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What time does the bear lay eggs. Medvedka: methods of struggle

Medvedka got its name because of its appearance - a disproportionate, clumsy large body covered with thick bristly hairs, a small head with long antennae, a strange-looking paws and claws. Sometimes the bear is called "earth cancer", "top" or "cabbage". The last name was given to the bear because of her passion for eating cabbage.

Medvedka is a large insect, body length up to 5 centimeters. The abdomen is about 3 times larger than the cephalothorax, soft, spindle-shaped, with a diameter of about 1 cm in adults. The thoracic shell is hard, its structure is such that the head can partially retract under its protection. Two large compound eyes, long antennae, and two pairs of tentacles framing the gnawing mouthparts are clearly visible on the head. The front pair of limbs of the bear is modified compared to the other two, being an excellent tool for digging the earth. In adults, the folded wings look like two long thin scales, often exceeding the length of the abdomen. Body coloration: the abdomen is dark brown on the upper side, lightening to olive towards the bottom, the same coloring of the limbs. The head and thorax are dark brown.

At night, they prefer to travel by air. Its rigid and strong wings make it possible to cover long distances in a short time, so it is almost impossible to catch a bear.

Medvedki is a rather dangerous type of pest that damages the roots of plants, sown seeds, planted bulbs and root crops.

Medvedka harms the underground parts of tomatoes, cabbage, pepper, eggplant and other garden crops, eats sown vegetable seeds. Especially fond of cucumber seeds. Seedlings dry out, damaged plants can easily be pulled out of the soil. In root vegetable crops and in potato tubers, the bear eats large cavities, which then rot, gnaw through the stems and tear the roots.

Medvedka loves tender roots of cabbage, beets, cucumbers, peas, eggplant, she does not disdain roots and flower bulbs. Perhaps the only vegetable that the bear does not like is garlic.

Not a single amateur gardener is immune from the invasion of the bear. On the contrary, the chances that bears will appear on the site are higher for exemplary summer residents. The fact is that the larvae of the bear often live in manure, which fertilizes the soil and prefers to live in well-irrigated, “fatty” soils. Therefore, a bear in the country is more common among those who like to fertilize and feed the soil, as well as those who have greenhouses. They create a special pleasant microclimate, which bears are also very fond of.

The insect moves perfectly both on the ground surface and underground. Small mounds of peculiarly rolled lumps of soil - this is a bear

Medvedka lives in the soil and only occasionally appears on the surface. Flying in the evening and at night. Swims well. In warm weather, it makes holes near the surface, and winter holes reach a depth of 50-100 cm. A mass exit is observed at a temperature of 12-15°C. After mating, which takes place underground, female bears build a nest. Oviposition consists of 100-350 or more eggs. Embryonic development lasts 10-20 or more days. For the normal development of eggs, 100% humidity is required. The larvae after hatching remain in the nest under the protection of the female for 2-3 weeks. After 2 weeks, eggs emerge larvae leaving the nest in late June - early July. Medvedki become adult insects capable of producing offspring only the next year, but also in the larval stage, they quickly destroy cultivated plants.

Nests can be found by withered plant stems and open holes in minks. On the north side of a wilted plant, you should look for a nest with an egg laying! This is a compacted clod of earth - and you can feel it with your hands - taken out of the ground and destroy the eggs!

Of the agrotechnical methods for combating the bear, it is recommended to use the mechanical method:

early spring and deep autumn plowing, deep loosening of the soil by 15 cm throughout the growing season - these techniques destroy the moves of the bear and make it difficult for her to get food, destroy eggs and larvae.

In areas infected with a bear, it is impossible to feed plants with fresh mullein - it will attract a pest from all over the area.


Diluted bird droppings, on the contrary, scare away the bear (you need to water the ground with infusion of chicken droppings in dry weather.

The main food of the bear is root crops, seeds and plant roots. They can destroy the entire crop in a matter of days and infect the soil with their larvae.


That is why, after its discovery, the fight against the bear should be started immediately.


In order to get to the root of the fruit, the bear is forced to make horizontal and vertical moves in the soil. On these moves, the bear is on the site and can be detected.

Horizontal passages usually lie at a depth of at least 2 cm, so you won't be able to see them.

Vertical ones communicate with the ground surface, and it will not be difficult for an attentive gardener to find them. They look like small holes of the correct shape, and there will definitely be a small mound of earth around them.

Preventive control methods.


The most important of them - in spring and autumn, for the timely detection of bear nests, it is necessary to carry out deep plowing of the soil, this will destroy the insect's passages and, possibly, destroy the larvae. Often the usual digging gives an excellent effect, it is especially effective in June, when eggs are laid. When digging, it is easy to damage the nests, violating their temperature regime, which will destroy the larvae and eggs of the bear.


There are many folk tricks to help bring out the bear. The effectiveness of the methods of struggle depends on the time of year and the stage of life of the bear, the choice of poisonous drugs.

The end of June or the beginning of July is considered the most ideal time for the application of methods of struggle. Such terms were determined on the basis of studies on the life cycle of the bear. Due to the fact that bears have one generation a year. In spring, adults fly, mate, and start laying eggs.

Most egg-laying occurs between early May and mid-June.

This is important - at this time - it is best to get rid of the larvae of the bear. Young individuals begin to actively feed in early summer.

