Scarlet: what kind of insect is this? The main types, harm, methods of struggle. Mealybug on indoor plants Mealybug on citrus fruits how to fight

All lovers of greenery in the house need to know what a mealybug looks like, how to fight on indoor plants with it, as well as the main methods of preventing pest infestation. These creatures look like aphids. Their size ranges from 3 to 7 mm. From above, pests seem to be sprinkled with flour. This substance protects them from drying out, since they do not have an external solid chitinous apparatus. Recognizing the presence of mealybugs is not difficult, as they form a specific cotton-like coating on the leaves. In these fluffy masses, the females of these pests can lay up to 500-600 eggs. This contributes to the very rapid spread of these creatures on neighboring colors.

If the degree of infection is low, it is quite possible to get by with folk remedies, which have a milder effect and are completely harmless to humans and pets. If the first signs of leaf damage were not detected in a timely manner, it is necessary to use more effective and efficient chemicals and agricultural practices to combat these creatures. In some cases, it is advisable to use all possible methods at once to more quickly eliminate pests from the leaves of indoor plants.

How to start the fight against mealybugs?

Usually the activation of these pests occurs in the spring and autumn time. The maturation of mealybug larvae largely depends on the temperature regime and the relative humidity of the air. This pest multiplies most rapidly at 25°C. For a long time, worms on indoor plants live in relatively small populations. In this case, they do not cause significant harm. While creating favorable conditions the numbers of these pests can increase rapidly. More often, mealybugs infect weakened plants that have not received necessary care or suffered from an excess of nitrogen that disrupts metabolism. On healthy young indoor flowers, these pests usually do not settle, as the plants have their own defense mechanisms that repel these insects.

In order to quickly get rid of the mealybug, you need to carefully examine the affected flower and, if possible, remove all the leaves and shoots that are most strongly covered with these creatures. It is necessary to isolate the infected plant from others. Among other things, you need to take the old soft toothbrush and, moistening it in a soapy solution, carefully remove insects from those shoots that cannot be removed. Moistened cotton swabs can also be used to combat plaque on indoor plants, but this is less convenient. If possible, you need to rinse the plant with running water after removing the existing foci of pest settlement. Such a procedure will reduce their number and increase the effect of the use of folk and chemical remedies designed to combat these creatures.

If the indoor flower has pronounced signs of damage by this pest, it is necessary to act in a directed way using special means. Currently, many chemicals have been developed that allow you to quickly eliminate these small insects.

The most commonly used include the following:

• Actellik;
• Aktar;
• Bankol;
• Inta-Vir;
• Vertimek;
• Karbofos;
• Tanrek;
• Confidor Extra;
• Fitoverm.

The cost of such funds, depending on their variety, can range from 10 to 120 rubles. With a strong infection of the plant, it is not easy to quickly get rid of the mealybug, since the flower is weakened and may even die soon. It is necessary to select an insecticide on an individual basis, since these pests have the ability to acquire resistance to drugs of this type. With a strong infection, it is better to start applying immediately. Aktar. It is a very powerful insecticide with a systemic effect.

If it was not possible to purchase this product in a flower shop, then to eliminate pests that have severely affected the plant, it is best to use Inta-Vir or Confidor. These drugs have a powerful effect, but at the same time they are relatively safe for humans. With severe damage to the plant, you can use Karbofos and Vertimek. These products have a high degree of toxicity, so they should be used very carefully. It is best to carry out procedures outdoors. This will minimize the risk to humans and animals.

If the defeat of the mealybug is mild, drugs can be used Aktara or Fitoverm. They are slower acting, but are considered safe. Any insecticide, regardless of their class, must be applied strictly following the instructions. To enhance their action after treatment, the houseplant should be covered with a transparent bag and left for several hours. It is very important for this period to protect it from direct sunlight so that the flower does not die due to an increase in temperature inside such an impromptu greenhouse. With a strong infection, it is best to treat the plant with insecticides at least 3-4 times. The interval between procedures should be at least 5-7 days. It is very important that the air temperature during the treatment of plants from the mealybug was at least + 22 ... + 24 ° C. If it fluctuates within + 11 ... + 20 ° C, this will significantly affect the effectiveness of insecticides.

