The cockchafer feeds on the leaves and flowers of various plants. Its larvae, called wireworms, live in the soil and absorb the roots of plants.
If you do not fight the May beetle and its offspring, you can lose the harvest and spoil the beauty of the garden.
There are several ways to get rid of the cockchafer and its larvae in the garden. Here are the most effective ones.
Mechanical method
This is the simplest and most accessible way to combat the May beetle. It consists of collecting the beetles manually or using traps and destroying them. Traps can be made from plastic bottles filled with beer or sugar solution. The beetles are attracted by the smell and fall into the bottle, from where they cannot escape. Traps should be hung on trees or bushes that have suffered from the beetles. The collected beetles can be burned, doused with boiling water or fed to birds.
Biological method
This is a method of fighting the cockchafer with the help of natural enemies. Such enemies include birds, frogs, hedgehogs, chickens, ducks and other animals that eat the beetles and their larvae.
To attract birds, you can install bird feeders and birdhouses in the garden. To attract frogs, you can create a small pond or pool with water. To attract hedgehogs, you can leave them bowls with milk or eggs. To attract chickens and ducks, you can release them into the garden under supervision or drive them into cages with plants damaged by beetles.
Chemical method
This is a method of fighting the cockchafer with the help of special preparations that kill the beetles and their larvae. These preparations can be divided into two groups: contact and systemic.
Contact preparations act on the surface of plants and kill beetles upon contact with them. Systemic preparations penetrate into plants and kill beetles when they eat leaves or flowers. Examples of contact preparations: karbofos, dekis, cypermethrin, bi-58 and others. Examples of systemic preparations: Aktara, Confidor, Mospilan, Tanrek and others. When using chemical preparations, it is necessary to observe safety rules and waiting periods before harvesting. It is also necessary to take into account that chemical preparations can harm the environment and beneficial insects.
Folk method
This is a method of fighting the cockchafer using traditional means that are available to every gardener. These means include herbal decoctions, infusions and powders that repel or kill beetles and their larvae.
Examples of herbal remedies: garlic, onion, tobacco, pepper, wormwood, chamomile, calendula, etc. To prepare decoctions and infusions, pour boiling water over the crushed plants and leave for several hours or days.
To prepare the powders, you need to dry the plants and grind them in a mortar or coffee grinder. The resulting products need to be sprayed on the plants or sprinkled on the soil around them.
As you can see, there are many ways to get rid of the cockchafer and its larvae in the garden.
Choose the method that suits you best in terms of efficiency, accessibility and safety.
And don't forget about prevention: cultivate the soil before planting, remove weeds and debris from the garden, provide the plants with sufficient nutrition and moisture. Then your garden will be healthy and beautiful!
