Pests of indoor plants. Photo and name, how to fight

Whitefly

Pests of indoor plants (photos and names of insects are presented in the article for basic reference) in the form of whiteflies have a body length of up to 2 mm. A distinctive feature is the body, which has a yellowish color and white wings.

You can detect the parasite as follows:

• on foliage from the underside;
• along a sweetish trail, in place of which a sooty fungus appears.

The insect feeds on plant sap, which leads to loss of its attractiveness. It can be found on pelargonium, begonia and hibiscus. You can fight the pest by washing the foliage with a solution of laundry or liquid soap, sticky traps or ash. Plants can be sprayed with insecticides such as “Prestige”, “Commander”, “Aktara”.

Diseases

Sticky leaves on indoor plants - causes and control

Due to gross mistakes in caring for house flowers, the latter often develop various pathologies.

White coating on the soil

There are two types of white plaque on the ground in potted indoor plants:

1. Dry. These are salt residues from evaporated hard water. The problem can be eliminated by watering the plant with soft water. To soften, you will need to boil water or freeze it. You can also use melt or rain water.
2. Soft and moist. This means that the soil has begun to mold.

White coating on flowers

If the plant tissues begin to turn white, it means that the flower has been attacked by powdery mildew. The leaves are covered with a white coating similar to cotton wool. The reason is a fungal infection. Favorable conditions for its spread are high air humidity, sudden changes in temperature, excessive fertilizing containing nitrogen, and lack of calcium.

If indoor flowers have a white coating like cotton wool, how to treat the plant:

1. The flower is isolated;
2. Apply a systemic fungicide (for example, Topaz).

Why does soil in pots become moldy?

Mold on the soil appears due to excessive watering of the plant and high humidity in the room. To fix the problem you will need:

• Reduce watering;
• Add new soil;
• Treat the soil mixture with an antifungal agent.

Sooty fungus

The disease is otherwise called mob. The pathology is fungal in nature and mainly affects young and weak plants. Favorable conditions for fungus are high humidity and poor ventilation in the room.

Symptoms:

• Formation of black or gray stains on stems, fruits and leaves.
• At first, plaque appears in the form of spots, which then unite with each other.

Treatment and prevention:

• Reducing humidity levels up to 50%.
• Regular ventilation of the room.
• Spacious flower content.
• Treatment of trunks before the start of the growing season with copper sulfate containing lime.
• Feeding.
• Treatment of infected plants with insecticides.
• Removing plaque with a wet sponge.
• Removing severely damaged leaves.

Sooty fungus

Knowing what pests of indoor plants look like, how their various diseases manifest themselves, and why they arise will help you notice the problem in time and save the flower from death.

Fungus gnats

The fungus gnat is presented in the form of a black midge that sucks juice from the roots of plants. They can appear on any indoor plants. To detect the pest, it is enough to remove the top layer of soil.

You can fight insects by drying the soil mixture in a pot. Such drugs as “Mukhoed”, “Aktara” and “Inta-vir” will help to remove the larvae. Additionally, you can use Raptor spray.

Root mealybug

This type of pest poses the main threat to the root system of plants. The parasite can be detected either in the ground or on the lower part of the plant stems, by a whitish coating. Females reach a length of up to 2.5 mm, while they are larger than males and much more mobile. Pests are distinguished by their almost cylindrical body shape, covered with a waxy coating. Females lay eggs in special chambers formed by special secretions.

Males are more like whiteflies. As adults, they quickly die because they stop feeding. Therefore, females make up the main population of these pest colonies.

It is important to know! The presence of such insects on indoor plants leads to the fact that the plants lose their attractive appearance. In addition, damaged plants begin to suffer from fungal diseases.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars are small worms with a body length of up to 2 cm. The larvae are variegated or monochromatic in color. They feed on the fleshy part of the green mass; some representatives wrap the leaf in a silk thread. The appearance of caterpillars is fraught with damage to the plant’s immunity. It weakens and can be susceptible to various diseases.

Pests can be found on cyclamen, balsam or geranium. You can protect the plant from the caterpillar by treating the foliage with a soap solution and then washing it with hot water.

Weevil

Pests of indoor plants (photo and name will help gardeners correctly identify a dangerous insect on a flower), presented in the form of weevils, have a body length from 1 mm to 3 cm. The body shape is oblong and slightly flattened.

The color can vary from black to yellow, and in some cases spots can be found on the surface of the body. A characteristic feature is the elongated front part of the head, due to which the insect got its name.

The weevil does not go through plants, so it can be found almost anywhere where crops are present.

After laying eggs, the larvae eat the buds, which causes a lack of flowering. Adults chew on foliage and petals, leaving indentations. If an insect penetrates the roots, the crop dies. The pest must be controlled by spraying the plant with preparations such as Bona Forte, Fitoverm and Actellik.

General pest control measures and their types

It is necessary to understand that pests of indoor plants and the fight against them have common fundamental features, taking into account which greatly simplifies the task of preserving your favorite green splendor. According to the methodology, all wrestling techniques are divided into several groups:

• mechanical collection;
• use of herbal preparations;
• chemical treatment.

Mechanical techniques

Mechanical removal of dry, rotten, gnawed parts and collection of larvae, pupae, and adults of sufficiently large size. This method is effective if slugs, caterpillars, scale insects, whiteflies, earthworms, centipedes, and woodlice are found.

Lovers of damp, secluded places - slugs come out to feast on lush greenery mainly at night. They reach three centimeters in length, but they can only be detected by indirect indicators, such as large holes eaten away or entirely eaten leaves. The most commonly affected crops are those placed on balconies: gladiolus, phlox, carnation, iris.

To lure out pests, cut potato tubers are placed, under which slugs hide during the day. All that remains is to collect them. You can fill the soil with ash, lime and their mixture in a 4:1 ratio, and pollinate the entire crown with tobacco dust and lime mixed in equal parts.

Similar instances may appear if the pots were taken out into the garden in the summer. Sometimes caterpillars settle on flowers growing on balconies or window sills. Holes appear on the leaves; some species manifest themselves as curled leaf blades. It is better to search at night, when active life begins.

