Fighting spider mites on roses with chemicals and folk remedies

09.10.2019

Experienced gardeners and gardeners often encounter an invasion of various pests that destroy plantings and spoil the harvest. Spider mites are a frequent visitor to our gardens and orchards. It attacks a variety of types of plantings - fruit trees and bushes, ornamental crops. The parasite's favorite treat is roses. Not all gardeners pay due attention to this problem when cobwebs appear on rose bushes. But the mite is capable of destroying a large number of pink plantings.

• What is a tick
• Signs of plant damage
• Fighting spider mites on roses
• Prevention measures

Description of the pest

This parasite is a harmful insect with a transparent oval-shaped body. Its length is no more than 1 mm, but on average this figure is 2 times less. In the larval stage, it is distinguished by a light green color and belongs to the Arachnida class. It is extremely difficult to detect it only with the help of a magnifying glass.

Adult individuals are already distinguished by a bright red color. Since the pest is omnivorous, absolutely all ornamental crops fall into the attack group. It can quite normally be in warm conditions with high levels of humidity; it is not afraid of low temperatures. As a result of the active life of the insect, the rose becomes depleted and dies due to loss of nutrients.

Viral and fungal diseases that cause mini roses to turn yellow and wither

The following pathologies can lead to yellowing of leaves:

• rust. With this pathology, leaves fall off and yellow or red spots form. Fungicides will help cope with the problem;
• powdery mildew. When the disease develops, all parts of the plant should be treated with a fungicide;
• black spot. When this infection occurs, yellowing of the leaves and the formation of dark spots on them are observed. A diseased plant does not tolerate winter well and has difficulty growing. Any systemic fungicide will help cope with the pathology.

Leaves often suffer from the development of black spot

Reasons for appearance

Among the factors contributing to the appearance of a dangerous insect on a home rose, experienced gardeners identify:

• Dry and warm air in the room. This climate is a favorable environment for the parasite to reproduce.
• Serious mistakes in flower care. If you do not provide your green pet with sufficient moisture during the active growing season, then it becomes very vulnerable and can easily be affected by harmful insects and diseases.
• Using contaminated soil when planting. If ordinary garden soil is used to fill the pot, which is not disinfected at home, then you can easily bring in uninvited guests with it.

The pest often enters an apartment through an open window, pet hair, or donated flowers purchased at a specialized retail outlet.

Inspection for the presence of a parasite

Of course, the faster the parasites are detected, the faster the plant will recover. But you won’t be able to see them with the naked eye. Therefore, if in doubt, and the flower does not look good, do not be lazy and examine the lower parts of the leaves with a magnifying glass.

A piece of paper can also indicate the presence of parasites:

1. First you need to spread a blank sheet of paper on the table.
2. Then hang a potted rose over it.

Fallen arthropods will immediately indicate their presence.

Signs of an affected plant

It is possible to identify a plant that is infected by the following signs:

• the appearance of small black dots on the leaf blades (traces from the proboscis of the larvae);
• change in natural color to yellow;
• leaves rolled into a tube;
• slow growth and development of the bush;
• numerous webs;
• massive loss of leaves;
• reduction in the size of buds;
• affected by fungal diseases;
• painful condition.

Consequences of infection

If you don’t know how to get rid of spider mites on roses, then there is a high probability of losing the flower. Treatment should begin at the first sign of detection of the parasite. Among the consequences that will appear in the absence of spraying with chemicals or folk remedies are:

• Destruction of cells leading to deterioration of the process of photosynthesis. The result is a weakening of the flower.
• Loss of decorativeness. Green leaves quickly turn yellow, dry out, and the buds become smaller.
• The appearance of gray rot or other fungal disease. The pest is a common cause of the development of this disease. Since the insect feeds on the cell sap of the plant, its immunity decreases and the degree of susceptibility to parasitic individuals increases.

The sooner you start treating a rose affected by spider mites, the greater the chance of helping it recover quickly.

Prevention

In order to avoid damage to indoor roses by spider mites, it is necessary to provide the plant with proper care.

Since the mite actively reproduces in low humidity conditions, it is necessary to ensure high-quality moisture of all surface parts of the plant.

It is recommended to periodically spray the rose with water at room temperature from a spray bottle. At the same time, you need to make sure that drops of water do not linger for a long time on the leaves and petals of the plant, this can start the process of decay.

It is necessary to promptly remove dried leaves and faded buds from the plant, since the mite can actively develop in them, gradually infecting the entire plant.

