Insect invasions are not only garden plantings. Types of pests indoor plants no less, and damage to home flowers in the absence of proper treatment can be fatal. To combat this scourge, there are a number of biological preparations that do not harm the plants themselves, but help in the extermination of pests.
Types of indoor plant pests with photos and names
This material is devoted to pests of indoor plants and their control. But before you deal with pests of indoor plants, you need to know the "enemy in the face."
Below are photos, names and descriptions of pests of indoor plants, as well as drugs that will help protect home plantings:
spider mite . The most common and dangerous pest indoor plants - spider mite.Very small insect almost invisible without a magnifying glass. Appears on bottom side leaves. With dry air and high temperature reproduces very quickly.
Initially, the defeat of the spider mite is found in the form of light spots from injections and sucking juices from the leaves. In the future, with a strong reproduction of pests, the entire lower surface of the leaves is covered with the thinnest cobweb. Sometimes all the apical shoots of the plant are shrouded in cobwebs, the leaves become silver-gray in color, growth stops, severely affected leaves fall off. The pest damages many, including the Chinese rose, aspidistra, and palm trees.
Aphids live in colonies on young leaves, suck juices from plant cells, causing them to curl, turn yellow and dry out.
As you can see in the photo, these pests of indoor plants are small, up to 1 mm, green insects.:
During the year, the pest constantly multiplies. One female gives birth to up to 150 live larvae, which after 7-10 days turn into adults, also capable of reproduction. Starting from the second or third generation, winged females appear that can fly to other plants. Aphids are the main carriers viral disease- leaf mosaics.
thrips . Houseplants are damaged by several species of these small, fast-growing insects. They are especially harmful in hot weather. Females lay their eggs in the tissue of leaves and flower petals, making moves in them. Such leaves have a pale silver tint. Thrips live on the underside of the leaf. Adult insects can jump to nearby standing plants. Greenhouse thrips affects palm trees and other flower crops.
See what this type of houseplant pest looks like in the photo below:
The scutellum of the female is white, round or short-oval; the scutellum of the male is elongated, also white color.
What other pests of indoor plants are there that cause huge damage to home crops:
Soft false shield - sucking insect. Pests inhabit the underside of the leaf, especially a lot of them sit along the veins, as well as on the stems of plants.
The female is flat, broadly oval, yellowish-brown, 3-4 mm long. The larvae (tramps) are very small, spread throughout the plant and stick to the leaves, petioles and shoots. It is very common on oleander palms, dracaena and other houseplants. With a large reproduction, the leaves are covered with soot fungus, which pollutes the plants, and they do not grow well.
Hemispherical false shield . Also a large insect that appears on the underside of leaves and on plant stems. False shield short oval, convex, brown.
The female lays many eggs under the shield, from which very small larvae hatch and spread throughout the plant. This pest affects asparagus, myrtle, cyperus and other plants.
Podura white is a jumping insect that lives in flower pots on the surface of the soil. Insects have an elongated shape with antennae and three pairs of legs.
They breed in moist soil and live in compost and humus soil. A lot of them appear in the spring. They feed on plant debris, but in pots they can eat underground parts of plants. Soil flies, mosquitoes, furrowed weevil also harm potted flowers.
Mealybugs . Appear on the underside of the leaves along the veins and on the stems. The female is oval (length from 3.5 to 5 mm), all covered with powdery wax coating.
She lays her eggs in white, cotton-like secretions in the leaf axils. The hatched larvae spread throughout the plant. Mealybugs damage azaleas, cacti and other flower plants more in rooms and. The females secrete honeydew, and soot fungus spreads on the leaves, which heavily pollutes the plants.
What pests affect indoor plants in greenhouses:
whitefly - pest. The room affects almost all plants with soft leaves. This small insect about 2 mm long with sucking mouthparts. It is distinguished by a yellowish body and two pairs of white pollinated wings.
It sucks not only the leaves, but also the petioles, which turn yellow and then die prematurely. The pest produces several generations of offspring per year and room conditions active for all 12 months. Fuchsias, ferns, and geraniums are especially affected by the whitefly.
