How to Kill Cotton Parasites
Have you encountered a sticky substance on cotton bud in your field? Well that's the 'sticky cotton' sign of a cotton parasite attack. Ranging from light yellow to dark green in color, cotton parasites are encountered mainly in June. These parasites suck the sap of the plant and expel a 'honeydew' kind of substance that serves as a growth medium for a black mold, which in turn interferes with the ginning and spinning of cotton fabric. This decreases the quality of the fabric produced and can negatively affect sales of the cotton. It is, therefore, important to get to the root of the matter and kill the cotton parasites using an organic, homemade pesticide.
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Things You'll Need
- 3 oz. chopped garlic cloves
- 1 liter mineral oil
- 1 tsp. fish emulsion
- 1 tbsp. castile soap
- 1 lbs. water
Instructions
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1
Soak the garlic cloves in mineral oil for about 24 hours and strain.
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2
Steadily mix fish emulsion and soap with water.
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3
Combine the first mixture with the second mixture in a ratio of 2:1.
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4
Thoroughly spray your crops once a week until the cotton parasites are eradicated.
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Tips & Warnings
Infestation of cotton parasites can be avoided by: * Filling puddles and open water sources in your fields with dirt * Eliminating open compost piles near the field * Always cleaning equipment before and after use Compost and open water are areas that provide breeding grounds for the parasites, so keeping these things as far away from your cotton fields as possible is paramount to warding off infestation.
