White podars: photo of the insect and protection of indoor plants from them

Springtails are small pests that many gardeners have encountered. Springtails or podura, as they are also popularly called, usually live in flower pots. This insect prefers to settle in the upper layers of the soil, where there is high humidity. After all, it is excessive watering that causes springtails to appear. A small accumulation of dura will not cause much harm to the plant. However, a rapid increase in the population can lead to damage to the root system of the plant, resulting in its slow growth and even death.

Podury: photo

Fools: photo.

Prevention measures

In order not to provoke the proliferation of fools in the garden or in the greenhouse, it is enough to comply with the requirements for moisture content in the soil. Excessive watering and lack of ventilation are the main provoking factors for the onset of favorable conditions for a comfortable life for parasites.

Do you carry out prevention against foolishness?

Of course! No, but I will!

An effective preventive measure is to water the soil before planting plants with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will help destroy the larvae existing in the soil and prevent their further reproduction. You can also water the soil with hot (80 - 90 degrees) water before sowing or planting seedlings.

One of the provoking factors for the reproduction of fools is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Wet humus or manure is an ideal environment for feeding insects. Therefore, their content in the soil should not be higher than normal.

Reproduction of poduras is the first signal of a violation of agricultural technology for plant care. If you notice insects, you should reconsider your approaches to watering. Otherwise, there is a risk of destruction of the plantings.

Description of the pest

Name: Real fools Lat.:
Poduridae

Class: Springtails - Collembola Order: Springtails - Poduromorpha

Habitats:	indoor plants, garden and vegetable garden
Dangerous for:	colors
Means of destruction:	Fufanol, chemicals, decoctions

Podura: photo.

Poduras are similar to small caterpillars. Color white or cream. Very rarely they are greenish or silvery. Body length is about 2 mm. Sometimes the length reaches 1 cm. The body has an oval shape.

Thanks to a special fork, they jump perfectly, pushing off with its help. This is what distinguishes the insect from the mealybug. When at rest, the organ is hidden under the abdomen.

The eggs are round in shape. The color is greenish-yellow with shine. After laying, larvae identical to adult individuals appear within 18–20 days. The larvae pose the same danger to flowers as the adults.

Very often, fools are confused with springtails, which live in indoor plants. In order not to be confused, we will continue to consider insects and pests of indoor plants.

Preventive actions

To prevent podurs from appearing in pots (or from re-inoculating), it is necessary to maintain optimal temperature and humidity parameters. Perhaps this is the main preventive measure.

It is also worth paying attention to the following points:

• It is better to purchase new plants in trusted stores and nurseries;
• the condition of the plants and substrate in pots must be carefully monitored;
• do not overdo it with fertilizing, provide the plants with a period of rest;
• dead parts of plants must be promptly removed and the soil loosened;
• create proper drainage in flower pots, prevent moisture from stagnating in the pot or tray;
• select a pot (plant pot) in accordance with the size of the root system;
• periodically carry out preventive treatments with herbal insecticides and growth stimulants in order to improve plant health and increase resistance to various pests and diseases.

Common types

The parasite population depends on the humidity level. High humidity promotes active reproduction. Among the most common varieties, it is worth highlighting several main ones.

White . Living in the upper layer of the earth. Favorite places are greenhouses and greenhouses.

Vegetable . Eats ornamental crops and garden plants.

Mushroom . It feeds on young vegetative organs of plants and seedlings.

Mechanical methods of struggle

Poor quality care, accumulations of dried leaves and excess moisture create ideal conditions for the growth of houseplants. Therefore, to eliminate pests, it is necessary, first of all, to regulate watering, which is the main cause of increased soil moisture. Deprived of their usual and comfortable living conditions, springtails will no longer disturb the plant.

There are other ways to get rid of the fool:

1. It is very important to comply with indoor humidity levels. To do this, you should ventilate the room more often, dry clothes outside, and provide access to sunlight. A special device that absorbs excess moisture will help regulate the humidity level.
2. Sprinkling the soil with ash or sand is one of the most effective methods of killing podura. It can be used for almost all plantings. The exception is plants growing in acidic soil. These include camellia, gardenia or azalea.