As a preventive measure for the appearance of a bear, it is worth excluding the fertilization of plants with cow dung in areas where there are areas infected with a bear.

In dry weather, you can water the ground with diluted bird droppings, which scare away the bear.


The most popular methods are the fight against the bear by making peculiar "traps".

The fight against the bear is effective by equipping manure pits in the spring, when female insects lay their eggs. To do this, it is necessary to fill the pits in the garden with manure in the middle of May, and then after about 3-4 weeks, pull it out and burn it.

You can lay out fresh spruce and pine legs in the beds with seedlings of vegetables.

Medvedka is afraid of noise. For this purpose, windmills are placed along the perimeter of the garden, rattles that create noise and vibration on a windy day, which scares away the bear. If there is also a mole on your site, then with rattles you will kill 2 birds with one stone, since the mole is also afraid of them.
musical way . It will take some effort to implement it. Throughout the garden, it is necessary to dig empty glass bottles, leaving a neck of 2-3 cm on the surface of the earth. The bottles will constantly make a hum, which the bear does not like very much. Medvedka, like a very musical insect, is used to singing herself.

She sings quite loudly. Its chirping is easily confused with the song of a cricket or a frog.

The most efficient way. A small piece of land is plowed. The next day, this area is dug up by hand. Believe me, you will be surprised at the number of bears that you will find in a freshly dug area! The pest is attracted to loose earth.

There is another way aimed not at fighting the bear, but at preserving the seedlings. To preserve the delicate root system of your seedlings, experienced gardeners recommend plant seedlings in the ground in peat cups . At first, the glass is an obstacle for the bear. After the roots nevertheless sprout through the peat barrier, they will no longer be to the taste of the bear.


Shadow traps . Pieces of plywood, old linoleum, cardboard are laid out around the site - all in dark colors. Medvedka loves to bask under them during the day. You can lay the bait - rice or barley porridge, flavored with unrefined sunflower oil. Check traps and destroy the pest - twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. In the hole with porridge, the bear sometimes makes vertical minks. When they are found, it is necessary to drop 7-10 drops of sunflower oil into the hole and pour water into the mink. The oil film will clog the breathing holes of the bear. Sometimes you have to pour near the bucket if the hole is deep and the ground is dry. From such bathing, the bear will either die or crawl out to the surface, where it can be destroyed.

loosening. In May and the first half of summer, the soil should be loosened more often between the rows, to a depth of 10-15 centimeters. This will destroy the moves of the bear and the laying of eggs. Places for storing manure, compost, garbage, ideal for insect breeding, are recommended to be protected with sheet metal or old linoleum. The fence should be buried in the soil by 50-60 centimeters, leaving 40-50 centimeters above the surface. There should be no gaps in the fence. Inside the fence, measures are taken to exterminate the pest. It is advisable to fence the entire area so that the bear does not crawl and does not fly from neighboring areas.

plastic ring . You can plant plants inside a plastic ring made from a 5-6 liter bottle. There should be at least 8 centimeters above the ground, and at least 15–20 centimeters of the ring underground. Medvedka does not touch plants in such body armor. By the way, this plant is easy to water. Inside the side, the soil can be mulched with straw, this allows you to save moisture and fight weeds. When the plant grows, the ring is removed.

Greenhouses are edged with grooves filled with sand soaked in kerosene, or put rags soaked in kerosene - which scares away the bear.

In the summer, this method of dealing with the bear is also used: a few drops of sunflower oil are poured into the opening of the bear's stroke and 1-2 liters of water are immediately poured from the watering can. After a few minutes, the bear comes to the surface of the soil and dies.

water way . I have successfully used it in the greenhouse. The essence of the method lies in the fact that a large amount of water (half a bucket-bucket) is abruptly poured into the minks, where fresh moves of the bear were found. Medvedka floats to the surface, where it is caught.

Cup for a bear. The prepared treat is buried in holes with seedlings, or laid out in places where bears accumulate. It should be remembered that the smell of unrefined sunflower oil attracts bears.

Recipe: Some kind of porridge is cooked until half ready, to which a little (1-2 tsp) unrefined vegetable oil and poison (Aktara, Antizhuk, Decis, Confidor) are added.
Instead of porridge, you can use halves of peas soaked in 1 liter of water mixed with poison. In this case, the effect will be “long-lasting”, since the pea halves do not germinate, but they are harder than porridge. You can replace porridge or peas with slices of stale bread soaked in water with poison.
Boiled grain, cake, pulp, potato waste are suitable for bait. For 1 kg of bait -50 g of chlorophos powder and 30 g of sunflower oil. For 100 sq. m area consumes 0.6-0.8 kg of mass.

honey trap

Dig a glass jar or a plastic container with smooth walls into the ground, smear the inside of the jar with honey about 1/4 of the height for smell. Cover with a piece of iron sheet on top, and pour straw on top. Medvedka will "go" to the warmth and smell of honey.


They are also very afraid of soapy water. . Pour a strong solution of water with laundry soap into the holes. Bears will come out and you will collect them, if they don't make it to the surface, they'll die there.

In places of accumulation of holes-minks, in the ground drop in a 3 liter jar so that the neck is at ground level. Medvedki fall there, but they cannot get out. You can pour some beer into the jar, because. the smell is very pleasant to these insects .