How to get rid of indoor plant pests: protection and treatment
How to get rid of pests of indoor plants with the help of modern biological preparations:
- From aphids, thrips, whiteflies, ticks will help get rid of biological preparation"Fitoverm" (a 5 mm ampoule is dissolved in 0.5 l of water and the plants are sprayed). The duration of the protective action of the drug is 7 days. After this period, if necessary, spraying is repeated.
- To protect indoor plants from pests, it is advisable to alternate the use of Fitoverm with Agrovertin or Iskra-Bio. These are also highly effective biological preparations. After spraying the plants, the nutrition and motor activity of insects stop after 4-16 hours, and their death occurs in 2-3 days. Maximum effect from the use of biological preparations falls on 5-6 days.
- Large pests - worms, scale insects - can be destroyed by mechanically collecting them with tweezers. good remedy from pests of indoor plants living in the soil - the drug "Grom-2".
- Another effective means of controlling pests of indoor plants is spraying colloidal gray (5 g per 1 liter of water) will protect them from mites, as well as scale insects, mealybugs and powdery mildew.
For the treatment of indoor plants damaged by pests, "Kleshchevit" is shown - a biological preparation from spider mites on cucumbers and tomatoes in protected ground, as well as mites on currants.
The benefits of the drug:
- High speed of exposure - ticks stop feeding after 6-8 hours, and their complete death occurs after 3-4 days.
- The minimum waiting period - the fruits can be eaten already 2 days after processing.
- Not addictive to insect pests.
White insects in the flowers
Insects with white color that can appear on house flowers are springtails or fools. They often appear in damp environments. Increased humidity of air and soil provoke their active development.
How to prevent the appearance of springtails?
In order for the springtail not to settle on indoor plants, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room. Besides, moderate watering and compliance with the level of air humidity will protect your plants from uninvited guests. It is important to observe this nuance: between the next sessions of moistening the soil, the soil in the pot should not dry out or, moreover, dry out, otherwise fools will appear in the fluctuation of care methods and the state of the plant.
As a preventive measure, flower growers need to use chemicals. They are also effective at the peak of these white insects in flowers. Use these drugs:
- Aktara
- Doctor
- Potassium permanganate solution
White insects wound up in flowers - how to get rid of?
Podura don't like drought. Although flower growers are advised not to dry out the soil mixture in the pot between waterings, however, if springtails have already appeared in flowers, you need to dry the soil in the pot, creating inconvenience for pests. Usually white insects disappear on their own, but if this does not happen, treatment methods come into play.
Pink solution of potassium permanganate - folk remedy to combat white insects (podura) in flowers. As soon as they start, immediately water the soil with potassium permanganate. Let dry a little soil mixture between treatments and reintroduce watering.
Chemical preparations Aktara and arrows Doctor - serious artillery to combat the springtail, however, effective. Use drugs strictly according to the instructions. Do not forget that their composition can be toxic, so protect yourself with gloves and a mask during processing. Do not process flowers in the room where you sleep or eat - observe basic technique security.
- do not flood the plant;
- support normal humidity air;
- regularly ventilate the room;
- take breaks between watering, dry the earth in a pot;
- treat with potassium permanganate if the first symptoms appear;
- inspect indoor flowers for the presence of white insects;
How much excitement we bring diseases of our favorite plant. Only yesterday it looked great, and today you found traces of aphids or shiny tubercles of scale insects on its leaves. It is important to know in advance how to help him in such cases. How to deal with numerous enemies: insects, mollusks, rodents?
Let us consider in more detail each type of pest that causes trouble to indoor plants.
Aphids are a typical type of sucking insect. You can notice it with the naked eye, despite the fact that it is very small (about 2 mm). There are up to 200 of its species. At the end of winter, in spring, it appears on houseplants. In warm, stuffy rooms, aphids occur throughout the year.
The most common color of the insect is green, but there are gray, orange, yellow, black. Another name is known - greenfly. Although only males have wings.
The aphid is located in whole colonies on the underside of the leaves, on buds, young shoots and tender tops of the stems. It reproduces very quickly. Individuals reach full maturity in 7 days. The insect is saturated with the juice of plants, weakens them and is able to completely destroy them. In addition, it spreads viral diseases.