Scale insects got their name because of the dense waxy shell that protects them and makes them invulnerable to chemicals. Dimensions ranging from 1.5-4.0 mm make them easy to see on the leaves. Males have wings. There are many varieties of this type of pest.

Representatives of scale insects predominantly lay eggs, although viviparous varieties are found. They settle on all surface parts of the plant, but remain motionless in adulthood. With large clusters, the plant loses its foliage. The honeydew, a sticky liquid secreted by scale insects, becomes an excellent bait for sooty fungus, which further inhibits the growth of palm trees, asparagus, oleander, cyperus, aucuba, ivy, citrus fruits and other plants they love. It is easier to collect single specimens. During mass reproduction, they are washed off with soapy or weak concentrations of vinegar water with a brush, and then the crown is sprayed with a chemical.

These relatives of scale insects have a yellowish body up to three millimeters in length with wings covered with a waxy whitish coating, giving them a moth-like appearance. One female lays 130-280 eggs. They often settle on balsam, begonia, pelargonium, and fuchsia. Leaves from which the juice is sucked quickly lose their green pigmentation and fall off. Due to rapid reproduction, it is necessary to spray the crown after three days using garlic infusion or parathion solution. You can hang sticky tapes and wash off the larvae with a sponge.

The second name for these dangerous beetles is grape elephant. Traditionally, these flower pests settle on begonia, fuchsia, primrose, and cyclamen, although they do not disdain other varieties. Adults eat foliage and can be easily spotted and collected. It is more difficult to fight larvae that carry out their harmful activities in the soil, eating bulbs, root shoots, and tubers. You have to water the earthen ball with Intavir or completely move the flower into a new pot.

These naturally useful organisms, having settled in a pot, begin to eat all the underground parts of the plants, experiencing a deficiency in the organic matter that serves them as food. Having discovered characteristic earthen mounds, it is necessary to water with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. To lure worms out of their holes, the pot is immersed in warm water.

1. Centipedes

Small insects, similar to a caterpillar with numerous legs, crawl into pots taken out of the garden. They are fully capable of eating the lower parts, destroying the crown, so it is necessary to cover the soil with ash. To collect centipedes, place a piece of linoleum near the stem, under which they will hide.

Due to their nocturnal lifestyle, these rather large insects cannot be detected immediately, since they feed mainly on roots and soil organic matter. They cause serious damage because at night they happily feast on leaves, leaving holes. Of the chemical compounds, only pyrethrum is effective against woodlice. It is easier to set up a trap from a fresh potato tuber with the core removed, placed near the stem, into which they crawl and accumulate.

1. Earwigs (mites)

This pest has a dark brown body and two tick-shaped appendages. Insects come out at night to feed, gnawing holes in the petals and leaf blades. At this time, shaking off the crown, you can collect them.

Biological activities

When breeding at home, it is advisable to make biological remedies against pests of indoor plants preferential in use. They are environmentally friendly and effective when prepared and used correctly.

Both fresh and pre-dried raw materials are used:

• capsicum;
• yarrow;
• potato tops;
• dandelion;
• bulb onions;
• pharmaceutical camomile;
• calendula;
• garlic.

Raw materials collected in dry weather are well dried under a canopy and stored in paper bags. Prepared decoctions can be stored for a short time in hermetically sealed glass bottles in the refrigerator. Plants should be treated with a special sprayer in the morning. There should be no children or animals in the room. In the evening the room is ventilated. If pollination with powder is required, it can be wrapped in gauze and gently shaken over the crown.

Chemical activities

Chemicals are used in situations where pests of houseplants have become widespread and alternative safer measures have failed to control them.

Actions with toxic compounds require special precautions:

• removal of any food products;
• in summer, take the plant to the balcony;
• in winter, carry out the processing process with the window open;
• do not smoke while working;
• use personal protective equipment: respirator (or gauze bandage), gloves, gown, scarf;
• at the end of the procedure, you should wash the floor in the room where the chemical event took place, and then wash your face and hands with soap;
• drugs are stored tightly closed with airtight lids, out of reach of children.

Root mites

The root mite is small in size, has up to 3 legs, an oval light transparent body and sharp antennae. Destroys the onion from the inside; if you try to put pressure on it, it will fall apart and turn into dust. Root mites eat bulbous plants such as hyacinths, tulips, orchids and gladioli.

If an insect attacks a plant, it must be treated with insecticides, and diseased flowers must be isolated from healthy ones. The diseased crop must be removed from the soil layer, the roots and bulbs washed and soaked in an insecticidal solution. For prevention, pots in which infected plants grew should be washed and boiled for 20 minutes.

Mining flies

Mining flies are presented in the form of small insects with transparent gray wings and a body length of up to 3 mm. They lay translucent, whitish or yellowish eggs on the underside of foliage. Generation duration ranges from 20 to 35 days.

Harm to the plant is caused when its tissue is pierced by drinking the juice. The pest can be found on chrysanthemums and violets. If masonry is detected, the affected leaf will need to be removed and the plant treated with one of the following preparations: “Karbofos”, “Aktellik”, “Aktara”, “Tanrek”, “Apache”.

woodlouse

Indoor plants can be attacked by an insect pest called Woodlice, which has an oval-shaped body with a small bulge at the top (the photo will help you recognize the insect on the crop). The parasite belongs to the family Crustaceans and Isopods.

Eats plant roots, fresh rotted organic matter, underground shoots and soft tissues of crops located near the surface of the substrate. Loves dark and warm conditions. The insect emerges from its hiding places at night. Since it leads a hidden lifestyle and is small in size, it can cause significant damage to the flower.

The pest can be recognized by lesions in the form of holes or pits in the soft parts of the flower. Appears on cacti, ferns and orchids.

For prevention, you should constantly remove any remaining vegetation in the container. To prevent wood lice from getting on the crop, containers must be placed on a pallet.

