Currant bud mite is by far the most dangerous pest of currant plantations. Parasitizing on berry bushes, it may well leave the gardener without most of the crop, and over time it will weaken the plants so much that in the end they will inevitably degenerate. In this article we will look at how to prevent and combat this small pest.
What does the parasite look like
The population of the kidney tick, increasing, gradually fills the bud, and this stops the development of the shoots and leaves of the plant. In addition, the affected currant bud becomes a source of the virus that causes infection of the entire plant. 
Kidney tick or Cecidophyopsis ribis looks like a very small worm, whose body is slightly more than 0.15 mm long and 0.04 mm wide. These mites settle in the buds of berry plants, where they pass through all stages of development.
In March, the tick females lay small oval eggs, which are initially transparent, as they develop and become milky-white. Parasites come out of the "kidney house" when the currant throws out flowers and leaves.
Learn how to protect currants from diseases and pests, especially from scutes, powdery mildew, rust, aphids, and what to do if currants have red spots on the leaves, the leaves turn yellow.After leaving the shelter, the mites are located on the bark and on the leaf plate, where most of them die soon. Those who survived (about 1%) are settled for permanent residence in new buds in June, where they again lay eggs.
Being in one currant bud, mites can develop over five generations. It is worth adding that the female kidney mite at a time can lay up to hundreds of eggs. 
Did you know? The Latin name for currants sounds like "ribes". The name of this plant was given by the Arab conquerors of sunny Spain (711 BC), who found the taste of black currant very similar to the taste of rhubarb, called Farsi "ribas". The name stuck, and since then the botanical name of currant sounds that way.
What harm is it
Cecidophyopsis ribis contributes to significant crop loss of black currant berries. In total, about 20 percent is lost. All this makes the cultivation of currants less profitable, because the bushes give less quality and marketable yield.
Populating one or several buds, the tick multiplies rapidly, and increases its living space by settling the next buds on the same bush or migrating to the neighboring shrubs.
But the most unpleasant thing is that plants infected with the kidney mite are almost impossible to cure, and they are subject to uprooting and removal from the territory of the garden for sanitary purposes. 
Instead of the expected cash profit or harvest of berries, the gardener will remain even without a berry plantation.
Signs of defeat
Mites suck sap from the plant at the cellular level, and at the same time inject enzymatic substances into the cells that interfere with the growth and differentiation of flower buds.
The black currant buds affected by the tick are distinctly shaped, and they appear to be more prominent and bulging compared to healthy buds. Often, most of them are subsequently destroyed on the plant, never having dissolved.
The bushes struck by the pest have a small growth of young shoots. Leaves on infected plants are smaller and thinner than healthy leaves. Often they have longer petioles than healthy leaflets. 
Fruits on such bushes, if ripe, have a sour taste, small or underdeveloped berries and ripen unevenly.
Did you know? Black currant served as the basis for the preparation of berry mash from the ancient Rusich. In the fragrant berries there were enough natural sugars for the full fermentation process and the preparation of high-quality hop drink. Also with the help of currant juice girls in Russia cleared the face from freckles.
How to deal with kidney mite on currants
Cecidophyopsis ribis is widespread in our latitudes everywhere. One of the reasons for this is the rejection of the use of chemicals (endosulfan, amitraz and carbosulfan), previously used in industrial and household cultivation.
It is a pity, but at the present time there are no chemically active substances permitted by sanitary inspection to combat kidney mite on currants. It is recommended to dig up and destroy plants infected by this pest in a fire. 
New plantations of berry bushes should be planted only from seedlings that are not affected by the pest, and are taken from qualified nurseries with a good reputation, located far from the areas of spread of the disease.
Agrotechnical receptions
Proper farming is the most important condition for the successful cultivation of healthy berry bushes. Progressive agrotechnical cost simplification in the cultivation of currants only leads to an increase in the number of pests.
The use of too dense plantations in the berries, the rejection of the cultivation of soil between the rows of bushes, non-compliance with crop rotation are factors that increase the likelihood of mass occurrence of pests. 
The correct agrotechnical method includes:
- the choice of the location of the future berry;
- soil type accounting;
- mandatory crop rotation in due time;
- soil cultivation under bushes and in between rows;
- preparation and disinfection of seedlings before planting;
- regular weed control;
Familiarize yourself with weed control.
- constant visual inspection of the pest plantation;
- the destruction of infected kidneys and pruning or the complete elimination of diseased bushes;
- destruction of infected plant debris by fire.
You can fight this pest, as well as with other garden pests of berry bushes. After the currant drops foliage in the autumn, you need to inspect each bush for damage to the fruit buds or branches with bud mites. 
