Aphids on indoor plants: how to fight, complete information

Content:

The article describes in detail aphids on indoor plants: how to fight, complete information about the pest, mechanical, chemical and folk remedies.

In the garden or in the garden, the appearance of harmful insects is certainly very upsetting, but not surprising. But when we find pests on indoor plants, it is doubly sad, since in the conditions of an apartment we usually did not expect to encounter them. One of the most common pests is just aphids, these insects feed on plant sap, if measures are not taken in a timely manner, they can completely destroy not one, but all your plants. Therefore, as soon as you find these small pests, immediately start taking action.

There are many ways to deal with aphids in no time, let's take a look at some of them in more detail.

Aphids on indoor plants how to fight. Aphids - who is this?

Aphids are a rather small insect, the color of which can be very different: pinkish, green, white, yellow, reddish-brown, black. The body is always elongated - oval or drop-shaped, long extremities, eyes that can distinguish color shades and a proboscis with which insects pierce the shell of a plant. Individuals are both winged and wingless. But external differences do not affect anything - all insects inflict equally strong harm on plants. Insects reproduce at an incredible rate, if one specimen lays about 100 larvae on your plants, then in a couple of weeks it will be 100 adults, each of which will bring its offspring, settling in all available plants. Insects prefer fresh young shoots and buds, located on the stem and the back of the leaves. It is because of this location that we do not always immediately notice the appearance of aphids.

Aphids on indoor plants how to fight. How do aphids get into your house?

If everything is clear with garden plants, ants are most often responsible for the appearance of aphids. These insects exist in symbiosis, ants are great hunters of honeydew - the sweet liquid that aphids secrete. Then when aphids appear in the apartment, a reasonable question arises: where did it come from? And there are actually many options: a winged individual could fly into the apartment through an open window, it alone is enough to establish a colony. Or the insect has got into the house on your clothes or shoes, on the fur of your dog, after returning from a walk. Aphids could lurk in a bouquet of flowers given to you or on a new houseplant bought in a garden center. Or insect larvae could be kept in purchased soil, and in the conditions of an apartment they grew up and began their sabotage.

It is rather difficult to predict the appearance of these insects, but it is better not to put new purchased plants right next to the rest of the flowers. Keep them in another room for 7-10 days, organizing a kind of quarantine. If the plant was affected by aphids, then during this time the insects will manifest themselves, and one plant is much easier to cure than several.

To avoid trouble with purchased soil, always carry out prophylaxis before replanting plants.You can put a bag of soil in the freezer for a while, then defrost and wait a few days, and then freeze it again - this way you will get rid of any pests that, for one reason or another, could be in the ground.

Indoor aphids on indoor plants: how to recognize their appearance

Aphids on indoor plants how to fight. How do aphids get into your house?

Indoor aphids on indoor plants: how to recognize their appearance

If you find aphids at the very beginning of its appearance, then it will be possible to get rid of it very quickly, it will be enough just to crush a few insects and remove the larvae. If the rudiments of the colony are localized on one or two shoots, then the best solution would be to cut them off and discard (if possible, burn them). But it is very difficult to detect aphids immediately after emergence, this is possible only if you regularly and carefully examine the plants, well, or you are just lucky. More often, aphids are noticed when the affected area is already quite large and there are signs of pest activity:

-the plant withers for no apparent reason
-leaves become sticky from the honeydew secreted by aphids
-butons do not bloom, deform and fall off
- next to the affected flower, ants appeared, which were not even in the apartment before

Aphids not only drink all the juices from the plant, weakening it, they are also a carrier of various diseases. If there is too much honeydew, then a sooty fungus can form on the leaves. Indoor roses, various types of fuchsia, cyclamen, chrysanthemums, as well as all types of palms and orchids are most affected by aphids.

As soon as you find at least one insect, immediately move the plant to another quarantine room and immediately begin to destroy the pests in any way convenient for you. The rest of the plants can also be treated for prophylaxis.

How to choose a remedy for aphids on indoor plants

To completely get rid of harmful insects, you will have to do a job that is not so much difficult as painstaking. If the flower is completely covered with insects and the chances of saving it are practically zero, then you may have to resort to the most radical method - completely destroy the plant, and together with the earth. In this case, the pot will need to be thoroughly washed, disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate and not used for planting for some time. If the number of aphids is not so frightening, then you can fight using one of three methods: eliminate the enemy by hand, prepare a potion according to folk recipes, or arrange genocide with the help of chemicals. Chemicals are usually resorted to when everything else has already been tried, turned out to be ineffective and there are no more options, since initially few people want to spray insecticides on their living space. Therefore, flower growers begin with a mechanical method, and then they carry out processing with some folk remedy, in most cases this brings excellent results.

Mechanical method.

So, suppose you were careful or lucky and found insects in fairly small numbers right after they appeared. To kill pests, you will need to prepare a soapy solution. You can use absolutely any soap, but if there is plenty to choose from, then it is better to opt for laundry or tar soap (if it is in the form of a bar, rub it on a grater). To prepare the solution, you need one part of soap (liquid or grated) and six parts of water. Soak a soft cloth or sponge in the solution and wipe off all affected parts of the plant, while removing insects (it is best to do this with rubber gloves). After that, rinse the plant under running water, and repeat the entire procedure a day later. And so on until the pests completely disappear. The main thing is to remember that the larvae are usually located in the most unexpected places, so you need to carefully examine all parts of the plant (you may even use a magnifying glass, it is much more convenient).You may need to sacrifice some of the affected plant parts and prune them.
During processing, make sure that the soap solution does not get into the soil.

