All plants, no matter where they are grown, are subject to invasion by various pests. In addition, indoor plants that housewives love to grow are susceptible to various diseases and the harmful effects of various insects. Various reasons contribute to this. Often housewives themselves are to blame for this, since they do not create the proper conditions for growth and development for plants. Some of them simply forget to water the plants, and some of them water them excessively. It should be noted that there are quite dangerous pests that can reduce a person’s work to zero.
As a result of the appearance of pests, indoor plants lag behind in development and lose their attractiveness, and often even die. Therefore, the main task of indoor plant lovers is the timely detection of parasites and subsequent control of them. This article talks about the main pests of indoor plants, their appearance, as well as ways to combat them.
Whitefly
This is an insect with a body length of no more than 2 mm. A characteristic feature is white wings and a yellowish body. They can be found:
- On the back side of the leaves, where they are located in colonies.
- According to characteristic sweetish traces, on which after some time a sooty fungus appears.
Whitefly larvae have a sucking type of mouthparts, so they suck out the juices from the plant. As a result, the plant loses its vitality and gradually loses its attractiveness. If no measures are taken, the plant will soon die.
Interesting fact! When appearing in greenhouses, the whitefly prefers plants such as hibiscus, pelargonium or begonia. After the appearance of just one individual, after a short period of time a whole colony of these insatiable pests appears in the greenhouse. In this regard, the fight should begin immediately.
Saving indoor plants from pests and diseases - Everything will be fine - Issue 282 - 11/05/2013
Aphid
These are also harmful insects that suck juices from plants due to the presence of piercing-sucking mouthparts. Insects have an ovoid body shape, no more than 2 mm in length. Aphids have rather long legs, but they move rather slowly. The color of insects depends on the species, as well as on living conditions, so it can be varied.
There are both winged and wingless types of insects. Naturally, insects with wings can easily enter a person’s home, even through an open window.
Types of midges
Among harmful small insects, two types of midges predominate - white (whiteflies) and black (fungus gnat). The greatest harm is caused not by adults, but by larvae, which can cause irreparable damage to the plant.
White
A whitefly or poroda is a white or yellow-brown insect, about 1 mm in size. It is found in damp, warm rooms, more often in winter, when water does not evaporate so quickly. Adults do not cause any particular harm - all the danger lies in the small larvae that eat up the leaves from the underside.
Black
The fungus gnat or sciarid is a small black insect that is harmless to humans, but dangerous to indoor flowers. Sciarid larvae compact the soil and also eat up the roots, which is why the plant takes on a “crumpled” appearance.
Fungus gnats appear when improperly fertilized with organic waste, for example, tea leaves or eggshells.
Hairy aphid
This type of aphid is also called mealybugs. They are one of the most dangerous insects for plants. As a rule, they can be found on the underside of leaves. Their presence is indicated by a cobweb-like white coating, as well as the presence of a sticky liquid.
These insects are distinguished by a high degree of fertility. Female mealybugs lay eggs in miniature formations that resemble balls of cotton wool. After a certain time, fairly mobile larvae emerge from these lumps, which are then distributed throughout the plant. Fighting them requires an instant reaction. The sooner you start fighting this pest, the greater the chance of saving the plant.
Mealybug is a pest of domestic flowers. Signs of infection, methods of control
How to get rid of small white and black insects?
There are many pest control products available on the market. You just need to apply them correctly and on time.
Treating flowers with chemicals at home
There are several well-proven drugs:
All work should be carried out in a ventilated area using protective equipment. It’s even better to do it outdoors, if possible.
Use of folk remedies
There are also non-toxic products:
Parasites cannot tolerate garlic and tobacco infusions.
Root mealybug
This type of pest poses the main threat to the root system of plants. The parasite can be detected either in the ground or on the lower part of the plant stems, by a whitish coating. Females reach a length of up to 2.5 mm, while they are larger than males and much more mobile. Pests are distinguished by their almost cylindrical body shape, covered with a waxy coating. Females lay eggs in special chambers formed by special secretions.
Males are more like whiteflies. As adults, they quickly die because they stop feeding. Therefore, females make up the main population of these pest colonies.
It is important to know! The presence of such insects on indoor plants leads to the fact that the plants lose their attractive appearance. In addition, damaged plants begin to suffer from fungal diseases.
Causes
The main reasons that lead to the appearance of a parasitic worm include:
- Insufficient care of green spaces;
- Average humidity level in the room where the flower is kept;
- Improper watering - too little or too much watering;
- Lack of light.
