Many flower lovers make a common mistake - they do not give the plants enough attention and do not carry out preventive measures against diseases and insects. Pests of indoor plants are very common, despite the fact that the flowers are indoors. With improper care and violation of the watering or lighting schedule, insects may appear on the plants, which, without treatment, will quickly destroy the flowers.
A description of the main pests of indoor plants with photos and control methods can be found in this article.
Why are pests of indoor plants dangerous?
The easiest way to fight insects is with the help of special preparations. Most of them are contact, that is, they destroy the insect when a certain product comes into direct contact with it.
Systemic remedies are considered more effective. When watering and spraying, they get inside the crop and make the juice poisonous, and any living creature that eats the leaves dies.
It is important that the treatment must be carried out several times in order to destroy not only adults, but also their larvae and eggs. Below is a description of the most common types of such insects and methods of combating them.
Spider mite
Spider mites are one of the most dangerous insects, since it is difficult to notice damage to a crop at an early stage, and in the future it is almost impossible to completely get rid of it.
In temperate climates, spider mites can easily appear on flowers simply by flying in with the air flow through an open vent or window.
Symptoms
As mentioned above, it is difficult to determine a spider mite infestation, but if you know the main symptoms, it can be detected in the early stages.
The characteristic signs of spider mite infestation are:(picture 1):
- The leaves appear variegated in color, and their surface itself looks dusty. This means that the leaves are already affected by flares and are covered with their waste products.
- At a later stage, the leaves begin to gradually turn yellow and fall off.
- A web can be seen between the trunk and leaves.
Figure 1. Flowers affected by spider mites It is important to start treatment at an early stage, since only in this case there is a chance to save the cultures. Otherwise, the flower may die completely.
Treatment
To eliminate spider mites, you need to use special acaricide preparations, the action of which is aimed specifically at this group of insects. The best products in this group are Vermitek, Fitoverm, Apollo and Neoron. These drugs can be used for any type.
Note: There is also a more powerful drug, Actellik, but its effect is so strong that it not only destroys mites, but can also cause the death of the crop. It has a particularly detrimental effect on the growth of orchids.
In some cases, for prevention, the leaves are periodically washed with warm water and dog shampoo, to which acaricides are also added. But such a remedy is not beneficial, and it is better to simply clean the leaves with warm water, and if insects are detected, use special preparations.
Shields
It is not difficult to recognize the scale insect: on the leaves and stems it looks like a tubercle or compaction. The insect attaches itself to the plant, making its stems and leaves sticky (Figure 2).
Scale insects feed on sap, causing the flowers to gradually weaken. As a rule, the presence of insects is determined before the crop dies, and therapeutic measures are taken in time.
You will find more information about this type of insect and how to combat it in the video.
Ways to fight
To combat scale insects, systemic insecticides Confidor, Aktara and Mospilan are used. These products are effective against all insects except ticks. To get the desired effect, you need not only to spray the leaves, but also to water the soil with the prepared solution so that the drug is absorbed by the roots.
Figure 2. Damage to flowers by scale insects If the infestation is minor, you can also eliminate scale insects manually: collecting insects and wiping the stems with a damp, clean cloth. After this, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying with Karate or Actellik, and all new specimens must be quarantined.
It is very easy to identify the lesion by the characteristic white formations, similar to cotton wool or clumps of white cobwebs. Most often it affects cacti, spreading through their root system (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Mealybug Symptoms For control, the drugs Confidor and Aktara are used, using the solution not only for spraying, but also for watering the soil.
Outwardly, they look like small midges that constantly hover around flowers, although the larvae are located and develop in the soil (Figure 4).
Note: This pest can tell you whether you are caring for flowerpots correctly, because fungus gnats only appear on flowers with excessive watering.
Figure 4. Fungus gnats To combat, first of all, the watering regime is normalized, and the flowers are sprayed with systemic insecticides: Confidor, Aktara and Regent. A single spray is sufficient to kill the insect.
Thrips are also considered common pests, and everyone has probably seen them. When you bend down to smell any wildflower, especially a dandelion, you may notice small black midges inside. These are thrips, which in the summer can enter an apartment through open windows and settle on flowers (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Symptoms of thrips infestation Thrips eat leaves, leaving characteristic black spots on them. For control, it is better to use systemic insecticides (Aktaroy or Vermitek), since contact ones are not sufficiently effective.