At the same time, keep in mind that the bears crawl along the upper layers of the earth only until Peter's Day (July 12), and then go deep into the earth. Therefore, it is possible to fight them only until this time.

Very effective, catching beer traps . A hundred square meters will require at least two half-liter bottles, preferably with a wide neck. 50-100 grams of beer is poured into the container. Before digging in a bottle, it is necessary to loosen well and moisten the ground in this place to a depth of 15-20 cm. Then holes are made 5-6 cm deep, 20 cm in diameter. A bottle of beer is dug in at an angle of about 45 degrees. So that the earth does not get inside, a piece of linoleum or plywood measuring 6x6 cm is placed under the neck of the bottle. It is important that the lower edge of the neck be at the level of the bottom of the hole or slightly lower. The hole with the bottle should be covered with an opaque material, the edges of which are sprinkled with earth so that light does not penetrate inside and moisture is retained.

An effective method of dealing with a bear is fishing in "winter apartments ". After harvesting, at least two pits 0.5x0.5 meters in size and half a meter deep are dug on each hundred square meters of the plot, which are filled with manure (preferably horse) or old leaves, humus. You can add 2-3 tablespoons of beer and a tablespoon of unrefined vegetable oil to the contents. Medvedki will climb there for wintering. With the onset of persistent frosts, manure with bears is scattered over the surface of the earth - insects die from the cold.

There is a folk way to use eggshells against a bear: crushed shells are brought into the garden .

Sometimes before making the shell is slightly moistened with sunflower oil. There is the following method: moisten powdered eggshells with vegetable oil and throw a tablespoon into each hole when planting - if the bear eats this drug, she will die. You can also drip vegetable oil into the wells. A few drops of oil are enough, after which you do the usual watering, and you will see how the bear will come to the surface, where it will die.


Bears are afraid of kerosene : if you pour a glass of water with kerosene into the minks where they nested, the pests will leave the minks.


Traps

One of the effective means of dealing with the bear is homemade traps. The insect is attracted by the smell of raw potatoes. If the chopped tubers are placed in jars and buried up to their necks in the ground, the bear, as if spellbound, will come to the smell and fall into a trap.

You can also use a jar of water buried up to the neck (do not add water to the brim by 5 - 8 cm).

As a trap, a glass jar lubricated from the inside at the neck with honey is suitable. The jar is buried in the ground, the neck is closed with a board with a gap of 1 - 1.5 cm. After a while, the container is taken out and the insects that have crawled into it are destroyed..

The number of insects caught in traps depends not only on the number of bears in the place of its exposure, but also on their activity. The level of activity depends on the physiological state, which depends on age, season, time of day, temperature, humidity, nutrition and other factors.

As a result of the observations, it was observed that bear is afraid of noise. For this purpose, windmills are placed along the perimeter of the garden, rattles that create noise and vibration on a windy day, which scares away the bear. If there is also a mole on your site, then with rattles you will kill 2 birds with one stone, since the mole is also afraid of them.

It is necessary to put windmills on the site at a distance of 5-10 m from each other. For this, it is better to use iron pipes (wooden stakes rot quickly) 3 meters high. Attach a light metal propeller to the top of the pipe so that it rotates easily and creates more noise. Medvedki, apparently, perceive the vibration and noise from the propellers as a natural disaster.


BigThe institution of folk methods is not aimed at destroying the pest, but at creating barriers to its movement and reproduction, because after destroying the bear in your garden, you cannot be sure that it will not come to you from a neighbor. Given, for example, that the bear does not like sandy soils due to the fact that its passages on it easily collapse, this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bear is bypassed. Therefore, many gardeners dig trenches into which sand is poured; for the same purpose, the sand is mixed before planting with fertilizers.

A very similar method of struggle is planting seedlings in the holes in which a nylon mesh is laid, in order to prevent the bears from digging their moves, you can also use plastic bottles cut off at both ends for seedlings, inside which seedlings are planted (the bear will not touch such plants, t .k its passages lie mostly no deeper than 5-7 centimeters.

The next method of dealing with It consists in the fact that in early spring a board is placed on the ground between the rows to compact the soil. After that, the board rises and a glass jar is dug in, the neck of which is smeared with honey (inside the jar). The jar is buried in the soil, and tin or plywood is placed on top at a distance of 1-2 centimeters so that the insect can crawl into the trap. You can check the trap once a week.

If you found a nesting chamber, there will probably be several minks going deep into the depths, most likely the bear is hiding there. If you fill these shelters with about a liter of soapy water (20 grams of laundry soap and 40 grams of laundry detergent per bucket of water), then after a while you will be able to find an insect that has crawled out, if the bear does not climb out, you can also pour plain water after.

Medvedka is afraid of rotten fish, coniferous branches, kerosene. This is used when planting: fish (heads or sprats), needles are placed in the hole , sand soaked in kerosene.

Bears love beer. A bottle is dug into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees, as shown in the figure. A little beer is poured into it - 100 ml and covered with a piece of iron in order to know where the trap is. To attract more bears, the place of the trap can be moistened. After a week, the bottle will be full, after which you can dig it out and pour new beer - and put it in another place in the garden.

Try it - instead of water, pour fermented beer into the bear's hole, the result will exceed all your expectations!

Defeat the bear with:

Marigolds: they are best sown on the border of the plots, and in the fall, scatter dry flower stems throughout the garden.

