#they lay their eggs exclusively on one kind of plants because their caterpillars use the leaves to build their pupas

[darklight-owl]

I think being a naturalist fixed me I think

Cus before i was like i dunno why i'm alive so im just gonna lie in my bed and wait for death but now im like i dunno why i'm alive but it doesn't matter because my friend told me the chaguales on the trail near his house are in bloom so i gotta hike over there as soon as possible so we can maybe possibly see the mariposa del chagual

[tailahjanbash]

Your Very Own Metamorphosis

Brokenness is something we often run from.

But what if that breaking is necessary to be catapulted into your destiny?

I'm sitting outside right now, surrounded by butterflies flying from flower to flower collecting nectar.

I'm reminded that they had to go through quite a bit of change before they made it to the garden in my backyard, gracefully fluttering around, showing off their rainbowed wings.

I'm sure you remember learning all about metamorphosis in the second grade. Maybe you even had the cool teacher who let your class have a butterfly farm.

But reading about the life cycle of a butterfly this time around, I was shocked by the spiritual weight that this transformation carries.

Stage 1: The Egg

This stage is pretty straightforward — the butterfly lays the egg. Not the caterpillar.

This may seem elementary but bear with me and look with spiritual lenses.

The butterfly knows what the little egg will become long before it hatches. The parent understands that the tiny egg was created and designed to display beautiful mosaics of color and life, created to catch the wind and fly, long before the little caterpillar knows this.

In the same way, your Father in heaven knows your full potential and has planned wonderful things in store for your life. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, this is how he sees us. He sees us as whole, complete, and new. He does not see or define us by our past mistakes or even our current ones after repentance. He sees your full potential, and understands that you are being made new daily.

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Micah 7:19

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

Stage 2: The Caterpillar

When the egg hatches, the caterpillar will start to work and eat the leaf they were born onto. This is crucial because the mother butterfly must lay her eggs on the type of leaf the caterpillar will eat.

So pretty much all the caterpillar does in this stage of metamorphosis is eat. (Kind of jealous, but it's fine.)

Once they start eating, they instantly start growing and expanding. Their exoskeleton (skin) does not stretch or grow, so they grow by "molting" (shedding the outgrown skin) several times.

There are two ways that I want you to look at this stage— one way is spiritual growth. It is extremely important to be feeding yourself with the word and scripture and to be spending time in the presence of God. We cannot compromise this and expect to grow and reach our full potential.

Two (and these are not mutually exclusive, in fact, they are quite dependent on each other) is the wait. It could be high school, college, or working that job you absolutely hate. Let me explain.

Unless caterpillars are extremely self-aware, I doubt they're thinking "Let me stuff my face so I can sprout some wings and dip out." They're probably just working their way through the environment they were placed in.

I think a lot of times we get discouraged by our current circumstances and wonder how God can be working things together for our good when we feel trapped on a leaf, unable to fly away like the little caterpillars.

Little do the caterpillars know, all of their hard work is producing growth and even resulting in the shedding their old, dead skin! It is preparing them for their dreams, and exactly who they were created to be.

Stage 3: Pupa! (Chrysalis) a.k.a The Cocoon

Once the caterpillar has reached its full length/weight, it forms into a pupa. From the outside, the pupa looks as if the caterpillar is just resting, but on the inside, rapid changes are taking place.

During this phase the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation— The tissue, limbs and organs have all been changed by the time the pupa is finished, and now it is time for the final stage of metamorphosis.

I think of Elijah.

Elijah is one of the most famous biblical prophets who performed many miracles, signs, and wonders. He was so bold and full of faith that kings and rulers sought after his wisdom and prophetic words.

But before Elijah was delivering messages from God to kings and sending down fire from heaven or rain in droughts, The Lord brought him to the wilderness to spend time in isolation with Him.

