The cabbage midges are a nuisance – it's time to get rid of them with folk remedies

Harvesting a bountiful cabbage harvest requires not only timely fertilization but also pest control. This crop is a favorite target for numerous pests that attack the root system, devour the succulent leaves, and breed on the cabbage heads. One of the threats that gardeners must contend with is the black fly.

At the first sign of this harmful insect's presence, effective control measures should be taken. Preventative measures against black flies are far more effective, protecting your harvest and your hard work. Experienced gardeners use chemicals and folk remedies that effectively eliminate this pesky insect. Using commercial chemicals isn't always advisable, given the desire to have an environmentally friendly product. A number of folk remedies can help combat the problem until the end of the season.

What does a cabbage midge look like?

The insect has a different, scientific name: the cruciferous flea beetle. Because of its color and size, gardeners have nicknamed this cabbage pest the "black fly." It is one of the most dangerous parasites, capable of destroying an entire cabbage crop.

Flea beetles favor not only cabbage beds but also other crops, such as horseradish, turnips, lettuce, and radishes. They feed on leaves, completely eating away the fleshy, soft green parts, leaving only the tough veins. Their erratic movements and active leaps create the impression of fast flight, reminiscent of the common midge.

Due to leaf damage, cabbage growth slows significantly and begins to wither. The affected leaves fall off, and the plant may die completely. A large infestation of cabbage flea beetles can destroy an entire crop within two days, especially if the infestation occurs during the period of intensive growth or at the head formation stage.

Effective measures are required to prevent and control black flies, as surviving adults, provided a nutritious food source and favorable conditions are maintained, will lay larvae, which overwinter in the topsoil. New plantings next year will also be destroyed by these pests.

Reasons for the appearance of midges on cabbage

Every gardener growing any type of cabbage should be prepared for this pest. Black flies appear everywhere during sunny, dry summers. Their larvae can be carried into the garden with manure or compost, or by wind from nearby meadows or neighboring plots.

It's impossible to prevent the appearance of the cruciferous flea beetle. Only preventative measures, applied several times per season, will help protect the harvest of cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, or white cabbage. Larvae and insects can reproduce up to 16 times during the warm season. Preventative control of black flies should be carried out from May until the end of August.

Signs of appearance

Black flies appear on cabbage at any time of the summer. Signs of an infestation include:

• Small black specks on cabbage leaves. These are leaf-eating insects;
• small pests moving between crops, especially in sunny weather;
• small holes on a cabbage leaf.

You should carefully inspect your cabbage beds to determine which pest is causing damage and take immediate control measures to prevent the crop from dying.

Effective folk remedies

Ready-made chemicals completely eliminate the hassle of pest control. It's much more practical to use traditional methods to achieve an environmentally friendly and safe harvest. The following methods have proven successful among gardeners:

• Tobacco dust. This is a ready-made mixture of crushed tobacco, available at any gardening store. It's inexpensive and completely safe to use. To treat any type of cabbage against black flies, thoroughly water the area around the plant and spray the plants. The solution is prepared as follows: dilute 500 g of dust in 10 liters of hot water, mix thoroughly, cool, and leave for 24 hours. Spray the heads of cabbage and the soil generously.
• A mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash. Spray the plants with a solution of hot water (10 liters), 500 g of tobacco dust, and 1000 g of ash. Mix everything thoroughly and let it sit for at least 24 hours;
• Dust from dried tansy and celandine. Each plant is generously sprinkled with the resulting powder, which is obtained by grinding the dried herbs. It is also used as a soil dust. At least 10 g of dry matter is required for each head of cabbage;
• Vinegar essence. Prepare an acidic solution using the following proportions: 2 tablespoons of 70% acetic acid per 5 liters of water or 1 cup of 9% vinegar per 10 liters of water. Water the plants for three days and then repeat every three days.
• Hot red pepper infusion. Add one crushed fresh red pepper pod to 1 liter of water. Let the infusion steep for several hours, then spray the crops;

• Fir essential oil. Prepare a solution for irrigation – 15 drops per 10 liters of water. The distinct aroma will repel pests;
• Bird droppings in solution form. Chicken manure is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1 part droppings to 50 parts water and used to water the soil;
• A mixture of naphthalene, tobacco dust, and sand. The mixture is prepared in the following proportions: 1 part naphthalene to 5 parts each of the other ingredients. The resulting mixture is sprinkled on the soil in the cabbage bed. At least 30 g of the prepared mixture is used per square meter.
• Garlic infusion. To prepare, grate or finely chop two heads of garlic, skins included, and add to 2 liters of water. After steeping for several hours, spray the infusion on the cabbage;
• Dandelion. Dandelion leaves are steeped in hot water for 4-5 hours. Use 500 g of the leaves per 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is used for watering and spraying;
• ready-made glue traps that are placed on pegs between rows.

The above methods of dealing with black flies help to effectively combat the pest infestation.

Prevention

The same compositions are used as preventive measures:

• spraying cabbage every 5 days with a solution of tobacco dust;
• sprinkling the soil around the crop with tobacco dust and wood ash before watering or rain;
• Treat the space between rows and the soil with a powder of dried celandine and tansy. To protect plants during the planting and acclimation period, apply the powder once every three days;
• watering every three days with an acidic solution of acetic acid and water (10 liters of water and 200 ml of 9% vinegar or 5 liters of water and 2 tbsp. of 70% essence);
• Water generously with water with the addition of fir oil (15 drops per 10 liters of water). Repeat every five days;
• spraying every 5 days with garlic infusion (2 crushed heads of garlic with peel per 2 liters of water);
• planting garlic between rows of cabbage;
• growing aromatic and spicy herbs between cabbage crops;
• using non-woven fabric to cover seedlings and heads of cabbage;
• regular watering;
• application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

After cutting the cabbage, it is necessary to dig the soil deeply so that the pest larvae are buried deep in the soil.

Adviсe

When treating cabbage with traditional methods, remember to protect yourself. All work with solutions and mixtures must be done while wearing protective clothing. If the product comes into contact with your skin or eyes, rinse thoroughly with clean running water.

If a black fly infestation doesn't respond to traditional methods, it's best to purchase ready-made chemical products. The following have proven effective:

1. Actellic. It can be used both as a preventative and as a control agent for black flies and other pests. No recurrence of insects has been observed in the same season. Apply as a spray at a ratio of 10 ml per 10 liters of water.
2. Pochin. A ready-to-use granular product that is mixed with soil. An effective preventative measure even during the seedling planting stage. 60 g of the product is required for every 60 square meters of soil.
3. Decis Profi is a liquid product used as an aqueous solution for spraying. To prepare, use 10 liters of water and 0.5 g of the product. It is effective for two weeks. If black flies reappear, repeat the treatment.
4. Lightning. A ready-to-use solution that requires at least 100 ml of application per hectare of land. It's effective as a spray. Repeat the treatment only after three weeks if pests of any kind reappear.
5. Bankol. A ready-to-use chemical that's diluted 1:2. The resulting solution is sprayed on cabbage beds every three weeks. It's also effective when combined with weed killers.

Use chemicals only when folk remedies are ineffective. It's better to prevent black flies than to fight adult pests.