Medvedka - We Are Fighting A Dangerous Pest

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

A more malicious and annoying pest than a bear cannot be found. Almost not appearing on the surface, it destroys plants both in the beds and in flower beds. Bears gnaw at the roots and leave only sluggish lifeless bushes in place of healthy plants. Protecting the garden from the bear is not easy, and the fight must be carried on tirelessly from early spring until frost. The main helpers of gardeners in the fight against bears are modern biological preparations. Highly effective and safe, they allow you to find a convenient, simple and ecological solution even for the problem with bears, which will contribute to the well-being of your garden at any time of the year.

Who is the bear

The largest soil pest barely appears on the surface and creates complex, astonishingly large tunnel systems. It is no coincidence that many gardeners consider the bear to be their most dangerous enemy. These pests are activated when the topsoil warms up to 10 degrees and live up to 2.5 years. Each female lays 2 clutches a year, arranging uterine chambers for 500-600 eggs in one of the passages. And if the garden is not protected and measures are not taken in time, the bears will arrange a real invasion.

How to recognize a pest

Medvedki (Gryllotalpidae) are a huge family of ancient burrowing Orthopterans found in amber of the Cretaceous period, living in grassy areas and farmlands of all continents, except Antarctica. The most common among us is the common bear (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa). It is not by chance that this species is called the mole cricket or the crab. The length of their body is from 5 to 15 cm, the abdomen is dark brown, yellowish on the underside, soft, fusiform. There is also a protective shell on the chest, two large reticulated eyes, shortened antennae, tick-like front legs adapted for digging (also shortened) and a powerful chewing apparatus.

The development of the bear includes only three stages: eggs, larvae (on which 9 molts occur) and an adult. And the bears begin to harm the plants after the first molt.

What harm does the bear bring

Despite the predominantly underground lifestyle, bears with their wings hidden under short elytra, coiled into flagella, fly and even swim. But they come to the surface only at night, and the faint chirping made by the bears is not so easy to notice in the summer garden filled with sounds. It is possible to guess about the appearance of a bear in the garden only when part of the plantings die. In plants, tubers, stems and roots of which a bear gnaws, the entire aerial part becomes sluggish. If the plant is easily pulled out of the soil, as if cut, you can find other signs of a bear:

• obvious traces of gnawing on the roots;
• the presence of holes on the soil up to 2 cm in diameter and horizontal wide passages;
• quickly drying mounds on the soil, which are easy to notice after watering or rainfall.

Large branched passages of Medvedok significantly improve soil aeration, but even this fact does not change their pest status in the least. Gnawing at the roots and damaging the stems, the bears destroy the whole plant in seconds. Their activity results in the loss of their favorite flowers and crops without a chance of salvation. Basically, the bears feed on the underground parts of the plant, literally “gnawing” the root, but some species get more leaves with stems at night, while others damage the population of useful worms. Bears attack seedlings, seedlings, annuals and perennials, young berry seedlings, harming most plantings. Because of the bears, who do not spare even fresh crops with barely sprouted seeds, you have to waste energy and resell the beds several times, missing the optimal sowing time to get a good harvest. They are not afraid only of adult bushes and trees, feasting on their carrion, and not roots.

Ways of occurrence of the pest and methods of prevention

In nature, Medvedki prefer moist soils, but in a vegetable garden, an ornamental garden and even a greenhouse with their loose, organic soil, they find an ideal environment. But besides the seductiveness of the conditions, there are other factors in the appearance of the bear:

• "Drift" with purchased organic fertilizers (primarily fresh manure) or imported soil;
• neglect of plantings, spread of weeds;
• the proximity of sites to natural water bodies, especially rivers;
• the presence of empty, overgrown with weeds in the neighborhood.

The distribution of the bear and the risks of its appearance on the site can be reduced by taking care of the observance of the usual safety measures that deprive the pests of ideal conditions and an abundance of food:

• limiting the use of fresh organics;
• sifting and inspecting fertilizers before applying;
• cultivating empty soil in time;
• preventing weeds from spreading not only in the beds and in the ornamental garden, but also in the tree-trunk circles, in the adjacent territories;
• aerating the lawn, loosening and mulching the soil, preventing it from crusting and overheating.

Partly helps to prevent damage to plantings by a bear and smart planning of mixed plantings with pest-repelling herbs and flowers or attracting useful helpers, including lizards and hedgehogs, to the garden in summer.

Ways to deal with a bear on the site

If traces of a bear appear in the areas, it will not be possible to limit ourselves to only mechanical methods. Manual destruction of this insect is ineffective and only allows you to open individual nests. Of course, larvae and adults found during work on the site must be destroyed. But it will not be possible to do without special means.

To protect your favorite flowers and beds from the bear, you can use:

1. Standard chemical control agents. To destroy pests, drugs are used that affect the respiratory and nervous system of the bear. Their use is not only unsafe for children and animals, but also pollutes the soil and jeopardizes future crops, the benefits and safety of long-awaited fruits.
2. Biological products, the impact of which is in accordance with the principles of organic farming. In terms of its effectiveness, the innovative biological product for protection against bear is distinguished - Medveed Eco, unique in terms of safety for the environment and people. Containing only natural, completely biodegradable components and using the properties of essential oils, in particular neem tree oil, the preparation acts as a deterrent, protecting the areas for the entire active season. It can be used:

• to stop the spread of the bear;
• to prevent - the creation of protective stripes around the perimeter of individual areas and beds of potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, flowers, and other vegetable and ornamental plants.

Medveed Eco is absolutely safe not only for the environment, but also for people and pets. Depending on the situation in which the gardeners find themselves, there is a choice: use the product as a "defense" or "attack".

Convenient shape in the form of easy-to-use balls makes it easy to position the biological product to scare away bears in holes or furrows. For protection, it is enough to create a small border around the perimeter of the bed from holes with balls located half a meter from each other. And to fight - place them in the soil at the same distance over the entire area of the affected area. You will have to update the protection only once, at the beginning of the season.

When choosing means to combat such an invisible and harmful pest like a bear, you should trust in innovative developments. Safe biological products for the garden demonstrate high efficiency, allowing you to create a pest-free garden in accordance with the principles of sustainable farming.