Folk remedies for the fight against mealybugs

Many modern people are afraid to use special chemicals to eliminate pests from indoor plants. Folk remedies in this matter are less effective, but they do not have a toxin effect and cannot harm people living in the house. Such recipes can be successfully applied with a slight damage to plants by a mealybug.

The simplest, but at the same time quite in an efficient way Soap solution is considered to eliminate these pests. This product can be easily made at home. For its preparation, you can take cosmetic, tar and even laundry soap. Suitable and means intended for washing dishes. The soap solution should be thick. The more foam, the better. They need to process not only all the leaves and shoots of the infected plant, but also the windowsill, pallet and pot. This will increase the effectiveness of this folk remedy.

After treatment, it is necessary to leave the soapy solution on the plant for 2-3 hours, then rinse gently. To enhance the effect, you can add a few spoons to this remedy. ammonia. However, when processing such a remedy, it must be washed off after 15-20 minutes. It is worth noting that this folk recipe getting rid of the mealybug is not suitable for all types of plants. It is believed that in some cases, soap can block the stomata present on the stem and leaves, which causes the death of the flower due to disruption of the photosynthesis process. Among other things, solutions containing alcohol should not be used if the plant has tender leaves. This will cause burns.

Garlic is often used to eliminate mealybugs. The poisonous substances contained in it can scare away this pest. To prepare this remedy, you need to take 1 tsp. chopped garlic cloves to a pulp and pour them with 1 glass of water. It is necessary to insist the remedy for 1-2 days, and always in a sealed container. This remedy should be used to wash the leaves every 7-8 days.

To get rid of the mealybug, you can also use onion peel. To prepare the composition, you need to take about 20 g of a carefully crushed plant component and pour 1 liter warm water. You need to insist on the remedy for at least a day, and then use it to spray infected indoor flowers. Usually 2-3 treatments are enough to get rid of the mealybug.

In addition, quite often, a strong infusion of dry tobacco is used to combat this pest. To prepare such a remedy, you need to take about 80 g of shag and pour 1 liter of warm water. The agent must be set aside for a day, then carefully strain and dilute with water until the initial amount of liquid is obtained. This infusion can be used both for spraying and for washing. This product is great for removing white coating on leaves and stems.

onion peel

How to prevent mealybugs from infecting plants?

However, the most best method the fight against this pest is to prevent its occurrence. If you got into the house new flower, it must be quarantined separately from the rest for at least 1 month. It is imperative to conduct a periodic inspection of all indoor plants, paying particular attention to back side leaf and axils. If worms were detected on the plant at an early stage, this guarantees good effect even when using folk remedies in the fight against them.

Among other things, it must be borne in mind that frequent airing of the room, washing and spraying the leaves with special cleaning solutions can reduce the risk of these pests. In addition, it is desirable to carry out periodic treatment of plants with insecticides. This will prevent an increase in the number of pests if they still hit the flower. For prevention, you can use folk remedies, for example, garlic or onion tincture, which will reduce the risk of the spread of mealybugs.

There are many insects that feed on plants. Mealybug is no exception, it is little creature lives only at the expense of the donor plant, and as soon as it dies, the insect looks for another source of food. Previously, the worm was used to create red paint, but now this type of insect is not used for such purposes.

Description of the insect

As for the development of these insects, they go through only 3 stages: the first stage is being in the eggs; the second is the transformation into a larva and the third is the appearance of an adult. But there are exceptions because some species of worm are viviparous.

Properties and states of the egg

Before the female lays eggs, she leaves the donor plant, that is, the place where she fed. She goes into hiding in order to protect her offspring. The female is engaged in the fact that he releases fibrous weaving and creates a cocoon out of it, it is in this cocoon that the eggs are placed.

Mealybugs are usually very easy to see, most of them can be from below and in the axils of foliage, on petioles and stems. In these places, discharges resembling cotton wool are visible, they contain eggs. Therefore, the plants attacked by the mealybug seem to be covered with cotton wool or fluff. Further, larvae hatch from the eggs, they crawl through the culture and suck the juice.

What plants most often affects and what is dangerous?

Citrus bugs attack citrus crops (grapefruit, citron, tangerine, orange, calamondin). In females, the body is up to 4 mm, it is light pink, covered with a whitish coating. Females lay eggs after 15 days of their lives. Live 3 months. Males are beige, have transparent wings, live 2-4 days.