Chrysanthemums: in the fall, chop the dry stalks of chrysanthemums and in the spring, when planting seedlings, put them in holes and furrows;

Alders: at the edges of the beds, every 1.5 - 2 m, insert alder branches into the ground;

Coriander: sow it around the entire perimeter of the site, and the bear will leave;

Fish heads: along the perimeter of the beds, you need to bury the heads of raw fish to a depth of 20 - 30 cm (1 time per season is enough);

Garlic: when planting seeds or seedlings, put 1 clove of garlic in the hole, and the bear will bypass the crops.

When planting seedlings of cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, potato tubers in the hole, you need to put a few pieces of the cheapest fish, a handful of onion husks, dry marigold flowers or 1 clove of garlic. The fish quickly rots, and the bear bypasses this place. .

Along the edges of the beds with carrots, beets, green crops, the above “treats” can be laid out and lightly sprinkled with earth. The smell of decaying "food" will not allow the pest to destroy young shoots.

When planting potatoes, try throwing a handful into the hole with the potatoes. last year or fresh pine needles. If there is wood ash, add it to the hole, at least half a glass. This technique will simultaneously protect potatoes from the bear, wireworm and fungal disease - scab.

Medvedka is also disgusted smell of iodine. When sowing seeds of carrots, beets and other root crops, pour the rows with a solution of iodine tincture (15 drops per bucket of water).



If the above methods do not help, you can use chemicals. It should be remembered that chemical protection products are strong poisons that, if used improperly, can harm humans, birds and pets.

Chemical control methods .

In the markets of any city, there are a huge number of active substances that are quite effective in combating this problem. Usually these are substances based on bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, imidacloprid or cyhalothrin. Manufacturers in the instructions describe in detail the methods of use.

But their use is recommended only as a last resort, if other methods of control have not given their effect, after all, after use, these poisons often remain in the soil, from which they are absorbed not only by plants, but also by beneficial insects and birds that can die.

Fenoxin plus - a radical method of dealing with a bear

These are granules with an attractive smell for a bear and a deadly taste. In the manure, where bears are very fond of settling, they make a hole and pour granules into it. By all means, the hole is covered from birds and domestic animals, which may also want to feast on and for which a lethal outcome in this case is also guaranteed.

In addition, in those places where bears are seen, and these are usually beds, they make grooves 3-5 cm deep, and lay out the granules at a distance of 20-30 cm. Again, they cover from birds and other animals you need. If the granules do not bite off the bears (for example, they have changed their location), then the granules themselves will dissolve over time from watering, and they will not bring harm to plants and people who feed on these plants.

If you know that you did not use the drug in vain, then repeat the treatment in two weeks, when new bears hatch from the laid eggs.

Medvedka is a predatory and gluttonous creature. He loves to feast on larvae and small insects. One of the favorite dishes of the bear is the larvae of the cockchafer.


Natural enemies of the bear - birds (rooks, starlings, crows, herons, etc.), insectivores (hedgehogs, shrews, moles, lizards), ants (destroy eggs), ground beetles (eat larvae), nematodes r. Oxyurius and Telestomum, ticks r. Neothorombium, Caloglyphus and Rhizogliphus. In winters with thaws, there is a mass death of bears from fungal diseases.

Another natural enemy of the bear is the anathema wasp Larra. Somehow, Larra discovers prey in the underground passage, drives her out of there and paralyzes her with three blows of the sting. The wasp then lays one egg under the base of the prey's front leg and flies away. After 5 minutes, the bear comes to life and crawls into its cave, turning into a living food warehouse for the wasp larva. However, unfortunately, this wasp is much less common than the bear.

Pest control must be carried out comprehensively for 2-3 years, using various methods.

The genus Medvedka belongs to the order Orthoptera. There are about 100 species of these insects in the world. In the same detachment with her are grasshoppers, crickets, locusts. Other names are cabbage, earthen crustacean, spinning top. Their origin is associated with the characteristics of life, behavior, appearance. It has a large body size, unusual appearance, feels good in any environment - is a real masterpiece of evolution.

Appearance

What a bear and its larva look like can be seen in our article. The unique creature is unlike any other insect. A photo of a cabbage can be viewed below, get information about who the bear is.

The common bear reaches 7 cm, excluding whiskers and tail. With them, the length of an adult insect is 12 cm. A photo of a garden bear looks intimidating, gives rise to various legends - poison is deadly, etc.


Photo and description of the bear:

  • Large insects with a cylindrical body shape, folded wings on the back reach a size of 12 cm, but the average body length is about 5 cm.
  • Small, but bulging eyes, like those of a cancer, are clearly visible on the head.
  • The forelimbs are spatulate, equipped with several claws. Strong, massive, designed for digging the soil.
  • The second pair of limbs are long, thin, mobile. Helps the insect to crawl quickly on the surface of the earth.
  • The hind limbs are somewhat longer than the rest, springy. They allow you to jump well.
  • The abdomen and head are protected by a dense shell. The abdominal cavity is 2 times larger than the chest. A photo of a bear shows this well.
  • On the head are long whiskers, a pair of tentacles. The back of the body ends with a long mustache.
  • Two pairs of wings are pressed tightly against the back. The first wings are oval, short. The second - long, narrow. Thanks to them, the beetle, get off the ground at 5 m in height. The process of how a large insect flies can be described with a single word - noisy. Only an adult bear is endowed with such opportunities.

