House flowers are parasites. White insects in a flower pot and in a bathroom

White insects appeared in flowers

White-colored insects that can appear on home flowers are springtails or podura. They often appear in a humid environment. The increased humidity of the air and soil provokes their active development.

How to prevent springtails from appearing?

So that the springtail does not settle on indoor plants, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room. In addition, moderate watering and adherence to air humidity levels will protect your plants from uninvited guests. It is important to observe this nuance: between the next sessions of soil moistening, the soil in the pot should not dry out or, moreover, dry out, otherwise, in the fluctuation of the methods of care and the state of the plant, puffs will appear.

As a preventive measure, flower growers need to use chemicals. They are also effective at the peak of these white insects in flowers. Use such drugs:

Aktara
Doctor
Potassium permanganate solution

Flowers have white insects - how to get rid of?

Dodgers hate droughts... Although flower growers are advised not to dry out the potting soil mixture between waterings, however, if springtails have already appeared in flowers, you need to dry the soil in the pot, creating inconvenience to the pests. Usually, white insects disappear on their own, but if this does not happen, treatment methods come into play.

Pink solution of potassium permanganate is a folk remedy for combating white insects (podura) in flowers. As soon as they start, immediately water the soil with potassium permanganate. Let it dry a little potting soil between treatments and reintroduce watering.

Aktara Chemicals and Arrows Doctor - serious artillery against springtail, however, effective. Use drugs strictly according to the instructions. Do not forget that their composition can be toxic, so protect yourself with gloves and a mask during processing. Do not process flowers in the room where you sleep or eat - follow basic safety precautions.

do not flood the plant;
support normal humidity air;
regularly ventilate the room;
take breaks between watering, dry the soil in a pot;
process with potassium permanganate if the first symptoms appear;
inspect indoor flowers for white insects;

Often the joy of purchasing an orchid is overshadowed by the appearance white bugs, similar to small pieces of cotton wool. This is the description given by flower owners when they see a mealybug. Because of its resemblance to lice, the mealybug acquired a second popular name- hairy lice.

There are 500 species of this insect in the world, but plants on windowsills are more often infected with 2 species: citrus and bristly mealybugs.

Citrus mealybug

Female citrus mealybugs:

They have an oval body 4 mm in length, pinkish in color, covered with a white fluffy bloom.
A viscous sticky secret is left behind - a pad, which attracts other insects.
Sometimes a sooty fungus grows in the pad, the disease does not contribute to the health of the orchid.
Females of the bug live on average 3 months, but already on the 15th day after birth they are able to reproduce.

Males, unlike females, look like midges, fly next to the orchid, and can sit on windows. After hatching from an egg, males live no more than 4 days. They do not have a mouth apparatus and do not need food.

In this type of bugs, like the previous one, only females and larvae are pests:

Signs of defeat

It has the following properties:

Allows increase yield by 50% in just a few weeks of use.
You can get a good harvest even on low fertile soils and in adverse climatic conditions
Absolutely safe

The reasons for the appearance of the pest

To rid the orchid of white bugs, first you need to figure out what caused the infection:

first of all, weakened plants suffer, they are not able to synthesize substances that repel insects;
if it is not enough to care for the orchid, not to remove the old leaves and flowers in time, then you can overlook the beginning of infection with white bugs;
improper watering (waterlogging or drying out of the substrate), attracts pests;
disadvantage sunlight, dry air and low temperature external environment leads to a weakening of the protective functions of the orchid;
due to non-fulfillment of quarantine, a pest may appear in newly acquired plants.

What is the danger of a pest?

Dust and fibers from bugs adhering to the pad interfere with the gas exchange between the flower and environment, in addition, a sooty fungus can start in it, which will infect an already weakened flower.

Adult females and larvae feed on plant juices, sucking out everything useful material... If you do not start poisoning insects in time and treat the flower, this can lead to the death of the orchid and the spread of pests.

How to get rid of white bugs?

Mechanical removal

To remove white bugs, you must:

Folk remedies

In advanced cases, surface treatment is not enough, therefore, several folk remedies for the white bug should be adopted:

The use of chemicals

For insect control, the chemical industry produces a huge amount of funds. Their action is directed through the intestines, the respiratory system, some of them are capable of poisoning plant tissues for bugs, some act by a contact method.

Since white bugs are well protected from the outside, it is better to use contact preparations with a large number of young animals, which are not yet completely covered with plaque and are vulnerable. For the best effect, combined or enteric-contact drugs are produced.

To remove the worm, the following drugs are suitable:

Biotlin;
Spark "double effect";
Confidor Extra;
Bankcol.

Aktara

Biotlin

Confidor

Mealybug control drugs

When using chemicals, you should strictly adhere to the instructions for use, since some of them, if improperly processed, can harm the orchid. Do not neglect secondary processing - bugs can acquire immunity to poison. The treatment is repeated after 1-2 weeks.

Prevention of the appearance of white bugs

So that bugs do not start on the orchid, and you do not have to treat it, you should not neglect preventive measures:

be sure to comply with the quarantine for newly acquired plants;
remove old leaves and flowers;
inspect regularly;
wash from time to time under a warm shower (no more than 50 °).

Other orchid pests

Pest name	Description
Red	It has an oval red body up to 4 mm. It feeds on plant sap... It is difficult to get rid of it because of the vitality of the eggs - they are able to persist in the substrate for 5 years.
	They are small flying insects up to 3 mm in length, elongated body with a pair of small wings. Piercing the skin of the leaf, completely deprive him of nutrients. The damaged leaf first acquires a silvery color, then darkens and dies off. Due to their high fertility and small size, thrips are difficult to get rid of.
	Females of this type of pest, stick to the orchid and feed on the juice. The secreted pad forms a bug on the surface of the body, a kind of shield, under which the female lives and lays eggs. Prefers orchids with fleshy leaves: phalaenopsis and cymbidium. Damaged leaves are covered with small spots, which then merge into one and die. Since in an adult good protection, then it is better to deal with crawling pest larvae and males that fly.
	Or, they look like tiny butterflies with white wings, feeding on the sap of young leaves. They are able to lay eggs in the ground and leaf axils, which first turn yellow, then curl up into a tube and die off. The fight against the pest must be started as soon as possible, otherwise the flower can be lost.
	It gets on orchids more often through an open window. Forms colonies from the bottom of the leaf. It looks like a small green insect, with extensive aphid infestation, it sticks around the entire plant. The released sweet honey usually attracts other insects - this is. The leaves affected by aphids begin to wither, then turn black and fall off.

Many amateurs ornamental plants may notice small black dots on the underside of the leaf. And only a few people know that these are thrips on indoor plants - small pests that become especially aggressive in spring and summer, which cause great harm to the culture. Pests suck out the juice from flowers and leaves, and also carry viral diseases... As a result of their effect, the flowers fall off, the leaves dry out, and the secretions of their vital activity appear, on which a sooty fungus can settle.