Grapes are attacked by grapevine. The female has a wide oval body, it is pinkish or yellowish, has a white coating that resembles a powder. Males are quite rare.

Orchids are exotic plants that are very demanding on the conditions of detention. But apart from the hassle of organizing proper lighting, watering and fertilizing flower growers have to deal with diseases and pests that often affect this flower. If a mealybug wound up on an orchid, how ...

These cultures are affected by the bristly bug. In the female, the body is 3.5 mm, has an orange or pinkish tint, and is covered with bloom. And there is also a seaside worm. The female has a body up to 3-4 mm, it is pinkish-gray, with a snow-white coating. Males are smaller and have wings. The larvae are tiny, yellowish in color, they move quickly, they have no plaque.

As a result of the appearance of the mealybug, the flowers stop growing; shoots are deformed; foliage, ovaries, fruits fall off; branches dry up. During their activity, the females secrete honeydew, and then a sooty fungus appears on it.

How to deal with mealybugs on indoor plants?

To destroy the pest from biological preparations, lepidocide is used.

Effective chemicals

Next, spray with a solution of green soap, rubbing 10-15 g in 1 liter of water. Do this spraying 3 times at weekly intervals. You can use tobacco infusion, garlic juice, onion juice or cyclamen decoction instead of soap. You can treat the plant with alcohol or tincture of calendula. Place mandarin or orange peels in water, leave for 1-2 days, and then sprinkle the culture with infusion.

Grate 1 teaspoon of soap, pour in hot water. Then add water so that the result is 1 liter, pour another 1 tbsp. a spoonful of alcohol or 2 tbsp. spoons of vodka. Cover the soil in a pot with something, and then soak a cotton wool in a solution of alcohol, collect all the pests, change the cotton wool from time to time. The next day, rinse the culture with warm water. And after 3-4 days, repeat the treatment.

Mash 25-70 g of garlic, pour in 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 6 hours, and then wipe the indoor culture with a brush soaked in the infusion. Do it in the evening. Next, cover the plant from the sun for 2 days.

Pour in 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil in 1 liter of water. Wipe the entire plant with a dampened cotton swab.

Collect the horsetail herb, dry it, chop it, pour 4 teaspoons of the herb into 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes. Strain the infusion, spray and water the culture with it.

Mealybug on an orchid: treatment

Orchids are mainly attacked by citrus and bristly mealybugs. The females of the bristly mealybug are reddish and covered with a whitish coating. Long hairs are visible behind their bodies. Males are greyish, they have transparent wings.

Healthy well-groomed orchids secrete substances that repel a variety of insects, including mealybugs. Therefore, a mealybug appears on an orchid if the plant is sick.

Mealybug, how to deal with houseplants?

Then grate dark laundry soap, pour it into the settled water and mix. Next, carefully wipe the leaves and stems of the orchid with the resulting foam. At the end, process the culture blue vitriol or other fungicide. It is required that fungicides do not fall on the ground.

Violet disease control methods

Mealybug on violets appears for the following reasons:

• movement of pests from newly acquired crops to old ones;
• use of pest-infested land;
• excessive fertilization with nitrogen;
• lack of moisture.

Pour the flowerpots with boiling water or a bleach solution. Treat all the cultures standing nearby on the windowsill. In addition, wipe the shelves and window sills with bleach and alcohol. All this is required to be done by wearing disposable gloves, it is better to burn them then, and then wash your hands with soap and water. Spray plants with Aktellik, pouring 2 ml into 1 liter of water. Then do it again a week later.

You can water the earth in a flowerpot with Aktara's solution by adding 1.4 g to 2 liters clean water. Then sprinkle the violet itself. Then wait 1 month and repeat everything again. Or apply Phosphamide, it enters the culture in solution, and after that the insects sucking juices are poisoned and die. Wear a respirator to work with pesticides.

Pest prevention at home

Regularly carefully inspect the indoor flower. The mealybug is afraid high humidity and loves dry soil.

Properly care for the plant, cut off the yellowed and dried foliage. Rinse the plant regularly in the shower to wash the dust off the leaves.