If there are only a few infected buds (enlarged, swollen) on the plant, they are removed with a secateur. If a large part of the plant is affected, then it is useless to save it.
It is best to cut all branches with the pruning shears (right up to the ground), the underground root system of the shrub in the spring will throw out new young branches in which there will be no tick, since it winters only in the aerial part of the plant.
This technique not only heals the bush, but also rejuvenates it. Such an agricultural application is applied to valuable currant varieties, or if it is impossible to get this healthy variety for planting a new currant.
Chemicals
Currants need to be processed before flowering, as soon as the shrub begins to throw out the brush of peduncles. 
It was at this time that overwintering and significantly increasing their population of pests began to migrate from the "hut" to young and not yet infected branches. During this period, they can be destroyed with the help of non-system chemical preparations.
Important! The kidney mite is not an insect! Poisons for insects to destroy it will not work.
To kill ticks, take acaricidal or insectoacaricidal drugs. Berry in private gardens need to be treated with products containing colloidal sulfur, they have a small amount of toxins.
It must be remembered that currant bushes infected with kidney mite cannot be treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur - it causes severe burns on the sensitive bark.
Acaricidal preparations that act at the hormonal level and are not as toxic as organophosphate are used in the spring treatment. 
Used acaricides:
- "Nissoran";
- "Oberon";
- "Judo";
- "Forbid 4F";
- "Envidor";
- "Movento";
- "Kontos";
- Actellic;
- "Apollo";
- "Neoron";
- Kinmiks.
Since these drugs are not too strong, and ticks migrate within a month, then you need to spend two or three such procedures. The interval between procedures should be at least ten days. 
Organophosphate systemic acaricides have a more effective effect, but they can be used on berry crops only at the end of the harvest:
- "Bi-58";
- "Phosphamide";
- "Famidofos";
- Rogor-S;
- "Dimethrin";
- "Accent";
- Pilarmax;
- "Danadim".
Biological products:
- "Fitoverm";
- "Actofit".
Did you know? Another name for currant berries in Russia is the monastic berry. Currants were grown in the monastery gardens, and was used for food, the manufacture of medicines and berry tinctures. The monastic chronicles of the Pskov region and the Novgorod region contain references to the currant monks growing in the 11th century. Currants came to private gardens and household farms only in the 16th century.
The first, second and third treatments: The time for carrying out this procedure is determined by the appearance of the first full leaflets and the ejection of peduncles on currants. The air temperature during treatment should not be below +5 ° C, at low temperatures, rain or frost treatment will not have the desired effect.
Berry shrubs are treated by spraying biological pesticides against pests ("Actofit", "Bitoksibatsillin", "Fitoverm").
The pesticide drugs also include "Merpan", "Hom", "Thanos", "Corado", "Bravo", "Biathlon".Processing of one of the selected drugs is carried out weekly, you need to carry out three such procedures. The pause between ongoing procedures should be seven days.
Sulfur Treatment: from the time when the buds begin to bloom, and until the end of the month a mass release of pests and their further migration through the garden will begin. 
At this time, it is very convenient to influence pests with the help of treatments with preparations containing sulfur ("Karbofos", lime-sulfur decoction). As soon as the currant buds begin to unfold, it is possible to carry out the first treatment with 2% lime-sulfur decoction.
Check out the features of care for currants in the fall and spring.
Approximately in a decade or as soon as the flowering of the shrub ends, repeated processing with 1% broth is carried out. At the same time, plants can be treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur and water.
When spraying shrubs, try to carefully treat each currant branch and bud.
Did you know? In Russian epics, the name of the river Smorodinovka or Currant is mentioned. It was on the river Smorodino that the epic hero struggled with the three-headed serpent Gorynych and defeated him. It is clear that the name of the ancient river was given in honor of the deliciously growing berries abundantly growing along its banks.
Folk measures
Gardeners have long learned to find justice for the vicious pest of currant bushes with the help of folk recipes. For the destruction of the kidney tick there is a lot of money: pouring boiling water, garlic water, mustard and dandelion infusions, the use of sulfuric solutions.
Processing berry bushes with boiling water.
This treatment is carried out in early March, even before the buds swell on the plant. At this time, usually under the bushes is still snow. In order to properly carry out this procedure, you need to tie a lush bush in the form of a "broom", tilt to the ground and fix it for the duration of the procedure.
A bucket of water is heated and brought to a boil, after which the water is poured into a metal garden watering can and currant bushes are poured over the branches and bark. 
