What are the pests of figs? Detailed explanation of control methods
Although the fig is called "fig" (meaning "no flower"), it is actually a flowering plant. The fig is a plant that combines medicinal, ornamental and economic value in one. It has a clear therapeutic effect on indigestion and high blood lipids. The fig tree currently has the highest output-to-input ratio of all plants, with high yield and easy management. It also has relatively few pests, but although it has fewer pests than other plants, some pest problems will still occur if you do not pay attention. Below I will explain the common pests of figs and their control methods.
1. Mulberry longhorn beetle pest
The mulberry longhorn beetle pest occurs mainly in the first half of June, and becomes prevalent starting in the second half of the month. Adults begin laying eggs from June to August, and the egg masses are laid on branches about 40 cm from the ground. When laying eggs, the adult chews a “T”-shaped or “V”-shaped notch in the bark and places the eggs inside it. After the egg masses hatch, larvae emerge. The larvae are very easy to spot: if you find an unidentified brown substance on the tree, it definitely means larvae are present. The larvae bore into the branches from the outside inward and remain in the phloem layer to overwinter. The main control method is to catch and manually kill the adults during the annual pest outbreak period, or spray pesticides such as dichlorvos or dimehypo to kill the larvae.
2. Yellow slug moth pest
The yellow slug moth pest, like the mulberry longhorn beetle, occurs every year in June, but the yellow slug moth lays its eggs on the underside of leaves. The egg stage is short, and egg-laying is finished in ten days at most. After the larvae emerge, they begin feeding on the leaf mesophyll, leaving the veins behind; after feeding to the end, the entire leaf is left with only veins, forming a net-like pattern. As they grow, they continue to feed on the leaves until only the petiole remains. During the larval stage, pesticides such as dichlorvos can be sprayed to control the larvae, with good control results. The yellow slug moth is also phototactic, so this can be used to set up light traps to kill it. Spraying pesticides around the tree trunk and on the ground can kill the adults.
3. Black velvet chafer pest
The larvae of the black velvet chafer mainly harm the roots of the fig tree, while the adults feed on new branches and new leaves, and mainly engage in mass feeding when disturbed. The adults overwinter in the soil, and when the temperature rises in spring they emerge from the soil in large numbers and damage the new branches and new leaves of the fig tree. In summer they lay eggs in the soil, and after the larvae emerge they chew the roots underground, seriously affecting the growth and development of the fig. During the spring pest outbreak period, use slender leaves dipped in pesticides such as dichlorvos and insert them into the soil for trap-killing, and mix the soil with chemical agents and stir it to poison the larvae in the ground. The black velvet chafer also has a period when it stays on the tree in a state of feigned death; by making use of the adults' feigned-death period, shake the trunk to make them fall off for manual killing.
These three are the relatively common pests of figs. All three insects harm different parts of the fig tree, and all can cause great harm to figs. This is especially true of the chafer larvae: if not dealt with, they will chew through all the roots of the entire tree, causing the whole tree to be unable to absorb water and nutrients, and finally to wither and die. Diseases of the fig tree are very rare, and its resistance to disease is strong, but this does not mean there are no diseases, for example gray leaf spot, so it should not be taken lightly either.