Mealybug(felt) is an insect from the family of Hemiptera, belonging to the superfamily of worms.

Felters reach a wide variety of sizes, from small (3-6 millimeters) to medium (7-8 millimeters). In males, the body is much more developed than in females. The female usually has an elongated oval-shaped body, covered with powdered wax. At the time of laying eggs, the female hides in a cotton-like or saucer-shaped egg sac.

Science knows almost 500 species of felters that can lay eggs. This number of insects capable of producing offspring occupies ¼ of the fauna in the whole world. Among them, there are many individuals that can harm not only plants, but also humans.

It is customary to refer to worms as those insects that are in the suborder of coccids and unite more than one family. These include parnoglandular, giant, mealybugs, lamellar and felt. All these representatives of the suborder are the closest relatives of the scale insects. These insects are considered pests of many plants. Worms can strike different types citrus, palms and grapes. They pose a great danger to houseplants. Among them are an orchid, palm tree, dracaena, money tree, fuchsia, monstera, varieties of ficus and cactus, phalaenopsis orchid, violet and others. Felters can settle on various parts of the plant, ranging from stems and leaves, and ending with ovaries and fruits. If these insects "settle" on indoor plants, then the flowers will begin to grow and develop much more slowly.

Indoor flowers are the decoration of any apartment. They make the home more comfortable, as if they “revive” it. Some varieties of indoor plants bloom for a long time. These representatives of indoor fauna include orchids that bloom for more than 6 months a year.

More detailed information you can find out what other varieties of worms are in the next section of the article.

Varieties of mealybugs

There are more than 2200 varieties of mealybugs that inhabit Europe. People called these harmful insects "hairy lice."

The female adult insect and her larvae can suck the juice from young foliage, shoots and flowers of house plants. Varieties of citrus mealybugs can harm the root system. Adults and small individuals can move quite quickly.

Insects of the same species may have two different genital organs at once (sexual dimorphism). Males have the first pair of wings, well-developed limbs, and two tail filaments on the abdomen. Males do not have a mouth, as adult males do not feed on anything. In some species, the legs are poorly developed or absent.

Female felters usually have a mouth with which they suck the juice from plants. Many females are capable of laying eggs, and some are viviparous. The egg clutches of the female are placed in a white outer pouch that resembles cotton wool. Many species are capable of producing large offspring (2-4 generations per year). They can move quite quickly along the flower, which serves as food for them. Before laying eggs, some species of females leave their "familiar" place for a new one, looking for another shelter.

The larva of the first age is called a tramp. She can move very quickly through a room flower, which is of great interest to an insect. The wind can also be a carrier of harmful insects. When the larva of the mealybug sticks to the flower, its mobility noticeably weakens. As a result of molting, moving to the next age, the larval insect begins to look for a new habitat.

Worms live all over the world. But most of them are in tropical countries. Most often, they affect fruit (all types of citrus), technical (oil, spinning, medicinal, sugar and starch) and ornamental crops growing in squares, parks, gardens, greenhouses, recreation areas and on window sills.

The most famous greenhouse lamellar insects are:

• grooved Australian;
• bristly;
• bamboo;
• grape;
• seaside;
• root;
• citrus.

Let's take a closer look at some of them.

1. Seaside felter. This type of worm is the most common. Males and females have some differences. The body size of males is much smaller than that of females. Males can fly and move from one plant to another without damaging it. Females, on the other hand, are noticeably larger than males. Their body can reach about 4 millimeters in length. The legs of the females are strongly developed, and the body has a white or white-pink coating. During their lives, female individuals of this species can lay eggs in a kind of egg sacs. Females try to hide them in every possible way in the most inaccessible places of flowers, such as the axils of foliage, among shoots, as well as in the bark of some varieties of ornamental plants. 30 days after the larvae hatch, they begin to fully suck the juice from the flower. This leads to the destruction of the fruit or ornamental plant.
2. Bristly. These individuals outwardly resemble seaside mealybugs, but have some differences. Firstly, they are much smaller - only 3 millimeters per dyne. And secondly, the females of these species are viviparous, not laying eggs. Individuals of bristle bugs mainly live in numerous groups and hide in hard-to-reach places in the plant. They can be shoots, bulbs and even roots.
3. Grape. The appearance of this insect resembles the first two species. The female grape felters are oviparous. settles this species colonies similar to the first two species. The settlement of insects causes severe harm to a houseplant, drinking all the juice from it. The foliage on the flowers begins to turn yellow, and the shoots dry out. In place of the mucous secretions of insects, a fungus is formed.
4. Citrus. Adult females of this species grow up to 4 millimeters in length. Their body is usually light pink, which has a coating. These pests can infect citrus fruits such as lime, orange, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, pomelo and others.
5. Root. The females of the root mealybug are white in color and reach up to 2 millimeters in length. hallmark of this species is that its representatives live in the roots and aerial parts of plants. Pests feed on roots and foliage, as well as sprouts or flowers. The ideal conditions for the life of these insects are dry and loosened earth. As a result of this “neighborhood”, many types of cacti that grow in this particular soil are regularly attacked by felt.

