Damage images
Aphids are pests that feed on the sap of the medlars. They pierce the leaf veins with their proboscis and extract their sap from the plant. At the same time, they inject saliva into the plant, which leads to unsightly discoloration on the leaves. The pests are with bare eye recognizable on mostly young shoots and leaves. They only use part of the juice they have absorbed and separate the excess rest. A sticky coating is created. This so-called honeydew provides an ideal breeding ground for fungal spores.
also read
- Fight lice on maples - effective home remedies for aphids
- Fight diseases and pests of the hemp palm
- Lice on the hydrangea - what helps against the pests?
In summer, flying generations develop that can attack other plants. If the infestation is severe, the discoloration on the leaves can spread. The leaves dry up and curl up. Buds dry out due to the lack of sap and fall off.
Combat
If the plant is not yet badly infested, you can collect the aphids by hand. Another observation is important because the lice reproduce asexually. If a pest has been overlooked, it can quickly produce new offspring. Fight more severe infestation with a solution of rapeseed oil and
Soft soap,(€ 38.05 at Amazon *) with which you spray the plant.To stop the aphids from multiplying, spray the plant early in the morning with a mixture of neem oil, water and an emulsifier such as Rimulgan. The oil is an ecological and non-toxic alternative. Its ingredients intervene in the pests' metabolism and interrupt the formation of chitin. As a result, the exoskeleton that supports the insects can no longer fully develop. The following generations have no chance of survival.
prevention
Aphids prefer to settle on weakened and diseased plants. You can protect your loquat against an infestation in advance. Regularly give the shrub a brew of nettles with the irrigation water, Field horsetail or tansy. This supports the health of the plant and makes it more robust against pest infestation.
Other preventive measures:
- Promote beneficial organisms such as ladybugs
- Plant perennials with essential oils such as lavender
- Realize mixed cultures
- briefly fertilize with nitrogen