What is flower thrips
Signs of damage to flowers with thrips
Methods for detecting and preventing thrips
Thrips control methods

Most often it goes dracaena, varieties of palms, ficuses, citrus fruits, roses, monstera and laurel. Lesions in the form of black dots are not the only manifestation of the disease, they are also observed viral infections moving to the adjacent healthy flowers.

Flower thrips refers to diptera insects, the length of which is from 0.5 to 5 mm. Young pests are colored green, yellow and pale yellow, adults are found in black, sandy and brown shades. Thus, insects manage to disguise themselves, so they are difficult to detect. The larvae are too small, lay eggs, have a gray or light shade.

There are many types of this pest. So, one of the most dangerous for ornamental crops is the Western California flower thrips, which is an individual up to two millimeters long, located in buds, inflorescences, and on leaves. The pest loves to settle on such indoor plants as roses, gerberas, chrysanthemums, cyclamens, etc. Considering the location of thrips on indoor plants, their treatment is difficult, since most of the population is inaccessible to chemical exposure.

Signs of damage to flowers with thrips

Typical signs of pest damage to plants are:

the presence of yellow spots on the surface of the sheets at the beginning of infection;
the appearance at further stages of the development of the disease of silvery dotted streams (not necessary for all species of insects);
on the lower part of the sheet, an accumulation of yellow and brown spots as well as black dots;
over time, there is a merger of spots and lines;
holes may appear at the site of the lesions, the leaves wither, fall off;
when the buds are infected with western flower thrips, the deformation of the inflorescences is determined. So, in roses, the flowers remain closed.

Pronounced viral symptoms of crop disease are:

yellowish or brownish roundish spots on the leaves;
the stem is covered with a bloom of black or Brown color;
there is a lesion of the bases of the leaves in the form of necrosis.

From the beginning of the infection process to the appearance of signs of activity of the California colored triplex, 1-2 weeks pass, during which a new generation is already formed.

Methods for detecting and preventing thrips

For early definition and finding insects, it is recommended to regularly inspect flowers and leaves of crops, especially from the underside. On visual inspection, it should be borne in mind that, for example, the Western California flower thrips likes to be placed in the most illuminated areas, to gather on flowers and upper leaves. Blue and yellow sticky traps will help you identify thrips on indoor plants.

Preventive care for pets means cleaning them from dust, spraying, you need to make sure that there is no strong dryness of the air, that is, maintain sufficient humidity in the room.

Excessive nitrogenous fertilizers contribute to the development of flower thrips. An insect can get into an apartment with bouquets brought from the street. It is quite difficult to eliminate the pest from the buds and flowers, since it is necessary to shake them off and hit the table with white paper placed on it, on which insects will remain.

Thrips control methods

It is quite difficult to get rid of thrips on indoor plants, therefore, at the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to isolate the culture, cleanse it of infected elements (leaves, flowers).

In the initial stages of infection, you can wipe the plant with a solution of laundry soap with a soft sponge. Such a measure will not remove the pest, but only reduce its population. It is recommended to leave the flower in the soap for a while under the plastic bag.

Treatment with water with a few drops of machine oil, kerosene or foliage polishing agent is effective. However, it should be remembered here that such agents harm the plant, so that their use on crops with thin and delicate leaves is excluded. Leathery leaves can be rubbed 3-4 times with alcohol.

In case of severe pest infestations of flowers, you cannot do without treating thrips on indoor plants with chemicals. A number of such funds are quite large: Fitoverm, Mospilan, Aktara (as a sprayer or pouring under the root), Confidor, Intavir, Dantop, Apache, etc. Specialized stores can offer funds under different names. A drug such as Spintor, an insecticide of natural origin, has proven itself quite effectively.

The most important thing when buying chemicals is to carefully study the instructions for use for them, and before processing, wash the plant with water. Chemical treatment will have to be carried out more than once, but in several stages. In the period between manipulations, peduncles must be removed.

If, after treating the culture from the western flower thrips with an insecticide, the pest returned again, then there is no need to despair. Another remedy is worth trying. After all, the effect of drugs is different, perhaps another drug will be found to be more reliable and effective.

With a mild defeat by flower thrips, you can try folk methods of protection. For example, mix 85 gr. garlic, passed through a garlic press, 50 ml. mineral or vegetable oil with 10 ml. laundry soap and 950 ml. water. The mixture should be infused throughout the day. Before use, you need to dilute the solution in a ratio of 1 to 19 with water, that is, by 950 grams. take 50 ml of water. mixtures. Spray the plant with the resulting substance.

Spider mites

The most common pest of indoor flowers. Characteristic signs damage: punctures, whitish or yellowish, are visible in the lumen of the leaf. Gradually, they merge into spots. The leaves turn pale, acquire a grayish tint. Then the leaves dry out, completely lose their color. This is a typical picture, but in some cases the leaves turn red or bronze. In some plants, the leaves do not change shape even when the spots are large, in other cases they are strongly deformed, curled.

Photo of a spider mite - pest close-up

Here are collected photos of a spider mite, for quick identification of the pest on indoor plants. How to tell who is eating your flowers and how to deal with a pest.

Leaves turn yellow, cobwebs appear on the flowers, dots appear on the leaves, as if punctured by a needle, flowers do not grow, the tops of the shoots wither - these are signs of a spider mite. Tips from experienced florists on how to deal with ticks with folk remedies or with the help of chemistry.

Carapace mites

A parcel with orchids arrived, and there black bugs, similar to ticks, are running briskly. Who is it?

Armored mites or oribatids are soil arthropods. By 2015, more than 7000 species of armored mites have been described. Who are they - pests or useful animals? Do I need to destroy them, by what means to fight. What to do if shell mites have settled in orchid pots.

What do shell mites look like, how to distinguish them from herbivorous mites: spider mites, flat beetles and wide mites.

Thrips on indoor flowers are not uncommon, they get into our house from the street, with garden flowers, with purchased indoor plants and with cut flowers (from bouquets). They spread very quickly on domestic plants, suck out juices from them, contaminate the leaves with skins and excrement. Thrips is dangerous in that it has several stages of development, some of which are secretive - females lay eggs directly in the leaf tissue, and nymphs hide in the ground. In addition, eggs and nymphs have covers that protect them from the action of contact insecticides. Therefore, the fight against thrips takes place in several stages.

Photo of thrips - pest close-up

Silvery spots appeared on the leaves, discolored areas, shoots dry and deformed, the plant does not bloom, the leaves turn yellow, small black drops or crumbs appear on the surface of the leaves - these are signs of thrips. Look at the photos of the pest and compare with your plant.

You may find tips for dealing with thrips useful.

From the point of view of indoor floriculture, the danger of scale insects is that due to parthenogenesis - the emergence of females without fertilization, scale insects can reproduce, all year round, giving out about 5-6 generations, the process of generational change goes on continuously. At the same time, males among indoor scale insects are extremely rare, but if they appear, for some reason they are very frightening. Someone begins to think that this is an unknown, terribly gluttonous creature. In fact, the developmental cycle of scale insects, with or without males, is no different. By themselves, males do not harm plants - they simply have nothing to eat. In fact, male scale insects hatch for the sole mission of fertilization, therefore, all they have are eyes, wings and genitals.

