What to do if there are white bugs and other insects in the soil of orchids, and should you worry about this?

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Kira Stoletova

Small white bugs appearing on an orchid are a common problem that almost all flower lovers face. Infection with mealybugs (often called hairy lice) without the necessary treatment leads to a gradual deterioration in growth and wilting of the plant, so it is worth starting to fight them much earlier.

Fighting white bugs on an orchid

What insects can appear in the soil?

A wide variety of insects can live in the substrate: wood lice, millipedes, spiders, ants, cockroaches, snails. The ones listed below manifest themselves most often.

Thrips

Thrips are small black creatures, sneaky and fast, almost elusive . As they move, they leave a trail behind them - silvery paths and many black dots on the leaves.

Fools

They are typical inhabitants of moist substrates. Most often, their presence is extensive in orchids that grow in moss. They are also extremely fast and nimble.

Podurs cause very significant damage to the plant, sucking out vital juices, as well as gnawing young and fresh shoots, not allowing the plant to develop and grow normally. They deteriorate the overall health of the flower.

Possible places where pests appear

The scale insect settles where there is food for it: these are succulent leaves, young flower stalks, buds. The latter, if damaged by a pest, are best cut off and disposed of.

There are spots on the leaves on the orchid - what to do?

You can create conditions for a flower when all the bugs themselves crawl out onto the leaves. To do this, they are placed in the bathroom at high temperatures (30 ° C and above) and high humidity.

On orchid leaves

Pests often settle on orchid leaves. They like juicy large leaf blades. If necessary (laying eggs, direct sunlight, excessive dry air), they urgently move into the leaf axils, under the scales of dried leaves. Therefore, when purchasing, you may not notice hidden pests.

Important ! The purchased flower must be kept in quarantine.

In the ground

For all types of mites, scale insects, wood lice and the like, soil is one of the favorite habitats. Complicating the situation is the fact that their presence can be noticed when it is too late to save the plant.

Washing the roots

What to do if white bugs appear in the soil of an orchid? You can try to save it only by transplanting it to new soil. Only first should the roots be completely freed from the soil and treated with an insecticide. Or at least hold it in a bright pink manganese solution.

Consequences for the plant of the presence of such pests

A large number of pests affect almost everything: they suck the juice out of the plant, and lay larvae in the root system, which in turn grow and use young roots and shoots of leaves as food.

Among other things, insects also affect the appearance by destroying foliage. Therefore, it is very important to know where small midges and other bugs in the soil come from and how to get rid of them.

Briefly about white bugs

Mealybug is a pest of indoor and garden plants with a length of 3 to 5 mm. Its body is covered with bristles and a white powdery coating.

Females and males of insects have differences in behavior. The former are less mobile and form a white waxy airy yarn around their body. If you lift it, you can see the body of the insect and the yellow eggs laid.

Mealybugs close up

Mealybugs that pose a danger to orchids come in several types:

• Citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri). The female is pink, yellow or brown, oval in shape, reaches 3-5 mm in length, has bristles on the sides, and the body is covered with a powdery coating. The insect secretes a sweet secretion. The lifespan of an adult female is 90 days and is capable of laying about 300 eggs. Males are flying insects, similar in size and appearance to flies, with pink or yellow body color. The lifespan of a male is 2-4 days.
• Bristle mealybug (Pseudococcus longispinus). The female is orange or red, up to 5 mm long, the body is covered with a powdery coating, and long antennae grow on it. The female produces a large amount of secretion. Males are shaped like a fly, their body color is gray, and there is also a powdery coating on it.

For your information! Male scale insects do not have any function in procreation and are safe for the orchid. These insects reproduce without fertilization, so most of their population is female.

Other white orchid pests:

• whiteflies - insects 2 mm long, have wings and fly between the leaves, lay eggs on the underside of the leaf;
• spider mites - they envelop leaves and stems with white cobwebs;
• bulb mite - affects only the roots or the exotic point, promotes the development of fungus;
• Podura - settles only in the substrate;
• springtails - outwardly resemble lice, have a light or dark gray color, and can form in a substrate that contains moss.

Whiteflies

Important! Before selecting treatment, it is important to determine the type of pest.

Why might they appear in the ground?

To a large extent, pests reach the plant through the soil. After all, one way or another, the soil contains quite a lot of different organisms that initially live there because of the comfortable environment for reproduction and existence.

Therefore, when purchasing soil for a plant, you must be prepared for the fact that you will have to deal with pests located there. Moisture also actively helps bugs and midges to reproduce, so you should not overwater the plant, because this can only provoke pests even more.