The fight against woodlice is based on the use of a drug called Pyrethrum, since insecticides have practically no effect on the insect. Another means of control is traps. One of them can be created from a potato, cleaning it from the inside and placing it next to the plant in a pot. Over time, all the insects will accumulate inside the trap and can be removed.

Slugs

These quickly multiplying and very active pests usually don’t care whether they chew seedlings or adult plants, although, of course, they prefer the tender pulp of young sprouts.

You will see irregularly shaped holes, and even traces of mucus - harm is certain.

During the day, naked slugs hide in shelters in damp places (high air temperatures and direct sunlight are destructive for them), and at night they “feast” on young greenery.

The main measure to combat slugs is to collect them daily by hand or install traps with a taste bait, where they crawl en masse.

If there are a lot of shellfish, first you can try preparations based on iron phosphate (Ferramol, Ulicide, etc.) and flavor bait. Granules should be scattered over the soil surface in places where pests accumulate. The active ingredient of such products is safe for humans and animals and over time decomposes in the soil by microorganisms, but poisons slugs.

More effective, but also unsafe means are molluscicide preparations (Slug Eater, Groza-3, Predator, StopUlit) based on metaldehyde or copper compounds. Unfortunately, these products are also quite poisonous to humans, birds and animals (hazard class 2-3), so they must be used with great care and with all precautions.

If you are a supporter of exclusively environmental methods, look for nature-safe biological products based on parasitic nematodes.

To prevent slugs on the site, it is important to follow agricultural practices and maintain order - do not forget to thicken the plantings, follow the watering schedule, mow the grass on time, remove plant residues and debris, and plow the soil deeply.

• How to deal with slugs on the site: folk remedies and chemicals

  Spring has arrived, which means numerous pests are awakening. Some of the most unpleasant are slugs, which can destroy almost all plantings.

Mealybug

The body of the mealybug is covered with a powdery coating that resembles fur. Grayish or cream-colored parasites are easy to spot against the green background of the plant. They gather in small groups and secrete honeydew.

The liquid attracts fungus, which becomes an additional threat to the plant. The louse digs into the soft tissues of the flower and sucks the juice out of it. The pest appears on orchids, fuchsias, palm trees, hibiscus, and cacti.

If detected, foci of infection must be immediately treated in one of the following ways:

• treatment with soap solution, which is made from 1 tsp. grated laundry soap diluted in 1 liter of water;
• you will need to completely change the soil, rinse the root system of the flower with hot water, the temperature of which reaches 50 °C;
• wiping the affected areas with an alcohol-based solution;
• manual collection of insects followed by washing the green mass of the plant under a shower head.

Plants can be treated with chemicals such as Karbofos, Aktara, Confidor.

The most common pests of indoor plants and how to combat them

Scale insects, false scale insects and the fight against them

Scale insects are sucking pests of the Hemiptera family, feeding on plant juices. They parasitize stems and the undersides of leaves, weakening the plant and leaving sticky excrement on which sooty fungus develops. When a plant is massively infested with scale insects, you can observe how the smooth surface of the leaves is covered with small tubercles of attached pests. Male scale insects are capable of flying, but do not have a mouthparts, since they live very little, and the oval or round females are covered with a dense shield - a waxy shell that protects them from mechanical damage and the effects of chemical agents. Scale insect larvae are very similar to females, but do not have a protective coating. The following types of scale insects are found on indoor plants:

• Californian;
• palm;
• pink;
• ivy;
• cactus;
• laurel;
• oleander.

Scale insects parasitize many indoor plants, but most often they tend to invade lemons and orchids.

False scale insects are also dangerous sucking pests, close relatives of scale insects, but their shell is not covered with wax. In indoor culture there are large and voluminous hemispherical pseudoscale insects, from which ferns, myrtles and asparagus suffer more than other plants. Pseudoscale insects also leave sticky sugary excrement on the leaves of occupied plants - honeydew, which is a favorable environment for the proliferation of fungal infections, in particular sooty fungus.

Control measures: Inspect the plants regularly, remembering to check the underside of the leaves. If a small number of scale insects are detected, it is easier to get rid of them by removing them along with the leaf. If scale insects have managed to reproduce, adult individuals must be removed from the plant mechanically: with a toothbrush soaked in soapy water or alcohol, after which the affected areas must be wiped with a weak solution of vinegar. The larvae are destroyed over a two-week period by treating the ground organs of the plant three times with a solution of 30 g of green potassium soap in 1 liter of water, an infusion of garlic or a solution of an insecticide, for example, Aktellika, Karbofos, Aktara or Fitoverma.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are sucking insects that also belong to the Hemiptera family and also feed on plant cell sap. These oval-shaped, fluffy, jointed bugs, no more than 5 mm in size, have a white, waxy coating, settle in the axils of leaves, on stems and, when crushed, release an orange liquid. Clumps of scale insects look like lumps of white cotton wool. On a plant infested with pests, the leaves become limp, turn yellow and fall off. The scale insects also attack the root system of flowers, and as a result they stop growing and developing. Succulents and cacti are most often affected by mealybugs.

Control measures: first, pests must be removed from external organs with a damp cotton pad. If the roots of the plant are affected, the soil and pests must be washed off from them, the damaged areas must be removed, after which the plant should be treated with an insecticidal systemic intestinal preparation: the aforementioned Actellik, Aktara, Fitoverm, Karbofos or the equally effective Iskra-bio, Karate and Inta-vir.

Thrips

Thrips are small black or dark brown bugs about 1.5 mm long. Like other sucking pests, they appear on plants in conditions of high temperature and low air humidity, preferring to settle on the underside of the leaf blade, where they are difficult to detect. Female thrips lay their eggs in tiny holes they make in buds or leaves. You can recognize the presence of thrips by the whitish-silver pattern and small black dots on the leaves. As a result of the vital activity of thrips, plants stop developing, their affected flowers are deformed, and the shoots are bent. More than other indoor plants, fuchsia, codiaum and begonia suffer from thrips.