Plants and soil must be properly cared for. Do not add a lot of fertilizer, because this can lead to the reproduction of mealybugs. You should pay attention not only to the leaves and shoots, but also to the flower buds. Since the latter are saturated with nitrogen fertilizers many times.

Favorable temperature for the reproduction of insects is + 25-27 ° С. In a short time, a huge number of larvae appear from the clutch of eggs. Uninfected indoor flowers have good immunity. They are able to produce a special protective substance that repels mealy aphids. But these protective mechanisms in the plant work only in the warm season. In winter, metabolic processes fade away. This is because the days are getting shorter. Plants don't get enough light. Due to the centralized heating system, dry air is generated in the room.

For this reason, many indoor flowers become lethargic and weakened. Dry air contributes to the appearance of various pests on a weak plant.

Why is an insect dangerous for humans and plants?

Why is this insect dangerous for plants and people? This question can be found on various forums on the World Wide Web. In this section, we will look into this issue in more detail.

If you do not fight the worms and do not get rid of them in time, then the plant may die. Some species of females do not need males to reproduce. A separate subspecies of females produces offspring without laying eggs. Females can already produce actually full-fledged larvae, which may well immediately live and develop independently.

Most often, this insect affects the foliage and shoots of garden, home and office plants. Many varieties of citrus, orchids, gerberas, fuchsias, asparagus, cacti, oleanders and palms are at risk. The grape plant, palm tree, phalaenopsis and hibiscus can also be severely affected. The flower can die from the poison that the worms secrete. The orchid is more susceptible to the action of toxic substances. The infected plant changes color, and the foliage on the flower falls off. On a sick orchid, both the bud and the blossoming flower suffer. Due to the active reproduction of pests, young shoots of this beautiful flower are deformed. In violets, the root system becomes infected.

Felt is able to secrete a lot of sweet liquid that attracts ants. They find a home near the affected plants to protect hairy lice from other insects.

Like other members of the insect order, worms are carriers various diseases and viral infections. They can harm greenhouse, ornamental and agricultural crops. It is for this reason that insect pests are dangerous to humans.

Adult females are almost motionless, but they are still quite capable of infecting neighboring plants. Since many larvae can be carried by the wind, nearby fields and lands are at risk.

To prevent plants from suffering, you need to know how to deal with pests and get rid of them once and for all. What you need to do can be found in the next section.

How to fight at home?

How to deal with mealybugs at home? This question is very relevant not only for the owners of indoor plants, but also for many summer residents.

First of all, harmful insects must be eradicated correctly. Some believe that just getting rid of the affected flower is enough for the worms to disappear. But this is far from true. Most effective method Pest control is insecticide control. Only in this case it is necessary to approach the destruction of insects very competently.

Worms are not as tenacious as it might seem at first glance. Therefore, the plant can be treated with almost all insecticides. It is only necessary to ensure that the poisonous drug gets on harmful insects. In just 1 week, larvae emerge from the eggs. For this reason, it is necessary to start the fight twice - against adults and their offspring. The procedure should be carried out for two weeks in a row.

The main problem is that in the bags in which the females lay their eggs, reliable protection is created against the penetration of various poisons. There are no drugs that can simultaneously dissolve clutches with eggs and cope with harmful adults. For this reason, it is necessary to exterminate insects with the help of systemic preparations. They are well absorbed by plants, so insecticides can penetrate deep into the flowers. After drinking flower juice, insects receive a lethal dose of poison.