Small insects that settle in entire colonies on crops in open ground and in city apartment conditions. The aphid sticks to the stems and drinks juice from them (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Aphids on plant leaves Since insects reproduce very quickly, they are capable of destroying all plants in a short time. Therefore, when the first signs of damage are detected, the flower must be treated with the systemic insecticide Aktara or contact Decis and Karate.
Other houseplant pests
The most common pests of indoor plants were described above, but there are other insects that can cause significant damage to flowers.
Pests of indoor crops also include(Figure 7):
- Whitefly: a small white midge that settles in colonies on the lower part of the leaves;
- Mining fly lays larvae on the leaves, and young individuals gnaw holes in the leaves and stems;
- Caterpillars rarely attack domestic flowers, but if they are found, it will not be difficult to get rid of them by collecting the caterpillars by hand or treating them with any insecticide;
- Snails They gnaw on roots, getting into the house along with forest or garden soil. To get rid of them, you need to spread pieces of apples on the ground and collect the snails by hand;
- Centipedes- long insects with many limbs. Insects gnaw on the roots, and to combat them they use diazonin preparations, which are injected directly into the soil.
- Fools appear with excessive watering and are found mainly on the ground. They do not pose a danger to flowers, but they spoil its aesthetic appearance.
Figure 7. Common pests of indoor flowers: 1 - whitefly, 2 - leafminer, 3 - caterpillars, 4 - snails, 5 - centipedes, 6 - podars To combat most of these insects, except snails, systemic insecticides are used.
Methods for controlling whiteflies, as an example of a pest of indoor plants, are given in the video.
Preparations against pests
For quick and, most importantly, effective destruction of pests, contact or systemic insecticides are used. If you don’t know which drug is best to choose, we will give some features of such drugs.
Many gardeners avoid chemicals, considering them too toxic. In fact, such drugs are dangerous only for insects, but not for humans. The toxicity of any drug is displayed in the LD50 indicator, which shows how much of a substance you need to drink, eat or inhale before there is a risk of death (50% chance).
Figure 8. Popular drugs against insect pests of indoor plants In most cases, all such drugs are not particularly toxic to humans. They contain special substances that are dangerous to insects, but harmless to humans, and the lethal dose is several tens or hundreds of grams.
Also, do not trust the unpleasant pungent odor. Modern insecticides most often have no odor at all, and at the same time they are quite effective in controlling pests.
When choosing a drug for pest control, it is better to alternate groups of products, using, for example, pyrethroid, organophosphorus and neonicotinoid drugs in turn, so that insects do not develop immunity (Figure 8).
All living beings are susceptible to diseases and attacks from enemies, and indoor plants are no exception. Not only improper care and unfavorable conditions contribute to the withering of plantings. There are also pests of indoor plants that pose a serious threat to your “green friends.” This article will tell you about the most common types of such insects.
Many flower lovers are familiar with tiny white moths, whose body length is no more than 2 mm. A distinctive feature of the pest is a yellowish body and two pairs of pollinated wings:
Thanks to the sucking mouthparts of the plant's sap, as a result it gradually withers and may even die.
On a note!
Greenhouse dwellers prefer hibiscus, pelargonium or begonia. It is enough for just one individual to appear, so that after a while the houseplant is attacked by an entire population of whiteflies. Therefore, when detected.
Aphids
In nature, there are both wingless and winged individuals. They can enter the house through a window, along with purchased plants, or even in a bouquet of flowers brought.
Hairy aphids
Mealybugs, or hairy aphids as they are also called, are considered one of the most dangerous pests. These white worms live on the stems and the back of the leaves where the veins pass. Their presence is indicated by a cobweb-like white coating, as well as the sticky liquid they secrete.
Female pests are highly fertile. They lay eggs in secretions that resemble balls of cotton wool. After a while, mobile larvae appear from them, which very quickly spread throughout the plant. Therefore, having discovered traces of the presence of mealybugs, it is necessary to urgently get rid of them.
Root scale insects
Root bugs also pose a threat to the root system of plants. Pests live in the ground or on the lower part of the stems, which is why a whitish coating appears on them. Not very active females are much larger than males (reach up to 2.5 mm). They have a cylindrical body covered with a waxy coating. Females lay clutches of eggs in special chambers created from their own mold-like secretions.
The males bear a close resemblance to the whitefly. They stop feeding as adults, and therefore die rather quickly. That is why entire generations of insects are female.
