 10 liters of water and set aside to infuse for 3-4 hours.
  • Calendula- infusion: 0.4 kg of flowers withstand 5 days in 4 liters of water.
  • Sorrel- Soak 0.3 kg of chopped rhizome in a bucket of water for 5 hours.
  • yarrow- 0.5 kg of dry raw materials must be brewed in boiling water, and then the volume should be brought to 10 liters.
  • Onion and garlic- 0.2 kg of a mixture of their husks insist in a bucket of water during the day.

The use of these poisonous solutions by the drip method helps gardeners fight the spider web pest with natural means, without harming the purity of the crop.

Important! Irrigation should not be done in the active sun - morning or evening, otherwise unstable toxins in the liquid will quickly disintegrate under the sun's rays.

Biological products against spider mites

An excellent replacement for poisonous chemicals is modern biological products that act pointwise only for pests that devour the greens they have processed. Microorganisms, on which the mechanism of biological poison is based, inhibit the vital activity of the spider mite at all mobile stages, when they suck the juice from the cucumber.

In addition to eggs, females that have gone into the ground may not fall under their action, so the irrigation frequency is usually 3 or even 4 stages.

Biological products do not instantly kill the tick, but only after 8 - 12 hours.

Biological poison is prepared strictly according to the enclosed instructions, and all prescribed safety rules are observed at the working stage.

Acaricides that destroy spider web pests on cucumbers

Acaricidal chemicals are "heavy artillery" for the spider mite, affecting not only nymphs, larvae and adult insects, but also egg mite clutches.

The only downside is that they quickly develop immunity to poisons, since 3 generations are replaced in a season. Therefore, you need to change the drug, focusing on the composition, and not another name.

Observations suggest that only 50-70% of ticks will die out in one treatment, up to 90% in two, therefore, 3 treatments are carried out with a break of 4-6 days, depending on the weather - the hotter and drier, the shorter the break.

Such acaricides showed their "lethal" power.

  • "Floromite", where the substance is based on biphenazate;
  • Flumite, where the substance is flufenzine;
  • "Oberon", where the substance is based on spiromesifen;
  • "Sunmite", where the substance is pyridaben;
  • "Apollo", where the substance is clofentezin;
  • "Nisoran", where the substance is hexythiazox.

Important! When working with a chemical poison, you need to be especially scrupulous in order not to get poisoned - the drugs are relatively toxic to humans too!

Preventive measures against spider mites

A spider mite is a scourge that is easier and faster to prevent than to fight destruction later. Preventive actions against it are simple and reliable, if carried out thoroughly.

They are based on taking into account comfortable conditions for accelerated reproduction and transformation into new phases of the spider mite (and this is dryness and heat), as well as conditions for successful wintering.

Let's consider what can be done to prevent the tick from getting to cucumbers in greenhouses and hotbeds, as well as on open garden ground.

Prevention of spider mites in greenhouses and greenhouses

The microclimate in greenhouses and hotbeds contributes to the comfort for the spider mite - it is dry and warm there. It is able to settle down perfectly in greenhouse conditions, feed itself, give a start to offspring and spend the winter in greenhouse soil.

How to prevent a spider mite, spoiling the habitat?

  • Make the humidity above 70%, because already at 60% the tick dies.
  • After the crop is harvested, remove or thoroughly dig up the top layer of soil, especially in the corners - female ticks like to hide there for the winter.
  • Enrich the soil with phosphate fertilizers in the form of mixtures.

Note! It is good to disinfect the frame and trellises in the off-season - some individuals, when the temperature does not drop below 0 ° C, do not go into the soil, but climb up plants, frame elements, trellises.

Preventive measures in the garden against spider mites

At the height of summer, especially in hot dry weather, in 3 days out of 100 eggs laid by the female, a new hungry spider mite appears in the larval stage, which is no less voracious. Therefore, the tick horde multiplies many times, and it becomes more and more difficult to overcome it.

