Medvedka is a harmful insect that is dangerous for your crop. It acts selectively, damaging the roots of fruitful shrubs and not affecting weeds. Medvedka reproduces quickly, therefore, if no action is taken, it will destroy all the planted plants in your garden.
Medvedka has a thick shell, so it is unlikely to crush it. But, due to its large size, reaching 5-8 cm, it is more noticeable than other pests. The insect has wings, so it will be quite difficult to catch it. Medvedka lives deep underground, as he loves warmth and dampness.
Who are bears
These insects must have caught your eye. It's hard not to notice them. They have a thick, smooth brown carapace and a grey-green belly. During the breeding season, the bear can lay up to 300 eggs, which will quickly mature and turn into new pests.
These insects love to feed on plant roots from your beds. Most of all they like cabbage and potatoes, but they will not bypass the rest of the crops. A month is enough for bears to completely destroy the crop. If you notice that the plants begin to wither and rot for no apparent reason, then inspect the area. Surely you will find tunnels dug by bears underground.
Fighting Medvedka with folk methods
To prevent the appearance of a bear in the garden, you need to dig up the soil twice a year. The deeper you drive the shovel, the more likely it is that minks and nests will collapse.
Oil and soap
A soapy solution or ordinary sunflower oil will help drive the bear out of the minks for further destruction. Walk around the site, carefully inspect the soil for underground passages and fill each of them. Bears will quickly leave their homes, and their eggs will die.
Manure
This method is considered the most effective and, moreover, affordable. It is necessary to repeat the procedure every spring and autumn in order to completely remove the bear from your site. To set up traps, dig holes 0.5 meters deep and fill them with manure. Bears love to be in it and will rush to a cozy place.
With the onset of the first cold weather, the pits should be stirred up and the contents scattered over the surface of the soil. Bears during this period already hibernate and are very weak, so they quickly die in the cold.
It is advisable to stop using manure as fertilizer on your site, as it not only attracts bears, but can also be their habitat. Alternatively, feed the soil with chicken manure, which is as good as it gets.
Beer
Insects love the smell of beer and honey, so you can use these products as bait. Fill a glass jar or bottle with a narrow neck with a foamy drink or sweetened water, bury it in the ground, the bears will get in there, but they won’t be able to get out. Change the jar every day.
sunbathing
Medvedki love to be in the sun, which allows them to trap. Spread pieces of black fabric around the area, as it attracts heat the most. Sprinkle the soil under the shreds with water sweetened with honey, and wait until the bears crawl under it. Then it remains only to destroy the pests.
fences
Bears can only crawl on horizontal surfaces. Their paws are not adapted to overcome high obstacles. Therefore, it is advisable to fence off each bed with a net or a fence built from plastic bottles.
To protect the roots, you can put a nylon stocking on each and plant it in the soil. The fabric is easily stretched and does not interfere with the development of the root system, but will not miss a single bear.
fragrant herbs
Pests are sensitive to strong odors, so fragrant herbs and shrubs with pepper are bypassed. Plant cilantro, garlic, chili and onions all over the site and around the beds, and you will save your crop from the pest. An effective way to scare away the bear is to water the soil with a decoction of onion husks.
Marigolds and chrysanthemums also tend to repel insects. Plant them on the site, and they will delight not only in appearance, but also in practicality. Another way that experienced summer residents offer is crushed eggshells. Scatter it along the beds, and it will prevent the bears from crawling up to the plants.
Fish
Bury fish heads around the beds every spring. Gradually, they will begin to rot and soak the soil. Medvedki do not tolerate this smell and will not dare to approach your harvest.
Soil cooling
Insects do not tolerate cold. If you want to scare them away from your garden, use a folk trick: sprinkle the ground with sawdust or straw. Light shades reflect heat and keep the soil warm.
wooden traps
Lightly moisten the soil and lay out wide boards or sheets of plywood. Press them to the ground and wait a few days. During this time, the bears will fully master the new comfortable territory. If you turn the board over, you will find many individuals. Moreover, thinking that they are underground, all the passages will be dug only on its surface, and the bears will begin to escape precisely along them.
Unfortunately, folk methods will not help to completely rid gardeners of the problem. They are only auxiliary methods of pest control and will save you from their invasion for a while.
Industrial means for etching a bear from a site are unsafe. Therefore, they should only be used after you have tried all other methods and they have not been successful.
"Phenoxin+", "Thunder"
The preparations are available in the form of granules, which must be used without dissolving in water. They fall asleep in found minks or specially equipped traps. So that birds, cats, dogs or other living creatures are not accidentally poisoned by drugs, they must be hidden under a small layer of earth.
"Prestige", "Masterpiece", "Aktara"
These tools are recommended to process seedlings and seeds. The roots of young shoots are soaked in a solution prepared according to the instructions, and the seeds and tubers are sprinkled with them. The advantage of such drugs is that they protect not only from the bear, but also from many other pests.
When using chemical insect control methods, do not forget about your own safety. Wear rubber gloves and a petal mask.
Biological preparations from the bear
These products are a safe alternative way to get rid of pests because they do not contain dangerous chemicals. Using them, you can not worry about your health and the quality of the crop.
"Nemabakt"
One package of the drug is enough to process 100 square meters. m of land. Keep it in the refrigerator as it contains bacteria. Active components enter the stomach of the bear and begin to slowly destroy its internal organs.
"Boverin"
Contains spores of fungi, which, penetrating inside the insect, begin to grow actively. As in the previous case, the death of the bear is inevitable. One package is enough to neutralize 300-500 sq. m.
These drugs have been clinically tested and found to be safe for human health. Therefore, the choice in their favor is obvious.
Ultrasonic devices
Such repellers emit vibration and sound that insects cannot tolerate. Medvedka will really leave your site without any extra effort, but will move maximum to the next one. Therefore, the feasibility of this method is highly questionable.
Is it possible to get rid of the bear forever
This question worries many gardeners, because pest control takes a lot of time. Unfortunately, the bear is very difficult to breed, as it multiplies very quickly and can get into the garden in many ways.In order to avoid this misfortune, carry out prevention. Dig up the ground in spring and autumn, plant repeller plants, process seedlings. If you find insects in your yard, let your neighbors know so they can start fighting before a problem occurs.
Medvedka is a dangerous pest that quickly spreads throughout the garden and to neighboring areas. Protect your crops from this threat using safe and modern means.