"Then the Lord said to Elijah, 'Go to the east and hide by Keith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.' So Elijah did as the Lord told him and the ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall." 1 Kings 17:2-7

Many times, the Lord brings us to the end of ourselves in wilderness seasons so that God's glory can be revealed in a real, raw way. Think about the very nature of a cocoon. It is designed to be broken-free from. There must be a breaking of the old in order to enter into the fullness of the new season. And in the brokenness, He demonstrates his faithfulness and we learn to truly trust Him.

In the cocoon and isolation is where we are able to be ministered to directly by God, with no distractions. We can rest by the brook, and take in the fullness of His love without all the noise. He meets our needs there and shows us how much he cares about the details of our lives.

Stage 4: The Butterfly

As soon as the butterfly has rested after coming out of the chrysalis, it will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working and flapping – then they get to fly. Soon after, the butterfly will master flying and will eventually search for a mate and reproduce.

The butterfly stage represents the season you see all your dreams and efforts come to fruition. It is a blissful, dreaming-with-your-eyes-wide-open season. Take in every moment of it.

It is important to note that we are all complex, full of different dreams and desires that the Lord has placed in our hearts. These four stages do not define the entirety of your life like they do a butterfly's, but rather the seasons.

In a few years, The Lord may plant a brand new dream in your heart and this metamorphosis may have to take place all over again! Thats the beauty of our walk with Him— It is continuously full of growth! There are infinite chances for new adventures and revelation, because the very nature of our God is infinite, abounding in awe and wonder.

[thumbgarden]

Apple ermine moth: How to control the pest

Apple ermine moth is also known as Yponomeuta malinellus. this is a winged leafworm, or as our grandmother called it, a leafroller moth. These silvery-white moths are small, with a wingspan of only 0.8inch (2cm). In most parts of the country, this pest has been very successful in attacking fruit trees. Often, the plants are attacked so severely that their normal development stops completely. The apple tree (if that is what is meant) has almost 90%, if not all, of its ovaries immediately reset, and the most unpleasant are the buds generated, that is, those that must bloom and give next year's harvest. The method of controlling the Apple ermine moth is explained in our article.

WHAT IS HARMFUL - BUTTERFLIES OR CATERPILLARS? Indirect harm is caused by Apple ermine moth laying eggs, but tangible harm is caused by caterpillars, in addition to apple trees, with the pleasure, literally, of destroying the harvest of Flowering quince and pears. The caterpillar has a yellow color and a pair of black, tar-like dots. Its body is only 0.6inch (1.5cm) long and has a fairly reliable shield to protect it from returning cold. Once the weather warms up and the re-emerging cold becomes unaffected, the caterpillar cleverly disengages itself from this shield and begins to "chop" the leaves. It actively absorbs the mass of the leaf, forming a kind of nest or woven web around its dislocation. In this nest, just like at home, Apple ermine moth caterpillars feed on the green matter and, once depleted, move on so that swarms of caterpillars can destroy all the green matter on these plants. Most interestingly, one caterpillar of the Apple ermine moth feeds almost continuously for forty days without interruption. During this time, even one caterpillar of a two or three-year-old apple sapling will leave it leafless, and if there are a hundred caterpillars, it will leave an absolutely mature tree. After eating their fill, the caterpillars pupate in their nests and then turn into Apple ermine moths, and only 10-12 days after turning into butterflies, they will be ready to make new eggs, sometimes consisting of a record number of eggs - as many as 70. To protect them from birds, they are covered with a sticky substance, a special compound secreted exclusively by the Apple ermine moth. Later, if the caterpillars hatch without anything to eat, they hide under this sticky mass, where they wait for the whole winter. Usually, this moth lays its eggs on the bark of the thinnest branches on the tree.

APPLE ERMINE MOTH DAMAGE TO TREES It's great that the most intense plant damage occurs, culminating in the tree standing completely bare and still entangled in spider webs. In this case, photosynthesis is completely eliminated, there are no leaves, and the root system is effectively suppressed. Naturally, the plant completely stops absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, loses up to 90% of its immunity, and dies easily in winter. In particular, plants that are often attacked by the Apple ermine moth for several seasons in a row become extinct, gradually weakening their immunity and eventually reducing it to almost zero. The stage of Apple ermine moth infestation can be any. This pest can attack trees when they are seedlings when they are young when they are large adults, or even on the mother plant in a nursery.