Photo of scale insects - pest close-up

What does the scale insect and the false scale look like - brown spots on the stems, petioles, leaves, translucent or with a dense brown shield, flat or convex. The smallest ones are almost invisible, but if you knock it off, press it with a needle, a wet trail remains. And how the leaves of various plants, affected by the scabbard, look like, look at the photographs of various plants.

Tips from experienced florists on how to cure the scabbard with folk remedies and with the help of drugs.

Mealybug

The bristly bug or mealybug is a small insect that lives on plants. Its body is covered with a white waxy bloom, from which the accumulations of pests look like cotton balls.

Worms cause serious damage to indoor plants, and it is quite difficult to remove them at home. What to look for: if the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the shoots are stunted, small white spots are visible on the stems or under the leaves. Scorms climb under the bark of indoor fruit exotics, under the scales of bulbs in hippeastrum and other bulbous plants, hiding in the fluffy hairs on the stems of begonias. Sooty fungi can settle on the secretions of worms.

Photo of mealybug - pest close-up

This pest is not always immediately noticeable: the worms can for a long time hide in the root zone, at the surface of the earth, in the axils of the leaves.

And only when the colony of worms grows numerous and voracious, the pests will be noticeable on the leaves. But by this time, as a rule, the plant withers, irretrievably turns yellow and dies.

Whitefly

Whitefly is a pest of indoor and garden plants, all species easily reproduce in an apartment, some species quietly winter in mid-latitudes and from spring reproduce under our windows. The whitefly is especially fond of celandine, which grows under our windows, and spoils any vegetables, especially cabbage, and berries in the gardens.

How to identify a pest - a photo of a whitefly, whitefly control measures.

At home, aphids can be harmful all year round. They multiply rather quickly, forming colonies that cover an ever larger territory. But unlike ticks, aphids are large pests, they are easy to see with the naked eye. Aphids focus on the most delicate parts of the plant - tops of shoots, buds, flowers. For many plants, it is easiest to cut off the affected shoots and tear off the peduncles. For plants that form a rosette, wash the leaves with a sponge with green soap, and clean the leaf sinuses cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

If the aphid is very much roaming on indoor flowers, spray the plants with any insecticide. You will be helped by: Aktara, Confidor, Tanrek, Fitoverm, Inta-Vir, Iskra, Iskra-Bao, Deciss and other drugs.

In gardens, green potash soap too irreplaceable assistant- it does not smell and is not poisonous to people. Potash soap should be diluted at the rate of 20 g of liquid green soap per 1 liter of water. Especially carefully spray secluded places - tops of shoots, axils of leaves, apply a foam cap on the buds. Do not wash off the soap solution!

Read about how to deal with aphids in the garden: How to destroy aphids

Nematode

The nematode is of various types, the root usually forms spherical growths or swellings. Stem or leaf nematodes do not form bulges, but cause severe deformation of leaves, stems, and buds. The flowers, as a rule, do not even open. Begonia, gloxinia, ficus, ferns suffer greatly from nematodes. Their leaves wrinkle, as it were, shrink, turn brown between the veins, the young grow immediately twisted, ugly.

Some types of nematodes also form galls on flowers, often the defeat of the nematode is accompanied by symptoms of bacterial infections.

Mushroom gnats

Sciarids or mushroom gnats - small annoying midges start in flowers, fly all over the apartment. By themselves, they do not harm, flowers do not eat, but mosquitoes are a sure sign that plants are systematically flooded. It is necessary to check the ground in pots with flowers, because if waterlogging is not eliminated, the roots of plants can rot.

If the mosquitoes have time to lay eggs in the soil, larvae hatch from them, feeding on rotting organic matter, which can partially damage the roots of plants.

Miner flies

The larvae of these flies gnaw out the core of the leaves, leaving discolored patterns on them - mines. Disfigure the leaves of trees, shrubs, including conifers, and herbaceous plants, in room conditions, violets (Saintpaulias), succulents (milkweed, stonecrop), hibiscus syngonium and other plants can infect ...

Root mites

Root and onion mites feed on the underground part of plants - they gnaw bulbs, feed on juicy roots. They are found at the stage when the plant has already suffered greatly - growth is inhibited, the leaves turn yellow, buds and flowers do not form, sometimes there is a one-sided drying of the crown - with separate branches, but more often the plant has common signs of starvation - chlorosis. Often, an infection gets into the wounds on the roots and bulbs, and the plant becomes ill with fusarium.

High soil moisture contributes to more rapid reproduction of root mites. Very often, affected indoor plants, especially small and delicate ones, die. The best prevention is soil disinfection and quarantine of all purchased plants.

Accidental pests: wood lice, weevil, enchitrea, caterpillars

There are such pests that appear quite rarely in pots with flowers - these are enchitreas, wood lice, earthworms can be brought in with the soil for planting plants, a weevil or wood lice can get into the house from the garden soil. If you have someone crawling in a pot, take a look here, you might recognize a pest ...

Many of them are not as dangerous as they seem, and sometimes they are not at all dangerous, for example, puffs or enchitrea can eat up decaying plant roots, but by themselves they are not the cause of the death of indoor flowers. Plants die from overflow and putrefactive infections.

Puffins, springtails, collembolans

In pots with indoor plants, some white little fleas are jumping. Gray worms float in the pan after watering. Small brown spiders crawl near the roots. All these are soil dwellers - collembolans, springtails and suckers. Innocuous, in essence, the inhabitants of the soil rich in humus and organic matter. They come to our house with soil from the garden or with storey soil. But as long as the soil moisture is moderate, bugs are not visible. When the soil inside the pot does not dry out for many days, the roots of plants begin to rot, and podura reproduce in large numbers.

Puffs are a sign of a violation of indoor plant care, systematic waterlogging, frequent watering, or improperly selected soil (too moisture-absorbing, heavy, non-porous).

No one can avoid the appearance of indoor pests: neither a novice florist, nor an experienced one. Some, scale insects or aphids, infect many types of indoor plants, others are more selective and prefer certain species and in certain conditions. For example, ticks rarely harm Benjamin's ficus, but the scale insect eats it with pleasure.

If pests are found, you must first get rid of them mechanically, wiping the leaves and stems with a sponge dipped in soapy water. It is imperative to remove damaged buds, flowers, leaves and shoots, if the leaves begin to turn yellow or become stained, they will no longer recover. If the pest is seen only on one plant, it is better to isolate the flower pot, observe the rest.

Try not to use insecticides, especially 2 classes of toxicity, without urgent need. All pest control chemicals are unsafe for humans and animals (birds and fish). All of them, to one degree or another, emit toxic substances. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to fight pests with folk remedies, i.e. herbs, onion husks, as well as biological plant protection products, you must definitely try them first.

