Aphid - a small insect with an elongated body, a wide pointed abdomen and long legs. Most often houseplants suffer from white aphids, but there are many other species, winged and wingless.
White aphid is a tiny insect and dangerous pest for indoor and garden plants. Any housewife once may face a similar problem, because the aphid easily gets into the house or the plot. It is important to immediately detect the pest and act correctly against it. Let's talk about this in our article.
What kind of insect is it and why is it dangerous?
Winged aphids can migrate to other plants.. Wingless insects multiply massively. Aphids pierce the leaves and suck the life-giving juices, taking nutrients from the plant and creating foci for bacteria infection (you can learn more about what aphids feed on from this material).
Where does plants come from and what plants?
Usually aphid gets into the room on other plants. It may be a bouquet of cut flowers or an infected flower purchased. Sometimes an insect can fly into the room during airing.
To detect aphids, the leaves and the stem should be inspected from the inside, where the females lay eggs. Larvae look like small white specks.
White aphid infects dicotyledonous plants, legumes are particularly susceptible to attack. White aphids overwinter on pistachio trees.
Favorable conditions for the reproduction of pests are dry soil and high temperature.
A photo
See how the insect looks in the photo:
How to get rid of pests on indoor flowers?
To combat aphids on indoor plants use both industrial products and folk remedies.
Chemicals
Fitoderm
Completely safe for humans drug made from waste products of microorganisms. Fitoverm does not require the removal of plants from the premises.
It is necessary to dissolve 2 ml of the drug in 200 ml of water at room temperature. Pour the solution into the sprayer and carefully spray the flower.
The biological product has a detrimental effect on pests, but does not accumulate in plant tissues. It acts as a contact when sprayed on the surface of the body of insects, and when released through the intestines while eating the treated plants.
After 10-15 hours, aphids lose their ability to feed. To fix the result, it is recommended to repeat the procedure in 5-7 days. Fitoverm works more effectively in a warm and dry room..
Aktara
It is a moderately dangerous agent for a person; gloves should be worn when using the drug.
To prepare a solution, mix 8 g of the active substance with a liter of liquid. During processing, take out the flowers on the balcony or the street.
Aktar can be used during watering or spraying plants. The drug enters the body of insects, causing paralysis and death. After three weeks you need to re-process the flowers to secure the result.
Aktara is addictive, should alternate the drug with other insecticides.
We offer to watch a video on how aktar is used to combat aphids:
Actellic
Effective remedy, begins to act when spraying. Actellic kills aphids in a single use..
Actellic is a non-systemic drug that acts only on contact with insects and does not penetrate the plant tissue. Influence of means amplifies in the conditions of heat and the increased humidity of air.
For spraying Actellic diluted in a proportion of 2 ml per liter of water. Aktellik is toxic, it is impossible to spray in the presence of animals and children. You must wear gloves and a mask, the treatment should be carried out only on the balcony or the street and avoid contact with skin.
Means, cooked at home
- Red pepper.
20 g of spices pour 250 ml of boiled water.- Insist for 24 hours and boil.
- Cool content, strain and add soap.
- Soda and salt.
- Per liter of water you need 1 tablespoon of funds.
- Mix the mixture and spray the plant.
- Ammonia.
- In a liter of water dissolve 5 ml of ammonia, stir, add soap.
- Spray the flower, hold for half an hour and rinse with water to avoid burns.
- Wood ash. One glass of the ingredient pour 5 liters of water, add 25 g of soap and infuse the solution a day.
- Cinnamon. Spoon cinnamon diluted in a liter of water and process the plant twice a day.
20 g of spices pour 250 ml of boiled water.Learn more about folk methods of dealing with aphids here.
Pest control on orchids
Aphid is dangerous to orchids, it spreads over the entire surface of the plant from the stem to the blooming flowers.
Insect is easy to spot on white patina.. It is necessary to check the hidden places - the base of the shoots, buds, the reverse side of the leaves.
Most often aphid on orchid appears in a dehydrated room. Humidity should be maintained above 60%.
- It is necessary to regularly spray leaves and stem with cool water, avoiding accumulation of liquid in the flower, and timely fertilize the plant.
- Infected orchids must be immediately isolated from other indoor plants, as the aphid is quickly settled.
- The simplest method of struggle is to thoroughly wash the flower and remove the damaged parts.
Antiseptic for a plant and harmful for parasites is the action of a soap solution.- The spread of aphids also helps fight citrus infusion. To make it, you need 100 g of lemon peels, oranges or tangerines mixed with a liter of boiling water and infused for three days. For greater effect, you can put soaked crusts on the ground.
- Aphids react badly to essential oils. Suitable for treating orchids is tea tree, peppermint and Neem tree oil. 30 drops of oil must be dissolved in 500 ml of water and apply with a sponge on the plant.
Antiseptic for a plant and harmful for parasites is the action of a soap solution.If these methods do not work, you should use chemical means. For orchids, Aktara, Fitoverm, Neoron, Fosfomit or Aktellik are suitable.
You should not spend more than three treatments with the same drug.
More details on how to deal with aphids on orchids can be found in our article.
How to fight in the garden?
In the garden, aphids most often affect young shoots and buds.. Leaves and stems affected by aphids have a sticky surface, since insects secrete an odorous mass — a pad that attracts ants.
- One way to combat aphids in the garden is by machining. For this it is convenient to use a water hose. With the help of strong pressure you can get rid of aphids and larvae, thoroughly washing the leaves. Hands should only be removed with gloves.
- A biological method is the safe way to kill aphids. The best fighters among insects are considered ladybugs and gold-eyed, you can buy a few individuals in a specialized store (what other insects eat aphids, read here, and in this article we told how ladybirds help fight with aphids). You can also attract birds to the garden using the feeders. Tits, Linnet and Sparrows know how to deal with aphids.
- Proper planting helps to prevent the appearance of aphids - insects are repelled by onions and garlic, as well as Dalmatian chamomile.
We offer to watch a video on how to deal with aphids in the garden:
General preventive measures
For home plants:
Weak flowers are most susceptible to the attack of parasites.- It is necessary to promptly remove dry leaves and yellowed stems.
- New flowers must be sent to quarantine.
- Do not overfeed plants.
- Be sure to get rid of the ants and choose the landing sites with diffused light.
- Before planting in a new pot, the flower must be sterilized.
- Twice a week to inspect all the plants in the house, rinse them regularly with running water.
Weak flowers are most susceptible to the attack of parasites.For garden flowers:
- Systematically clean weeds.
- During the summer, destroy anthills. This should be done, as the ants in every way protect the aphids and even themselves bring it into the garden (read more about the symbiosis of these insects here).
- In the spring to conduct sanitary pruning of all plants.
- Before budding, spray fruit trees and flower stems with an insect repellent.
- Do not overfeed with nitrogen.
- Wash plants with a hose.
Conclusion
Home and garden plants require constant attention and care. In time to perform preventive measures and monitoring the health and condition of the plants, you can avoid most of the evils associated with insect pests. If the moment of the appearance of the aphids suddenly missed, there are many natural and chemical means that will perfectly help in the fight against parasites.