On a note!
The presence of insects inhibits the growth of flowers, the leaves begin to fade and wrinkle. Infected plants are also susceptible to fungal diseases.
Shields
A serious danger to the plant is the false scale insect, the distinctive feature of which is the absence of a waxy shell. Female insects are larger in size (up to 5 mm); unlike males, they do not have legs and wings. The body of females is covered with a convex shield, which can be either elongated or round in shape.
Sucking pests settle on the stem or along the veins on the back of the leaf. There is also a hemispherical false shield, distinguished by its large dimensions and volume. Ferns, asparagus and myrtles especially suffer from it. Below is a photo of pests of indoor plants. 
Podura white
- have an elongated body covered with sparse hairs;
- 3 pairs of legs;
- long mustache;
- prefer moist soil, compost and humus.
Soil pests feed on plant residues and will not refuse the living root system. This slows down the growth of the plant and can lead to its death.
Spider mites
Spider mites are one of the most common and dangerous pests of indoor plants, which many gardeners have had to deal with. The small, barely noticeable insect is difficult to see without a magnifying glass. Lives on the underside of leaf blades. It multiplies quickly under favorable conditions, namely when there is dry and warm air in the room.
Evidence that the plant is affected by mites is:
- light spots formed after pricking leaf blades and sucking juices from them;
- the presence of the finest cobwebs covering the surface of the leaves, which is why they acquire a silver-gray color and fall off over time.
Chinese roses, geraniums and palm trees are especially affected.
Thrips
Thrips are small insects, no more than 1.5 mm in length, that are black or dark brown in color. The lower part of the body is reddish-yellow. Pests of indoor plants live on the back side of leaves. They lay eggs in microscopic holes made in leaves and flower buds.
On a note!
The presence of thrips on a houseplant is signaled by a silvery pattern that insects leave on the leaves.
Fungus gnats (sciarids)
Often around indoor flowers you can see small (up to 0.5 cm) flies, which are called fungus gnats. Sexually mature ones infect flowers and carry the larvae of other pests. In addition, they lay eggs in the roots of plants, from which after a while larvae emerge - dangerous pests of indoor plants in the soil. Whitish worms damage the root system of the crop, causing its death.
How to get rid
Many amateur gardeners are puzzled by the question of how to deal with pests of indoor plants. This problem can be solved in various ways:
The simplest and most affordable way to control pests of indoor plants at home. Damaged leaves should be cut off with a disinfected tool, and the cut areas must be treated with activated carbon. Pests visible to the human eye, such as scale insects or scale insects, can be selected manually.
On a note!
A contrast shower, spraying with water, or wiping the pest-infested surface with a cotton pad will also help rid your green friend of the insects that live on its stems and leaves.
The use of folk recipes
During plant diseases caused by harmful insects, many gardeners use time-tested folk remedies. Decoctions of chamomile, nettle, yarrow, dandelion or marigold are completely harmless to both human health and the plant itself. Garlic and onions have a similar effect. It is enough to water and spray the plant with the decoction so that the pests leave it.
On a note!
The liquid composition will not quickly drain into the ground if laundry soap is added to it.
Biological method
This method of control involves the use of biological agents, which are based on plant components, as well as a small amount of poison. Therefore, when using these drugs, precautions must be taken:
- plants are treated with a solution prepared in accordance with the instructions;
- after which the green pet must dry;
- the room in which the treatment was carried out is thoroughly ventilated.
You can use the following medications: Agrovertin, Fitoverm or Iskra-Bio.
Chemical method
The use of chemicals based on insecticidal components will help to achieve quick results in the fight against pests of indoor plants. However, it should be borne in mind that they are very toxic and pose a danger to human health. Therefore, it is advisable to use such means only as a last resort. Moreover, the treatment in this case should be carried out in a well-ventilated area and with personal protective equipment.
When using toxic drugs, children and pets should not be in the room.
Pale leaves (chlorosis)
In plants that prefer acidic soil, such as azalea and milkweed. The leaf veins are still green.
Causes: hard water, iron deficiency.
Control measures: soften the water, add an iron supplement to the water.
Light spots on leaves
Causes: temperature changes, too cold or too warm water. Moisturizing in the sun (for example, in the Usambara violet).
Control measures: change location, optimize care, water from below.
Powdery mildew
Symptoms: a powdery coating from white to dirty brown on both sides of the leaves.
Causes: fungal spores.