   
   Camellia, gardenia and azalea

3. To get rid of pests, just place the pot with the plant in water. After that, all that remains to do on its surface is to collect the floating springtails.
4. Particular attention should be paid to the drainage system. After all, it is the clogging of the holes at the bottom of the flowerpot that causes water to stagnate. A few pebbles, which are placed at the bottom of the pot when replanting the flower, will help to avoid this.
5. Replacing the substrate is another effective method to get rid of springtails. It is important not only to remove the contaminated soil, but also to thoroughly rinse the root system.
6. You should also not use organic fertilizers too often. Residues from tea leaves or ground coffee can cause the development of mold or mildew, so they are added to the soil no more than once a week. After 2-3 days, the organic particles are removed and the substrate is carefully loosened so that the soil is enriched with oxygen. It is important to eliminate all factors that contribute to soil decay and mold.
7. There is another original folk method of getting rid of the fungus, which is safe both for the plant and for the person himself. To do this, you will need a raw potato, which is cut into two parts, each of which is placed cut side down on the substrate. If you lift these halves after a few hours, you will see a lot of pests on them. After which the bait should be shaken off or washed off with water and the “bait” should be installed again.

Reasons for the appearance of dupes

A small number of insects are always present in the soil of indoor plants, greenhouses, and especially open areas. They cause harm in large numbers. The appearance of parasites on ornamental plants is associated with:

• high humidity due to disruption of the irrigation system - watering should not be abused;
• increased level of moisture in the room - a damp microclimate contributes to the invasion of insects;
• the development of putrefactive processes - this refers to black tea leaves that rot, and to stagnation of moisture. They need to be removed;
• non-compliance with certain temperatures;
• weakened immune system in a calm state;
• the presence of moss in the container;
• violation of care - fallen leaves rot and attract fungi and parasites.

Why are springtails dangerous for plants and the damage they cause?

The appearance of podura in flowers in small quantities should serve as a signal to gardeners that the plants are being kept in improper conditions. Springtails are herbivorous decomposers, that is, they feed on dead organic matter. At the same time, organic substances decompose into simple chemical compounds, enriching the soil. Their diet at home includes:

• dead above-ground and underground parts of the plant (roots, leaves, etc.);
• moss;
• fungus and mold;
• algae growing on the surface of waterlogged soil.

When there are too many springtails, they may not have enough food, and they begin to eat young shoots and roots of the plant. In conditions of excess humidity this can lead to:

• rotting;
• weakened immunity;
• development of diseases (viral and microbial).

Development of the disease

Gadfly (family oestridae)

Most species can be found in Central and South America, some throughout the world.
There are dozens of varieties of gadflies, all of them are parasites and have a high degree of attachment to a certain type of host, having characteristic names: horse gadfly, sheep gadfly, and so on. Guess what other gadfly there is? That's right - human. They all have a different and well-thought-out reproductive cycle, each of which, however, ends in a fat one and a half centimeter maggot grown in living flesh. And this maggot eats around itself. Horse gadflies, for example, lay eggs in the grass. The horse eats grass, and with it eggs. Which then develop in the warmth of the horse's mouth into larvae and begin to move inside the horse's digestive tract, for which they sometimes have to gnaw passages in the animal's tongue. They all meet in the stomach, form honeycombs and gain weight. When the time comes to become a fly, they simply unhook and then pass out with their feces.

The human gadfly lays eggs on various kinds of midges and mosquitoes, which theoretically can land on a person. When the blood-sucking vector does its job, the eggs fall off onto the skin and, thanks to body heat, begin to mature. The resulting larva reaches the nearest area of ​​suitable skin and begins to gnaw inside under the skin. Where she will live and eat.

Next there will be a video in which one of the larvae is pulled out. There is no need to watch it. It's just disgusting. Here's the creepiest part. The larva can grow anywhere on your body, it just depends on where the egg lands. For example, you might get a fatty, wormy thing in your tear duct. Or in the brain. This is known because it has already happened.

A gadfly larva poking around your brain and eating your thoughts.