Currently, the use of pesticides (plant protection products from diseases and pests) is approached quite carefully, but so far we can see a warning on the packaging with chemical preparations 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 insist for 36-48 hours, spray against aphids, thrips, ticks.
Tobacco, makhorka - insist 40 g in 1 liter of water for two days, strain and dilute with 1 liter of water, spray against aphids and thrips.
Onions - insist 15 g of chopped onions in 1 liter of water for 5-7 hours in a tightly sealed container, spray against aphids and ticks.
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 shield, aphids, thrips.
Kerosene -2 g per 10 l of water + 40 g of laundry soap - against thrips and mites.
Dandelion medicinal - 300-500 g of chopped roots or fresh leaves insist 2 hours in 10 liters of warm water, filter and spray against thrips and ticks.
Marigold flowers - a glass of dry flowers is poured with 1 liter of warm water, insisted for 2 days, filtered and sprayed against the affected plants against thrips.
Alder leaves - a glass of dry alder leaves is poured with one liter of boiling water, insisted during the day. Then it is heated to 50 ° C, and kept in this infusion before planting the bulbs and tubers for 5 minutes. Thus, prophylaxis of root mites is carried out.
Wood ash - 1 glass of ash is infused in 5 liters of water, then a fourth of a piece of grated laundry soap is added there, spray against mites and thrips.

Are your flowers sick even though you meet all the conditions? In this case, it is worth suspecting a pest! At home, which is often far from natural, flowers are more vulnerable. Online diagnostics will help you to recognize ticks, aphids, scale insects, etc. Pests of indoor flowers: photos, signs and methods of dealing with them.

Spider mite

The most common and insidious pest! Spider mites on indoor plants feel great, especially in winter and early spring. Heating, dry air and high temperatures create favorable conditions for its reproduction. Considering that this flower beetle is very prolific, it can easily migrate to other "neighbors"!

The tick is arachnid and can look different. The most common species are the common spider mite, red and cyclamen.

Signs

Regardless of the type of mite, the results of its activity cause the death of the leaf! The harmful insect feeds on flower sap, sucking it out of leaves and young shoots. This immediately affects the appearance of the flowers: they lose their brightness, juiciness, fade. On some plants, yellow spots appear, which gradually lead to yellowing of the foliage, on others the leaves dry from the edges and are deformed. Often, a tick can leave a cobweb behind it, which is visible in the gap between branches and leaves. And sometimes you can see the pests themselves! So, the common white tick is visible with the naked eye on the inside at the base of the leaf. The cyclamen mite prefers fluffy plants, and the red mite even settles on the petals of flowering plants.

Risk group
The common tick mainly affects decorative deciduous species: hibiscus, Benjamin's ficus, fuchsia, citrus fruits, dracaena, tradescantia, adenium, ivy. Although it is harmful to all indoor flowers, succulents are less susceptible to its effects.

The cyclamen mite prefers plants with fluffy leaves - cyclamens, violets, gloxinia. The red mite can settle on any plant, but its favorite delicacy is flowering species- roses, balsams, calla lilies, orchids, and also citrus fruits.

Treatment and prevention

Most mites cannot tolerate high humidity, so regular spraying (not only on the top, but also on the bottom of the leaf) and a warm shower is the best prevention. If pests are already present on the plant, you can wash the leaves with a solution of laundry soap. In summer, if possible, take flowers out into the garden or on the balcony! At first, spraying with green soap solution can help!

If the tick has managed to spread strongly and damage the leaves, you will have to resort to the help of acaricides - chemicals to combat ticks. These include "Akarin", "Agrovertin", "Inta-vir", "Vertimek". "Neoron" destroys not only the tick, but also its larvae, and "Fitoverm" is the safest for the microflora of the plant. To prevent the tick from returning, you need to correct mistakes in care!

Shield and false shield

Insects from the family of worms, the body of which is covered with a shield. This feature not only determined the name of the pest, but also made it invulnerable to spraying with chemicals. But unlike the previous representative, the scabbard does not move, on the contrary, having adhered to the plant, it remains motionless. Therefore, it is easy to find it!

The scale insects are sucking insects, they, like leeches, suck the sap of the plant, while releasing a sticky liquid that clogs the pores, making it difficult for the flower to breathe. The false shield is a close relative of the scale insect, surpassing it in size. By the way, this malicious family has many varieties: they are round, oval, white, brown, brown from 2 to 7 mm in size.

Signs

Affected flowers lag behind in growth and development, shedding leaves and buds. Scabbard on indoor plants in literally the word "sticks to" the branches and even the main trunk, and it can also hide in the axils of the leaves. Outwardly, these pests look like droplets of wax, or growths! Small scale insects form clusters resembling plaque along the stems and leaf veins. As a result, leaves and even branches may die off, previously covered with red-brown or yellow spots. Scabbards are especially dangerous for young shoots!

Risk group
Deciduous plants (especially ferns, asparagus, ivy, lemons, begonias) are more often chosen as the location of the scale insects, but they can also appear on succulents (ficuses, zamioculcas), and orchids are often infect.

Treatment and prevention

The provoking factors for the reproduction of scale insects are dry air and a lack of light, characteristic of winter period... They can also enter the apartment from the street! Weakened, diseased plants, in which metabolic processes are disturbed for one reason or another, are a real bait for scale insects. Healthy flowers with strong immunity are immune to these pests!

First of all, you need to remove dead parts, as well as remove all visible scabbards. This can be done with a warm shower, a soft sponge (or soft brush), and laundry soap. An alternative would be a cotton swab soaked in lemon juice or vinegar. Alcohol can burn an already damaged plant, and oil will clog pores!

At this stage, you can get rid of older individuals that are not affected by insecticidal spraying. To destroy the scale insects and their larvae that are not visible to the eye, it is better to insure yourself and additionally treat the plant with insecticides. For these purposes, the drugs "Aktara", "Aktellik", "Arrivo", "Fitoverm" are used. The most gentle method of struggle is a green soap solution, but it is effective in the initial stages!

Thrips

Another type of sucking pests, which, unlike the previous ones, for the time being, hide in the thickness of the leaf. The fact is that the larval stage occurs inside the leaves, where thrips reproduce. Until they grow up and are outside, they will have time to do enough harm to the plant! The development cycle lasts about 20 days, after which the larvae turn into insects with a small elongated body 1.5 mm in size, which easily fly from branch to branch and are capable of infecting all specimens in the home collection.

Thrips violate the structure of the leaf plate, the leaf is deformed, loses color, darkens, or discolors and gradually dies off. In addition, adult insects, like scale insects, leave behind sticky secretions that clog the pores of the plant and can provoke fungal diseases.