As you can see in the photo, you can fight this disease of indoor plants using fungicides:
Control measures: For prevention, spray with horsetail infusion. Remove diseased leaves.
Gray mold
Symptoms: gray-brown coating on leaves, petioles or flowers.
Causes: water not suitable for spraying or cold water, air humidity too high.
Control measures: Remove diseased parts of the plant, reduce air humidity, and place in a brighter place.
Bacteria and viruses
Bacterial wet rot occurs in alpine violets and indoor callas.
Symptoms: rot at the base of the stem.
As shown in the photo, with this disease of indoor flowers, if there is no proper treatment, rot spreads throughout the entire plant:
Control measures: No.
Mosaic virus
It primarily affects orchids, gloxinia, and hippeastrum.
Symptoms: light green and dark green spots.
Control measures: No.
Kidney failure is most often caused by an imbalance of water balance. Either the plant has experienced a lack of moisture, or as a result of excessive moisture, the roots are so damaged that they cannot absorb and transport enough moisture. Some plants, such as stephanotis or camellia, shed buds even when their location changes dramatically. Premature shedding of flowers is also a consequence of changing the place of growth and is especially evident when the plant is not hardened enough. Inactive flowering may be due to genetic factors (some varieties bloom less than others) or a lack of phosphorus, violation of the dormant period, or improper wintering. Cracked pedicels are considered a consequence of irregular watering. This can lead to tension in the tissues and rupture of the shoots. Rotting flowers or buds indicate gray mold infection.
These photos show the symptoms of some diseases of indoor plants:
Pests of indoor plants: photos, causes and control measures
The most favorable time for pests of indoor flowers is considered to be the end of the heating season. Lack of light and dry air in a heated room expose plants to the risk of pest damage. During this period, spider mites and aphids appear especially often on plants. Summer and fall are whitefly season. The best prevention is care that meets the needs of plants. Choose the most suitable locations. In addition, you should devote more time to observing plants.
First of all, pay attention to the underside of the leaves. In this case, it is often possible to detect a disease or pests in the initial stages of damage. Sick plants should be isolated to avoid spreading the infection to other plants.
Spider mites
Symptoms: cobwebs under and between leaves.
Causes: air is too dry.
Control measures: increase air humidity, use a warm shower, introduce predatory mites. Also, special preparations are used to combat these pests of indoor flowers.
Soft-bodied mites
Symptoms: curled leaves, cessation of growth.
Causes: infection, which is facilitated by heat and high humidity.
Control measures: reduce temperature and humidity. Parts of indoor plants affected by this pest must be removed and destroyed.
Thrips
Symptoms: silver streaks on leaves.
Look at the photo - when indoor flowers are infected by this pest, brownish traces of the penetration of sucking insects appear on the underside of the leaves:
Causes: dry air.
Control measures: warm shower. Insect traps, predatory mites, insecticides.
Whiteflies
Symptoms: There are small white flies on the underside of the leaves.
Causes: infection from other plants.
Control measures: lower the temperature, since the tropical insect does not tolerate cool weather. Traps, riders and insecticides are also used to control this pest of indoor plants.
Symptoms: sticky leaves, leaf deformation.
Causes: draft, open windows in spring, too dry air.
Control measures: warm shower, golden-eyes, predatory gall midges, ichneumon wasps, insecticides.
Shields
Symptoms: brown shields under which insects sit.
Pay attention to the photo - indoor plants affected by these pests shed their leaves:
Causes: too dry and warm air.
Pest control measures: Place indoor plants in a cooler and brighter place. Remove the shields. To get rid of these indoor plant pests as quickly as possible, you need to use insecticides. For tough-leaved indoor crops, use white mineral oil or a leaf shine spray.
Felt bugs and mealybugs
Symptoms: cotton wool-like formations, primarily in the axils and on the undersides of leaves. Poor growth.
Causes: air is too dry.
Control measures with these insect pests of indoor plants are the same as when fighting scale insects.
Nematodes
Symptoms: glassy or brown spots limited to leaf veins. Dropping leaves.
Causes: an infection promoted by moisture on the leaves.
Control measures: Remove and destroy diseased leaves. Keep leaves dry.
Here you can see photos of the main diseases and pests of indoor plants:
Changes that occur in plant leaves indicate the presence of pests, diseases, or care errors. A healthy leaf is strong, with flawless edges and tips. Pay attention to the metamorphoses and take action. Leaves are the vital nerve of the plant and at the same time the best indicator of the presence of pests and diseases.