Important note: Moths can easily travel long distances in any container, whether it is a box of vegetables or fruit.

In general, the Apple ermine moth is a very dangerous pest and must be controlled.

CONTROL METHODS OF APPLE ERMINE MOTH

1. Biological agents and insecticides for the control of Apple ermine moth Let's start with the algorithm of treatment with biological agents and insecticides. So, let's take apple trees as an example: these plants usually finish flowering in mid-May (although it depends on what kind of spring it is). During this period, the caterpillars of the Apple ermine moth are in their most vulnerable state and have access to almost all insecticides. Then you should not hesitate to start fighting them. But before spraying the plants with chemicals, you must check, and only if you find a large accumulation of Apple ermine moth (very voracious, as we found out), you can start treating it.

Important! There is no selective treatment. The plant must have access to the entire contents of the product - no exceptions. If the caterpillars miraculously survive, they move on to the next untreated tree.

But even the elimination of insects and their larvae is not as difficult as the elimination of oviposition of the Apple ermine moth. Usually, for this purpose up to three treatments with preparations (containing paraffin), such as "Diflubenzuron" (but if the ovaries are small, you can limit yourself to a few treatments). There are also biological combinations. For example, the "preparation of bacillus" was tested on the basis of the author's own experience. It is necessary to dissolve 100 grams of this preparation in a bucket of water and treat infected plants as soon as the air warms up to 60-62 °F (16-17 ° C) above zero. Undoubtedly, the advantage of biological agents is that, as we know, they are completely safe for humans and can be treated, in fact, in unlimited quantities, until the pest is completely eliminated. This is important in this case because the death period of Apple ermine moth caterpillars can sometimes be up to a week after treatment. However, this is also a disadvantage - not everyone is patient enough to wait for the death of this dangerous insect for almost a week after the treatment.

Therefore, especially impatient people should use approved insecticides, but strictly follow the instructions on the package and use "Diazinon insecticide" to combat the caterpillars of the Apple ermine moth if they are just "stroking" the tree. In addition, in cases where a large number of trees are affected, "New Phosphorus Organic Insecticide" can be used." What are the advantages of the "new phosphorus organic insecticide"? It has a gentler effect on the green canopy and does not leave chemical burn marks on the leaf discs. This drug can easily replace organochlorine compounds and up to 75% of Apple ermine moth caterpillars will be eliminated. It is a big misconception to remove the spider's encrustation prior to treatment with this agent. This envelope does not prevent the preparation from entering the caterpillar's nest, as it only serves as a formidable defense against predators thinking that a large-sized spider lives there, but it has no power over the poison.

2. Additional fertilization in conjunction with drug treatment It is possible and necessary to feed the plants at the same time as the dance moth control or to give them strength and increase their immunity by alternating treatments. Usually use nitroglycerin dissolved in water in the amount of one tablespoon per bucket, it is taken to 2-3 liters per tree up to 5 years old, more than 5 years - 5-6 liters, one bucket is enough or several adult plants or four to five young plants. If there is no nitroglycerin, you can dilute 1.5 tablespoons of urea in a bucket of water, and this solution treats the crown protrusions (leaves), which is carried out so-called foliar spraying. Immediately thereafter, the soil should be watered, one bucket under plants less than 5 years old and two buckets under older plants.

Attention! Change insecticides as often as possible, even if they are strong. It is possible that the Apple ermine moth adapts to the given insecticide and even has the opposite effect, i.e. accelerates its reproduction.

It is not necessary to increase the dose - just switch to another preparation, no less strong, with the same strict adherence to the dose and duration of treatment. As for Apple ermine moth, they usually do not get used to them and only one treatment is needed to eliminate them during their flight period. As for the caterpillars, sometimes as many as five or six treatments are required to eliminate them completely.