The appearance of an individual species may vary slightly. Due to underdeveloped or missing wings, the insect loses the ability to fly. Below is the Medvedka insect in the photo. Different types of this insect are distributed throughout the world. Habitat - fertile soil.

Stages of development

An insect goes through several stages - egg, larva, nymph, adult. The mating season, reproduction begins in May, lasts the entire warm period. How the bear breeds, it looks beautiful, melodic.

The male has and arranges real trills at night with different overflows, chirring. In this way attracts the attention of females. Sexually mature females crawl out of minks, rise into the air, fly towards fate. Able to overcome up to 8 km.

Stages of development of the bear: after fertilization, the female is taken for arranging her own housing, nest. The depth of the structure depends on the characteristics of the soil. In chernozem with high humidity, the shelter is located at a depth of 5 cm. In sandy, dry - 15 cm. But it can reach up to 70 cm deep.

When the bear lays eggs - the common bear lays eggs 2 weeks after fertilization. In one clutch from 25 to 60 pieces. Medvedka eggs are about 1 mm in size. The female provides optimal conditions, takes care of the safe breeding of offspring.

Appearance of the larva

The offspring are shown from the egg after 2 weeks. The larvae of the bear look helpless - blind, inactive, the color is close to red. The larva of the bear in the photo is located below.


After birth, they are immediately taken for food. Eat plant foods. A few days later, the earth bear goes through the first molt, turns into a nymph, resembling an outwardly adult. Transformation into a full-fledged individual is a long, dangerous process. Only strong nymphs can cope with it. The weak are in danger of dying. Photo and description of the larva below. Before that, it looks like a caterpillar, it resembles, but has some differences.

How long an insect lives - the formation of an imago occurs slowly. It takes about 2 years for the larvae to mature. During this time, the individual passes about 10 molts, at the last stage the genitals are formed.

On a note!

An adult lives about 1.5 years. In artificially created conditions - 3 years. The entire life cycle lasts about 5 years.

habitats

Where the pest lives, the family hibernates deep in the ground. The nest is built at a distance of 2 m from the surface. It can be settled under a pile of manure or directly in it. With the onset of heat, when the soil warms up to 12 degrees, it activates its activity. There are traces in the garden, the results of wrecking. In countries with a warm climate, it is active all year round.

Nest Features

Medvedka burrows in the garden are a unique structure with numerous passages and exits. The main part looks like a rectangle. There the insect rests, hides from enemies, breeds. On the surface, the exit, the entrance looks like a large or small hole. possible in various ways.

Medvedka moves on the ground in different directions from the nest. They have a spiral shape, the hole comes to the surface. In this way, the female provides free air circulation, heat supply. So that the area does not shade the plants, the female gnaws through the stems, after which the crops dry out. Egg laying occurs at a time when in the beds, which is why many gardeners have to save her.

On a note!

Numerous labyrinths are located underground at a depth of 5 - 70 cm. It all depends on soil moisture. With a lack of moisture, the larvae either do not hatch or die immediately after birth.

Behavior

Medvedka spends most of his life underground. It digs passages, builds labyrinths, builds nests. It comes to the surface at dusk in warm weather. Looks for food, or rises into the air to search for a male.

The structure of the body of the bear allows her to swim on the surface of the water. She calmly overcomes a large puddle, fleeing the flood. But if water gets into the hole, the insect dies.

The heat-loving insect successfully survives winter frosts half the thickness of the soil. With the onset of heat, it gradually rises to the surface. The presence of a pest in garden, garden plots can be seen already in April. In the ground, passages are formed, traces of legs are visible, plants are dying.

On a note!

Medvedka is a shy creature that hides in a mink at the slightest rustle. It's impossible to catch her. But, if, you can significantly reduce the number of insects on the site.

food preferences

What the bear eats is interesting for gardeners, gardeners, lovers of flora and fauna. The bear insect is a predator that prefers plant foods.

Medvedka eats land contents. It feeds on roots, root crops, the green part of plants that are directly above the soil. Finds its food in the thickness of the earth - small insects, larvae, earthworms. A delicacy is a chrysalis of other insects, a caterpillar, a butterfly.

Interesting!

Nutritional features make the bear at the same time a useful, harmful creature. In the forest, the insect brings great benefits - it loosens the soil, saturates it with oxygen, and destroys pests. In the garden, in the garden from the bear they are trying. On the beds, it gnaws through green stems, destroys the root system, and gnaws on root crops. Does not allow seedlings to take root, germinate seeds.

natural enemies

Medvedka lives everywhere, is food for many animals, is exposed to fungal diseases, acts as an intermediate link in the reproduction of other insects.

Who eats the bear:

  • birds;
  • toads;
  • lizards;
  • moles;
  • cats;
  • any rodent;
  • insectivorous mammals;
  • spiders.

Fungal diseases can reduce the number of insects. Annoy, exhaust ticks. Wasps use the insect to breed their own offspring - they lay eggs in the body of a bear. The larvae hatch, suck the juices out of the victim's body, and lead to her death.

Grown in a terrarium for the sake of interest or as food for animals, insectivorous inhabitants. In some countries, gourmet dishes are prepared from them, and traditional medicine claims that they help to cope with tuberculosis.