Chemicals to combat spider mites

In an advanced stage, when the number of parasite colonies is large, roses cannot be saved without highly effective remedies against spider mites. To ensure that the parasite is removed from the bushes, the following agrochemicals must be used for leaf spraying:

• Actellik. This enteric-contact drug is capable of destroying insects at any stage of its development; it effectively fights eggs, larvae and adults. It is necessary to treat affected roses 2 times with an interval of 7 days. You need to spray flowers not indoors, but outdoors, since the drug is toxic. Prepare a working fluid at the rate of 2 ml of product per 1 liter of water. Spraying is carried out especially carefully on the underside of the leaves.
• Apollo. The drug kills the pest at the egg, larvae and nymph stages, and sterilizes mature individuals, preventing them from reproducing. Thanks to the active ingredient – ​​clofentezine, indoor crops are reliably protected from insects for 2-3 months. The number of treatments is 2 times. Dilute the product using one ampoule per 5 liters of water.
• Floromite. The action of the drug is based on the performance characteristics of its active component - biphenazate. It suppresses the vital activity of the pest in its active phase, the effectiveness of the working solution begins to appear within 2 hours after use. The full result is achieved after 3-4 days and lasts for 3 weeks. Sick roses are treated twice, with an interval of 7 days, using a solution of 2 ml of the drug and 5 liters of water.
• Fitoverm. An insectoacaricide of biological origin refers to drugs with enteric contact action. It is allowed to be used indoors and in closed spaces. Roses are sprayed 3-4 times with an interval of 7 days. Prepare a solution at the rate of 2.5 ml per 1.25 liters of water.

You should not use broad-spectrum products too often, otherwise, instead of benefiting, the rose will suffer even more harm. Due to the high concentration of nitrogen on the surface of the plates, which appears during repeated treatments, the conditions for existence and reproduction only improve for the harmful insect.

Folk remedies

Most existing folk methods are also very effective, although their cost is not as high as that of professional drugs. They perform best if the mite has not yet had time to multiply significantly, in other words, at an early stage of damage to the plant.

Also, traditional methods will be very useful if the rose is still too young, accordingly, its shoots are quite delicate and sensitive to chemicals.

Folk remedies against spider mites:

1. 
   Lovers of indoor plants recommend using ordinary tar or laundry soap.

   In extreme cases, you can use dishwashing liquid. Dilute a weak soap solution, moisten a soft cloth in it and gently wipe the leaves. It is desirable that the solution contains as much foam as possible. Wash it off a few hours after application, then immediately cover the plant with a plastic bag. Too much humidity will be created underneath, which will be detrimental to ticks. Within 24 hours they would all die. In addition, you can treat the soil in the pot with a soap solution. Here you will have to be as careful as possible: you should try to prevent the solution from getting on the roots of the plant.
2. You can use garlic: to do this, you need to take a medium head, peel it and grind it into porridge. Then put it in a jar and pour 500 ml of boiling water, close the lid tightly and place it in a place hidden from sunlight for about five days. The infusion should be carefully filtered, mixed with water in equal proportions and sprayed on the affected plants.
3. Onions are also quite effective in controlling ticks. To prepare the solution, you need to collect one hundred grams of husk, which is poured with five liters of hot water, after which it is infused for five days. After this, they need to be strained, and the infusion should be sprayed on the affected areas. This product will be very effective against a small number of pests, however, even with severe lesions it can give a very acceptable result, and it can also be successfully combined with various additional chemicals.

Additional measures to combat ticks

The success of manipulations against the pest depends on the stage of infection and its number. First of all, you need to inspect the flower to identify the insect. If it is detected, rinse the bush with warm water and wipe the leaves with a weakly concentrated alcohol solution.

When the plant dries out from water treatments, it should be sprayed with an appropriate chemical or folk remedy. The window sill and all objects next to the pot also need to be treated. After a week, it is necessary to reuse the working solution and add fertilizer with potassium to increase the plant’s defenses.

Preventive actions

In order not to treat roses from uninvited guests, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• carry out regular ventilation of the lower leaf plates;
• a new purchase from the store should be quarantined in another room for several days;
• comfortable conditions for the flower should be maintained in the room;
• do not place roses near orchids;
• fallen leaves must be removed in a timely manner;
• Wash window sills regularly with soapy water.

Indoor plants can fill the air with oxygen, create a pleasant atmosphere in the room, and add zest to the interior, but they are in great need of proper care. If there are serious errors, then flower crops begin to get sick, wither, and may die. To help an affected rose, you need to know how to treat it against spider mites. There are many ways to combat it: both chemical and folk. The main thing is to follow the instructions for use, carry out treatments at the first sign of an insect appearing in the house, and do not forget about prevention.

The nature of yellowing of leaves in an indoor rose

Yellowing of leaves varies depending on the provoking factor. The leaves of the flower turn completely yellow due to a lack of iron. Partial color change is due to a deficiency of manganese or magnesium. With nitrogen deficiency, the spots become black and have yellow spots.

With proper care, indoor roses look very attractive

Note! Before starting treatment, the culture must be carefully examined. This will help to understand the nature of the disease or establish the reasons for the violation of the color of the leaves.