Solutions and infusions for bugs

Use a solution of potassium permanganate to kill bugs on indoor flowers. It is necessary to spray the plants daily for 1 week.

It is important to carry out a water procedure before this. You need to take the plant affected by the bugs and put it under the shower for 10-15 minutes

After a week-long fight against bugs, you will need to leave indoor flowers for three days. After this time, inspect them carefully. If bugs are still present in some areas, treat with potassium permanganate solution 4 more times. After this, the pests will completely disappear.

Calendula tincture is great for getting rid of bugs. It is diluted in warm water in the following ratio 1:5. The prepared solution needs to be sprayed every other day on indoor plants until the pests completely disappear. In case of severe damage to flowers by bugs, you should use tobacco infusion. There is no need to pre-dilute it. It is necessary to spray each indoor plant affected by pests with it three times at weekly intervals. A similar procedure for getting rid of bugs is carried out using garlic infusion.

Ecological methods

Thus, I introduce hundreds of species of weed seeds and millions of species of soil animals into my garden. It would seem that I am violating the recommendations of agronomists who are afraid of weeds and pests that we can introduce with leaves. However, in practice, everything works out quite well for me.

In my garden, under the trees, a thick wall of weeds grows on a thick layer of organic matter. Many of them bloom from early spring to late autumn, attracting entomophages. Actually, from old gardens I introduce natural enemies of the codling moth into my garden. I don’t use the old organophosphate insecticides that kill everything. I spray the garden in the first half of summer with preparations with good adhesives in a very small dose, strictly on the crown. They are not washed off by rain onto the soil, and in dense grass the poisons of entomophages are not found and do not affect.

I do not kill the moth 100% by spraying ten times, as Polish gardeners do. In the second half of summer, a few wormy apples fall to the ground, and predators lay eggs in the codling moths - this is how they reproduce. In dense grass, where there are many ants, ground beetles and other predators, not a single worm will be able to climb the apple tree again and hit a new fruit - it will either be eaten or infected.

Dense grass with plenty of organic matter is never a competitor to the apple tree for nutrients, since it cannot shade a high crown. On the contrary, grass roots, destroying the mother rock, saturate the soil with new portions of available salts, and grass litter is an excellent food for soil living creatures.

When the garden was young, I mowed the grass 2-3 times during the summer, now I only make paths in the garden. Herbs must produce seeds, thousands of herbs must compete with each other for a place in the sun, the plants most adapted to my soil must survive - thus increasing the stability of the ecosystem of my garden. My task is only to provide it with water and organic matter.

Having planted the perimeter of the garden with lindens, maples, rowan trees, hawthorn and euonymus, I improved the air conditions, now there are no dry winds here either in winter or in summer.

Pears are grafted into the hawthorn crown.

Over ten years of such concern for the environment, despite the use of pesticides, my garden has turned into an oasis, a sanctuary for beneficial insects and birds.

In many gardens nearby, the land is still kept fallow. Or they grow only cereals, which they mow. Monocultures are planted over large areas. They use highly toxic pesticides of the last century. And they unsuccessfully fight the moth

The codling moth is an insect belonging to the leafroller family of the order Lepidoptera.

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Externally, as an adult, it is a small butterfly with gray wings, the lower ones are lighter and framed in the form of a fluffy fringe, and the upper ones are dark ash and decorated at the ends with brown ovals with golden streaks.

The wingspan is from 17 to 22 mm. They lay white, flattened eggs up to a millimeter in diameter.

The caterpillars are flesh-colored or slightly tea-colored, cream-colored, up to 2 cm long. The head and stripe of the occipital part are brown. Gray warts are scattered over the body.

How to get rid of springtails in the bathroom

To destroy pests, they need to be deprived of a comfortable habitat. To do this, first of all, reduce the air humidity. Ventilate the bathroom more often; installing a heated towel rail will help in winter. It will dry the air and prevent condensation from forming on the walls. Eliminate all leaks and treat joints with sealant.

Be sure to remove all mold and clean the walls thoroughly. You can treat them with special insecticidal aerosols (Clean House, Raptor) or wash them with water and vinegar or soap.