Latin name: gryllotalpa gryllotalpa

Russian name: Medvedka common

pest type: polyphagous pest

Row: Orthoptera - Orthoptera

Distributed in all zones on well-moistened, including irrigated, lands. Polyphage. Damages: cereals - rice, wheat, rye, barley, corn, oats, etc.; legumes - peas, vetch, lentils, beans; perennial herbs; beets, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, watermelons, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, onions, radishes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, sunflowers, flax, tobacco, strawberries; in nurseries and young orchards - apple, pear, plum, cherry, sweet cherry, apricot, peach; oak, beech, poplar, willow, pine, spruce and many other plants. It also feeds on many soil invertebrates, including harmful insects and earthworms.

Imago, yellowish below. Body length - 35 - 50 mm. The forelegs are short, widened, with strong teeth. Hind tibiae have 3-4 spines on inner side. Elytra are short, reach half the length of the abdomen, leathery. The wings are developed, transparent, with a dense network of veins, in a calm state they are folded in the form of flagella protruding beyond the end of the abdomen.

Egg with a diameter of 3 - 3.5 mm, in size and shape resembles millet grain, dark, with a slight brown coating and a greenish sheen. Larvae are adult-like, up to 15 mm in age I, up to 20 mm in II, up to 25 mm in III, and 35 mm in IV. The number of antennae is 34, 70, 85, and 100, respectively. In IV instar larvae, rudiments of wings appear at least 2 mm long; after the fifth and sixth molts, they reach 7–8 mm. Lives in the surface layer of soil in burrows and only occasionally appears on the surface: late in the evening and at night makes small flights.

It swims well and can overcome significant water obstacles. During flooding in stumps, hay stacks and stacks of hay, whole broods are carried by water over long distances.

Natural habitats are moist and rich in humus or humus, biotopes, coastal areas of lakes, places with high groundwater, irrigated or well-fertilized fields. Often inhabits garden plots. Lays winter passages at a considerable depth. In adults, they reach 50 - 100 cm, and in larvae - 20 - 50 cm deep. In winter, the bear can be found in manure or humus.

Wintering of adult insects, nymphs and larvae. They leave the wintering places at different times, which is associated with weather conditions. They appear in the upper layers when the soil at a depth of 20 - 30 cm warms up to 8 - 10 ° C. Mass exit and the beginning of feeding is observed at a temperature of 12 - 15 ° C. In the spring, after mating, the female digs a special earthen chamber at a depth of 10 - 20 cm where it lays up to 360 eggs. The larvae are reborn in June-July. Settling, they dig underground passages and gnaw through the roots of plants, and in the second half of summer they gnaw hollows in the roots of beets, carrots, potato tubers and other plants.

Medvedka is especially dangerous in the early spring, when it feeds on young plants. In August - September, its population consists of larvae of the 3rd - 4th centuries and adult insects. However, a certain number of young larvae pass to wintering. The full cycle of development of the common bear in the Forest-Steppe of Russia lasts about two years, in the northern part - even more.

Protective Measures

In greenhouses, baits from boiled grains of corn, wheat and barley are used to destroy the bear. For 1 kg of barley take 30 g of sunflower oil and 50 g of insecticide. The bait in the amount of 30-50 g per frame is evenly wrapped in the soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. In household plots, the bear is caught using fishing pits.

Fishing pits 60-80 cm deep are laid in autumn with manure (preferably horse manure), where insects gather for wintering. In cold weather, manure is thrown out of the pits and spread over the ground in a thin layer. At low temperatures, the bears die. Medvedka does not damage plants if you throw a clove of garlic before planting in the pits.

Medvedka or, as it is also called, cabbage is quite widespread in our country. This is a soil pest that prefers to feast on tubers, bulbs and rhizomes of cultivated plants, as well as their seeds, which causes quite serious damage to agricultural land. Most often, the larva of the bear is found in vegetable gardens, where the soil is always well cultivated and fertilized - it is in such soil that it is quite easy for an insect to make its tunnels. But in gardens where there is a lot of turf, this pest, as a rule, does not live, and if it settles, then not for long, trying to fly to the “cozy” garden as quickly as possible.

As a result of the activity of the larvae of the bear, many crops growing in your summer cottage may suffer

Metamorphosis

To begin with, we will look at how the bear breeds. This period falls at the end of spring - the beginning of summer, when the air temperature remains quite high at night. However, masonry can be found in greenhouses much earlier - often they are found already in March. After mating, females go into the soil to a depth of about 10-15 cm, making holes in it, which are combined into a small nest. At the same time, the vault of such a “room” has a domed appearance and rises somewhat above the surface of the earth.

On a note! Due to this design, the masonry is well warmed up by the rays and the development of the insect proceeds in the normal mode.

In one clutch, there are usually several hundred eggs, from which, after some time, larvae appear. At the same time, the latter are very similar in appearance to adults. It should be noted right away that bears are insects with incomplete transformation, and therefore they do not have a pupal phase.

Some gardeners often mistake the larva of the Maybug for the larva of the bear, and in order to correct this situation, we invite you to find out what the bear looks like at each stage of its development?