Signs

In the initial stage of thrips, it is not difficult to identify by the characteristic markings on the leaves. Chaotic light dots, "strokes" and whole paths appear on the surface of the sheet, which gradually spread, and as a result, they can merge into one large whitish spot! Adult insects can also be seen with the naked eye - they have a dark elongated body, are able to fly, and, sitting on a flower, leave behind a silvery path of sticky secretions.

Risk group
The pest is omnivorous, but palms with large leaves, citrus crops and even succulents (rubber ficus, hoya, monstera, aspidistra, laurel, eucharis, syngonium, senoplia).

Treatment and prevention

The main thing is to notice the first signs of the appearance of thrips on indoor plants in time, so that it does not have time to develop from the larvae. In this case, you can suspend the process with insecticides by spraying and root treatments. After all, being inside the leaf, pests become invulnerable to external disinfection, for this they are watered at the root! But, in order to exclude the appearance of insects outside, the aerial part is sprayed.

At the initial stages, green vegetable soap does this well (you can buy it in flower and garden stores). If thrips has strongly affected the plant, use preparations "Aktara", "Dantop", "Apache" (for root treatment), as well as "Fitoverm", "Intavir" (for external treatment).

The site flowery-blog.ru advises you to regularly inspect inner side leaves, spray the plants, ventilate the room. Thrips can start even in summer period, but they, like other pests, choose weaker flowers as their "target".

Mealybug

Popularly, these pests are called "hairy lice", they are the closest relatives of scale insects and are also sucking insects. They called them that for appearance- the clusters look like cotton wool. The mealybug on houseplants loves young shoots, leaves and buds! It sucks out the juice, greatly inhibits the growth of plants, causes the death of its parts, young shoots, shedding of buds, buds, drying out and deformation of shoots and leaves.

This enemy sometimes hides in the axils of the leaves, becoming invisible, but multiplies very quickly, and therefore spreads to the soil, shoots and even to the roots. More than 2000 species of worms are known in nature, all of them are dangerous for plants! In room culture, it is the white mealybug that is more common.

Signs

The insect does not know how to hide well, it is given out by white cotton-like discharge, in which the female insect lays its eggs! Usually, their clusters can be seen in the axils of new leaves, on young shoots. In addition to the "scraps" of cotton wool, you can also see the pests themselves - they are not large, about 3 mm in size, also white, with an oblong body.

Risk group
It is impossible to say for sure which plants the worm loves! Its target can be both decorative deciduous species and succulents and even cacti. For example, monstera, chrysolidocarpus, nolina, Kalanchoe, anthurium, camellia, azalea, clivia, amaryllis, hibiscus, asparagus.

Treatment and prevention

It is not difficult to exterminate an unexpected guest at first! It is enough to wipe the leaves, remove the white bloom and disinfect the affected areas. This can be done with a cotton swab or soft brush. For cleaning, a soap solution is suitable, and for subsequent disinfection - tincture of calendula, or any herbal alcoholic infusion. Good preventive measure is spraying with green soap solution. This will help prevent relapse!

In case of severe damage by the worm, more radical therapy is needed - watering and spraying with insecticide preparations - "Aktara", "Vermitic", "Intavir", "Tsvetofos", "Fitoverm". If the worm has managed to spread, it is better to completely replace the soil in the pot, after examining and rinsing the roots with running water.

It is necessary to periodically inspect flowers for the presence of an evil insect. Especially young leaves and shoots! The worm does not like moisture, so spray and wipe the plants more often.

Whitefly

It is a sucking insect, about 3 mm long, outwardly similar to a white mole. It reproduces rather quickly, laying eggs in groups on the inner surface of the leaf. Adult insects also keep in groups, sucking juices from leaves and young branches - the most delicate parts! As a result, the leaves become discolored, yellow and fall off.

These pests of indoor flowers can fly, but they usually sit lazily on the inner surface of the leaves until you disturb them. Eating, these nasty flies leave waste products on the plants, which later become the basis for the development of the fungus. Most often, the whitefly can be seen in the summer, it is also a garden "dirty trick" and a frequent visitor to greenhouses.

Signs

It is as easy as shelling pears to recognize whitefly on flowers: white larvae remain on the underside of the leaf, forming groups, as well as a characteristic whitish bloom. At this stage, it is easiest to deal with the pest!

Risk group
Most often, plants with delicate leaf plates and thin epithelium become victims of whiteflies. These are nephrolepis, tradescantia, pereromnia, fuchsia, pelargonium, Benjamin's ficus, abutilone, balsam.

Treatment and prevention

At the larval stage, the insect can be eradicated by spraying with insecticides, the most effective of which is Aktara. Also fit "Agravertin", "Inta-vir", "Akarin", "Fitoverm". If the insects have already turned into a moth, one spraying is not enough, because the white moth is very mobile. In this case, use duct tape to catch flies. They will become traps for flying whiteflies!

Like other aggressors, this one also loves dry air and warmth. Spray and wipe the leaves more often, inspect them from all sides in order to catch the pest in time, ventilate the room more often.

Outwardly, it also looks like a moth, but differs in color (from light green to black), the size of adult insects is about 3 mm. Inhabits large colonies, mainly on garden flowers! Indicator of the spread of aphids in garden conditions serve ants that absorb the sweet secretions of aphids. These secretions attract other insects and serve as a provoking factor for the development of fungal diseases.

Aphids on indoor plants can be found in the summer. Feeding on their sap, aphids infect young shoots, interfere with development and growth, cause deformation of old leaves and leaf fall. A plant attacked by aphids dies quickly! Therefore, it is important to have time to get rid of the insect before it has greatly multiplied. Aphids and other pests of garden flowers.

Signs

The appearance of aphids can be observed on the apical shoots, buds, young branches, which are covered with an adult pest. As a result, the leaves are curled and deformed. Aphids do not always know how to fly, there are wingless individuals! Aphid larvae usually hide on the lower surface of the leaf.

Risk group
Like the whitefly, the aphid selects plants with delicate foliage. The most vulnerable are ornamental deciduous species with small leaves.

Treatment and prevention

The treatment is also similar to the previous case! Timely treatment with insecticidal and antifungal drugs ("Akarin", "Aktara", "Iskra-bio", "Inta-vir", etc.) can help. It is important to quarantine the plant in time and inspect those next to it, because aphids move easily!

If the insect did not have time to occupy the entire plant, you can cope without toxic drugs - arrange a warm shower for the flower using laundry soap, or spray it with a solution of green soap.

Useful materials:
Folk recipes for pest control.
Indoor flower diseases: signs and treatment.

How to drive away flower midges. Sterilization of an earthen mixture - methods.

Now thrips, scale insects, ticks and other pests of indoor flowers will not go unnoticed, and you can effectively fight them.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments. ✿ If you liked the article, share it on social networks.

Houseplant care

To plant indoor flowers, you need to be familiar with the basic rules for caring for them. Some plants require attention in minimum volume others (rare or tropical specimens) are very moody. The slightest mistake leads to their death or loss of their presentable appearance.