3. But what if you don't use chemicals? There is no doubt that insecticides are effective, but no one cancels their high toxicity. Take "persistent broad-spectrum insecticide" for example, it is allowed to treat only once a year, so this preparation is toxic. So what to do? There is always a way, for example, you can use the so-called mechanical method to fight the Apple ermine moth. the method itself is simple, but of course, requires some effort and time. To do this, you have to take a scraper, walk through the garden, remove all the shields planted by the Apple ermine moth, under which you will reliably conceal the ovipositor and burn them. This takes more time than effort. Also, in early spring and September, try hosing down trees and leaves to create the strongest water pressure and simply crush Apple ermine moth caterpillars on the ground. It is also possible to collect (rather than prune off) all diseased leaves with Apple ermine moth caterpillars, which can certainly be done on young, not too tall trees, or if you only have one or two trees in the garden, use ladders and steps. This is effective during and at the end of the active flowering period. All collected material must be burned, preferably in a small digging trench outside the plot. Sometimes it helps to apply a dispersion solution of almost any mineral oil to the shoots and central trunk during the opening of the buds to deal with the Apple ermine moth.

The use of traps for the fight is also effective. Of course, pheromone traps with sticky bases are placed in the area, to which moths stick (these are mainly male specimens of Apple ermine moth that fly towards the scent of the so-called females). Certain parts of the efficiency possess ultraviolet radiation of the light trap. In the light of this trap, the moths fly away voluntarily, with a thin network in front of the "lantern", which is under voltage and accumulates during the day from the solar cells. A small secretion is enough to kill an Apple ermine moth of any sex. If you don't want to spend the extra money, you can also make a bait-type trap yourself. To do this, you will need moisture-resistant cardboard and a piece of plywood. The board should necessarily be painted yellow - a signal to the moth - and then simply coated with glue for mice that will not dry. apple ermine moth flies to the signal, sticks, and dies. You can also make or buy a capture tape; you should wrap it around the trunk of a tree; it is best to take sticky tape because caterpillars and bulky moths stick to it.

4. Natural enemies of Apple ermine moth Apple ermine moth also has natural enemies that live in the garden - it is mainly insects: frass flies, wasps - which parasitize the caterpillars of moths, that is, lay eggs on them. But thanks to the use of pesticides in the garden, this "magical" parasite is now almost impossible to find. The not-so-bad enemy of the Apple ermine moth is also the birds, for whom it is like a feast, but the birds are shy and get full rather quickly. Therefore, in order to attract them to the garden and reassure them, it is necessary to hang at least one nest per hundred square meters, not more, otherwise, there will be competition for territory.

5. Folk methods of Apple ermine moth control Let's choose the most effective folk measures to control the Apple ermine moth. so, bitter peppers, straight out of bed. You must grind the pods into the smallest parts, put on goggles and rubber gloves, then pour a liter of water and boil this explosive mixture for an hour. After that, you have to put it in a tightly closed container for a day. After that, strain the resulting decoction well, trying not to let them get into your eyes, and pour it into any container, but preferably glass, so that you can see what is inside.

These containers must then be closed tightly and placed in the refrigerator with any deterrent labels glued on (God forbid, a child would swallow it and there would be screams). To prepare a working solution, you must take half a liter of pepper concentrate and add half ahead of laundry soap as a sticker. And use this magic potion to treat the plant. The second version is fly ash; you have to soak 100 grams of fly ash in a bucket of water for about a week, stirring occasionally, and then treat the affected plants. Try it and see if you like it; it turns out that folk remedies may be more effective than insecticides. And share your experience with us in the comments of the article.

#ThumbGarden #GardeningTips #Apple #Fruits #Orchard #erminemoth #Howtogrow #Pests #Tips #Why #What #Howto #Trees #Garden #Largegarden #Mediumgarden #Smallgarden #Outdoorgarden #Plantcare #Techniques #Inspired #Treatment

Author: Ms.Geneva Link: https://www.thumbgarden.com/apple-ermine-moth/ Source: ThumbGarden The copyright belongs to the author. For commercial reprints, please contact the author for authorization, and for non-commercial reprints, please indicate the source.