Eggs

They are oblong and light brown in color. The size of the eggs is insignificant and is no more than 3.5 mm in length. Their normal development requires sufficient humidity, which is constantly controlled by adults, and depending on weather conditions, they close and open the burrow entrance from time to time.

Medvedka eggs somewhat resemble ant masonry in their appearance, only in the latter they are slightly smaller. At the same time, it is quite difficult to crush the egg of a bear, since it is covered with a dense film on top. Development in the egg under optimal conditions lasts about two to three weeks.

On a note! Since the bears equip their nests on the surface of the soil, it is quite simple to detect the masonry: just inspect the area for bumps or just dig it shallowly!

Larvae

  • they have only 6 legs, and not 8, like a sexually mature bear;
  • they are blind;
  • they eat only the embryonic yolk, which is in their crop;
  • Kapustyanka larvae of the first age do not have wings.

Before turning into an adult insect, the larva experiences several molts with an interval of 3-4 months. After the first, her diet becomes more diverse: the young can already eat humus, the remains of the shell and the salivary secret of the female, which remained on the walls of the hole.

A month after emerging from the egg, the larvae become very active and voracious. By autumn, young growth reaches 3-4 years of age and leaves the nest. They move through tunnels that were previously dug by their parents and switch to the usual menu for adult insects: they eat roots, bulbs and lower stems of plants.

Having the opportunity to eat normally and move quickly, the larvae go in search of new habitats. The full cycle of their development takes about 2-2.5 years, and after the last molt they turn into adults, completely ready for further reproduction.

First of all, we should return to the features of the metamorphosis of the bear. As mentioned above, it is an insect with incomplete transformation, that is, young animals come out of the egg, which outwardly resembles sexually mature individuals. Consequently, the larva of the bear cannot look like a caterpillar - it looks like a smaller copy of the adult.

And if we talk about the larva of the May beetle, then it will already be similar to a caterpillar. A more detailed description is as follows:

  • the body is painted white, about 2 cm long and not more than 0.8 cm thick;
  • on the front of the body are three pairs of legs;
  • there are small hairs on the body and legs;
  • dark brown dots are clearly visible on the sides;
  • the back of the body is darker.

Do not waste time and start destroying the bear immediately. Have a good harvest!

With this article, we begin a new cycle of materials on domestic pests. The topic of a number of subsequent articles is the bear, an insect that lives all over the world and can do some harm, both to private residential buildings and in the garden. In this material, we will talk about where the bear lives, what is its life cycle, what it eats and other information describing this type of insect. In subsequent materials, we will begin to study ways to deal with bears in the house and garden.

Summarized brief information

This type of pest belongs to the insects belonging to the Gryllotalpidae family. For those who have seriously decided to engage in baiting, it is useful to know that the bear belongs to the Orthoptera order, in addition to grasshoppers, locusts and crickets.

Insects are large insects with a cylindrical body, about 3-5 centimeters long, with small eyes and spade-shaped forelimbs that are perfectly adapted for digging. Medvedki are present in many parts of the world, and where the agro-industrial complex is well developed, they can become serious agricultural pests.

This insect species has three life stages - egg, nymph and adult. Medvedka spends most of its life at these stages underground, however, during the breeding season, adult insects of both sexes can scatter over fairly long distances with the help of well-developed wings.

Types of bears are very distinguishable among themselves by their diet. Some are completely vegetarian, feeding mainly on roots, while others are omnivorous, using worms and grubs in their diet. In addition, some species are largely predatory.

Males have exceptionally loud vocalizations, they 'sing' through so-called subsurface holes that open into the outside environment in the form of an exponential horn. The "song" of the bear is an almost pure tone, somewhat modulated into chirping. These sounds are used by males to attract females, either to mate, or to indicate favorable places for laying eggs, a kind of male attention to procreation.

In different countries, bears have different folklore and culinary properties. For example, in Zambia, bears are believed to bring good luck, while in Latin America, they are able to predict rain. But in West Java, Vietnam and the Philippines, some types of bears are widely used for food.

More about the appearance of the bear

Medvedki vary in size and appearance, but most of them are medium or large in size, characteristic of an insect - from 3.2 to 3.5 cm in length of their body. insects are adapted for life in the ground and have a cylindrical body, covered with small, dense hairs. The head, forelimbs and prothorax are strongly sclerotized, which gives the insect sufficient body strength, but the abdomen is rather soft. The head has two threadlike antennae and a pair of beady eyes.

Two pairs of wings are folded flat over the abdomen. In most species, the forewings are short and rounded, while the hindwings are membranous and reach or exceed the edge of the abdomen. However, in some species, the hindwings are reduced in size and the insect cannot fly.

The front legs are well adapted for digging, but they are very similar to cockroaches and serve more to move the massive body of the insect. However, these limbs are more adapted for pushing the soil, rather than jumping, which the bears do rarely and badly. The larvae are similar to adults, except for the absence of wings and sex organs, which are formed with each successive molt.

Some features of the biology of the bear

Adults of most species of bears are able to fly confidently, but not with such dexterity as other flying insects do, and males fly extremely rarely. Females tend to take to the wing shortly after sunset, attracted to areas where males start their long warble, which they vocalize for about an hour after sunset. As noted above, females fly to this sound to mate or lay eggs.