Causes and signs of infection

Parasites can appear on an orchid due to the following violations in care:

• low indoor air temperature;
• excess moisture in the air;
• increased substrate humidity;
• unharvested plant debris (flaccid stems, dry leaves, fallen buds);
• excess mineral fertilizers.

Another reason for orchid damage is the use of contaminated soil that has not been disinfected. Neighborhood with a recently purchased plant that has not undergone quarantine also increases the chances of infection by a small pest.

The bugs are quite unpretentious and feel comfortable on all types of orchids - Phalaenopsis, Vanda, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Aganisia, etc. Plants affected by bugs are distinguished by their painful appearance:

• deformation and death of leaves;
• yellowing of foliage and trunk;
• growth arrest;
• the presence of small white lumps on the surface of stems and leaves.

The risk zone includes weakened flowers, especially in winter. This is facilitated by disruption of metabolic processes, reduced daylight hours, and dry air due to the use of batteries.

Danger of defeat

The harmfulness of these beetles is extensive and covers the following types of dangers:

1. Feeding of parasites on plant juices causes a deficiency of nutrients in the flower itself, which leads to the cessation of natural growth and development.
2. Production of a special sticky nectar (honeydew), which remains on the trunk and leaves of the plant. The sweet substance attracts many types of insect pests and serves as a catalyst for the development of mold, which causes oxygen starvation of the flower.
3. Bugs can settle not only on visible parts of the plant, but also in the roots (most often this happens when contaminated soil is added to a pot). In such conditions, insects can only be detected after a long time, when the orchid has suffered significant damage and fighting the damage will be problematic. The roots in the ground will continue to rot, and the pest population will spread to the entire flower and all nearby plants.

What should you avoid in insect control?

If you notice that the condition of your plant has worsened, then do not panic and take on all methods at once. Clearly identify the problem based on symptoms and approach treatment wisely . Timely intervention will definitely help save the life of your flower. You should not overuse various types of chemicals, because an orchid is a delicate flower.

There is no need to experiment with different methods of struggle; if one specific remedy is chosen, then it should be used to the end.

Preventative measures to prevent parasites from getting infested

First of all, you need to buy a healthy plant. Even if there is the slightest doubt, they choose another copy. In order for the orchid to be attacked by pests as little as possible, preventive measures should be taken regularly:

• provide the plant with sufficient diffuse lighting for 12 hours;
• maintain favorable temperature conditions during the day – 22–27 °C, at night – 15–20 °C;
• observe the frequency of watering, avoiding excessive drying out and waterlogging of the soil;
• water with clean, settled water at room temperature;
• regularly spray the orchid in the morning;
• timely feeding with complex fertilizers.

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What to do if pests are found in the soil?

• 
  Insecticide.

• Laundry soap for soap solutions (insecticidal safe).
• If the damage was very strong, add spraying to the alcohol and soap treatment with a special solution - chemicals purchased at a flower shop for pest control, for example: Aktara, Aktellik, Fozalon, Fitoverm.
• Agravertine is a weak-acting drug (5 ml per 1 liter of water, often requires re-treatment).
• BI 58 is a strong preparation with universal action (30 ml per liter of water, a single treatment is enough).

How to get rid of parasites?

If there is any suspicion of the presence of insects on phalaenopsis or in the substrate, the following steps must be taken:

1. The orchid is placed away from other flowers, moving it to another room.
2. Flowers that were near the infected phalaenopsis are quarantined for several days. At this time, you should carefully monitor their condition.
3. The orchid is carefully inspected and any pests found are removed. Damaged areas of greenery are cut off, sprinkling the sections with crushed coal or antiseptic.
4. The flower pot is immersed in water for a few minutes. This way you can get rid of insects that float to the surface of the water.
5. The plant is thoroughly wiped with a sponge generously soaked in soapy water. For varieties with dense leaves, you can use alcohol, but be careful not to burn the greens during the procedure.
6. Change the top layer or the entire substrate. Sometimes you need to change the pot too.

Reference! If pests were detected at the first stage of settlement, then these procedures will be sufficient.

Methods of control and treatment

If a massive colony of pests with larvae is detected, the above procedures will not help. In such a situation, more drastic methods of controlling parasites will be required. These include:

• chemical treatment;
• treatment with folk remedies;
• use of biological drugs.

