What are the main pest and disease control measures for mushroom sheds?

With the development of the vegetable basket project, the demand for edible fungi has increased accordingly, but pest damage inside mushroom sheds has created major obstacles to the development of edible fungi. To ease this contradiction, the main pests in mushroom sheds and their control methods are introduced below.

1. Mushroom flies

The larvae, also called fungus maggots, mainly feed on the fruiting bodies, creating tunnels that affect quality, and the wounds they cause are also very easily infected by pathogens, leading to rot. Different methods should be used to control mushroom flies at different stages. If large numbers of fungus maggots occur before mushroom emergence, dichlorvos can be used for fumigation at a rate of 0.90 kg/100 sq m, and at the same time 0.15 kg of 1% potassium chloride or sodium chloride solution can be sprayed on each culture block (5% salt water can be used as a substitute); if fungus maggots cause damage after mushroom emergence, low-toxicity pesticides such as derris extract, permethrin, and nicotine can be sprayed. (Nicotine can be made at home: take 0.50 kg of tobacco stems, add 5 kg of water, boil, and then take the solution for spraying.) In addition, ventilation should be strengthened and the temperature and humidity inside the shed adjusted to worsen the pests' living environment, so as to achieve the purpose of controlling their damage.

2. Mushroom mosquitoes

Mushroom mosquitoes cause the greatest damage during the larval stage. In addition to boring and feeding on the surface of the culture material, some also spin webs that cover the mushroom buds, preventing the mushroom bodies from growing normally. Control method: after harvesting, spray trichlorfon at 500--800 times dilution, and at the same time add nylon gauze at the doors and windows of the mushroom shed to prevent adults from flying in to lay eggs and reproduce and cause damage.

3. Fungus lice

These are a type of mite. They are very small and crawl relatively quickly, and mainly feed on fruiting bodies and mycelium, causing damage. When controlling them, the first step is to prevent the pest source from invading the mushroom shed, because they mainly come from various feeds in warehouses and feed rooms. Therefore, when using warehouses, chicken houses, and similar places as mushroom-growing rooms, they must be thoroughly disinfected, and the walls should be whitewashed with lime, and dichlorvos should be used for fumigation once more before use. If fungus lice are found during the cultivation period, cotton balls dipped in 50% dichlorvos can be hung for fumigation, or a 1% nicotine sulfate solution can be sprayed. Pig bones and other items with a fishy smell can also be sprayed with pesticides such as parathion and placed near the culture blocks to attract the fungus lice onto them, then removed and burned or killed with boiling water.

4. Nematodes

Nematodes are a type of colorless small worm, extremely tiny, only about 1 mm. The larvae attack the mycelium and fruiting bodies. At first the mushroom cap turns black, and later the entire fruiting body turns black, rots, and gives off a musty odor. Control method: when steaming the material, the steam must fully contact the culture material to kill all nematodes. After mushroom emergence, zinc sulfide at 50 mg/kg can be sprayed on the culture blocks to control their damage.

5. Springtails

Also known as soot insects. They have a flexible tail and can jump freely, and their bodies have a waxy covering, so they are not afraid of water. They are often distributed on the surface of mushroom beds or in damp, dark places, biting and feeding on fruiting bodies. If they occur before mushroom emergence, dichlorvos at 1:1000 dilution plus a small amount of honey can be used as a poison bait to kill them. Alternatively, arsenious acid preparations or organophosphorus preparations can be smeared on sweet potato slices as poison bait. After mushroom emergence, pesticides generally cannot be used directly. At this time, 0.25--0.50 kg of fresh orange peel can be cut into pieces, wrapped in gauze, and squeezed to obtain the juice, then 0.50 kg of warm water added, and sprayed at a ratio of 1:20 for 2--3 applications. The effective rate against springtails is over 90%.

6. Slugs

Commonly known as slugs, they are mollusks with exposed bodies and no outer shell. They are afraid of light and heat, hiding during the day under bricks, stones, and in soil cracks, coming out one after another after dusk to feed and cause damage, and hiding again before dawn. Control method: rice bran or soybean cake mixed with 2% calcium arsenate or aluminum arsenate can be made into poison bait, or 15--20 times sodium chloride solution can be sprayed on the ground to repel adults. From 9--10 p.m. is the period when they are most active, and at this time they can be caught manually.

7. Thrips

Adults are black, small, and slightly flattened, with prominent compound eyes; nymphs are orange-red. They mainly suck the juice of the mushroom bodies, and in severe cases can cause the mushroom bodies to shrink. Control method: spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1500--2000 times dilution, or spray with 90% trichlorfon or 50% malathion at 1000--1500 times dilution. The control effect can reach 80%--90%.

8. Mole crickets

Poison bait is the most effective for trapping and killing them. The formula is 50 g trichlorfon, 1500 g rice bran or wheat bran roasted until fragrant, 50 g sugar, and 250 mg white vinegar, fully mixed and then scattered on the ground. Mole crickets, mosquitoes, and similar pests die immediately after eating it.

9. Other pests

For false ground beetles, wood-boring beetles, and four-spotted lady beetles, spraying derris extract at 500--800 times dilution or 80% dichlorvos at 1000--1500 times dilution can achieve relatively good control effects. Termites are a major pest in the south, mainly damaging fungi such as Poria cocos. Digging out nests to eliminate termites is an effective way to avoid or reduce termite damage. In addition, the tree branch method using Ailanthus altissima can also be used: dig a small ditch around the mushroom shed, place fresh Ailanthus altissima branches evenly in the ditch, and cover them with soil. This has a strong repellent effect on termites.