Failure to comply with growing conditions is the cause of the spread of aphids:
- excessive fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers;
- irrigation disturbances;
- illness.
Aphids are easy to recognize. Roses, abutilons, fuchsias are more often affected by it, and ficuses, milkweed, are not afraid of it.
How to get rid of aphids
The defeat of aphids is an unpleasant phenomenon, but must be eradicated.
Ways to get rid:
- flushing warm water. Used for minor damage to the plant. The method is not suitable for large plants or if they are just transplanted.
- Pinching the affected shoot.
- The use of oil aerosols and further processing with infusions of tobacco, wormwood.
- When using pesticides, it must be remembered that the frequent use of certain drugs contributes to the development of immunity in aphids.
Important to remember! Studying the instructions will allow you to avoid purchasing drugs containing the same active substance.
Effective remedies: pirimicarb, permethrin, derris, syphos, resmetrin, feverfew. Plants are treated once every 8 days. Only 4 procedures.
All processing work is best done outside, in the bathroom. Keep it straight Sun rays do not fall on the leaves before they dry. Dead insects remain on the plant. They are recommended to be washed off after the termination of the drug.
Special sticks and balls impregnated with insecticides, ready-made aerosols are sold.
Shchitovki
Scale insects are another representative of sucking pests. The most famous are ordinary, brown and false shields. Insects got their name from the waxy shiny shell that covers them. They stick to the leaves, stems and trunks of the plant. Thanks to the shield, it is difficult to recognize them. You can see only hatched vagrants, looking for places for a haven.
The damage to the plant by the scale insect is judged by yellow, brown or whitish spots on the leaves. The leaves lose their shine, they fade.
The shape of the body of the false shield is oval, its length is about 3 mm. The color ranges from yellowish grayish in larvae to yellowish brownish. Sometimes it is confused with aphids. It can damage cacti, palm trees.
Constant inspection with a magnifying glass or palpation with fingers reveals raised plaques on the plant.
How to deal with scale insects
Shield protection is a dense shell. The fight against them begins with the removal of insects. Take a thin hard brush or toothbrush, moistened in alcohol, vodka or prepared soapy solution and treated with leaves once every 7 days for a month.
A few recipes for processing indoor plants:
- Prepare an emulsion. Beat until foam 10 g of soap with a glass of water. Combine with 30 g of machine oil. The soil is covered with foil. The composition is used to treat the leaves, stems and trunk of a damaged plant. After 12 hours, the emulsion is washed off. After two treatments with an interval of 10 days, scale insects die.
- You can take one small onion, 5 cloves of garlic or 50 g of hot pepper, chop, insist in 1 glass of water for a day. Strain. Treat the plant.
- If the moment is missed, there are a lot of shields, apply chemical methods- treatment with insecticides: actellik, fosbecid, selinone.
Ticks
There are up to 10 thousand various mites. Flower growers are troubled by cobweb and root onions.
Spider mites settle in the lower part of the leaves. They got their name for the cobweb, which appears at the place of its attachment to the vein. The appearance of a cobweb means that the lesion is serious. The leaves soon turn pale, turn white, turn yellow, dry out.
Ticks are resistant to most pesticides. It's hard to fight them.
Ways to deal with spider mites:
- removal of damaged shoots, leaves, flowers;
- washing with a shower or rubbing with an alcohol, soapy solution (recipe for plants with large leaves);
- transfer of a diseased plant to a separate place;
- treatment with special preparations.
It's important to know! Treat with strong chemicals only on the street or on a loggia with an open window. It is advisable to carry out 4 procedures with different acaricides with an interval of 3-4 days. The pest may return. Better not to hope folk methods, and use special means: nissoran, pyrethrum, oberon, sunmite, apollo, actellik. Acaricide is a special preparation for the fight against spider mites.
The enemy of bulbous and corm plants is root onion mites. They are located at the bottom of the bulbs. If during transplantation you notice that the bottom is damaged, then try to disinfect the bulb: heat it at a temperature not higher than 40 ° for 7-10 days, sprinkle with chalk.
Strawberry or cyclamen mite infects saintpaulias, balsams, cyclamen, pelargoniums. Ticks are located on the tops of shoots, in buds. It differs from the spider mite in that it spreads in wet conditions. When these pests are found, it is better to destroy the plant.