Control measures: the leaves of a plant infected with thrips are washed with a soapy solution made from laundry soap. Among chemical agents against thrips, it is better to use systemic preparations, since contact insecticides are ineffective. Vertimek, Nurell-D, as well as two-time treatment of the plant with an interval of 7-10 days with a solution of 2 g of Pyrethrum in 1 liter of water showed good results in the fight against thrips. Among the folk remedies used to kill pests are a decoction of cyclamen tubers, an infusion of tobacco and yarrow.

Aphid

Indoor aphids are black, green, orange or gray and do not exceed 3 mm in size, although they are usually smaller - about 1 mm. The offspring of aphids mature within a week after birth, and during one growing season the pest produces from 8 to 10 generations. Aphids feed on plant sap, making small punctures in the leaf blade. Aphid excrement is honeydew, which spoils furniture, and when plants are completely occupied by aphids, sooty fungus can develop in places covered with this sweetish coating. Plants that are overfed with nitrogen fertilizers or suffer from irregular watering are vulnerable to aphids.

Aphids accumulate on the undersides of leaves and stems, grouping around growing points. The pest primarily affects buds, young leaves and shoots. When there are too many aphids, flying individuals appear among them, which can easily move to other flowers and plants. The worst harm of aphids is that they are carriers of viral diseases for which there is no cure. This pest gives preference to roses, fuchsias, abutilon and aroid crops, although it can also damage other plants. Ficuses and milkweeds that secrete milky sap, as well as hard-leaved bromeliads, suffer the least from aphids.

Control measures: at an early stage of occupation, aphids can simply be removed from the plant with a damp cotton swab or washed off with warm water by immersing the plant in it. But for large-sized plants and newly transplanted plants, this method is not suitable. You can get rid of aphids by spraying the infected plant several times with a soap solution. When using insecticidal preparations, you should remember that they need to be alternated, because aphids easily get used to the chemicals and will stop reacting to them. The same Actellik, Aktara, Fitoferm are effective against the pest; treatments with Antitlin, Pirimicarb, Derris and Permethrin give good results.

Whatever you use to treat the plant against aphids, do not forget to wash it thoroughly after a while to remove a lot of dead pests.

Whiteflies

Externally , whiteflies resemble small white moths. They, like other pests, settle on the underside of leaves. If the plant is disturbed, butterflies fly over it in a white cloud. Whiteflies feed on plant sap, secreting honeydew, which is parasitized by sooty fungus. Most often, whiteflies inhabit flowers and plants with thin, delicate leaves: begonias, pelargoniums, impatiens. As a result of the activity of pests, plant leaves turn yellow and fall off.

Control measures: unfortunately, insecticides can only destroy the adult whitefly, so plants affected by pests will need to be treated with chemicals regularly every 10 days. Resmethrin, Permethrin, Pirimifos-methyl are effective against pests. It is advisable to use yellow sticky traps against whitefly imagoes.

Sciarids (fungus gnats)

Sciarids in the form of larvae enter our homes along with the soil, develop in it and turn into small grayish-black flies, but remain to live in the substrate, leaving it only during watering or other care activities. The larvae can damage the roots of weakened plants or feed on the tender roots of seedlings. Waterlogging and excess nutrients in the substrate contribute to the proliferation of these pests. So, how to get rid of flower midges on indoor plants?

Control measures: mosquitoes can be destroyed by watering the soil with a solution of Malathion or Permethrin, after which a moderate regime of watering and fertilizing should be established.

Nematodes

Nematodes - microscopic worms not visible to the naked eye - infect indoor plants infrequently, but if they appear, then the plant will have to say goodbye: nematodes damage the roots, which begin to rot and die, and as a result, the leaves of the affected flowers wither, shrink, stop developing and fall off . Large swellings on the roots of the plant are a sure sign of the presence of nematodes.

Control measures: you can try to save ficus or philodendron from nematodes by heating the pot with the plant for an hour in water at a temperature of 50 ºC, but other plants are unlikely to be able to withstand such a procedure.

Nematode

Pests of indoor plants (the photo and name will allow you to identify the insect that appeared on your home crop) can be presented in the form of microscopic nematode worms that parasitize the tissues of flowers from the inside. The reason for their spread is soil mixture contaminated with eggs. Nematodes can be root or leaf nematodes.

In the presence of a root pest, tumor swellings develop on the roots. Because of this, the root system stops working. The foliage begins to lose turgor. In advanced cases, small shiny black-brown balls may be present on the roots, if the soil is removed from them. These galls can withstand toxic chemicals and heat treatments.

If a crop is affected by a leaf parasite, the green mass stops growing. Dry streaks in the form of spots form on the plate. From below, between the veins, shiny spots of red or brown color develop.

Later, the foliage begins to turn yellow, thin and deform. As a result, it dries out or rots. Brown scars form on the flower buds. Plants such as cactus, begonia, ficus, dracaena or lily may be susceptible to insect attack.

Pest control method:

1. If infected with a root nematode, re-root the flower with a cutting or leaf.
2. Remove or burn the mother crop with the soil layer.
3. Sterilize the pot in which the plant grew.

Nemafos and Dekaris are suitable chemicals. The culture can also be disinfected using hot water, the temperature of which can be from 45 to 90 ℃. Heat treatment lasts from 5 to 30 minutes.

Ticks

Cyclamen (strawberry) mite

The strawberry or cyclamen mite affects indoor plants such as pelargonium, saintpaulia, balsam and cyclamen itself. These small arachnids accumulate at the ends of shoots, the underside of leaves, in flower buds and in large numbers look like dust settled on the external organs of the plant. Mites feed on tissues, causing plant organs to become wrinkled, deformed and covered with light brown spots. Affected buds wither and flowers lose color. Cyclamen mites thrive in conditions of high humidity and are able to reproduce quickly even in winter.

Control measures: Fitoverm, Actellik, Aktara, Akarin and other drugs that have a similar effect are effective in controlling pests.

Insecticides have little effect on arachnids, so acaricides or insectoacaricides are used to kill mites.

