How to deal with the cabbage fly and its larvae

Methods of combating cabbage fly include scaring butterflies, killing larvae. To combat the pest, use chemical preparations, folk remedies. Cabbage fly parasitizes the entire warm season, its most destructive presence for cabbage in early summer, when the heads of cabbage just begin to tie.

The appearance of the pest

Spring cabbage fly appears in late May, early June from overwintered pupae. A nondescript butterfly of gray-brown color with various patterns on the upper wings. Imago eats nectar of plants, therefore, cabbage does not harm its presence. Its main task is to lay eggs, which is what the insect does all its short life - 20 days.

Spring fly under favorable conditions: moisture, heat, multiplies up to 4 times per season. There is also a summer cabbage fly, which is born in early July, has time for summer give life new generation only once. The pest overwinter in the pupal stage. A photo of the cabbage fly is presented below.

Wormless legless larvae yellow, white in color are born from eggs after 10 days. Initially, they gnaw through the skin of the root, are introduced into the root system. Rarely caterpillars damage stems, leaves.

On a note!

The presence of pests can be determined by the weak growth of seedlings, poor heading. With a strong infection, the plant dies. If there are few larvae, cabbage grows, but does not have a presentation.

Choosing the right method

It is allowed to fight the cabbage fly and its larvae folk remedies or store preparations. However, you need to consider the variety of cabbage, the growing season.

• For early varieties, poison should not be used.
• Processing of medium grades is allowed at the seedling planting phase, in the future, alternative remedies are used.
• It is possible to use insecticides on late cabbage, but the last treatment of the plant should be carried out no later than 25 days before harvesting.

Chemical preparations allow you to get a quick result in a matter of days, while the use of folk remedies requires a systematic repetition. You need to spray or water the culture regularly every 3-5 days. The effectiveness of the procedure is evidenced by the rapid growth of the plant, setting heads out without deformation. Otherwise, the struggle must be continued.

On a note!

Folk remedies are allowed to be used at any stage of the plant’s vegetation, a combination of several recipes is allowed. The effect of the chemical preparation is maintained during watering up to 60 days, spraying - 30 days. The procedure should be carried out in dry weather in the morning or in the evening.

Folk remedies

You can get rid of the cabbage fly insect repellent. Frightening butterflies will prevent infection of the culture, will not allow egg laying.

• Tobacco. Powders are sprinkled with beds, cabbage leaves. A solution is prepared for spraying. Tobacco is poured with water, left for a day, laundry soap and salt are added.Or they insist on cigarette butts for 24 hours, process the plant, and water the soil.
• Ammonia. Fighting with ammonia additionally strengthens seedlings, stimulates the development of the root system, and makes the culture resistant to attack by pests. Use a solution for spraying the plant, watering the soil. In the first case, the solution should be less concentrated - 10 ml of ammonia per 10 liters of water. In the second - 60 ml of alcohol per bucket of water.
• Cinnamon. It has a sharp persistent odor that repels not only the cabbage fly, but also other pests. Sprinkle the beds with powder, spread the cinnamon sticks under the seedlings or spray the cabbage with a solution. Cinnamon is poured into the water, laundry soap is added.

On a note!

If you need to get rid of larvae that damage the roots, use wood ash. Sprinkle the beds, abundantly watered with water. Or the solution is initially prepared - the ash is added to water, thoroughly stirred. Poured directly under the seedlings or formed heads of cabbage.

Algorithm for proper crop cultivation

The development of cabbage flies takes place almost all summer, the insect is constantly changing, changing its lifestyle. To finally get rid of the pest in the beds, to prevent re-infection, you need to follow certain rules:

• Plant seedlings in the beds where garlic and onions grew last year.
• It is recommended that the plant is initially soaked for a few minutes in a mash of mullein, clay, water, Hexochloran. 150 g of the drug are diluted in 10 l of liquid.
• It is better to plant cabbage earlier, so that before the appearance of persistent heat, the culture has time to grow stronger, to resist the attack of caterpillars of the fly.
• The use of waxed paper as a mulch resists the penetration of larvae to the roots, which ensures the healthy formation of the vegetable and the active growth of the plant.
• If mulch is not used, the soil should be loosened periodically on beds with cabbage. In the process, laying of eggs that are on the surface die.
• 3 days after planting, you need to treat the plant with a deterrent solution. Use ammonia, lime, naphthalene, camphor, tobacco.
• To develop additional roots, the plant needs to be spudded.
• After harvesting, remove all residual vegetables, burn, dig up the soil.

If the larvae during the growing season of the culture managed to gain a foothold in the roots, it is recommended to use chemical preparations, taking into account the maturity of the vegetable. This method is effective, but requires compliance with certain rules.

Professional Tools

To scare away, destroy the cabbage fly, the plant is sprayed with a weak solution of Hexochloran or 5% DDT. For 10 l of water, 100 ml of the product is used.

Chlorophos is used against established larvae. A proven insecticidal drug helps to cope with the pest in almost a day, protects the plant from repeated attacks for about 2 months. It is made in the form of powder, emulsion, paste. For 10 liters of water, 15-20 g of the drug is consumed. A solution in the amount of 1 liter is enough for high-quality watering of 5 bushes. Similarly, an emulsion of Thiophos is used.

During the laying period, the soil is recommended to be treated with Bazudin. Per 100 square meters m. spent 10 g of funds. In the greenhouse, seedlings before planting in open ground are recommended to be watered with Aktara's solution. 10 g of cold water is 3 g of the insecticidal drug.

The cabbage fly can constantly migrate from one garden to another, therefore prevention methods should always be remembered. Near cabbage beds, along the perimeter of the plot it is recommended to plant onions, garlic, calendula, marigolds, peppermint, put spruce, pine branches. Or add a few drops of citronella, lavender, peppermint essential oil to the water during watering. You can get rid of pests in the spring with chicken manure, using it as a fertilizer.