If the plants are not very affected by felters, then it will not be difficult to defeat the insects. For these purposes, it is necessary to stock up on a brush with soft bristles or a cotton swab, which is moistened in soapy water. Then it is necessary to clean the plant from insect pests and their whitish waste products. After that, three stages of spraying are carried out. soapy water taking a break every 8-10 days. For these purposes, you can use green soap, tobacco or garlic infusion, as well as a decoction of cyclamen. It is very good to treat the plant with alcohol or with tincture of pharmacy calendula.

If harmful insects hit the phalaenopsis orchid from the inside, then this greatly complicates the situation. You should not try to climb into the axil of the plant on your own, as these manipulations can damage an important organ of the flower. For an effective fight, you can use ordinary tweezers. If it is necessary to remove insects from young foliage, then it must be very carefully unfolded, and then cut off from the stem. The indoor plant will not suffer at all from this “operation”, but rather the opposite.

As "orderlies" of the forest, nature has created some types of insects that feed on mealybugs. Natural healers can be the gummy fly, the common goldhead, or the larvae and adults of Cryptolemus. With this biological method of struggle, microbiological preparations are used - lepidocides. Most often they are used in greenhouses or greenhouses. Australian ladybugs act as liquidators of harmful insects.

About what else by chemical means you can get rid of the "hordes" of worms, you can read in the next section.

By chemical means

Except biological methods pest control of indoor plants, there are also special chemicals. The range of drugs is very extensive.

Many gardeners and amateurs are well informed about such chemicals, which will be discussed in this article. In any case, let's dwell on this issue in more detail.

What drugs can be used:

• Duntop;
• Mospilan;
• Aktar;
• Confidor-maxi.

All preparations are prepared as follows. Every gram chemical agent diluted with 1 liter of liquid and watered with the resulting solution decorative or cultivated plants. Do not deprive attention of those specimens on which there are no "settlements" of the mealybug yet. If a decorative culture infected very much, then you can spray it once a week with any of the described drugs. To enhance the effect, you can alternate different chemicals to find the most effective.

There are several types of chemicals:

1. Systemic ("Ifosfamide" or "Rogor"). Their contents fall directly into the juice of ornamental and domestic plants. After the drug reaches the "destination", the stems of the flower will contain poison, which is dangerous for felters.
2. Intestinal ("Aktara", "Fitoverm" or "Nurell-D"). These drugs penetrate the insect first into the mouth, and then into the body.
3. Contact (Spiruzit-aeschadlingsfrei). This type of chemical agent is absorbed into the body of an insect through the skin. The plant treated with this preparation should not be exposed to direct sunlight. After using this chemical, re-treatment of indoor plants is not required.

Before using any of the drugs, you must carefully study the manufacturer's annotation. It usually details the necessary doses, as well as methods of application. Do not deviate from the instructions and independently increase or decrease the dosage.

It should be remembered that certain types of drugs may contain toxic substances that are very harmful to humans and pets. Therefore, in order not to get burned or poisoned, put on your hands rubber gloves, and carry out the procedure on fresh air. At the time of spraying, limit the contact of pets and young children with a pollinated flower. It is advisable to first test the drug on a small part of the plant. You can spray some ready-made solution on the foliage, and then wait 1-2 days. If during this time nothing unusual happened to the flower, then the whole plant can be safely treated with the chemical. If wilted or yellowed leaves are found, the drug must be changed to another.

Observe the exact interval between treatments. It should be no more than 7-10 days. In order not to forget about this procedure, make the necessary note and keep it in a conspicuous place. The chemical acts only on adults, and the drug does not cause any harm to the larvae. If re-treatment with insecticides is not carried out in time, then all the offspring that hatch from the eggs from the moment of the first treatment will be able to re-attack the diseased plant.

The optimal time for the procedure is the period when the larvae on the infected flower have just hatched from eggs or left the mother's womb. Since the body of young individuals is very vulnerable and is not protected by special white wax, you can use this moment for a chemical "attack".

Due to the fact that several generations of worms live on indoor plants all the time, it can be very problematic to fight them. It is necessary to prevent the transition to a new stage of development - from a larva to a more adult individual. In this case, the advantage will be clearly not in favor of insects.