Hot water destroys ticks hibernating in the kidneys, destroys spores of fungal diseases (powdery mildew and others) hibernating on plants and in the basal zone, improves plant immunity.
Some experienced gardeners may pour currant over boiling water in late autumn (early to mid-November). At this time, kidney-infected ticks are already clearly visible - they are several times larger than healthy ones.
Processing garlic extract.
To prepare the infusion, 200 grams of garlic is taken, peeled and skipped through a meat grinder (garlic dish). Chopped garlic pulp pour 10 liters of water and leave to infuse for 2-3 hours. 
The finished brew is filtered through a sieve or gauze folded in two or three layers. Strained garlic infusion spend spraying currant bushes.
Mustard infusion from tick.
200 grams of dry mustard is poured with 10 liters of water and left overnight to infuse. In the morning, the solution is filtered through a fine sieve, poured into a spray tank and treated with plants. 
Infusion on dandelions.
- 200 grams of dandelion roots (cleaned and washed);
- 50 grams of green dandelion leaves;
- 10 liters of water.
The roots and leaves are passed through a meat grinder, the crushed vegetable mass is folded in a ten-liter bucket and poured water to the top of the container. The contents of the bucket are well mixed, and left for a couple of hours for infusion.
At the end of this time, the infusion is ready for use. Before use, this infusion must be filtered. 
Treatment with colloidal sulfur solution.
10 grams of the drug is poured into a large metal or plastic container and poured with ten liters of cold water, thoroughly mixed, tightly closed with a lid and left for 10-15 minutes.
After that, the solution is ready, it can be used to treat bushes of black and red currants, gooseberries. 
Resistant varieties
The best way out of the vicious circle of the annual pest control, will be laying of new berries, using varieties resistant to this pest.
Learn about the care of black currants, red currants, white currants and golden currants.Black currant:
- "Irmen" and "Michurin's Memory";
- "Early Potapenko" and "In Memory of Potapenko";
- "Nightingale night" and "Belarusian sweet";
- "Minx", "Sevchanka", "Riddle";
- "Leningrad Sweet" and "Leningrad Giant";
- "Kipiana" and "Oryol Serenade";
- "Nara", "Otradnaya", "Chernysh";
- "Black Pearl" and "Vigorous".
Did you know? Russian name berry received from the word "stench"what means "smell" (now "stench" associated with an unpleasant odor, but our ancestors had it all differently), because the currant aroma, especially black, is quite noticeable due to the high concentration of essential oils.
Red currant:
- "Beloved";
- "Red Cross";
- "Yonker van Tets";
- "Cherry Vixne";
- Chulkovskaya;
- "Ilyinka";
- "Ural beauty";
- "Fires of the Urals";
- "Scarlet dawn".
White currant:
- "Snezhana";
- "White Fairy";
- "Bayana";
- "Squirrel";
- "Versailles white".
In nurseries and specialized gardening stores, you can purchase currant saplings from different countries (Russia, Ukraine, Poland). The gardener needs to choose those that are most suited to the given climatic conditions.
We must not forget that, over time, even the most productive and disease-resistant currant variety gradually loses its qualities. The immunity of the old plant is weakened by age, and it may well be populated by a kidney currant mite. 
Prevention
If you are only planning to plant a currant berry, then you should take some measures in order to have healthy plants and a full harvest of berries in the future.
- Choose varieties resistant to common diseases and pests of currants.
- Take cuttings for breeding only with healthy, not infected with pests and plant diseases.
- In the off-season (late autumn, winter, early spring) conduct a visual inspection and the destruction of infected buds on the bushes.
- Remove diseased bushes, remove from the berry plantation and burn.
- Perform preventive treatments in time for diseases and pests with chemical and biological preparations.
- Sanitize the acquired planting material.
Important! Purchased (donated) young saplings before planting must be processed. Heat treatment is best suited for disinfection - seedlings are poured with hot water (40 °C) for 15-20 minutes. After heat treatment, the seedlings are soaked in the Fitoverma solution. It must be prepared exactly according to the instructions attached to the preparation.
For the purposes of prophylaxis, between the rows of currants, it is possible to plant densely cloves or garlic bulb onions. Garlic spreads phytoncides in the air and in the soil, which are especially unloved by the kidney mite. It is advisable to carry out such a landing every spring, it will serve as another type of protection for currants.The blackcurrant bud mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis) is dangerous not only for plantings of white, red and black currants - it will gladly settle on gooseberry bushes.
To prevent pests from planting your garden and destroying future crops, do not be lazy to conduct regular plant inspections and disease prevention, purchase only healthy planting material from a reliable manufacturer.