Stages of development of the bear

Medvedki, in the process of their development, experience incomplete metamorphosis. When the mole cricket larvae hatch from their eggs, they increasingly resemble adults as they grow and go through a series of about ten molts. After mating, there may be a period of one or two weeks before the female begins to lay eggs. To do this, she burrows into the soil to a depth of 30 cm. 72 cm is a result that has been seen in the laboratory.

After burrowing, females lay 25 to 60 eggs. When a bear lays eggs, at the end of this process, there are some specific features. For example, the Neoscapteriscus species is then removed by sealing the entrance to the burrow, while the female Gryllotalpa and Neocurtilla species remain in the burrow until the larvae hatch. At what depth the bear lives - it also depends on the quality of the soil itself, for example, on wet black soil, an insect can be found at a depth of 5-10 cm, and on dry sandstones - up to 15 cm.

The humidity of the earth is important for the process of procreation of the bear. The eggs must be laid in moist soil, otherwise many nymphs die immediately after hatching due to lack of moisture. The eggs hatch within a few weeks, and as they grow, the nymphs consume large amounts of plant material, either directly in their burrows or periodically crawling to the surface.


It is worth noting that when the mole cricket breeds, adults of some species are able to move considerable distances, up to 8 kilometers during the breeding season. Medvedki are active most of the year. Nymphs and adults are able to overwinter in cold climates, resuming activity in the spring. Medvedka hibernates at a slightly greater depth, preferring places with greater humidity. In hot countries, bears are active all year round.

Burrowing abilities

Bears live almost entirely underground, burrowing tunnels of various depths and lengths for their basic activities, including feeding, avoiding predators, fertilization and growth.

Bears are known for their burrowing abilities. Their main tunnels are used for feeding and escape. They can dig into the ground very quickly, find one of their old passages and move along them at high speed, both forward and backward.

Their digging technique is very successful - insects spread the soil in both directions with the help of their powerful spade limbs, which are wide, flattened, serrated and very rigid.

Mating takes place in the male's burrow. Before starting his "song", the male can expand the tunnel to make room for the female, however, for some species this is not required - mating goes tail to tail. Females lay their eggs either in their usual burrows or in specially dug brood chambers.

Vocal features

As already mentioned, only the male bear has vocal abilities, which is used to attract females to mate or lay eggs. Before this, the males dig a separate mink, which may or may not be connected to the rest of the passages dug in the ground. The burrow of males always has the form of a double exponential horn, which forms an effective resonator, thereby amplifying the sound of singing.


The call of the male is an almost pure tone, with a frequency of 3.5 kilohertz, loud enough to vibrate the top layer of the earth within a radius of at least 20 cm.

The geometric characteristics of the bear's hole vary from species to species. The common bear digs somewhat rough contours, but in the species Gryllotalpa vineae the hole is smooth and of a regular cylindrical shape, without any irregularities larger than 1 millimeter. In both species, the burrow takes the form of a double exponential horn with two holes in the soil surface. In the region of the second hole, there is a narrowing and then an expansion in the form of a resonant "onion". It is worth noting that bears, both males and females, use their minks for no more than a week.

The volume of the "song" of the male correlates with the size of the body and the quality of the habitat. In fact, it is the characteristic of sound that is an indicator of male attractiveness. The loudest males can attract 20 females in one evening, while the quieter males are unable to attract a single female and will have to spend the next night alone.

What is a bear in the garden - nutritional features

Bears differ in their diet - they can be herbivorous, omnivorous, or exclusively predatory, such as the southern bear. Insects feed on roots found in the ground, and they are also able to leave their holes at night to find leaves and stems for themselves, which they drag into the mink before direct use, than sometimes. The lifestyle of the bear can significantly harm agriculture.

Enemies Medvedok

A separate predator attacking the eggs of the bear in China and Japan is the scorer beetle Stenaptinus jessoensis. The adult beetle lays its eggs near the insect burrow, and subsequently the beetle larvae find their way to the burrow's egg chamber and eat the bear's eggs.

Fungal diseases can devastate mole cricket populations during the winter before the onset of a thaw. The fungus Beauveria Bassiana is able to infect adults, completely destroying their body. Other fungal, microsporidia and viral pathogens may also be involved in this process.

In general, bears elude predators easily, living underground and burrowing vigorously if they feel that something threatens them on the surface. As a last line of defense, bears spray a foul-smelling brown liquid into their enemy's anal glands when captured. Plus, they can bite.

Spreading

Bears are nocturnal insects and spend almost their entire lives underground in extensive tunnel systems. Most of them are in the field of agricultural land and grassy areas.

Medvedka is found everywhere, it can be found on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. By the beginning of 2014, 107 different species of mole cricket had been described and there is a high percentage chance that even more species will be found, especially in Asia. Neoscapteriscus didactylus is one of the most widespread pests that plague agriculture in South America, the West Indies and New South Wales in Australia. The African mole cricket is one of the main pests in South Africa. Other species are widely distributed in Europe, Asia and Australia.


What harm bears?

Bears are enemies of plants. The main damage caused by these insects is the result of their burrowing activity. Breaking their tunnels to a depth of several centimeters in the soil, they push the earth out in small ridges, increasing the evaporation of surface moisture, which greatly impairs seed germination and damages the delicate roots of young seedlings. In addition, mole crickets are harmful to turf and lawn grass, as insects feed on grass roots, as a result of which plants tend to dry out and reduce yields.