First of all, a florist must know how to get rid of pests. There are many types of them. They appear on domestic flowers: aphids, thrips, scale insects, false scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, mushroom gnats, root mites.

1 Harmful and persistent aphid

The simplest and most common pest is aphid. She can be with or without wings. Individuals are egg-shaped. Dangerous by rapid reproduction. They don't need to have a female nearby. More often than not, "clones" just appear. In terms of species, pests are very diverse, they can be yellowish in color and even black.

Aphids are able to suck sap from the plant. In this case, the pests emit poison. After the toxin enters the leaves, they twist and deform. After a while, they die off. The tops of the plant become curved. Shoots stop growing.

The waste products of aphids (cure) heavily pollute the leaf plates of flowers. As a result, there is a violation of the normal life of cultures.

Aphids are carriers of various viruses. They are transmitted with the saliva of the pest. Infection causes enormous damage to plants.

It is very easy to notice signs of damage on plants. Pests settle in large colonies, most often on the fleshy, juicy and most tender parts of the plant. They leave behind a plaque. If there are a lot of aphids, then its larvae are able to make the plant weak and decrepit.

If pests are found, it is best to bathe the plant in the shower, and then spray it with a special preparation designed to combat aphids. A week later, for prevention, the plant is treated again.

Types of indoor plants, similar to a palm tree, and their care

2 Thrips

Thrips are found almost daily. If you pick up an onion and remove the top husk, you can see the second layer. If it is sticky and unpleasant to the touch, it has a silvery tint, then there is a detrimental effect of thrips.

It is not so easy to notice pests on a plant. Its features are:

elongated body (dimensions can be up to five millimeters);
unremarkable color (can be black, gray or brown).

Thrips are omnivores. They can devour both a delicate rose and a prickly cactus with appetite. Plant tissue damaged by pests dies off. In its place, black dots are formed and large holes... Leaves fall, wither. The plant loses its presentable appearance.

As a preventive measure, you should:

humidify the air in the room (this type of pest does not like moisture);
inspect the leaves both on the underside and on the surface;
arrange shower procedures for flowers from time to time.

After getting rid of the problem, the flowers are treated with a systemic fungicide. This type of pest is capable of transferring diseases from one plant to another.

Diseases of indoor flowers and how to deal with them

3 Shield, false shield

There are many varieties of scale insects. They feed on any culture. Getting on the plant, they begin to secrete a sticky liquid, on which a sooty fungus is able to settle.

The body of an adult insect has a hard wax shield. This feature of the pest makes it resistant to drugs, so spraying does not always help. Young individuals do not have such protection, it is a little easier to cope with them.

Individuals (regardless of age) cause serious harm to the plant. They feed on his juice. Even poisonous crops are susceptible to their attack.

After the appearance of the pest, young shoots of the plant begin to dry. After that, the flower stops sprouting new processes. Shedding and the stems turn yellow and then fall off. If you do not get rid of the scale insect at this stage, then you can lose the plant.

For prevention, you should spray the plants, ventilate the room. If possible, cut off the affected part of the flower. In specialized stores, drugs are sold designed to destroy this type of insect. An inspection is necessary every few days.

Geranium pest and disease control methods

4 Spider mite

The spider mite appears unexpectedly. It is almost impossible to notice it until the plant itself shows that it is sick - spots will appear on the leaves.

At the first signs of a pest, white dots can be seen on the back of the deciduous side. After that, the leaves dry out, may turn yellow, the buds are subject to deformation.

How active the tick will be depends on the room temperature. The higher it is, the more he likes it. If the conditions for the pest are not very suitable, then the females can begin to hide in the soil, under fallen leaves, in pot cracks.

When caring for plants, it is better to collect fallen leaves, wipe them with a damp sponge, or bathe flowers in warm water. The most the right way the fight is spraying with a solution of effective drugs that can be found in a pharmacy or in specialized stores. It is best to use several types of poisons. Such mites adapt very quickly to them, and after a while they are not afraid of them.

If joints or back hurt, include in your diet ...

5 Mealybug

The mealybug is another pest of indoor plants that belongs to the sucking insects. In length, the individual reaches three and a half millimeters. It has an oval body with outgrowths, whitish or pinkish in color. Such a pest can settle either in the axils of the leaves, or on the stem itself.

The insect has only one pair of wings. Its larvae are able to penetrate the roots of plants. Worms protect the laid eggs with secretions that have a cotton structure.

Mealybugs pierce the leaves and buds of the plant, and then suck out its juice. They do this until the culture dries up. Young insects are especially harmful. This is due to their mobility and the need for nutrients necessary for active growth. Those plants that have had the misfortune of being infested with pests shed their leaves. Their shoots begin to lag behind in development and growth.

At puberty in males, the oral apparatus atrophies. They stop drinking the juices of the plant.

Worms secrete a slurry that contributes to the development of a sooty fungus. You can fight the pest manually, armed with a cotton swab. With its help, adults are removed. After this, a spraying procedure should be carried out with drugs that will help to exterminate small specimens.

6 Mushroom mosquito (sciaris)

This pest is a black and gray insect with a narrow body and a rounded head. An adult is incapable of harming the plant. The danger is represented by larvae that live in moist soil. They gnaw at the delicate roots of the plant. After that, the culture begins to ache, stops blooming, withers. The plant may even die.

If there are a lot of midges, then they begin to feed on the ground parts of the plant. Young shoots are destroyed first.

To identify this harmful insect, it is necessary to carefully examine the land in which the flower grows. If the mosquito larva does not get into the field of view, then everything is in order. It will be enough just to destroy those insects that fly. For this, they resort to using adhesive tape or dichlorvos. If the larvae are found, then you need to treat the soil with special powders, which the flower owner can advise in the store. Barguzin is perfect for wrestling.

To avoid the appearance of pests, you do not need to moisten the soil too much. Keep the plant dry.

7 Root mites

Root mites are small in size. They are very tenacious, so it is not so easy to withdraw them.

The most famous is the bulbous mite. He prefers to be on the bulbs of flowers such as: gladioli, hyacinths, tulips.

The pest lays huge quantities of eggs after eating the tissue inside the bulb. Subsequently, the bulb disintegrates, becomes soft and loose.

This type of mite is very fond of a humid environment. The best prevention is to keep the flower bulbs and tubers in a cool dry place. In such an environment, these ticks are much less likely to survive and reproduce.

Mites are found in almost any substrate. They might even be helpful. Thanks to them, the microflora that lives in the soil can function normally. There are even predators who are ready to eat other plant pests, while such types of mites are not dangerous for the flowers themselves.

The best way to control pests is to prevent them from spreading. When buying, you need to carefully inspect the plant. Wash it at home and keep it away from others for observation. It is not recommended to bathe plants together in the same container, put them on one pallet, change pallets in places, place them too closely. All this increases the likelihood of the spread of pests. The soil for transplanting crops must be sterilized. To increase the resistance of flowers, it is important to adhere to the conditions of growing and care.

