Pest Control Against Hazelnut Worm
Tepki Ver
Hazelnut Worm Infestation
Fighting against the hazelnut worm that causes damage in hazelnuts is necessary. The hazelnut worm feeds on the fruit, causing early yellow spots in the early stage and black spots in the late stage, which leads to the formation of empty hazelnuts.
It is advised that farmers start frequent checks of their hazelnut gardens for hazelnut worm infestations. In Trabzon, pesticide control should begin in early May along the coastal belt, mid-May in the mid-belt, and late May in the high belt when 50% of hazelnuts reach the size of a lentil.
Before spraying, it is crucial to measure the density of the pest. To do this, a 3×3.5 m sheet should be stretched under hazelnut trees and insects that fall on the sheet should be counted. If two or more adult insects fall from ten random trees and the fruits reach the size of a lentil, spraying should commence.
Pesticide Application
Only plant protection products recommended by the Ministry should be used for spraying against the hazelnut worm. Care should be taken to spray from the bottom upwards, controlling aphids as well. For hazelnut gardens infested with green bugs or brown stink bugs, plant protection products that target all three pests should be used according to recommendations.
It is essential not to mix chemicals with any other substance except leaf fertilizers and to conduct spraying in a single session. Farmers, organizations, and producers planning for pest control should notify beekeepers in the area seven days in advance about the type of pesticide, application time, and its effects on bees.
Plant protection products should be applied as instructed on the label, and the residues and packaging should be disposed of properly. Liquid pesticides should be preferred to protect honey bees during agricultural pest control, and spraying should be avoided during times when bees are active.
After spraying, animals should not be grazed or fruits should not be consumed in the treated area until the specified time period has passed. It is important to consider human and animal health in post-spraying precautions.