Spider mites

Red spider mites are practically invisible to the eye, but if you carefully examine the leaves, you can find tiny discolored areas on them - pest bites through which they suck out the plant sap. Of all the pests of indoor plants, spider mites pose the greatest danger. They form numerous colonies at the tops of the shoots and entangle the leaves with the finest web. Ticks, like other sucking pests, are carriers of incurable viral diseases.

Spider mites can only live in extremely dry air conditions, so regular spraying and showering of plants reduces the risk of these pests appearing on indoor flowers. A good preventative measure against ticks is to ventilate the room.

Control measures: shoots affected by mites must be removed, then the plant should be sprayed with water and immediately placed under a plastic bag for three days. Those plants that do not tolerate air humidity well will have to be treated with an acaricide, the solution of which must be generously moistened with external organs on all sides. Small plants can be completely immersed in a fifty percent acaricidal solution. Actellik, Aktara, Kleschevit, Fitoverm, Karbofos, Akarin and similar drugs work well against ticks, but you should know that ticks quickly get used to the active substance, so acaricides need to be alternated.

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Armored mites

Armored mites have a dark brown or black body with a shiny tint. Its dimensions reach approximately 0.9 mm. Brown or orange-brown eggs can be immediately noticed on the flower.

Pests can crawl throughout the crop, but eggs are laid only in decaying organic matter, namely, on dead yellowed foliage that has not been removed, in rotten roots and fallen leaves. They require moist soil and a moist environment to thrive. As a result, the plant stops developing, dries out and ultimately dies.

Dangerous insects often attack orchids. To eliminate the problem, you can use insecticidal compounds in the form of “Sunlight”, “Nisoran”, “Vermitek”, “Apollo” or “Fitoverma”. However, insects can adapt to chemicals. In this regard, the plant can be re-treated with drugs from a different chemical group.

What do pests look like?

Pests of indoor plants can cause harm and lead to the death of green spaces if they are not dealt with. Let's look at the most common insects.

Aphid

Aphids can be seen despite their small size. They come in black and green. Insect colonies multiply rapidly: the female lays at least 150 larvae, which after 7 days themselves enter the reproduction stage.

Females of the third generation have the ability to fly. They move onto any indoor plants and lay larvae. Diseases are transferred to flowers on their paws, for example, different types of flower mosaics. Getting rid of aphids is not as easy as it seems.

Shchitovka

Scale insects on indoor plants are a dangerous pest; they love to settle on cuttings, leaves, and stems. It is not difficult to detect: it is flat, oval, with the lower part of its body tightly adjacent to the substrate.

These pests are different. Real scale insects hide under their shells, just like turtles. False scale insects do not have this possibility, since this part of the body is inseparable.

The favorite colors of these pests are:

• lemons;
• oranges;
• tangerines;
• asparagus;
• oleanders;
• ivies;
• palm trees

Scale insects settle on the lower part of the leaf. Colonies develop quickly. Slowly moving dots appear on the leaves, somewhat reminiscent of plaques. The leaves around their habitat turn yellow. Insects suck out the juice of tender plants and shoots, depleting the plant. If you do not start a timely fight, indoor flowers die.

Spider mite

The most common pest of indoor flowers. Characteristic signs of damage: if the leaf is exposed to light, pinpoint punctures, whitish or yellowish, are visible. Gradually they merge into spots. The leaves turn pale and acquire a grayish tint. Then the leaves dry out and completely lose color. This is a typical pattern, 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 severely deformed and curled.

Adult parasites are reddish-brown or greenish in color and difficult to recognize on leaves and stems; females are prolific: hundreds of new eggs appear every three days. Without regular inspection, thousands of mites will quickly drink the juices, and the indoor flower will wither.

Thrips

Small flying insects with an elongated body, the color is a combination of black or dark brown on the top with reddish and yellow in the lower part. The pests are small – no more than 1.5 mm in length; they lay eggs on greenery and do not live in the soil.

It is not difficult to recognize the appearance of thrips: the leaves become grayish-brown below, silvery on top, and there are colonies of tiny pests on the lower part of the leaves.

Parasites drink the juice and deprive the indoor flower of nutritional components. Gradually, the leaves turn yellow, dry out, the buds become covered with small spots and become deformed.

The danger of the pest is not only the lack of nutrition for the affected parts of the plant. Parasites secrete liquid excrement, creating a favorable environment for the development of a serious disease - sooty fungus; with the active reproduction of harmful insects, indoor plants weaken and lose their decorative properties.

Whitefly

Whiteflies are, by and large, greenhouse insects. If you purchased flowers in these places, do not be lazy to examine them carefully. Even one female whitefly on indoor plants will produce huge offspring in a short time. Then the question will arise of how to fight. The pest's favorite flowers are fuchsias, ferns, and geraniums. The two-millimeter insect feeds on plant sap, and as a result it weakens and withers.

Mealybug

The tiny insect is difficult to see without a magnifying glass: its dimensions are no more than 6 mm, its white waxy coating, reminiscent of powder, protects pests from many insecticides.

The destruction of mealybugs requires care, regular treatment of affected flowers; insects settle in the axils of the leaves, entwining the leaves with a thin white cobweb. Optimal conditions for the development of scale insects are high humidity plus a temperature of +25 C, the parasites accumulate in groups, and the leaves seem to be covered with dirty white “cotton wool.”

Most parasites live on stems and leaves and suck out the nutritious juice. Some species parasitize the roots, depriving plants of nutrients. It is no coincidence that amateur gardeners consider the mealybug a dangerous pest: infected plants often die.

Fungus gnats

It often happens that flower growers notice small flies flying around their flowers, but do not attach any importance to it. And in vain, because the fly lays larvae in moist, fertile soil. The larvae are microscopic, so their appearance is not immediately noticeable. The danger of insects is that the smallest creatures feed on the root system of plants. As a result, the flower dies.

Black bugs (panzer mites)

They have a dark brown or black body, often with a shine, and measure about 0.7-0.9 mm. The eggs are tan or brown and also visible to the naked eye. They run away from the light source and immediately hide under leaves, onion scales, or in the soil.

They crawl all over the plant, but eggs are laid on decaying organic matter - fallen leaves, twigs in the ground, a tangle of rotten roots, on already dead yellowing leaves of plants that have not been cut (but only if they are in contact with the surface of the soil).