All these factors create a favorable environment for mold growth. Poor quality soil can also be a source of infection, so when replanting greenery, it is best to use a ready-made soil mixture that has been properly disinfected. There have been cases when powdery mildew was found on newly purchased plants.
To avoid infecting other flowers, it is very important that each new plant is quarantined for several weeks.
It is characterized by a broadly oval body with powdery whitish plates, sometimes with plates along the edges, yellow or pink, and well-developed paws.
Shchitovka
Scale insects also appear on house plants, and each type of scale insect can infect a specific type of plant. The palm scale insect parasitizes the shoots of palm trees. There are also cactus, pink, ivy, Californian, laurel, and oleander scale insects. Often scale insects appear on lemons or orchids. A characteristic feature of these pests is the shell that protects their body. In this regard, it is quite difficult to fight scale insects.
The false scale insect, which does not have a waxy shell, poses a huge danger to plants. The females of these pests grow up to 5 mm in length, and they have neither legs nor wings, unlike males. Females are distinguished by the fact that their body is covered with a convex shield, which can have different shapes, both round and oval.
These parasites prefer to be found on any part of the plant, both on the stems and on the back of the leaves. There is also a hemispherical scale insect, which is slightly larger in size and volume. Plants such as ferns, asparagus and myrtle are affected by these pests. Below is the appearance of some pests of indoor plants.
Fighting scale insects (pests of indoor plants). Part 1
White fool
White podurs are hopping insects that can be found in potted houseplants. They differ:
- An elongated body on which sparse hairs grow.
- Having 3 pairs of legs.
- Having a long mustache.
- Prefers moist conditions.
The diet of these pests includes the remains of plant components, as well as a living root system. If you do not pay attention to these parasites in time and do not destroy them, they can lead to the death of indoor plants.
Chemicals to the rescue
If it is not possible to mechanically remove the larvae and adult insects that have settled in the roots of the plant (planting in deep tubs), use insecticides: Tanrek, Kinmiks, Agravertin, Fitoverm, Aktaru, Konfidor. The solution is prepared in the following proportion: 8 g of the drug per bucket of water. If Intavir is used, then 1 tablet of the product is pre-diluted in 10 liters of water.
The product has been tested many times against indoor pests
Podura in flowers feel very confident, so the plant needs to be watered twice every 7 days with an insecticide solution at the rate of 100 ml of the drug per 0.7 liter pot.
Attention! Insecticides should be applied to the soil to soak it, rather than used for irrigation purposes. Larvae and mature insects live under the top layer of soil.
Fine-grained sand can be used. It is washed well and dried. The top thin layer of soil (several centimeters) is removed from the pot. The remaining soil is watered with any insecticide against the Colorado potato beetle. A thin layer of sand is scattered on top. Apply granulated Grom-2 or Bazudin, scattering the preparations in small quantities onto a slightly damp soil surface. A thin layer of soil is laid on top and watered abundantly. For greater effectiveness, do not water flowers in pots for 5 days after treatment.
Spider mite
Many indoor plant lovers are familiar with this common and quite dangerous pest. This is a tiny insect that can only be detected with a magnifying glass. Colonies of these insects are found on the underside of leaves. Spider mites prefer warm and dry air. Under such conditions, the insect reproduces at a tremendous rate.
You can determine that a plant is infected with spider mites:
- By light spots that are visible in places where pests live.
- By the presence of the finest cobwebs that cover plants.
Chinese roses, geraniums and palm trees suffer quite a lot from the invasion of spider mites, which suck the juices out of them.
Thrips
These are insects whose length does not exceed 1.5 mm. Pests can be identified by their black or dark brown body color, with the lower part of the body being a reddish-yellow hue. Like most pests, thrips hide on the underside of leaves. The female lays eggs in very small holes, which she gnaws in the leaves and also in flower buds.
It is important to know! The appearance of a silver pattern on indoor plants indicates that the plants are infected with thrips. These are traces of their life activity.
TRIPS on indoor flowers | PESTS of indoor plants and their control
What do people advise?
- An infusion of tobacco dust, shag, and red hot pepper is used as a watering solution. Infuse a pound of tobacco waste or shag in 10 liters of water for 48 hours. Add soap shavings (40g) to the strained mixture. The plant itself is sprayed with the finished product and the soil is watered.