To protect your cucumbers from such a misfortune, a number of simple measures should be taken.

  • When the cucumber crop is harvested, the entire plant must be completely dug up and burned - some individuals may settle on the stems and top.
  • Before planting and after removing the bushes, the soil is carefully dug up.
  • Timely removal of weeds is a guarantee of the absence of spider mites on your cucumbers, because since spring weeds are the first food for the tick after hibernation.
  • Planting marigold flowers between bushes will prevent tick invasion.
  • Found affected leaves should be cut off and burned.

Note! Planting mixed cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage will save cucumbers from the misfortune of spider mites!

The damage to cucumbers from spider mites is enormous - the affected plant becomes defenseless against other diseases - fungus and rot, the crop also suffers. It is only in the power of the gardener himself to minimize such damage.

The appearance of pests and infections in greenhouses is a common occurrence. Most often, problems arise due to high requirements regarding the microclimate of such structures. For the same reason, spider mites appear. People who grow cucumbers are well acquainted with such a pest. Even if all the requirements are met, it is not always possible to avoid its occurrence. Therefore, you regularly have to deal with spider mites on cucumbers in a greenhouse. There are many methods, chemicals and folk remedies come to the aid of gardeners.

Why is a spider mite dangerous on cucumbers in greenhouses?

The appearance of a spider mite on cucumbers in a greenhouse cannot be called a pleasant surprise. A small insect no larger than a millimeter in size is not always possible to see right away. Usually, gardeners understand that the pest has settled on cucumbers after they find signs of it on the foliage. The danger is that mites multiply at a high rate. As a result, in just a week, the problem acquires colossal proportions.

On cucumbers, pests prefer to settle under the foliage. In this place, the most favorable conditions are created for them. The first sign of danger is the appearance of light dots, and then spots on the foliage. After some time, cobwebs are found on the plants. The problem may seem frivolous, but soon the plant begins to wither, and then dies. The tick must be removed immediately. It is dangerous for many plants.

Where does it come from?

A small insect enters the greenhouse during ventilation. Gardeners themselves spread ticks by bringing them on tools from another cultivated area.

Damage symptoms

It is difficult to detect a pest at first. Settling on the foliage, he sucks all the juices from the plant. As a result, this leads to a weakening of the culture. The arthropod is the cause of other diseases. Together with it, gray rot often appears on the plant. It has to be removed along with the tick in order to maintain the planting.

Waiting for the appearance of large-scale manifestations is unreasonable. Periodically it is worth inspecting the back side of the leaves. As soon as you notice light dots, start fighting the tick. The spots grow in size very quickly. Gardeners also do not immediately notice the presence of a barely noticeable web. They draw conclusions about the presence of a problem when the whole plant turns yellow. Cucumbers stop growing.

To combat spider mites, folk remedies and chemicals are isolated.

Folk remedies and recipes

With large-scale defeats, it is not necessary to rely on folk remedies. They work when it comes to the initial stage of the problem. Apply them when the first signs are detected. Gardeners recommend immediately picking off the affected leaves. They are put in a bucket, and then taken away from the garden and burned. A web remains on the plant, it is much more difficult to collect it. To do this, use a soapy sponge. Only after the initial treatment can proceed directly to the fight.

The most effective means include:

  • garlic tincture. For cooking, take 50 grams of garlic cloves. They are passed through a press (can be crushed in any way) and insisted in a bucket of liquid. It is necessary to process cucumber lashes in calm weather. It is better to choose the evening time so as not to burn the foliage in the hot conditions of the greenhouse;
  • spicy pepper. A vegetable is good for fighting a tick. It is cut into pieces and filled with liquid. The tincture is boiled over the fire for an hour. It is prepared on the basis that for every 0.5 liters of water you need to take 50 grams of pepper. The prepared liquid is not used in its pure form. After cooling, the third part of the solution is diluted in a bucket of water;
  • hydrogen peroxide (3%). Pharmaceutical agent is diluted in water. Three tablespoons of peroxide are mixed with three liters of liquid. Spray all affected plants with the solution. The treatment must be repeated after 3-7 days;

The higher the temperature in the greenhouse and on the street, the more often spraying is carried out.