They develop only in a humid environment, damp soil.

White Podura

This insect can jump and lives directly in pots. It is distinguished by an elongated body, on which sparse hairs are visible. There are antennae on the head. Most often they appear in soils rich in humus.

The basis of nutrition is plant residues, but it does not disdain the living root system. It is clear that the eaten roots can no longer cope with their function, the plant slows down its growth and may die.

Spider mites

Spider mites are very small dangerous insects, measuring no more than 1 mm in size. Due to this, it is quite difficult to see them. When infected, small piercing dots and a silvery web appear on the leaf blade, which entangles flowers with leaves and shoots.

However, after the insect was discovered, the mite had already spread well throughout the plant. At the same time, he is able to move to other cultures with the help of scraps of web. Over time, the plant becomes completely covered with cobwebs. The insect begins to suck the juices out of it, causing the flower to dry out and wither.

Also, the crop may additionally develop a fungal infection.

Spider mites are mainly found on ficus trees, small roses, lemons and other citrus plants. It is quite difficult to eliminate the parasite, because the small colony remaining in the substrate can multiply again over time. In this regard, at the first symptoms of infection, insects must be destroyed immediately.

Methods to combat spider mites:

• “Actofit”, “Aktellik” or “Fitoverm” are suitable as chemical preparations. They are used according to the instructions indicated on the packaging.
• You can mix the detergent in a clean liquid and whip it into a thick foam. It is advisable to cover the substrate in the container with plastic, generously irrigating the above-ground part of the crop with whipped foam. The solution should be kept for 30 minutes, then rinsed off.
• Foliage that has been severely affected by the parasite must be removed.
• Treat the plant with infusion of basil, pyrethrum, hogweed or Persian chamomile. A composition based on water and tea tree oil is also suitable.

How to recognize white bugs in the ground?

Some parasites live not only in the soil, but also on the plant. Some species periodically crawl out of the ground to the surface. Such “uninvited guests” are easier to notice and destroy. But there are also those who are visible only when examining the soil after signs of plant infection.

Whiteflies

Often these parasites settle in greenhouses because they love warmth and humidity. With the warming of the climate, they began to appear en masse in garden plots, and the insect is almost omnivorous. It climbs from cucumbers to cabbage, then to tomatoes, etc. The whitefly does not disdain indoor plants.

However, in natural conditions its existence is difficult: the wind prevents insects from flying from place to place, and there are many who want to feast on the whitefly. Some types of bedbugs especially love to feed on their larvae.

Another thing is the window sill in the room. It’s warm, there are no enemies, the plants are located close to each other, it’s easy to migrate.

Signs of this pest appearing in flower pots:

• it is a small white butterfly, similar to a moth, up to 1.5 mm in size;
• the body is yellowish, the wings are covered with a peculiar white pollen;
• damage to the plant is caused by larvae that settle on the underside of the leaves and suck the juices out of them;
• the larvae themselves are pale green;
• like aphids, the larvae secrete a sweetish liquid in which sooty fungi settle - also parasites, from which the plant leaf turns black.

IMPORTANT! Before turning into a butterfly, the larva is covered with a kind of waxy coating. At this time, even insecticides have no effect on it.

It is very important to notice the colony as early as possible. These insects multiply quickly and destroy a large number of plants.

Caterpillars

Small light green caterpillars of leaf roller butterflies are also characterized by active damage to indoor plants:

• the butterflies themselves do not harm, but the caterpillars gnaw numerous holes in the leaves - this slows down the growth of the plant and leads to its death;
• the color of these pests is similar to the color of the foliage, but you can still notice them with the naked eye if you periodically inspect the flower;
• The most effective method of dealing with them is collection and destruction.

Severely affected areas are treated with insecticides. The treatment must be done several times with an interval of one day.

Fools

These small, nimble, whitish (and sometimes brown) insects are also called springtails. Initially they settle in the ground. Then the colony grows and rises up the plant from the roots. The pest is dangerous because it drinks the juices of not only leaves, but also roots.

There are several reasons for this:

• excessive soil moisture due to lack of drainage or frequent heavy watering;
• damp climate in the room;
• organic remains, for example, tea leaves, which are used as top dressing;
• fools love moss in a pot with an indoor flower;
• fallen dried leaves on the ground;
• the presence of fungal infections in the soil.

IMPORTANT! Poduras often start in the ground if the plant is weakened and dormant. Therefore, even in winter, when flowers are often placed in a shaded place, green pets should be carefully inspected.

The first sign of a possible appearance is a white coating on the ground. It often occurs in wet soil. If such a plaque is detected, you should place the earthen ball along with the root system in a bucket of water for about 15 minutes. The pests will quickly float to the surface. All you have to do is collect them.

Ticks

There are several types of so-called soil mites that readily settle in the soil of indoor flowers. It is impossible to notice them with the naked eye, but signs of their presence are quite easy to identify:

• obvious slowdown in plant growth, deformation of peduncles;
• putrid smell of soil after watering;
• small holes on the leaves;
• the dug up bulbs and tubers of the plant crumble into dust or are covered with mold.

IMPORTANT! Violets are especially susceptible to attack by this microscopic mite. In this case, they first stop growing, and then gradually begin to fade without any apparent reason for infection, even with feeding.

There is only one salvation: immediate replanting and removal of the affected roots. Disinfection of the flower pot is also necessary.

Flea-like bugs

These are sciarids. Most often they affect the root system of the following plants:

• aloe of all types;
• "Decembrist";
• ficus;
• azaleas.

Adults love to settle on the leaves of these crops, but do not cause them any harm. But the larvae are already digging into the soil and feeding on plant roots.

IMPORTANT! But adult insects, which jump and fly well, can cause a lot of trouble to humans. They land on food, dishes, etc. in large numbers and become carriers of infections.

The causes of these fleas are considered to be:

• contaminated soil;
• a large amount of organic matter in the soil;
• transplanting plants into containers that are too large;
• high soil moisture.