These are very small sucking insects. They develop rapidly at an air temperature of 20-28°. A decrease in temperature below 10 ° leads to a loss of their activity.
Damaged parts of the plant become discolored, turn brown and die. The leaves appear leaden. But unlike spider mites, thrips do not have cobwebs. Plant growth slows down, flowers are deformed. It is the thrips that harm the flowers. You can see them jumping next to the plant.
Thrips control:
- increase watering and air humidity;
- spray with contact insecticides once every 8 days with re-treatment 4 times;
- cut off damaged leaves;
- use naphthalene balls to repel thrips.
Effective means: decis, karbofos, fitoverm.
greenhouse whitefly
She is a small white fly. They often appear in greenhouses. They multiply quickly. Affect the lower part of the leaves.
The whitefly can be found on balsams, pelargoniums, fuchsias, begonias. She settles on plants with tender leaves and flowering ones.
For catching it, special plates coated with glue are used. Place them directly into flower pots or hung nearby. Insecticides only affect adults. Recommended regular spraying after 10 days with drugs: pyrethrum, resmethrin, pirimifosmethyl, permethrin. You can buy insecticidal soap.
Recognition is complicated by the lack of obvious signs. If you see a plant dying, look at the roots. The presence of swellings on them is a sign of a nematode.
The plant must be burned. Don't just throw it away.
Sciarid mosquitoes are brought into the soil room from the garden. Gradually, the larvae, similar to small worms, become small black flies. They do not cause any particular problems. Only larvae can damage the roots of small or weakened plants.
The reasons for their appearance:
- excessive soil moisture;
- the presence of a substrate enriched with organic fertilizers.
Watering the soil with malathion or permethrin will help kill these insects. Make sure the soil dries out well between waterings.
Prevention measures
Gardening Tips:
- new plants should not be immediately placed next to their own, let them stand separately for 14 days;
- conduct regular inspections of the leaves from below;
- indoor flowers love cleanliness, spray them more often;
- do not install plants close to each other, crowding promotes the spread of pests.
Folk pest control methods help only at the initial stage. If the moment is missed - use chemicals.
White bugs in the soil of indoor plants appear for several reasons: non-sterile soil, open windows, non-compliance with the rules for growing crops, infected neighboring flowers. There are several types of white pests, each of which, with improper attention from a person, leads to the death of the plant.
Varieties of white bugs
in the ground indoor flowers one miniature insect goes unnoticed. But after a few days, the pest colony actively sucks the juices of the plant. External signs infections: spots on leaves, stems, twisted leaves, withered flowers, fallen buds.
On a note!
White bugs on flowers can disappear on their own if living conditions change - the soil dries up, the temperature drops, etc., but in most cases, human help is required. Otherwise, the plant gets sick, dries, loses strength, dies.
How to get rid of white bugs in the soil of indoor plants
Professional preparations:
- Aktara. Universal insect-acaricide. Destroys adults, adults. White bugs die within 30 minutes. The tool continues to act for another 20 days, preventing re-infection. Does not harm the plant, helps to recover. 4 g of the drug is enough for 5 liters of cold water. Spraying is carried out in a well-ventilated area or on the street.
- Actellik. Broad spectrum insecticide. Destroys pests in 20 minutes, continues to act for another 20 days. Sold in ampoules of 2 ml, designed for 5 liters of water. The solution is prepared immediately before use. Spraying of plants is carried out on the street. The drug is toxic, requires strict adherence to instructions.
- Inta-Vir. Insecticide drug for processing any plants open, closed ground. The tablet dissolves in 10 liters of water. Spray flowers in a well-ventilated area. Does not affect the vegetation, helps to restore strength.
On a note!
Folk remedies:
To prevent the appearance of white bugs, it is necessary to use special soil, disinfect the soil, follow the rules of watering, put on windows mosquito net.