Step-by-step instructions on how to fight

With midges

The pest control process involves:

1. If insects are found, immediately treat the orchid and the substrate, first rinse under running water, then, based on the species that has colonized the area, disinfect it if necessary.
2. It is also necessary to spray the substrate and the lower part of the plant with phytoverm according to the instructions twice with an interval of 7-10 days.
3. Repeat the procedure twice after 7-8 days to be sure of the precise destruction of small midges and a favorable soil structure for the plant.

With white bugs

• Garlic solution helps very well in pest control. To do this, chop two heads of garlic and add a liter of water, place in a cool, dark place to infuse for about 5-7 days. Afterwards, strain the resulting infusion by half with water and spray the plant.
• To get rid of voracious bugs that harm the plant, changing the climate to one unfavorable for them usually helps.
• In greenhouses, humidity is reduced, because it is moist soil that is extremely favorite for all pests to reproduce.

• 
  If this is not enough, then more effective methods are used using mechanical traps.

• Most often, the most effective method is to use bait.
  You should put bait (a piece of cucumber, for example) on the surface of the substrate and then watch for a certain period of time, waiting to see if someone will come to eat it. Some people put a regular saucer filled with beer (beer trap), preferably a dark one. The aroma attracts some species of inhabitants, allowing them to be caught. This procedure allows you to manually catch large pests such as snails or spiders. It is worth repeating the harvest until the harmful guests completely disappear, and also periodically check their presence in this way.

The main thing is not to forget about the bait, not to leave it for too long, so that it does not mold or rot, causing other diseases of the delicate flower to occur.

Types of mealybugs living on orchids

Mealybugs (false beetles, felt bugs, “hairy lice”) are a large family of hemipteran insects that are absolutely unrelated to worms. Many ignorant gardeners mistakenly confuse them with scale insects, although they are completely different.

The insect has a large oblong body (about 3-7 mm long), white or beige, which is covered with a waxy coating reminiscent of flour. On the sides it is evenly surrounded by bristles of several millimeters, and at the back it has two pairs of more elongated hairs.

Several hundred species of scale insects are known, but only three of them are dangerous for orchids:

• bristly - females are slightly red in color, dusted with “flour”. Males are like flies and fly;
• citrus - females are slightly pink in color with a light bloom. They leave honeydew (a sticky sweet secretion) on the orchid. Males are brown and capable of flight;
• seaside - females are gray-pink, males have wings.

Important: the pest most often affects the roots of plants, and also secretes a specific waxy secretion, which promotes the development of fungal diseases and prevents it from being destroyed by chemicals.

Prevention

To avoid new infections of the soil cover by various pests and maintain the health of the entire plant, you should monitor the condition of the plant. It is necessary to carry out preventive actions :

1. Standing near plants with a solution of Itoverm or Actellik.
2. It is extremely important to keep the inside and outside clean, so it is necessary to wash the substrate and wipe the leaves to prevent the bugs from finding a favorable place to live.
3. The place where the orchid stands must always be kept clean, then the plant will never be infected with podura or other insects that are harmful to home flowers.

If you become the happy owner of an orchid, do not forget that your new family member may also get sick, which will negatively affect both the other inhabitants and you, because you will not get the same amount of aesthetics that you were hoping for if your flower is exposed to pests, therefore, be attentive and caring so that the color of your plant pleases you for as long as possible .

We recommend that you look at our other materials on what to do and how to get rid of orchid pests such as mealybugs, scale insects, mites, including spider mites.

Symptoms of pest damage

This pest is difficult to confuse with anyone else. There are several signs of the appearance of an uninvited “resident” when it is difficult to detect:

1. sticky leaves and white coating on the orchid;
2. motionless white tubercles (clutches in which females hide);
3. sticky drops on stems and leaves;
4. mold or the beginning of rotting of the plant;
5. changed size and color of its various parts;
6. “marbled” leaves interspersed with pink and yellow.

Fighting methods

At the early stage of infection, it is not difficult to cope with the pest; it is enough to use folk or mechanical means available at any time, even to a novice gardener.

Severely damaged orchids can only be saved by chemical treatment; a dying plant simply does not have the time or energy for the rest.

Mechanical

In this way, single insects are removed from the orchid. It involves removing insects and their eggs manually.

At the very beginning of infection, there is still a chance to clean the entire plant with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or soapy water.

Be sure to remove and destroy the most heavily infected parts of the plant. The leaves are cut in half along their entire length, then removed from the growing point.

To destroy a male, unlike a female that can fly, it is enough to attach adhesive tape next to the affected plant.

Carry out a thorough wet cleaning of the area where the pot with the infected orchid is located.

People's

The method is suitable, but not at the last stage of infection. Spraying is carried out with home-prepared solutions every 3-4 days.