The pest can simply fly into the apartment from the basement if it is humid there. The fight against it should begin immediately after detection.

Spiders

The most common member of the arachnid family that harms indoor plants is the spider mite. If the room has dry air and the plants are not periodically sprayed or wiped, wait for this guest. Due to its small size (almost invisible to the naked eye), it is easily carried into the room by a simple blow of wind.

It feeds on plant juices and reproduces quickly. A large colony entwines the flower with a kind of thin web, after which the victim dries out and dies.

There are several varieties of the parasite:

• red – settles on roses, orchids, citrus fruits;
• wide - loves cacti and ficus;
• Atlantic - prefers palm trees;
• bryobia - loves exotic things;
• clover - prefers bulbous ones;
• cyclamen - settles on violet, chrysanthemum, gloxinia;
• ordinary - often found on roses;
• false - migrates everywhere and does not weave a web, it is extremely difficult to detect.

IMPORTANT! Eggs laid by a female tick in the ground or even in a crack in a window frame can remain viable for up to 5 years, waiting for favorable conditions. Therefore, it is very difficult to fight them, and it is a long process.

It is also impossible not to fight. If the plant is left unattended, it will die.

Thrips

These small bugs are also difficult to notice, but traces of their vital activity are clearly visible in the form of brown stains and yellow spots. Pests feed on plant sap and lead them to complete exhaustion.

There are more than 6 thousand species of these parasites in nature, but there are not many of those that attack ornamental crops:

• quarantine – one of the most voracious;
• Western - more often found on chrysanthemums;
• tobacco - the most inconspicuous;
• decorative – loves orchids very much;
• ordinary - drinks juices from buds;
• bulbous - prefers lilies.

INTERESTING! Thrips are attracted to the scents of certain flowers. But this bug prefers greenhouse ones.

Among other things, thrips carry dangerous fungal diseases. The green “pet” dies much earlier.

Mealybug

This parasite has its own characteristics:

• it is not difficult to notice, the size of the mealybug is from 3 to 5 mm;
• the body is covered with a powdery coating;
• the colony looks like pieces of dirty cotton wool;
• the insect has a long proboscis, with which it sucks the juice of the affected crop.

After such an invasion, the leaves curl and fall off. The stem becomes deformed and the roots begin to rot. After some time, the flower dies.

Fools

Poduras are also called springtails and springtails. Small, mobile and jumping insects are characterized by a white elongated body up to 2 mm long. They are mainly placed on the surface of the substrate. Some varieties of the parasite have a jumping fork under the abdomen. This is why the insects are sometimes called forktails.

They appear in the soil layer when indoor flowers are over-irrigated. They are often located on the surface or near the base of the container, closer to the drainage holes. Microorganisms and rotten plant debris act as food.

Parasites do not cause any particular harm to the crop, but after their appearance it is necessary to reduce the amount of irrigation, otherwise the substrate will sour and the roots will rot. If there are many insects on a flower, underground shoots and young roots are deformed. For this reason, the root system begins to function poorly.

During irrigation, they can float on the surface of the water and jump in different directions. Often, small earthen piles and excrement of a certain shape may remain on the surface of the substrate.

Violets, cyperus, dracaena, ficus, adenium, dieffenbachia, gardenia, and azalea may be at risk. To eliminate parasites, it is necessary to reduce the amount of watering or transplant the crop into a new soil mixture with a drainage layer. Any insecticide can be used as chemical preparations.

Sprout fly

The main pest of young plants in the very initial stages of their growth is the tiny yellow-gray sprout fly. Or rather, its voracious larvae, which “specialize” in the destruction of plants in protected and open ground.

In the middle zone, the larvae of the sprout fly begin to actively move in search of food - seeds in the soil and young shoots. Dirty-white small larvae (1-7 mm long) drill into cotyledons, stems and roots of plants near the growth point - it is by the rotting of seeds that do not germinate in the future, by small through holes in plant tissues and by the characteristic “fall” of seedlings that they can be identified. presence of a pest. Secondary pests, various pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic fungi often develop in damaged seeds and seedlings.

During the warm growing season, the sprout fly produces several generations; its pest activity is not limited to May - seedlings can suffer from insects throughout the summer.

To save plants from sprout flies, tear off all damaged leaves and spray the seedlings with Aktara, Iskra, Inta-Vir or Herold diluted according to the instructions (only for open ground conditions). Also very important:

• selective sowing time (not optimal with the advent of generations of insects);
• watering the seedlings through a tray (for the larvae to hatch, it is important that the top layer of soil is constantly moist);
• thorough pre-sowing or pre-planting soil treatment - steaming, calcining, treating with insecticides;
• for open ground - compliance with crop rotation, deep autumn plowing of the soil, careful removal of any plant residues from the site.

The larvae of some other dipterans (onion flies, leaf miners, soil and greenhouse mosquitoes, etc.) also produce very damage—burrows in the stems, eating the pulp of leaves to holes. Measures to combat them are similar to those described above.

Aphid

Aphids are quite rarely found on indoor plants. They are translucent, small individuals, reaching no more than 2 mm in length. They are the basis of the colony. A small part includes winged aphids, which invade new sites for colonization.

It is quite easy to spot a colony. Insects mainly focus on foliage or shoots, piercing their shell and sucking out the juice. The pierced areas will look like dark spots.

During their life cycle, parasites produce honeydew. It is a sweet liquid that can stick together buds and clog stomata. Ants like this dew, so they include it in their food.

When aphids appear, they must be destroyed immediately, otherwise additional ants may appear. In this case, parasite larvae may be located under the substrate. Pests generally prefer crops with very tender leaves. Ornamental deciduous varieties with small foliage are often attacked.

There are such methods of combating dangerous insects:

How to get rid of it: folk remedies

In the early stages, getting rid of scale insects is quite easy. You need to thoroughly clean the plant with a cotton pad, stick or soft brush. Alcohol and alcohol tinctures or soapy water will do. Next we will tell you what to do in each specific case!

