Medvedka – very dangerous wrecker of garden cultures. If not to take measures against these insects, they can destroy completely harvest, podgryzy roots of plants and damaging root crops.
What is represented by this wrecker
Medvedka – large insect 40-50 mm long, brown-brown color with firm armor and the rigid leathery shortened wings. His head is also covered with armor, equipped with powerful jaws and tentacles. Forepaws of medvedka remind cancer claws. These paws the medvedka breaks through many hundreds of meters to the soil as the place of its constant dwelling – top layers of the soil where the insect digs the courses.
Most of all harm to garden landings is done by medvedka larvae as during the growth they are extremely gluttonous. The female lays eggs in May beginning of June to special slots underground. Two weeks of larva later are already very active, get out of the slot and begin to dig the own courses in search of food. The laying of eggs is stretched in time therefore young individuals appear during the whole season, till the fall.
With the onset of cold weather of medvedka hide in winter holes at depth of 1.5 meters. In other cases the wrecker prefers warm manure heaps. Gardeners use it, creating compost traps and scattering them at approach of hard frosts. In this case the wrecker perishes as he has any more no opportunity to find the shelter.
How to fight against medvedka larvae
To fight against hungry larvae of medvedka quite difficult as there are they in large number and are capable to destroy harvest for few days. That not to allow it, it is necessary to struggle with the wrecker regularly and systematically, carrying out preventive measures. Distribution of medvedka can be avoided if carefully to process the garden site, deep redigging of the soil, systematic loosening of row-spacings on depth not less than 10 cm and regular removal of weeds belongs to preventive measures. These wreckers like to hide in damp warm shelters. To it manure and compost lot, lot of garbage and grass belong. It is necessary to remove all garbage from the site not to give to the wrecker the chance to live nearby crops. If there is opportunity, at the beginning of June it is possible to scatter on beds special traps – damp humus, fresh manure. For convenience manure can be displayed on pieces of cardboard or plywood. It is necessary to bypass daily traps, to lift sheets and to collect the hidden larvae. It is considered that the smell of some plants is not pleasant to medvedka and it avoids sites where they are planted. Marigold belong to such plants. Besides national methods there are also industrial medicines for fight against medvedka, for example "Medvetoks". It is necessary to use it strictly according to the instruction to avoid undesirable consequences. It is the best of all to use all these methods of fight against medvedka in a complex, only in this case it is possible to hope that the wrecker will leave the site and will leave landings alone.