Aphids on cucumbers: causes and control methods

Aphids are dangerous pests that live in symbiosis with ants. The presence of ants in a garden is one of the main reasons for the pest's colonization. Aphids on cucumber plantings can be controlled using chemical, biological, and natural methods. The latter should be applied to the bushes after flowering. Although less effective, this is safer than using pesticides.

Brief information about the pest

Melon aphids are often seen on cucumbers, both in the garden and in the greenhouse. They attack the green shoots of the plants, sucking the sap from them. Wingless adults are greenish-yellow in color. Winged adults are black or marsh-colored. Less commonly, microscopic pests with a white, almost transparent color are observed on this vegetable crop. Since black aphids live in colonies on cucumbers, they are easier to control: as they colonize the shoots, the dark spots become visible to the naked eye.

Aphids are 1-2 mm in size. The photo shows them to scale. They live on the undersides of shoots. Temperatures above 6°C stimulate active reproduction. During their life cycle, aphids transmit various infections and feed on plant sap, depleting them of nutrients. The insects' secretions are also detrimental to cucumbers. The sticky liquid coats the leaves, impairing photosynthesis. However, honeydew allows the pest to coexist symbiotically with ants. These "workers" feed on the substance, so they protect and even defend the aphids that secrete it.

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Reasons for appearance and signs of settlement

The time for planting cucumber seedlings or the emergence of seedlings coincides with the onset of pest infestation. The main overwintering supply of larvae and wingless females is concentrated in weeds, on basal leaf blades, from where they begin their "expansion." The main causes of melon aphid appearance on cucumbers are:

• the presence of ants in a summer cottage (homestead) area;
• violation of crop rotation;
• preserving plant residues in the beds since autumn.

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To eliminate the pest promptly and preserve the harvest, you should regularly inspect your crops and monitor their appearance. The following signs can help identify the presence of both green and black aphids on cucumbers:

• leaf curl - when the pest appears and begins to feed, the edges curl downwards;
• ovary drop;
• deformation of the apex of the processes;
• slow growth and development of plants;
• low intensity of fruit formation;
• the appearance of a large number of ants;
• general wilting of plantings;
• yellowing and death of young shoots.

How to control aphids on cucumbers

There are several methods for protecting cucumber crops from pests. If aphids have appeared on cucumber shoots, you can use folk remedies, pesticides, or biological methods. Insecticides have proven to be fast-acting. However, during the fruiting period, treating cucumbers with them for aphids is unacceptable due to the pesticide residue remaining in the fruit.

Chemical protective equipment

Insecticides are effective, fast-acting methods for controlling aphids on cucumbers, both in greenhouses, hotbeds, and open ground. Unlike other methods, they demonstrate excellent results when used in large-scale infestations.

A single treatment can kill virtually all aphids. However, chemicals have limitations in their use due to the following characteristics:

• toxic to bees – do not spray during flowering;
• Long toxicity period – after processing, the product should not be consumed for 3-30 days, depending on the active ingredient.

Systemic and contact insecticides are used to protect vegetable crops. However, systemic insecticides are more effective, as they control aphids that feed on the undersides of cucumber leaves. There's no need to try to reach the pest, as the product penetrates the plant's system, making the sap toxic to the insects.

Table: The most effective chemicals for controlling melon aphids

Folk remedies for aphids on cucumbers

The pest can attack shoots at any stage of development. During flowering, setting, and fruiting, aphids on cucumbers should be controlled with folk remedies, as they are non-toxic to the vegetable crop. However, completely ridding the leaves of numerous colonies of this harmful insect is a lengthy process. The following infusions are effective:

1. Tobacco: Add 400 g of tobacco mixture and 80 g of laundry soap to a bucket of hot water and let it steep for 24 hours. After the specified time, filter the solution and use it for spraying. For aphids, use a generous amount of the infusion, thoroughly wetting the shoots.
2. Ash - to protect plants from attacks by harmful insects, dissolve 200 g of ash and a 50 g bar of laundry soap in a bucket of water. Spray the shoots of the vegetable crop with the freshly prepared infusion.
3. Mustard: A solution of 10 g of powder and 1 liter of water will help protect cucumbers. Let it steep for 48 hours, then add a slightly smaller volume of clean water and 60 g of soap shavings.
4. Garlic: mix a paste of 200 g of garlic cloves in 1 liter of water. Let the mixture sit for a week, then filter and dilute with clean water at a ratio of 1:10. Garlic infusion is especially effective in greenhouses, when pest colonies are just emerging.

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You'll also find other food additives and medications at home. These can be used to safely and effectively treat cucumber crops against this "miniature" pest:

1. Vinegar for melon aphids: add 30 ml of essence to 10 liters of water. To eliminate the pest, apply the solution immediately after preparing it. Vinegar is only effective against large numbers of aphids if applied repeatedly.
2. Hydrogen peroxide solution: dilute 50 ml of peroxide in 1 liter of water. After adding a shot of sugar, you can get rid of pests by spraying several times at weekly intervals.
3. Ammonia – dilute the solution in water at a rate of 50 ml per 10 liters, adding up to 50 g of crushed laundry soap. Spray weekly. If the bushes are small, insects can be removed by wiping the leaves with a sponge soaked in the solution.

Biological control method

Other safe products that are harmless to birds and ladybugs can also help get rid of aphids on cucumber shoots. They can be sprayed on indoor plants (on a windowsill or loggia). After applying these biological products, they can be consumed by humans as early as five days after use. This is due to the natural component, which accounts for the majority of the product's effectiveness.

There are many biological products available. Vegetable growers use them as a more environmentally friendly way to control aphids on cucumbers than chemicals:

1. I apply Fitoverm to plants at any stage of development (seedlings, flowering, fruiting). First, dissolve one ampoule in 10 liters of water.
2. "Entobacterin" – spray one week before the planned harvest date. Prepare a working solution of 10 g of the product and 1 liter of water.
3. "Tanrek" has a one-month protection period. By adding laundry soap to the working solution (5 ml of the biological product per bucket of water) as an adhesive, sediment does not reduce the product's lethal effect on insects.
4. "Strela" is effective when applied twice, two weeks apart. The working solution consists of 50 g of granules and 10 liters of water.

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Preventive methods

Urgent protective treatments often require aggressive measures to control aphids, which multiply very quickly, causing irreparable damage to crops. It's best to protect cucumbers from pest attacks in advance by following proper cultivation practices. Key preventative measures include:

1. When preparing a plot for cucumbers in the fall, remove all plant debris that could serve as bedding for the pest's wintering reserves, and also, while digging, water the soil with a copper sulfate solution to destroy larvae and pathogens.
2. Introduce the crop into the garden crop rotation, avoiding planting it after poor predecessors, as the cultivation of which leaves numerous specialized pests and diseases on the plot.
3. During the growing season, destroy weeds that act as an intermediate link for the migration of aphids to cucumbers.
4. Use integrated plant protection, including biological methods – planting garlic nearby to repel aphids, or mustard to attract ladybugs.
5. Fight ants and do not place garden beds near their “homes”.

Fertilizing is an important agricultural practice that helps protect cucumbers from aphids. Timely application of fertilizers helps the plants develop excellent immunity. The first fertilizer application is carried out 14 days after planting the seedlings in open ground or after emergence, using a 1:10 solution of mullein. This accelerates rooting and the development of green foliage. Subsequently, during the flowering and fruiting stages, fertilizing irrigations with superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used, which strengthen the plants' health and extend the harvest period.

Aphids are a dangerous pest that can quickly infest vegetable crops. The best solution is to spray the plants as a preventative measure to ensure a bountiful harvest of high-quality cucumbers.