Sometimes buds and flowers are also damaged. The main causes of such damage should be known. Pale colors of flowers indicate excess sunlight. Deformed or torn flowers indicate the presence of pests, such as aphids.
How to get rid of pests of indoor plants: methods of protecting flowers
There are several ways to deal with pests of indoor plants. Some of the most effective are mechanical protection, biotechnical methods and the use of chemicals.
How to get rid of pests on indoor plants using mechanical protection:
- Remove affected parts of the plant.
- Carry out pest removal, including washing them off in the shower.
- Immerse the above-ground parts of the affected plant in warm water with a small amount of detergent. The pot must first be placed in a plastic bag and tied at the top.
Biological control methods involve the use of beneficial insects, for example:
- Riders against whiteflies,
- Predatory mites against spider mites and fringed mites,
- Predatory gall midges, goldeneyes or parasites against aphids.
Beneficial insects are the most effective treatment when a large number of plants are affected and the air is not too warm and dry. The ideal temperature is considered to be about 20 °C, but at 27 °C and above, success is questionable.
Biotechnical control methods use natural responses of pests to physical or chemical irritations:
- Yellow plates are insect traps coated with glue that attract leafminers, whiteflies, sciarids and other flying pests with their bright color.
- In a “plant bath”, spider mites are destroyed due to the very high air humidity. To do this, water the plant well and place it in a transparent plastic bag. Be careful, rot! Plants with soft leaves do not tolerate this treatment.
- Oily products, such as white oil, clog the insects' airways. Leaf shine sprays work in a similar way.
Don't jump straight into pesticides. In many cases, the same effect can be achieved using completely harmless means.
Chemicals should only be used as a last resort. If you have to use chemicals, you must follow the following rules:
- Follow the directions for use and dosage contained on the package.
- Maintain recommended intervals between treatments to eliminate new generations of pests.
- Do not use sprays that are harmful to the environment.
- Treat plants only outdoors.
- Wear gloves and do not inhale spray products.
- Store plant protection products in closed original packaging out of the reach of children and pets.
- Do not store leftover chemicals; their effectiveness is quickly lost. Do not throw chemicals away with regular household waste, but take them to a special waste collection point.
These photos show how to deal with pests of indoor plants using various methods:
Prevention to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests
Improper care and mistakes when choosing a location can greatly weaken the plants. In such cases, flowers easily become victims of diseases and pests. Therefore, the best protection for indoor plants from pests and diseases is prevention and the correct choice of location.
If it was not possible to avoid the disease or pests, then quick diagnosis and targeted treatment will help.
Proper care is considered guaranteed against pests.
How to carry out preventive measures to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests:
- It is especially important to increase air humidity during the heating season. Dry air is the main cause of pests.
- Avoid plant density that is too high.
- Trim dead leaves and flowers regularly and keep pots and soil clean.
- Plant tissues can be strengthened through the correct dosage of fertilizers and using special products such as horsetail mixtures containing silicic acid or aromatic sprays.
Green potassium soap is also an indispensable helper in gardens - it has no odor and is not poisonous to people. Potassium soap should be diluted at the rate of 20 g of liquid green soap per 1 liter of water. Spray secluded places especially carefully - the tops of shoots, leaf axils, apply a foam cap on the buds. Do not rinse off the soap solution!
Nematode
The nematode comes in various types; the root one usually forms spherical growths or swellings. Stem or leaf nematodes do not form swellings, but cause severe deformation of leaves, stems, and buds. Flowers, as a rule, do not even open. Begonias, gloxinias, ficuses, and ferns suffer greatly from nematodes. Their leaves wrinkle, seem to shrink, turn brown between the veins, young ones grow immediately twisted and ugly.
Some types of nematodes also form galls on flowers; nematode damage is often accompanied by symptoms of bacterial infections.
Fungus gnats
Sciarides or fungus gnats are small annoying midges that appear in flowers and fly throughout the apartment. They do not harm themselves, they do not eat the flowers, but mosquitoes are a sure sign that the plants are systematically flooded. You need to check the soil in pots with flowers, because if you do not eliminate waterlogging, the roots of the plants may rot.
If mosquitoes manage to lay eggs in the soil, they hatch into larvae that feed on rotting organic matter and can partially damage plant roots.
