Content
The wilting of iris buds can be a huge problem for a novice grower. To find out the reason, it is necessary to examine the peduncle. The mucous contents and larvae inside the flower indicate damage by the iris fly. If you do not take any measures in a timely manner, then the culture may die. Methods for controlling the iris fly are to use insecticides and folk remedies.
What does an iris fly look like?
Iris flies or flower flies (Anthomyiidae) are representatives of the dipteran insect family from the superfamily of true flies. Outwardly, they resemble ordinary flies. The difference lies in the color. The iris fly (pictured) has a light black body with small yellow spots. She makes her way into the bud in early May and remains there until the moment of mating.
The pest feeds on unblown iris petals
After fertilization has taken place, the flower girl lays her eggs in the bud and leaves it. White-blue larvae remain in the flower, which feed on the sap of the plant. Parasitizing the flower girl leads to the fact that the bud does not open. From above, the inflorescences seem dry, but inside they turn out to be rotten. If the bud was not cut and destroyed, the larvae fall under the bush, pupate and winter in deciduous litter. In spring, the biological cycle of the iris fly repeats itself.
Causes and signs of damage to irises by an iris fly
Warm climate is the cause of iris fly damage. The larvae, trapped in the ground under deciduous litter, pupate and successfully survive the winter, and in the spring new insects appear from them. In regions with a harsh climate, iris flies cannot overwinter, so they are rarely found in a flower bed.
The greatest harm is caused by the larvae of the iris fly
Most often, medium and late flowering varieties are affected. At first, the peduncle develops as usual, but it does not come to blooming.
The bulk of the buds damaged by the iris fly do not open
When touched, they resemble a soft substance. Blooming flowers are also deformed: their petals quickly curl, and the buds dry out.
You can notice the appearance of iris flies by the spots on the edges of the petals. This is due to the fact that the insect makes a puncture with its proboscis and feeds on the sap of the plant. In addition, green discharge can be seen on the surface of the flowers. The struggle at this point comes down to cutting and destroying flowers.
The iris infestation is observed in regions with warm climates and mild winters. Gardeners note that hybrid varieties bred by crossing suffer from these insects.
Some types of irises, for example, Siberian, cereal, are not exposed to the invasion of the flower girl, even if they are in the same flower bed with infected hybrids
When and how to deal with iris fly
Getting rid of pests requires more than just insecticide treatments. The fight against the invasion of insects consists in digging the site, collecting and burning foliage, as well as using folk remedies.
Spraying at the time of budding may not give results. It is advisable to carry out the treatment during the period when the flower arrow only appears from the rhizome.Re-spraying is carried out during the formation of flower buds, it is necessary to have time before the moment when they are colored.
If, when examining the peduncles, there is a suspicion of the appearance of an iris fly, it is necessary to pluck the bud and check it for the presence of larvae. If insects are found, they urgently get rid of the buds. They are cut off and necessarily burned away from the site.
Methods of dealing with iris fly folk remedies
Gardeners recommend that you do not immediately switch to chemicals. If the scale of infection is not large, the fight can be started with the help of folk remedies. Processing is carried out during the appearance of flower arrows. You can use an ash solution, treat with a soap-alcohol liquid, spray a mixture of pepper, mustard and tobacco dust. These products are safe for humans and plants, but harm to insects.
To combat uninvited insects, you can use garlic infusion. For this, cloves of garlic (50 g) are poured with water (0.5 l), heated, but not boiled, allowed to brew and the cooled liquid is sprayed with irises. The same water can be used for irrigation. This composition is versatile. The smell of garlic is not tolerated by almost all insects, so the product can be used to protect not only irises, but also other crops.
Celandine is also used to control the iris fly. For 10 liters of water, 500 g of dry grass will be required. Raw materials are poured with boiling water and allowed to brew. Spraying is carried out with a liquid at room temperature.
Any herb with a pungent odor or natural bitterness can be used for infusions. An unpleasant aroma will protect the flower beds from the attack of pests.
How to get rid of the iris fly with insecticides
The use of chemicals allows you to effectively fight the iris fly and its larvae.
The use of Confidor showed 90% destruction of the pest. Mospilan is even more reliable, after treatment with this agent, all irises bloom.
The most suitable period for pest control is the appearance of a flower arrow above the ground surface
If you are a little late with spraying, then the efficiency will be much lower.
Prevention measures
Prevention consists in transplanting a crop to another site, as well as in digging up the earth and treating it with chemicals.
In order not to give the larvae a chance to overwinter, to combat them, it is necessary to clean the area from fallen leaves. It is desirable to burn litter away from the site.
Around the flower bed with irises, you can plant flowers or herbs with a pungent smell (for example, marigolds, marigolds, rue, tansy, wormwood), which will repel insects.
Conclusion
Methods of dealing with iris fly consist in timely spraying with insecticides or herbal infusions. In addition, plant repellents can be used to protect plantings. For preventive purposes, the soil under the irises should be dug up annually. Periodically, the landing site can be changed, and the land can be treated with chemicals.