When using chemicals, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations set out in the instructions, as well as observe precautions when working with them. You should stop your choice on the safest drugs.

If the treatment did not help and pests appeared on the plant again, you should not despair. The methods of action of drugs are different and, perhaps, another remedy will be more effective.

It is impossible to be guaranteed to be protected from all pests. But you need to competently approach the cultivation of flowers. If you treat the plants with care, attention, devote enough time to care, then the house will always be green. Insects will not be able to significantly harm the flora if the owner does this.

Of course, indoor plants are less likely to suffer from diseases and pests than their garden relatives, as they are usually under closer scrutiny. But if, nevertheless, they are damaged by insects or are infected, it is much more difficult to treat them, because "green pets" are more pampered and capricious, react worse to outside interference and, especially, to the use of chemicals. Wrong location (very dark, too sunny, too cold, very warm, with low air humidity) as well as improper care (too much water, lack of moisture, wrong fertilizer, wrong substrate) can cause poor plant health. Unskilled care also contributes to the defeat of indoor flowers by pests and diseases, the plants refuse to bloom, wither, and, in the end, die. Enemies, as they say, need to be known by sight. Therefore, check out the photos and names of diseases and pests of indoor plants, learn about the causes of damage and how to get rid of these insects and infections.

Diseases of indoor flowers: photos, causes and methods of struggle

In this section of the article, you will learn how to deal with some diseases of indoor plants and can see what the symptoms of the lesion look like.

Brown leaf edges

The reasons: excess or lack of water, excess soil that has lost its suitability, dry air. Control measures: optimize care, increase air humidity.

Twisted leaves

The reasons: low air humidity, dry land. Also, root damage can be the cause of this plant disease. Control measures: optimize care, if necessary.

Pale leaves (chlorosis)

In plants that prefer acidic soil, such as azalea and euphorbia. The veins of the leaves are still green. The reasons: hard water, iron deficiency. Control measures: soften the water, add an iron preparation to the water.

Light spots on the leaves

The reasons: temperature drops, too cold or too warm water. Moisturizing in the sun (for example, in the uzambara violet). Control measures: change location, optimize care, water from below.

Powdery mildew

Symptoms: powder-like bloom from white to dirty brown color on both sides of the leaves. The reasons: fungus spores. As you can see in the photo, you can fight this disease of indoor plants with the help of fungicides:

Control measures: for prevention, spray with horsetail infusion. Remove diseased leaves.

Gray mold

Symptoms: gray-brown bloom on leaves, petioles or flowers. The reasons: not suitable for spraying or cold water, too high humidity. Control measures: remove diseased parts of the plant, reduce air humidity, put in a brighter place.

Bacteria and viruses

Bacterial wet rot is found in alpine violet and indoor calla lilies. 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 plant:

Control measures: Not.

Mosaic virus

Affects primarily orchids, gloxinia, hippeastrum. Symptoms: light green and dark green spots. Control measures: Not. A kidney flush is most often caused by an imbalance in water balance. Either the plant lacked moisture, or as a result of excessive roots are damaged so that they cannot absorb and transport a sufficient amount of moisture. Some plants, such as stephanotis or camellia, shed their buds even when the location changes abruptly. Premature discarding of flowers is also a consequence of a change in the place of growth and is especially manifested when the plant is not sufficiently hardened. Inactive flowering may be due to genetic factors (some varieties bloom less than others) or a lack of phosphorus, a violation of the dormant period, or improper wintering. Cracked pedicels are thought to be the result of irregular watering. This can lead to tension in the tissues and rupture of the shoots. Rotting flowers or buds indicate a gray mold infestation. These photos show the symptoms of some diseases of indoor plants:

Houseplant pests: photos, causes and control measures

The most favorable time for pests of indoor flowers is the end of the heating period. Lack of light and dry air in the heated room expose plants to the danger of pests. During this period, spider mites and aphids especially often appear on plants. Summer and autumn are whitefly season. The best prevention will serve as a care that meets the needs of the plants. Choose the most suitable locations. In addition, more time should be devoted to observing the 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 stage of damage. Diseased plants should be isolated to avoid spreading the infection to other plants.

Spider mites

Symptoms: cobwebs under and between leaves. The reasons: too dry air. Control measures: increase air humidity, use a warm shower, add predatory mites. Also, special preparations are used to combat these pests of indoor flowers.

Soft-bodied mites

Symptoms: curled leaves, cessation of growth. The reasons: contamination promoted by warmth and high humidity air. Control measures: reduce temperature and humidity. Parts of indoor plants affected by this pest must be removed and destroyed.

Thrips

Symptoms: silvery strokes on the leaves. Look at the photo - when indoor flowers are affected by this pest, brownish traces of the introduction of sucking insects appear on the underside of the leaves:

The reasons: dry air. Control measures: warm shower. Insect traps, predatory mites, insecticides.

Whiteflies

Symptoms: small white flies on the underside of the leaves. The reasons: infection from other plants. Control measures: lower the temperature, since the tropical insect does not tolerate coolness. Traps, riders and insecticides are also used to combat this pest of indoor plants.

Symptoms: sticky leaves, leaf deformation. The reasons: draft, open windows in spring, air too dry. Control measures: warm shower, golden eyes, predatory gall midges, riders, insecticides.

Shields

Symptoms: brown shields under which insects sit. Pay attention to the photo - indoor plants affected by these pests shed their leaves:

The reasons: too dry and warm air. Pest control measures: place indoor plants in a cooler and brighter place. Remove shields. To get rid of these pests of indoor plants as quickly as possible, you need to use insecticides. For hard-leaved domestic crops, use white mineral oil or leaf shine spray.

Felts and mealybugs

Symptoms: cotton-like formations, primarily in the axils and on the underside of the leaves. Poor growth. The reasons: too dry air. Control measures with these insect pests of indoor plants are the same as in the fight against scale insects.

Nematodes

Symptoms: glassy or brown spots, limited by leaf veins. Leaf shedding. The reasons: contamination promoted by moisture on the leaves. Control measures: remove and destroy diseased leaves. Keep the leaves dry. Here you can see photos of the main diseases and pests of indoor plants:

Changes in plant leaves indicate the presence of pests, diseases, or care errors. A healthy leaf is strong with a flawless edge and tip. Pay attention to the metamorphosis 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 broken flowers signal the presence of pests such as aphids.

How to get rid of pests of indoor plants: methods of protecting flowers

There are several ways how 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 the affected parts of the plant.
Carry out the removal of pests, including rinsing them under the shower.
Submerge the aerial parts of the affected plant in warm water with a little detergent. The pot must first be placed in a plastic bag and tied on top.

Biological control methods are to use beneficial insects, eg:

Riders against whiteflies
Predatory mites against spider mites and fringed winged mites,
Carnivorous gall midges, gold-eyed or wasters against aphids.