Mealybug on orchids

Orchids are very delicate, so they require gentle and gentle methods. Remove the affected flowerpot away from the rest and thoroughly wipe the entire above-ground part of the plant with a mild soap solution. Use a soft sponge and brush in hard-to-reach places. Then spray the orchid with tobacco infusion (80 g per liter of water) three times at intervals of a week.

Photo: pot-flowers.ru

Mealybug on cacti

On cacti, scale insects most often settle at the roots or on the young crown. The same goes for succulents. Sure symptoms of parasites are slow growth, causeless death of young leaves and brown stains at the sites of bites.

In the case of unpretentious cacti, hot water of about 45-50 degrees is sufficient. You need to carefully rinse the plant under running water along with the roots and clean off all parasites with a brush. If there are very few pests, first try treating the areas where they are located with a garlic solution. Mash 25 g of garlic, pour a liter of boiling water and leave overnight.

Photo: nashgazon.com

Mealybug on violets

It can be problematic to notice mealybugs on violets, because here they also hide at the roots. If the damage is minor, you can try orange infusion: pour boiling water over the dry peels and leave for several days. Repeat spraying 3-4 times with an interval of 2-3 days.

In more advanced cases, we recommend not experimenting with traditional methods and immediately using one of the professional medications. If this does not help, you will have to remove the violet from the pot, thoroughly clean the roots and process the entire lower part. And then transplant into a fresh, disinfected substrate.

Photo: grizun-off.ru

Mealybug on ficus

First, remove all visible pests with a cotton pad or swab in a mild soap solution. It is better to remove the most damaged parts of the plant altogether. To detect mealybugs that have managed to hide, leave the flowerpot in a warm, damp place - and they will soon crawl to the surface.

A special green potassium soap is suitable for treating ficus. About 15 g of shavings are needed per liter of water, and the treatment is repeated three times. If there are not too many scale insects, wipe the damaged areas with a cotton pad in calendula infusion.

Photo: indoor.aleshamusic.com

Mealybug on dracaena

If there are only a few individuals, remove them from the leaves and treat them with a weak alcohol solution. To remove it again, it is convenient to use a cotton swab or toothpick. In addition, calendula tincture is also suitable here, which is enough to wipe the damaged areas.

On dracaena, spraying with an alcohol-soap solution works well - 10 ml of liquid soap and 10 ml of alcohol per liter of water. By the way, if you have an alcohol-containing skin lotion, you can try it. Finally, the leaves are treated with olive oil - 2 tablespoons per liter of water.

Photo: forum.bestflowers.ru

The most useful indoor plants: names and photos (catalog)

Trips

Pests of indoor plants (photo and name will help gardeners quickly eliminate the insect) thrips have a small oblong body, which can have a shade from yellowish to black. Body length no more than 3 mm. The insects are omnivorous but often appear on roses, geraniums, violets and hibiscus. Young shoots with foliage are vulnerable.

When infected, small punctures and yellow dots appear on the bush. Small excrement may also be found in the form of black spots.

Ways to eliminate the pest:

• Dilute anti-tick shampoo containing permethrin in a small volume of liquid. The composition should be well beaten into a dense foam and applied to the foliage and stems, leaving for 40 minutes. Then the product must be washed off.
• Among the insecticides, “Vermitek”, “Inta-vir”, “Fitoverm”, “Aktara” are suitable.
• Flowers with buds need to be removed because more parasites are found here.

Shchitovka

The scale insect looks like a brown growth 4 mm in size, which is located on the stem, in large quantities on the fruits and the back of the leaves.

The photo shows the most common pest of indoor plants - scale insects.

Insects stick to the crop, sucking out all the nutritious juices from it. As a result, the plant begins to turn yellow and slowly dry out. The situation can get worse if fungus appears in the cracks left by the parasite's jaws. Pests are mainly located on begonia, lemon, ivy, asparagus, fern, orchid, ficus and zamioculcas.

There are several methods of struggle:

• treatment with a strong soap solution;
• the use of chemicals in the form of “Aktellik”, “Aktara” or “Inta-vir”;
• washing the plant with a hot shower;
• remove insects by hand and brush all shoots with a soft brush.

Types of ticks

The most dangerous pests of indoor plants are species of mites. These representatives of arachnids are extremely small and are discovered when they have already caused significant damage. Many chemicals that target insects have no effect on them.

This pest often appears in a humid atmosphere and primarily affects cyclamens, although it can be found on pelargonium, Usambara violets, balsam, Kalanchoe, Saintpaulia, ivy, and schefflera. The leaf blades gradually curl up, the stems acquire a twisted shape, and growth stops. At the onset of the disease, pruning the infected parts helps. During a mass spread, the plant has to be completely destroyed, since even insecticides do not help.

The most common pests of indoor flowers, which settle on the underside of the leaves of almost any plant in colonies numbering hundreds of individuals. Optimal conditions are dry air and warmth. Adults and larvae actively suck out the juices, leading to complete thinning and falling of the leaves. An indicator can be a web that gradually entwines the entire crown. The first step is to isolate the container with detected traces of mites. Plants are washed with soapy water (it is advisable to use ordinary laundry soap without fragrances). Can be irradiated with UV lamp for two minutes weekly. Of the chemical compositions, only acaricides are suitable.

The tiny mite, which is almost constantly located in the soil, attacks the bulbs and does not respond to pesticides. If found at home, the container is immediately disposed of along with the plant.

Enhytrea

Enchytraea are oligochaete annelids, no more than 3 mm in length. The body is whitish, translucent, through which the digestive organs can be seen. They are mainly located on violets. When affected, the foliage turns yellow, withers and falls off. The plant stops growing and developing. Ultimately it dies.

Measures to combat the parasite:

• do not use a substrate that contains a lot of tea leaves, leftover leaves or decomposing organic matter;
• it is necessary to adjust the amount of irrigation;
• the soil mixture can be shed with Regent solution.

When pests appear, the photos and names of which were presented in the article, indoor plants begin to lag behind in development, become less attractive, and eventually die. Therefore, gardeners need to identify insects in a timely manner and eliminate them immediately.