  • tobacco dust. Leaves moistened with water are powdered with a dry mixture;
  • ammonia. A teaspoon of ammonia is diluted in a liter of water. Plants are treated with the resulting mixture.

Gardeners recommend adding liquid soap to all of the solutions listed. The home remedy creates optimal conditions for adhesion to plant surfaces. Remember that after the rains you will have to repeat the spraying. The peculiarity of folk methods is that their action is not so pronounced, but the means have a natural composition. A single spraying does not give results. To achieve a noticeable result, the treatment must be repeated every 7-10 days.

helper plants

For processing cucumber beds, you can use:

  • marigold. The flowers can be used to make a tincture. It is necessary to collect half a bucket of heads and fill them with water on top. The liquid can be used after it has been infused for two days. The solution is filtered and mixed with liquid soap before use;
  • potato tops. A kilogram of plant greens is used per bucket of water. The remedy is insisted for four hours, after which they process cucumbers;
  • tomato stalks. The green parts of tomato plants are poured with liquid (10 liters). After that, a decoction is prepared on the stove for 30 minutes. For a stronger effect, liquid soap is poured into the solution before use;
  • dope. To prepare a solution, 100 grams of dry grass is poured with water and insisted for a day;
  • dandelions. For processing, use a tincture made from greens (500 grams) and water (liter).

Biologicals

Biopreparations are used to combat spider mites. They contain natural ingredients. With their help, you need to process the plants 3-4 times. Usually spraying is carried out every 10-15 days. With severe damage to plants, you can increase the frequency of treatment. Experts recommend using Bitoxibacillin. It is diluted in a ratio of 100 grams per 10 liters of liquid.

Copes well with the Fitoverm spider mite. For 10 liters of water you will need 10 ml of the drug. The biological product has proven itself in the fight against many problems. It is based on the products of vital activity of soil microflora. Cucumbers should be processed only with a freshly prepared solution. You cannot store it. After processing, vegetables can not be eaten for three days. Ticks die in 3-5 days.

Colloidal sulfur can be used for dry pollination or for preparing a solution (up to 100 grams of powder are placed on a bucket of water).

predatory mites

You can buy them in specialized stores. The technique is effective, but not popular due to the high cost.

Acaricides

At a temperature of more than +25 degrees, no biological products will help. In this case, acaricides will come to the rescue. Chemical preparations have a quick and pronounced effect. Among them, the most famous is Antikleshch. Acaricide is diluted in a liter of water and plants are treated with it. The drug not only destroys the tick, but also protects the plantings from its reappearance within three weeks. Usually culture is treated with acaricides once. If after spraying there is no effect, you will have to use a new drug to avoid addiction.

Acaricides are very toxic, so after using them, all vegetables cannot be used for food for a week.

The drugs "Flumite", "Sunmite", "Apollo", "Neoron" have a strong effect. Poisons have a wide spectrum of action. They are effective at all stages of the disease. Plantings are treated with solutions based on them in the evening or in the morning.

Preventive actions

Folk methods can be used not only for protection, but also for preventive purposes. Chemical preparations are best left as a last resort. The land in the greenhouse should be dug up annually, removing the top layer of soil (up to 20 centimeters). This soil can be used to grow other crops.

At the end of each season, the greenhouse should be thoroughly disinfected. Convenient to use sulfur checkers. They are focused on the destruction of all pests. To use the product in the greenhouse, the temperature must be at least + 10 ... + 15 degrees.

Varieties resistant to spider mites

As one of the preventive measures, gardeners recommend planting varieties that are resistant to the appearance of spider mites. Modern hybrids have proven themselves well. Among them, you can pay attention to the varieties "Dunyasha", "Mashenka", "Ideal", "Zhukovsky", "Caprice", "Vityaz", "Sudar".