Beneficial insects are the most effective remedy 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, and at 27 ° C and higher, success is in question. Biotechnical control methods use the natural reactions of pests to physical or chemical irritations:

The yellow plates are glue-coated insect traps that attract miner flies, whiteflies, sciarids, and other flying pests with their bright colors.
In the "bath for plants", due to the very high humidity of the air, spider mites are destroyed. To do this, you need to water the plant well and place it in a transparent plastic bag. Caution rot! Plants with soft leaves such processing is not tolerated.
Oily agents such as white oil clog the airways of insects. Leaf shine sprays work in a similar way.

Do not take pesticides right away. In many cases, the same effect can be obtained using completely harmless means. Chemicals should only be used as a last resort. If you have to use chemicals, then the following rules must be observed:

Follow the directions for use and dosage on the package.
Follow the recommended treatment intervals to eliminate new generations of pests.
Do not use sprays that are harmful to the environment.
Only process plants outdoors.
Wear gloves and do not breathe spray.
Store plant protection products in the sealed original packaging, out of the reach of children and pets.
Do not store leftovers chemicals, their effectiveness is quickly lost. Do not dispose of chemicals with normal household waste, but send them to special waste collection points.

The appearance of this pest cannot be confused with anything. This is a fairly large relative of the scale insect. The mealybug reaches up to 8 mm in length.

Female individuals of "hairy lice" have an undeveloped oval body, more characteristic of insect larvae. They lay numerous eggs in special sacs in the leaf axils. The shoots on which the pest lives are covered with a sticky waxy bloom of white.

Males are not at all like females - they have wings and normally developed limbs, the body is divided into sections and ends in a bundle of tail filaments

With the help of their oral apparatus, females and larvae easily pierce the surface of a leaf, bud or shoot and suck the juices out of it. Young worms are extremely mobile and easily move between plants. Sexually mature males do not feed, because as they mature, their oral apparatus atrophies.

Signs of a mealybug infection

To detect pests, it is enough to carefully examine the houseplant.

The main signs are:

drooping appearance, lethargy of leaves and shoots;
underdeveloped buds, deformed leaves;
white powdery bloom with lumps;
small "mosquitoes" (male worms) on the windows near the pots;
the presence of sticky mucus (honeydew) on all parts of the plant;
the presence of white blotches in an earthen coma during transplantation;
the presence of white oval insects.

Any of these symptoms may indicate the appearance of a worm. Not a single flower is immune to infection. For special control, you need to take citrus, amaryllid, cycad and palm plants, as well as cacti, violets and orchids.

Often suffers from an azalea pest, a photo of which is given in the article. The pest attacks young shoots. The leaves stop growing and begin to turn yellow. Azalea, a photo of which demonstrates its beauty, affected by insects, is losing its former appearance.

Harm to the plant

The mealybug literally draws out all the nutrients from the flowers, disrupting their growth and normal development. Sweet honeydew secreted by females provokes the development of associated fungal infections. Due to the sticky impervious coating, the breath of the green pet is impaired. This can lead to wilting and even leaf fall.

Mealy aphids (another name for worms) do not give preference to a certain part of the plant, affecting everything that comes in its path. Not only shoots, buds and leaves are under attack, but also the roots. If you do not start treatment as soon as possible, the worm will spread to the surrounding indoor plantings. In time, he will destroy them all. Therefore, you must immediately declare war if you notice mealybugs on indoor plants. How to deal with a pest will be described below.

Reasons for the appearance of a mealybug

Why do these harmful insects appear?

There are several main reasons:

The presence of eggs and larvae in the soil. It may even be infected purchased soil Therefore, it is very important to treat it with hot steam before use.
Transfer of larvae with newly acquired plants. New pets should be kept separate and periodically inspected thoroughly. You can put them next to the rest of the flowers, only after making sure that there are no pests.
Errors in care - low room temperature, stagnation of moisture in the soil, insufficient illumination, excessive fertilization. Improper care significantly reduces the immunity of the plant, provoking various diseases.
The presence of dust on the leaves, irregular removal of dry parts.
Untimely replacement of potted soil. Harmful insects can start inside a caked earth coma.
Poor quality water for irrigation.

Traditional methods of dealing with mealybug

Now you know what a pest is dangerous for plants. You can easily determine that the mealybug has settled on indoor plants.

How to deal with such an insect? With a small focus of infection, you can try to get rid of it without special means.

Popular home control methods:

Infusion of medicinal herbs... Horsetail, calendula can be used to process the plant. Powder purchased from a pharmacy should be brewed with boiling water. After the agent has cooled, the plant is treated with it. To prepare the infusion, use the following ratios: 100 g of horsetail (calendula) per 1 liter of liquid.
Garlic tincture. This is enough efficient method fight mealybug. Peel and chop a whole medium-sized garlic head. Pour in a liter hot water and let it brew for 4 hours. Garlic tincture is applied to the leaves and stem with cotton wool or a sponge.
Oil emulsion. Stir 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a liter of warm water. Spray the affected leaves with a spray bottle.
Soap-alcohol solution. For its preparation, it is better to take natural soap, without perfume additives. For 1 liter of water, 1 teaspoon of grated soap and 1 tablespoon of ethyl alcohol are enough. Spray the affected parts of the plant, avoiding getting the solution on the earthen ball. The procedure can be carried out once every 3 days. It is necessary to wash off the applied product one day after spraying.
Tincture of lemon and orange peel. A surprisingly simple recipe to effectively rid the plant of pests. Take lemon and orange peels and pour boiling water over them. The ratio is as follows: 30-50 g of zest per 1 liter of liquid. During the day, the remedy should be infused. Then treat your green pets with this infusion using a spray bottle.

Mealybug chemicals

With inefficiency folk methods or large foci of infection have to turn to chemical insecticides.

Widely available effective drugs against mealybug:

"Decis".
"Vertimek".
Tsvetofos.
Nurell D.
Phosphamide.
Bi-58.
Actellik.
Fitoverm.
Apploud.

There shouldn't be any special difficulties with such substances. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions and follow all safety precautions.

Affected plants should be quarantined. Usually 3-4 insecticide treatments are sufficient. If the pests still remain, you need to change the drug.

Precautions

Make sure that the drugs you use do not cause harm:

Chemicals should only be used in a well-ventilated area.
Avoid children and pets around.
Use personal protective equipment to avoid poisoning.

Preventive measures

Periodically inspect the green spaces carefully.
Transplant grown flowers regularly.
Inspect the earthen lump when transplanting. Flush the soil hot water(about 55 ° C).
Properly care for flowers according to their preferences.
Remove dying parts of the plant in a timely manner. Dried leaves can serve as a convenient shelter for various pests.
Before planting, scald the pots with boiling water, and steam the soil.
Observe quarantine measures for new plants.

Insects are an integral part of any ecosystem, but they have no place on the green window sills of apartments. Especially if a mealybug has appeared on indoor plants. You know how to deal with a pest. Therefore, use whatever methods are available. After all, healthy indoor plants without pests are actively developing and delight the eye with bright greenery and abundant flowering.