- You can also cultivate the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Dry celandine is used. 1 kg of raw materials is poured and infused in water (10 l). The infusion, aged for 24 hours, is filtered. They cultivate the soil.
Radical means of control will not be needed if plant nutrition and watering regime are properly organized and a healthy indoor microclimate is created.
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Fungus gnats (sciarids)
These insects are also called scyriads. These are not large flies, up to half a centimeter long, that fly around indoor plants. Sexually mature individuals carry the larvae of various pests, which infect plants. The scyriads themselves lay eggs in the root system of plants, which causes great harm to the plants, since white larvae emerge from the eggs and feed on the root system. The result of their vital activity is dead indoor plants.
Control measures
How to get rid of pests? This question haunts many indoor plant lovers. Pest control can be done in a variety of ways. For example:
- Mechanical.
- With the help of biological drugs.
- Using chemical control agents.
- Based on folk recipes.
Pests of indoor plants and their control, plant protection, how to get rid of them
Mechanical method
This is an environmentally friendly, simple and affordable way to combat parasites on your own. To do this, you need to take a tool, preferably disinfected, and cut off the damaged parts of the plants. It is better to treat the cut areas with activated carbon. Pests that can be seen with the naked eye can be picked out with your hands without any problems, unless there are so many plants and pests.
Interesting recipe! A contrast shower will help rid indoor plants of parasites. It is enough to spray the flower with water and then wipe the leaves with a cotton swab and the problem can be solved.
Folk remedies
To protect them from various insects, as well as in cases of their diseases, many lovers of indoor plants prefer folk remedies. These products have been tested for many decades, so there is no doubt about their effectiveness. Decoctions prepared from plants such as chamomile, nettle, yarrow, dandelion or marigold are absolutely harmless to humans and plants. Solutions prepared with garlic and onions have the same effect. The prepared solutions are simply sprayed on the plants almost every day.
As an option, you can use citrus peels, which should simply be buried in the ground. The smell of these components cannot be tolerated by many parasites that want to settle on indoor plants.
Solutions based on wood ash, furatsillin, soda or potassium permanganate work no less effectively in this direction. You just need to prepare the solution correctly, after which the plants are sprayed with a spray bottle.
It is important to know! If you add a little soap, preferably laundry soap, to the solutions, the product will not drain from the leaves so quickly, which will enhance the effect of using the product.
Biological method
Biological preparations differ in that they act only on certain types of pests and are safe for humans and pets. Despite this, the working composition must be prepared correctly and used correctly. For example:
- The solution is prepared strictly according to the instructions.
- After treatment, the plant should dry.
- The room needs to be well ventilated.
For such purposes, you can use control agents such as Agrovertin, Fitoverm or Iskra-Bio.
No chemical attacks
Having discovered small populations of insects, you can do without the use of chemical reagents.
Orchid roots need to be carefully examined
- When a springtail is first detected, completely immerse the entire flower along with the pot in water. The floating insects are immediately collected. The plant should not be watered. The top layer of soil (up to 40 mm thick) is removed, and clean, dry sand is poured in its place.
- If podura pests are found in a flowerpot with orchids, the plant is removed from the bark and the roots are washed well with water. The processed rhizome is planted in the whole bark. The rot is cut off and the sections are dried.
- You can dissolve 0.5 tablets of citramone (ascophen) from your home medicine cabinet in 3 liters of water. When watering flowers, use this solution.
- Place the cut potato (cut side down) into the container with the flower. After a while, remove the vegetable along with the podurs that have penetrated into it.
- Dry lemon and orange skins and place them in pots with plants. Insects cannot stand the smell of citrus fruits and “leave.”
- Do not water the soil with a solution containing decomposing organic matter: milk, tea or coffee, etc.
- The soil and green areas are dusted with wood ash. Crushed into powder, it is sprinkled on the soil with a layer of 10 mm with scanty watering.
- Dry mustard is also used for dusting. Powder is sprinkled on the soil in a pot with a layer thickness of 10 mm with limited watering.
- Water with a solution: 40 g of grated laundry soap, pour 1 liter of water and dissolve.
- Dry mustard (10 g) is silted with water (1 l) at a temperature of 60°C. The solution is infused for 48 hours, after which it is filtered. Used for treating flower seeds before planting.
- The same mustard (1 tsp) is diluted in 1 liter of water. This is how the composition is prepared for watering and simultaneously destroying other pests.
