‌brown-tail Moth

Written by: Mir Aqa Etebar

Brown-tail moths destroy apple and some other fruitful and non-fruitful trees; their leaves and foliage. AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people about how they can get rid of these pests in trees.

A gardener, Matiullah says, “I have a fruit garden. Brown-tail moths eat the leaves of the trees and they do not let them bear fruit and even these pets cause the drying of trees.”

Mujtaba, a resident of Parachi village, Paghman district, Kabul province says, “I a have a fruit garden. About 30 trees have brown-tail moths. I used insecticide so many times but it did not have any effect on them and now some of these trees are drying.”

An agricultural expert, Mirjan Hemat talks about this agricultural pest, “

 The brown-tail moth is one of the most dangerous pests of fruitful and non-fruitful trees. This insect feeds on the leaves of trees.

When the trees blossom, this insect starts to feed on the leaves of trees and destroys the leaves completely and trees cannot continue their growth, and if the nutrition continues, it will cause the trees to dry out.”

What do some gardeners think about the causes of the existence of brown-tail moths on trees?

Matiullah says, “I think not spraying the trees causes the insects to move from tree to tree and from one garden to another.”

Gulabi, a resident of Paghman district says, “Drought caused to find brown-tail moths on trees in our village.”

Mirjan Hemat says, “Brown-tail moths exist on tree leaves as a larva for the whole winter. When the gardeners do not pay attention to these leaves, these pets might increase in the spring and cause more damages to the fruit trees.”

How do some gardeners remove these pests from the trees?

A gardener, Abdul Malook says, “I sprayed my garden so many times but as the body resistance of this insect is so high that insecticide doesn’t effect on them. I cut the branches where the brown-tail moths were living on them and burnt them away from the garden and now there is no insect on the trees.”

Muhammad Sayed says, “We cut the branches where the brown-tail moths live and bury them in the ground.”

Mirjan Hemat says, “To prevent this pest, gardeners must take care of their gardens. At the end of the autumn, they should remove the nests of these pets from the trees and burn them. Proper pruning of trees also helps reduce pests.”