Mealybugs are very unpleasant pests.They attack indoor flowers. As a result, they develop poorly and have an unsightly look. In the people, these insects are called "shaggy lice" because of the large number of bristles and hairs on the oval body. The presence of the parasite produces white bloom on the leaves. And the worms themselves are visible to the naked eye. It is necessary to get rid of them immediately, because very soon they will spread to all the surrounding plants. Therefore, we consider the following question: "If a mealybug starts up on houseplants, how to deal with it?"
What is a mealybug?
The appearance of this pest is not to be confused with anything. This is a fairly large relative of the scale. Mealybug reaches 8 mm in length.
Female shaggy lice have undevelopedthe body is oval in shape, more typical of insect larvae. They lay numerous eggs in special bags in the leaf axils. The shoots on which the pest lives are covered with a sticky white wax coating.
Males are not at all like females - they have wings and normally developed limbs, the body is divided into sections and ends with a bundle of tail filaments
With her mouththe larvae easily pierce the surface of the leaf, bud or shoot and suck the juice out of it. Young worms are extremely mobile and easily move between plants. Mature males do not eat, because as they mature, their oral apparatus will atrophy.
Signs of Mealybug Infection
To detect pests, carefully examine the indoor plant.
Main features:
- drooping appearance, lethargy of leaves and shoots;
- underdeveloped buds, deformed leaves;
- white powdery coating with lumps;
- small "mosquitoes" (male of the worm) on the windows near the pots;
- the presence on all parts of the plant sticky mucus (honeydew);
- the presence of white patches in the earthen coma during transplantation;
- the presence of white oval insects.
Any of these symptoms can talk aboutthe appearance of a worm. No flower is immune from contamination. At a special control you need to take citrus fruits, amaryllis, cycas and palm plants, as well as cacti, violets and orchids.
Often suffers from pests azalea, photowhich is given in the article. Pest attacks young shoots. Leaves stop growing, start to turn yellow. Azalea, a photo of which demonstrates its beauty, affected by insects, loses its former appearance.
Harm to the plant
Mealybug literally pulls out of flowersall nutrients, disrupting their growth and normal development. Sweet honeydew, excreted by females, provokes the development of associated fungal infections. Due to the sticky impermeable coating, the green pet's breathing deteriorates. This can lead to wilting and even leaf fall.
Mealy aphid (another name for cherries) is notgives preference to a certain part of the plant, striking everything that occurs in her way. Under the blow are not only shoots, buds and leaves, but also the roots. If you do not start treatment as soon as possible, the worm spreads to the surrounding room plantings. In time, he will destroy them all. Therefore, you must immediately declare war, if you notice a mealybug in the indoor plants. How to deal with a pest will be explained below.
Causes of mealybug
Why do these harmful insects appear?
There are several main reasons:
- The presence of eggs and larvae in the soil. Even purchased soil may be infected, so it is very important to treat it with hot steam before use.
- Transfer of larvae with newly acquired plants.New pets should be kept separately and periodically carefully inspected. Put them next to the rest of the flowers can only be finally convinced of the absence of any pests.
- Errors in the care - low air temperature inthe room, the stagnation of moisture in the soil, insufficient light, excessive fertilizer. Improper care significantly reduces the immunity of the plant, causing various diseases.
- The presence of dust on the leaves, the irregular removal of dry parts.
- Untimely replacement of land in pots. Harmful insects can start inside a packed earthy coma.
- Poor water for irrigation.
Popular methods of struggle with mealybug
Now you know what a pest is dangerous for plants. You can easily determine that the mealybug has settled on houseplants.
How to deal with such an insect? With a small focus of infection, you can try to get rid of it without special tools.
Popular home combat methods:
- Infusion of medicinal herbs.For processing plants, you can use the horsetail, calendula. Powder purchased in a pharmacy should be boiled with boiling water. After cooling means, they are treated with a plant. To prepare this, use the following relationship: 100 g of horsetail (calendula) to 1 liter of liquid.
- Tincture of garlic.This is a fairly effective method of dealing with mealybug. Peel and chop whole medium garlic heads. Pour a liter of hot water and let it brew for 4 hours. Garlic tincture is applied to the leaves and the trunk with cotton wool or a sponge.
- Oil emulsion. In a liter of warm water, stir 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle affected leaves with a spray bottle.
- Soap-alcohol solution.For its preparation it is better to take natural soap, without perfume additives. At 1 liter of water is enough 1 teaspoon of grated soap and 1 tablespoon of ethyl alcohol. Spray the affected parts of the plant, avoiding getting the solution on the earthen room. You can perform the procedure 1 time in 3 days. It is necessary to wash off the applied agent a day after spraying.
- Tincture of lemon and orange peel.A surprisingly simple recipe that allows you to effectively rid the plant of pests. Take lemon peel, orange peel and pour boiling water over them. The ratio is as follows: 30-50 g of peel per 1 liter of liquid. During the day, the agent must be infused. Then treat your green pet with this infusion using a spray bottle.
Powderworm Chemicals
With the ineffectiveness of 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".
- "Actellic".
- "Fitoverm".
- Aplaud.
Special difficulties with such substances should arise. The main thing - carefully read the instructions and follow all precautions.
Affected plants must be quarantined. Usually 3-4 treatments with insecticides are sufficient. If the pests still remain, you need to change the drug.
Precautionary measures
Take care that the drugs used do no harm:
- Use chemicals only in well ventilated areas.
- Eliminate the presence of a number of children and pets.
- In order to avoid poisoning, apply personal protective equipment.
Preventive measures
To destroy the parasites that have already appeared is very difficult. It is much easier to prevent their occurrence, observing simple preventive measures:
- Periodically carefully inspect the green spaces.
- Regularly replant grown flowers.
- Inspect earthen room when transplanting. Rinse the ground with hot water (about 55 ° C).
- Properly care for colors according to their preferences.
- Remove dead plant parts 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.
- Comply with quarantine measures for new plants.
Insects are an integral part of any ecosystem,but on the green windowsills of apartments they have no place. Especially if there was a mealybug on the indoor plants. How to deal with a pest, you know. Therefore, use any available methods. After all, healthy home plants without pests are actively developing and delight the eye with bright greens and abundant flowering.
