Identification and Control Methods for Common Edible Mushroom Pests

1. Pest species The common pests that harm edible mushrooms include mushroom gnats, mushroom flies, mushroom mites, springtails, slugs, and so on, with mushroom gnats being the main ones.

2. Pest invasion routes and severity of damage During the spawn-running stage, pests invade through the bag opening or holes, bite and feed on the mycelium, and spread contaminating microorganisms, so that the mycelium cannot grow normally or dies, causing the bag to be ruined. During the fruiting stage, pests invade the base of the fruiting body and feed on the fruiting body and the mycelium at its base, causing the fruiting body to turn yellow and die, making a second or third flush impossible and seriously affecting yield.

3. Technical control measures Pest control should be based on the principle of "prevention first." The main technical measures are as follows: ① Choose a good mushroom house. The mushroom house should be far away from pig pens, cattle pens, chicken coops, and garbage dumps. ② Do a good job of environmental sanitation around the mushroom house. Remove garbage and sewage to reduce pest sources. ③ Disinfection. Sprinkle lime powder on the floor around the walls of the spawn-running room, and spray with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% dichlorvos to kill pests. ④ Torn bags should be patched with adhesive tape, and the bag openings sealed firmly with paper. ⑤ During the fruiting stage, spray with a 5000-fold dilution of "BS" once every 2 days to kill young larvae. ⑥ If a large number of pests appear, "BS" can be prepared as an 800-1000-fold dilution for soaking the bags, which can kill pests that have already invaded.

4. Precautions During the fruiting stage, pesticides such as dichlorvos and methamidophos should be used with caution to avoid causing deformed mushrooms22 and incidents of mushroom poisoning.