In addition to the preparations described earlier, there are also special sprays and granules. You can also purchase a special stick for the root system. Before using these means of "retaliation", you must carefully read their composition. This is worth doing because the root part of some varieties of indoor flowers is sensitive to fertilizers and various salts contained in a particular preparation. Therefore, for particularly capricious ornamental plants, you should not use the product in its pure form, but you can dilute it with water.

Change drugs periodically so that insects do not develop immunity to a commonly used type of poison.

Folk ways

To cure houseplants from a mealybug, you can not only use chemicals, but also remember the old folk ways of fighting, known to our grandmothers.

In this article, we have specially collected for you the most effective methods of struggle. Guided by advice experienced gardeners and gardeners, you can forget about harmful insects that have flooded your favorite orchids or violets, like a nightmare.

What can be used:

To achieve an effective result, experts advise repeating the procedure 2-3 times a week. You can not only spray the soil and the plant itself, but also treat the affected foliage with a napkin dipped in the special agent described above.

Prevention measures

Preventive measures against the mealybug are no less important than the treatment itself. They can be carried out during the off-season on very infected indoor plants, such as crotons, ficuses, succulents and various types of orchids.

What can be done:

• keep the plant clean and remove all dried foliage;
• inspect new flowers for harmful "lodgers" so that they cannot infect healthy houseplants;
• when buying another plant, pay attention not only to the stems and foliage, but also to the root part, since larvae usually hide there;
• do not leave a diseased flower unattended for a long time, as it can cause infection of other plants;
• pests do not tolerate high humidity in the room and bright lighting;
• periodically inspect all the plants in the house so that you do not have to wage a “full-scale” pest war later.

As you can see, the fight harmful insects It's not that easy, but it's still doable. Having received the necessary knowledge in theory, you can safely move on to practice. We wish you good luck!

Good day, dear friends! One of my good friends is very fond of indoor flowers. She has the whole apartment full different plants, she says they help her breathe by oxygenating the room. We agree with her, but when there are a lot of flowers, especially on the windowsills, it becomes dark in the room. Since they take away all the sunlight.

Decided with a friend to go to an exhibition in Botanical Garden, they just brought new variety ficuses and cacti, which she does not have. Entering the exhibition hall, I saw that she stopped at one cactus and began to examine it with different parties. It became clear to me that something was wrong with him. Lucy called an employee and pointed out the presence of a mealybug. He agreed with her and immediately removed the flower from the exhibition.

She knew what she was facing and told me what to do in such cases. In this article you will learn: mealybug - how to fight on indoor plants, the best drugs and folk methods, how to handle and basic precautions.

Basic ways to fight

To find a mealybug, you need to examine not only the stems or leaves, but also look at the shoots, ovaries of the plant. Pests can in large numbers be on the fruits, and in their inner part. They will have to be exterminated by a set of measures, which we will describe in detail below in the article.

Mealybug: how to fight on houseplants

If the infection with these insects has occurred in a mild form and has not yet been launched, then it is quite simple to overcome pests. You need to take a soft brush or cotton swab, dip it in soapy water, and then run it over all the infected places of the plant.

Next, you need to spray the plant 3 times in a row. The interval between procedures ranges from a week to 10 days. As an active ingredient, you can use a solution of green soap (prepared by adding 15 g per 1 liter of water), an infusion of tobacco, garlic or cyclamen.

You can do it easier by treating the plant with alcohol or using a pharmacy tincture of calendula.

When the infestation is severe, it is first necessary to remove all insects in the manner described above, however, spraying should be performed by special means. It is recommended to take sufficiently strong drugs that have a slight harmful effect on the plants themselves.

You can choose Calypso, Confidor, Tanrek, Biotlin, Confidant, Fitoverm or Mospilan. Sometimes it is necessary to try several drugs first, as there are types of mealybugs that not all remedies work against.

Folk remedies

Horsetail infusion. This tool works even in quite advanced cases. You can buy this drug at a pharmacy. It is marketed as a diuretic as well as a blood cleanser. Spraying with oil. It is necessary to prepare 2 tbsp. l. olive oil and place in 1 liter of clean water.