Effective infusions:

• from cyclamen tubers (pieces of tubers are boiled and kept for 24 hours);
• from chopped garlic (a head of garlic per 0.5 liters of water);
• from tobacco crumbs (100g of tobacco pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for at least 5 hours).

A thick soap solution (tar soap) also has a detrimental effect on the pest.

All this is accessible even to a novice gardener, but you should not hope to destroy parasites in one spraying.

Attention! It is convenient to apply the prepared solutions to damaged areas with a soft brush.

It may be necessary to carry out several or complex treatments.

Chemical

Spraying with systemic insecticides has a positive effect, but they try to use them only as a last resort. If the situation with a pest has reached a critical limit, there is no question about the rationality of using chemical protection agents. It is urgent to save the tropical beauty.

The difficulty lies in the fact that white bugs of different ages and at different stages of development can be present on an orchid at the same time. In this regard, processing is carried out in several stages.

To completely destroy the population, it is necessary to get rid of each wave of hatched scale insects. You will need at least 3–4 treatments every 3 weeks.

Oil preparations are applied to areas affected by white bugs (oil impedes the process of photosynthesis).

After treatment, plants should absolutely not be placed in direct sunlight. There is a possibility of burning the treated areas.

The use of chemical control agents is carried out in compliance with safety rules and strictly according to the instructions.

Types of white parasites

More than ten species of white bugs are known in nature. The most common of them are the bristly mealybug and the citrus bug.

Outwardly, they resemble fluffy balls no larger than 3 mm in size. Parasites are located under fresh young leaves, since their skin is much thinner than that of dense adult leaves. In addition, the bugs live on the roots of the flower and at the point of its growth. Pests inject poison, which subsequently causes rotting of the roots, as well as the death of the entire plant.

Interesting! The bugs leave a sticky syrup on the leaves of the flower, which helps attract various insects that pollinate the flower.

Mealybug - hairy bug

This type of bug leaves a sticky mark on the plant, by which you can easily determine where it is. The hairy insect is characterized by the following signs and features:

• oval body up to 3 mm long;
• color – pink, red with a fluffy coating;
• forms colonies on the root system, pseudobulbs, at the growing point;
• It has a mouthparts that allows it to pierce leaves.

Peculiarity! The light weight of the bug allows it to be carried by air currents. The furry coating on the body protects from sunlight and exposure to chemicals.

Spider mites - small bugs with webs on the leaves

This type of white beetle can be recognized by the white web with which it envelops the leaves, flowers and stem. Quite often this leads to slow growth of the flower and even its death.

The most common reasons for the appearance of insects are:

• lack of humidity;
• high air temperature;
• rare watering.

Spider mites are dangerous because it is almost impossible to notice when they appear. Therefore, there is a high probability of purchasing an already infected copy. To prevent the appearance of bugs, it is necessary to regularly inspect the plant for the presence of cobwebs.

Poduras are large beetles with a jumping fork.

Podurs (springtails) are pests that choose to live in a moist substrate, which is dominated by sphagnum. As a rule, they can be noticed immediately after watering.

They are distinguished from other types of bugs by the following characteristics:

• jumping ability (similar to fleas);
• movement - only on the ground;
• gray-white, less often gray-brown color.

It is almost impossible to catch podura, so they pose a threat to the root system and young roots of the orchid. The sooner you can protect a flower from harmful bugs, the higher the likelihood that it will not die.

Chemicals

What to do if white fluffy or shaggy bugs appear on an orchid?

You can use a systemic insecticide; it must be placed in the soil so that it is absorbed by the orchid. This way it will spread throughout the entire plant system.

Insects that feed on treated plants are poisoned when they suck the plant sap. A systemic insecticide helps control other sucking insects.

Many new products are based on the active ingredient imidacloprid, which is less toxic to people and pets than older insecticides.

Read the label carefully and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.

Why is the pest dangerous?

Orchids affected by mealybugs begin to lag significantly in growth and take on an unhealthy appearance. The insect actively feeds on plant juices.

Attention! One female lays up to 400 eggs without fertilization.

The settler colony quickly expands, reducing the orchid's chances of survival.

The damaged areas become covered with sticky spots, which become the cause of the development of fungal, bacterial and even viral diseases.

Photosynthesis is weakened, the leaves on a damaged orchid turn yellow, lose their elasticity and dry out.

Plant growth slows down, the buds become deformed and fall off.

The white waxy secretion secreted by the mealybug reduces the decorative value of the affected orchids. The flower is no longer suitable for either gift or sale.