Mining flies
The larvae of these flies gnaw out the core of the leaves, leaving discolored patterns of passages on them - min. They damage the leaves of trees, shrubs, including conifers, and herbaceous plants; in indoor conditions they can affect violets (Saintpaulias), succulents (euphorbia, sedum), hibiscus syngonium and other plants...
Root mites
Root and onion mites feed on the underground part of plants - they gnaw out bulbs and feed on succulent roots. They are detected at a stage when the plant has already been severely damaged - growth is inhibited, the leaves turn yellow, buds and flowers do not form, sometimes one-sided drying out of the crown occurs - in individual branches, but more often the plant has general signs of starvation - chlorosis. Often, wounds on the roots and bulbs become infected, and the plant becomes infected with fusarium.
High soil moisture promotes more rapid proliferation of root mites. Very often, affected indoor plants, especially small and tender ones, die. The best prevention is soil disinfection and quarantine of all purchased plants.
Occasional pests: woodlice, weevil, enchitraea, caterpillars
There are pests that appear quite rarely in flower pots - these are enchytraea; woodlice and earthworms can be brought in with the soil for planting plants; weevils or woodlice can get into the house from garden soil. If you have something crawling in your pot, look here, you might recognize the pest...
Many of them are not as dangerous as they seem, and sometimes not dangerous at all, for example, poduras or enchitraea can eat rotting plant roots, but in themselves do not cause the death of indoor flowers. Plants die from overwatering and putrefactive infections.
Poduras, springtails, springtails
Some small white fleas are jumping in pots with indoor plants. Gray worms swim in the tray after watering. Small brown spiders crawl around the roots. All these are soil inhabitants - springtails, springtails and podras. Harmless, in essence, inhabitants of soil rich in humus and organic matter. They come to our house with soil from the garden or store-bought soil. But as long as the soil moisture is moderate, the bugs are not visible. When the soil inside the pot does not dry out for many days, the roots of the plants begin to rot, and the duras multiply in large numbers.
Podura is a sign of poor care for indoor plants, systematic waterlogging, frequent watering, or incorrectly selected soil (too moisture-intensive, heavy, non-porous).
No one can avoid the appearance of indoor pests: neither a novice gardener nor an experienced one. Some, scale insects or aphids, attack many types of indoor plants, others are more selective and prefer certain species and in certain conditions. For example, mites rarely harm the ficus benjamina, but the scale insect eats it with pleasure.
If pests are detected, you must first get rid of them mechanically by wiping the leaves and stems with a sponge soaked in a soap solution. It is imperative to remove damaged buds, flowers, leaves and shoots; if the leaves begin to turn yellow or become stained, they will not recover. If the pest is noticed on only one plant, it is better to isolate the flower pot and watch the rest.
Try not to use insecticides unless absolutely necessary, especially toxicity class 2. All pest control chemicals are unsafe for humans and animals (birds and fish). All of them release toxic substances to one degree or another. Therefore, if it is possible to fight pests with folk remedies, i.e. herbs, onion peels, as well as biological plant protection products, then you should definitely try them first.
Currently, the issue of using pesticides (plant protection products against diseases and pests) is approached quite carefully, but so far we can see warnings on the packaging of chemicals about precautions, and they cannot be completely safe.
Folk remedies for pests of indoor plants
- Yarrow - 80 g of dry crushed leaves, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 36-48 hours, spray against aphids, thrips, mites.
- Tobacco, shag - leave 40 g in 1 liter of water for two days, strain and dilute with another 1 liter of water, spray against aphids and thrips.
- Onions - leave 15 g of chopped onions in 1 liter of water for 5-7 hours in a tightly closed container, spray against aphids and mites.
- Celandine during flowering - infuse 300-400 g of fresh or 100 g of dry celandine in 1 liter of water for 24-36 hours, spray against false scale insects, aphids, thrips.
- Kerosene -2 g per 10 liters of water + 40 g of laundry soap - against thrips and mites.
- Dandelion officinalis - 300-500 g of crushed roots or fresh leaves are infused for 2 hours in 10 liters of warm water, filtered and sprayed against thrips and mites.
- Marigold flowers - pour a glass of dried flowers into 1 liter of warm water, leave for 2 days, filter and spray the affected plants against thrips.
- Alder leaves - a glass of dry alder leaves is poured with one liter of boiling water and left for 24 hours. Then it is heated to 50 °C and kept in this infusion before planting the bulbs and tubers for 5 minutes. In this way, root mites are prevented.