In addition to the soap solution, rubbing alcohol can be used for the same treatment. Do not be afraid that it will harm the plant, alcohol evaporates very quickly from the surface of the leaves, but at the same time it manages to damage the insects located there.

Aphids on indoor plants: how to deal with folk methods

To describe all the popular recipes for the preparation of solutions, infusions and decoctions to combat aphids, you will need to write not just a separate article, a collection of works could be published on this topic. Some do not fully trust such drugs, considering them ineffective. Others, on the contrary, use only such formulations and talk about how effective they are. One thing is for sure - they are absolutely environmentally friendly and do not harm either you or the plants, so here are some recipes according to which you can prepare a means to combat aphids. Unlike how we process garden plants from aphids - we spray them, indoor colors must be carefully wiped and made sure that the solutions do not fall on the ground. In cases where spraying is allowed, this is indicated in the recipe.

Tobacco infusion. Mix one part of tobacco with two parts of water and leave for two days. Then strain, dilute in half and gently wipe the affected plant. It is better to cover the surface of the ground with a plastic bag during processing.

Garlic infusion. Pass 30 g of garlic through a garlic press or finely chop with a knife (you should get gruel), stir in a liter of water and put in a dark place for a day. Then add a little soap and wipe the affected flower twice, and preferably three times with an interval of 4-5 days.

Citrus infusion. For cooking, you need 100 g of lemon and / or orange peels. They must be poured with a small amount of warm water and insisted for three days in a warm place, then wipe the plant.

Red hot pepper based solution. Finely chop 50 g of pepper, pour 100 ml of water and boil over low heat for an hour, then leave for 24 hours and strain. So you will prepare a concentrate, which will need to be diluted with plenty of water before use: 10 ml of concentrate per 10 liters of water.

Ash solution. To prepare two liters of solution, 100 ml of ash and 10 g of soap (liquid or grated) will be required, all components must be mixed and then filtered. Plants can be sprayed with this composition.

Mustard solution. 10 g of mustard powder must be dissolved in a liter of water and infused for two days. Then strain it and process the plants: in case of severe damage, the mixture can not be diluted, but if there are not very many insects, then dilute the composition with water 1: 0.5.

Coniferous infusion. Two liters of water and 450 grams of pine needles (both spruce and pine are suitable) must be infused for seven days. Then strain and dilute with water in a 1: 6 ratio. It is necessary to spray the plants with a break of 4 days at least three times.

Infusion of celandine. Stir 300-350 g of finely chopped celandine in a liter of water and leave for 24 hours. If there is no fresh plant, 150 g of dried raw material can be used. Treat the plant with the resulting infusion three times with an interval of several days.

Decoction of tomato tops. Finely chop a pound of tomato tops, add 1 liter of water and boil for half an hour. Then cool the broth, add a little soap and you can wipe the plants.

Aphids, for all their omnivorousness, do not tolerate the aromas of some plants, for example, velvet, geranium, mint and herbs. So if you place pots with these "guards" among your indoor plants, then the likelihood of aphids appearing will be extremely small.

Chemicals.

This, in my opinion, is the most controversial method.As in the case of folk remedies, you will need to carry out several treatments, since with the first spraying you will destroy only adult insects. And aphids quickly get used to and adapt to the drugs, so with each next treatment you will have to use a new insecticide. The choice in this case is very diverse, there are gentle and aggressive drugs, it is believed that some are absolutely harmless.

When choosing drugs, carefully study the instructions, for indoor plants you can use Iskra, Akarin, Fitoverm, Neoron, Confidor. If you opt for "Confidor", "Aktellika", or "Karate", then keep in mind that they smell rather harsh and unpleasant, so the room will need to provide good ventilation. The temperature in the room during processing should be + 20 ... + 25 degrees, it is always a pleasure to work with gloves and a respirator. Children and animals should not be at home on this and the next day, and it is better to process not only affected, but also healthy plants. Before preparing the composition, carefully read the instructions and carefully calculate the dosage. Pre-wipe the plants with soapy water. After finishing work, do not forget to pour out the remaining solution and wash everything thoroughly.

How to get rid of aphids on indoor plants: preventive measures

Any problem is easier to prevent than to deal with its consequences. So by taking preventive measures, you thereby reduce the likelihood of pests in your home.

Make it a rule to regularly inspect plants for pests.
Ventilate the apartment, it will benefit both you and the plants, only aphids like stuffiness.
Spray the plants, and periodically sprinkle with a shower (but do not forget that there are plants for which spraying is contraindicated).
Quarantine new plants.
Decontaminate the soil before planting by freezing or steaming.

For preventive purposes, treat plants with a composition prepared according to one of the folk recipes.
Get some especially fragrant plants at home (geranium, velvet, rosemary) that aphids do not like.
As you can see, it will be quite easy to add these actions to the general rules for caring for indoor plants, and then, perhaps, aphids will never visit your home.

Aphids on indoor plants how to deal