What are the main pest and disease control methods 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 alleviate this contradiction, the main pests in mushroom sheds and their control methods are introduced here.

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 each culture block can be sprayed with 0.15 kg of 1% potassium chloride or sodium chloride solution (5% salt water can be used as a substitute); if fungus maggots cause damage after mushroom emergence, low-toxicity pesticides such as derris extract, insecticidal ester, 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 liquid 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 gnats

Mushroom gnats do the greatest damage in the larval stage. Besides boring and feeding on the surface of the compost, 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 adult insects 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 quickly, and mainly feed on fruiting bodies and hyphae, causing damage. When controlling them, first of all, the invasion of the pest source into the mushroom shed should be eliminated. Because they mainly come from various feeds in warehouses and feed rooms, when using warehouses, chicken houses, and similar places as mushroom cultivation rooms, they must be thoroughly disinfected, and the walls should be painted with lime, and before use they should be fumigated once more with dichlorvos; 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. Fishy-smelling items such as pork bones can also be sprayed with pesticides such as parathion and placed near the culture blocks to lure the fungus lice onto them, then taken out and burned or killed by scalding with boiling water.