We all love and grow apples in our summer cottage. Unfortunately, sometimes they are affected by various diseases and pests - most often they are attacked by the apple-flowered beetle, which must be dealt with immediately. In our article we will tell you what this pest is and how to get rid of it.
Description and photos of the pest
The beetle belongs to the weevil family, has a small size - up to 5 mm, is painted in brown-gray color, the head is elongated in a long proboscis. At its end there is a device with which the pest gnaws the foliage.
The adult prefers leaves and buds, and the larvae feed only on the kidneys. As a result of their appearance, you can lose the entire crop.
The biological cousin of the apple-flowered tsnethode is a granary weevil.
Home for beetles in winter is the fallen leaves and bark of trees. As soon as the average daily temperature rises to + 6 ° С, the larvae wake up, and they start eating the kidneys. 
Beetles make holes in the kidneys, from which transparent juice slowly flows out. This is the main feature by which the presence of a tsvetkoeda on the tree can be determined.
Important! Medium flowering apple varieties are more susceptible to weevil attacks. If you do not want to encounter this pest, it is worth planting early flowering or late flowering varieties.
What is dangerous bug?
The fight against apple bloom should start long before its occurrence, since pests are able to tolerate the winter perfectly and almost unexpectedly appear in the spring.
When the air temperature warms up to + 12-14 ° C, the beetles start to fly. The laying of eggs begins: the female lays 1 egg in each bud. The total number of eggs laid by one female can reach 100 pieces.
Before the beginning of the flowering period, the larvae become active and gradually destroy the stamens and pistils. The excrement, falling on the petals, firmly glue them together, which leads to the fact that the buds can not open, become brown, gradually dry out and become like a brown cap.
Over time, young tsveroyedy leave the pupae, gnaw through the hole and go outside. The first time they eat the foliage, after which they move to other trees. 
Did you know? The area of apple orchards around the world is about 5 million hectares. Every second fruit tree is an apple tree.
If the spring is held for a long time not too high temperature, pests can damage 70-80% of buds, if the flowering is weak - up to 100%. If the spring is warm, a smaller percentage of the larvae of the buds is observed. How to deal with the flower beetle on an apple tree will be discussed in the next section.
How to deal with apple bloom?
There are several ways to combat pest. Consider them in more detail.
Shaking off
At the time when the swelling and blooming of the kidneys, it is advisable to carry out shaking. For this you need a tarp or film. Early in the morning, before the air temperature rose above 10 ° C, the material is spread under a tree and the bugs are shaken off. 
To do this, use wooden beaters or poles, on the end of which is wound burlap or other soft material. This “stick” stands abruptly, but without applying great force, strike the skeletal branches.
To hold this event later does not make sense, as the beetles fly away as the temperature rises. Beetles that fall on the tarp, poured into a bucket with salted water or kerosene. This procedure is recommended several times.
Chemicals
If your garden has attacked the apple flower beetle, it is important to know how to spray the trees. The most effective way to combat pest is the use of broad-spectrum insecticides.
Processing should be carried out when buds begin to open. Unfortunately, most modern chemicals do not affect the eggs and are not able to destroy the flowering larvae. It is for this reason that a repeated processing must be carried out in July.
Important! Before the buds bloom, it is necessary to impose a trap glue belt on the base of the trunk - it will help get rid of bugs and caterpillars. After its removal, and it is carried out after the end of the flowering period, it is destroyed along with pests.Most often, karbofos is used for pest control. The spraying procedure must be carried out with a 10% mixture when the tips of the leaves become visible. You can also use tools such as Kinmiks, Decis and others.
To achieve maximum efficiency, it is recommended to change the drug every season, since pests can get used to the same remedy.
In addition to apple trees, the apple tree beetle often attacks blueberries and pears.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent the destruction of trees by weevils, it is necessary to take preventive measures in the autumn period:
- The trunks, which have already dropped foliage, are being cleared from loose pieces of bark. The section of the trunk, from which it will be removed, must necessarily be treated with lime. Peeled bark need to burn.
- Fallen leaves and other organic residues are burned. If you have a compost pit - you can fold the foliage into it for rotting.
- It is necessary to dig the ground around the trees - so you can "get" to the surface of the hidden beetles, so that they die from frost in winter.
It is very important to begin processing trees in early spring, before buds begin to form. During this period, it is advisable to whitewash the trunks, sealing the hollows and cracks.Did you know? The largest apple was grown in 2005 by a Japanese agronomist. Fruit weight was 1, 849 kg.
Now you know what an apple flower eater is and what measures to combat it exist. Regularly conducting measures to combat pest, you will be able to gather a large and healthy crop.
