Among the natural world of our planet, there are its representatives who harm other animals, plants or people. One of them is the red tick, which is common on all continents except Antarctica. It is an inveterate pest that destroys crops such as cotton, soybeans, grapes and cassava.
Biological features
The red tick has a rounded body of small size. It is covered with sparse bristles. Coloring can be different: yellow, brown, green. Often the body color is uniform, but has dark spots on the sides. Males and females differ in size: males are smaller and more elongated.
The red mite reproduces through the deposition of rounded eggs. Immediately after they are fixed on the sheet, their color is whitish. As they develop, they become cloudy and turn yellow more and more. At a favorable temperature (+15°C), the eggs mature in 15 days, if the environment warms up to +30°C, the larvae will hatch in 2-3 days. If they are fertilized, they will become females, and if unfertilized, males.
The larva differs from the adult in that it has threepair of legs. After she has shed her hair, she turns into a nymph, which, like a mature individual, already has 4 pairs of legs. The life span of one generation can be from 7 to 36 days, depending on the temperature. With the onset of autumn, most of the nymphs become wintering females.
Types of flatbodies
There are many types of spider mites, but the most common are:
- Regular - size may vary depending on its fatness. Color - from orange to bright red. Damages about two hundred plant species.
- Red spider web - sizes can vary from one tenth of a millimeter to 2 mm. Color - all shades of red. Damages indoor plants.
- Red-footed web - threatens many ornamental plants. The body is most often orange in color.
- Atlantic gossamer - ubiquitous. Damages primarily cucumbers.
Additional information about the view
The red tick or flathead belongs to the family of spider mites. It is able to hit almost any plant, except for those that grow in water. The botanists' controversy unfolded about violets. American scientists believe that the red tick is not Saintpaulia. But Russian-language sources say that there are exceptional cases of defeat of the Gesnerians. But experience shows that flatworm is not related to violet diseases. It is more likely that it is affected by another type of tick, which is very similar togossamer.
Plant damage
The red tick is a polyphage (it can eat both plant and animal food). The main thing in his diet is the juice from plant cells. Due to the presence of this parasite, small white dots begin to form on the reverse side of the leaves. Also, on different parts of the victim, there may be a thin web that braids him. If the disease develops in a severe form, the leaves begin to turn white due to many damages, the web envelops the entire plant. You can also observe moving masses, which consist of the pests themselves.
Disease Damage
The red spider mite affects the plant in such a way that the cells begin to break down, photosynthesis in them becomes less active. The affected representative of the flora weakens and becomes more susceptible to various infections. Sources say that a small red tick can be a carrier of viral diseases of agricultural and ornamental crops, gray rot spores.
Prevention
The best conditions for the appearance of parasites are low humidity and dry air. Therefore, in order for the plants to remain he althy, the humidity must be high, and the leaves should be sprayed with water. This will prevent the occurrence of this disease. But this does not help if a red tick has already been found. The photos show that the false arachnoid species loves high moisture very much. Therefore, before taking any action, you need to understand what kind of enemy you are fighting.
Pest control
The main thing to remember is that the red tick is not an insect, and it needs to be de alt with in other ways, since insecticides will not have any effect on it. In order to destroy it, insectoacaricides or acaricides should be used. But there is a high probability of poisoning them and the person himself, because they are very dangerous for people. Therefore, the best option would be to use enteric-contact drugs.
Processing must be carried out carefully, repeated the required number of times with the desired time interval. This will help to eliminate pests such as red mites. Photo and other evidence suggests that the most effective and harmless products of the avermectin series. These are "Fitoverm", "Aktofit" and "Vermitek". When used correctly, these drugs will bring the best results. Their main weakness is that they are not able to infect non-feeding females and eggs. Therefore, processing must be carried out systematically.
In order for the treatment to work, the temperature should not be below +18°C. It should be remembered that the solution can be used within a day after adding water. If the ambient temperature is + 20 ° C, then it should be processed at least 3 times every 9-10 days. If the air is heated to + 30 ° C, then 3-4 such manipulations are needed every 3-4 days. If this is not done, the females will grow up and lay new eggs.
A few more methods of struggle
In addition to the above funds, there are several more equally effective drugs. For example, Apollo. Its mechanism of action is different. It poisons eggs and larvae. Adults do not die, but are sterilized. This leads to a sharp decline in the population. Due to the long-term effect, only 1-2 treatments are required. Also, its advantage is that it does not harm a person.
If parasites are bred in greenhouses or winter gardens, you can fight them with the help of phytoseiulus mites. It brings significant results without the use of chemicals. But there are conditions for their use. These are high humidity, lack of chemical treatment and high air temperature. Another good remedy is the preparations of the Aktellik group, but it is very dangerous to use them in residential areas. When exposed to heat, they evaporate, resulting in a poisonous gas that poisons everything around.
Red tick bite
People are very afraid of tick bites, as it is very unpleasant and dangerous. These small pests can be carriers of a variety of viruses and microbes. Such an incident can threaten a person with encephalitis, arrhythmia, pneumonia, indigestion and many more disorders of all body systems. But the red spider mite lives and feeds on plants and it only harms them. Therefore, you should not be afraid of the bites of this pest.
Thus, the red spider mite is a malicious pest of agricultural andornamental plants. Striking them, it envelops the stems and leaves with cobwebs, which leads to wilting and death. It is difficult to deal with them, so it is better to resort to prevention. Although a person does not need to worry about the bites of red ticks, as they cause great damage to crop plants.