- Wood ash - 1 cup of ash is infused in 5 liters of water, then a quarter of a piece of grated laundry soap is added there, sprayed against ticks and thrips.
Experienced flower growers advise starting the fight against dangerous guests with proven and effective means.
Causes of cultural defeat
Factors that provoke the invasion of dangerous arthropods and insects:
Mealybug
Such a small insect is very difficult to recognize with the naked eye; for this you will need to use a magnifying glass of at least 6 millimeters. Characteristic features:
Means for fighting:
- Aktara;
- Fitoverim;
- Calypso;
- Biotlin.
Traditional methods of treatment
- tincture with orange or lemon zest;
- soap-alcohol solution;
- garlic tincture;
- treating the plant with running water;
- a mixture of olive oil and liquid;
- tincture of horsetail.
Spider mite
Over time, the discolored leaves begin to dry out, curl, and fall off. Throughout time, the flower becomes weaker and weaker. The places where small ticks are located are covered with a thin layer of cobwebs. Adult mites are red-brown or green in color and are very difficult to find among the leaves and stems of the plant.
Female web spiders are very fertile and can lay hundreds of new eggs every three days. Without regular inspection, thousands of small mites quickly drink all the plant juices, and the indoor flower begins to quickly die.
Thrips lesions
Trips- these are small flying insects with an elongated body, their color combines a dark brown-black tint, with reddish speckles above and yellowish below.
Insects lay their eggs mainly on leaves and stems, and do not descend to the ground. Recognizing thrips on a plant is quite simple: the leaves turn grayish-brown at the bottom, with a predominant silver color on top.
In the process of active reproduction of harmful insects, indoor crops begin to weaken and lose all their decorative qualities.
What you need to fight thrips:
- good watering: thrips simply cannot tolerate moisture;
- regular inspection, mechanical elimination of thrips;
- treatment of the crop with fungicides and systemic insecticides that penetrate into the root system itself, into the leaves and stems of the indoor crop.
Effective ways to control insects
There are more effective methods for pest control:
Dangerous diseases of house plants
Leaf spot (anthracnose)- the foliage of the crop begins to become covered with small brown spots, the edges dry quickly. For treatment, the crop is isolated from other plants, as the disease spreads quickly. Afterwards, the plant is treated with a product that contains copper. Watering continues moderate.
Gray mold (botrytis)- a characteristic white coating appears on parts of the plant as a result of overflow. For treatment, you need to place the diseased plant separately, remove all affected parts from it and significantly reduce watering.
Sooty mushroom- black spots appear on the leaves of indoor plants, which are the result of sticky secretions of aphids, photosynthesis in the crop almost completely stops, and a noticeable lag in growth occurs. You should clean the wet deposits on the crop with a napkin or soft sponge and spray it with a Fungicide against the disease.
Brown rot on the plant- characterized by brown-red spots on the leaves, which quickly and in a short time increase in size. If treatment is untimely, the flower dies. Most often, the factor leading to flower damage is excessive moisture and rotting of the root system.
Powdery mildew. With such a lesion, the entire plant becomes covered with white powder. The disease is fungal in nature, so the soil is affected by fungal spores. Plants with reduced immunity are especially susceptible to the disease. It is best to isolate the crop and thoroughly treat it with a fungicide.
Downy mildew- such a lesion is very similar to the previous illness. The main feature is that when affected by downy mildew, the lower area of the leaf is most often covered with a white coating, and the upper area is strewn with light yellow specks. Remove all affected leaves, buds and shoots. Treat with fungicide.
Cercospora- the disease is caused by a fungus, manifests itself in the form of many black spots on the back of the leaf; as the disease progresses, the leaves begin to lose chlorophyll and quickly dry out. The plant should be treated with Fungicide and Dinocap.
Rust on roses- development of pustules of various colors from reddish-orange to dark brown. The upper part of the leaves is strewn with a large number of red spots. Remove all affected parts of the flower. Monitor the optimal temperature and humidity levels.
Fusarium- this fungal infection most often begins with rotting of the root system, and then the infection spreads throughout the entire flower. The plant begins to weaken, quickly withers and often dies.
In advanced cases, this disease is almost untreatable. Eliminating or destroying the crop along with the soil mixture, disinfecting the pot and window sill with a five percent solution of copper sulfate would be the best option.
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