Of course, indoor plants are less likely to suffer from diseases and pests than their garden relatives, as they usually are under more scrutiny. But if they are nevertheless damaged by insects or exposed to infection, it is much more difficult to treat them, because “green pets” are more pampered and capricious, they react worse to outside interference and, especially, to the use of chemicals. Wrong location (very dark, too sunny, too cold, too warm, low humidity) improper care(too much water, lack of moisture, wrong fertilizer, unsuitable substrate) can cause bad condition plants. Unskilled care also contributes to the damage of indoor flowers by pests and diseases, the plants refuse to bloom, wither, and, in the end, die. Enemies, as they say, you need to know in person. Therefore, check out the photos and names of diseases and pests of indoor plants, learn about the causes of damage and how to get rid of these insects and infections.
Diseases of indoor flowers: photos, causes and methods of struggle
In this section of the article, you will learn how to deal with some houseplant diseases and see what the symptoms look like.
Brown edges of leaves
Causes: excess or lack of water, excess soil that has lost its suitability, dry air. Control measures: optimize care, increase air humidity.
twisted leaves
Causes: low air humidity, dry land. Root damage can also cause this plant disease. Control measures: optimize care, if necessary.
Pale leaves (chlorosis)
In plants that prefer acidic soil, such as azalea and spurge. The leaf veins are still green. Causes: hard water, iron deficiency. Control measures: soften the water, add an iron preparation to the water.
Light spots on the leaves
Causes: temperature fluctuations, too cold or too warm water. Humidification in the sun (for example, in the uzambar violet). Control measures: change location, optimize care, water from below.
powdery mildew
Symptoms: powdery coating from white to dirty brown on both sides of the leaves. Causes: fungus spores. As you can see in the photo, you can fight this disease of indoor plants with the help of fungicides:
gray mold
Symptoms: gray-brown coating on leaves, petioles or flowers. Causes: unsuitable for spraying or cold water too high humidity. Control measures: remove diseased parts of the plant, reduce air humidity, put in a brighter place.
Bacteria and viruses
Bacterial soft rot occurs in alpine violet and house calla. Symptoms: rot at the base of the stem. As shown in the photo, with this disease of indoor flowers, if there is no proper treatment, the rot spreads throughout the plant:
mosaic virus
First of all, it affects orchids, gloxinia, hippeastrum. Symptoms: light green and dark green spots. Control measures: No. Reset of the kidneys is most often caused by a violation of the water balance. Either the plant has experienced a lack of moisture, or as a result of excessive moisture, the roots are so damaged that they cannot absorb and transport a sufficient amount of moisture. Some plants, such as stephanotis or camellia, shed their buds even when the location changes dramatically. Premature shedding of flowers is also a consequence of a change in place of growth and is especially evident when the plant is not hardened enough. Inactive flowering may be due to genetic factors(some varieties bloom less than others) or a lack of phosphorus, a violation of the timing of the dormant period, or improper wintering. Cracked pedicels are considered the result of irregular watering. This can lead to tension in the tissues and rupture of the shoots. Rotting flowers or buds indicate gray mold infestation. These photos show the symptoms of some indoor plant diseases:
Pests of indoor plants: photos, causes and control measures
The most favorable time for pests of indoor flowers is the end of the heating period. Lack of light and dry air in a heated room put plants at risk of pest damage. During this period, spider mites and aphids appear especially often on plants. Summer and autumn are the season for whiteflies. The best prevention is care that meets the needs of plants. Choose the most suitable places location. In addition, you should devote more time to observing plants. First of all, pay attention to the underside of the leaves. In this case, it is often possible to detect a disease or pests in the initial stage of the lesion. Sick plants should be isolated to avoid spreading the infection to other specimens.
Spider mites
Symptoms: cobwebs under and between leaves. Causes: too dry air. Control measures: increase air humidity warm shower, add predatory mites. Also, special preparations are used to combat these pests of indoor flowers.
soft-bodied mites
Symptoms: twisted leaves, cessation of growth. Causes: infection promoted by heat and high humidity air. Control measures: reduce temperature and humidity. Parts of indoor plants affected by this pest must be removed and destroyed.
thrips
Symptoms: silvery strokes on the leaves. Look at the photo - when indoor flowers are affected by this pest, brownish traces of the introduction of sucking insects appear on the underside of the leaves:
whiteflies
Symptoms: small white flies on the underside of the leaves. Causes: infection from other plants. Control measures: lower the temperature, since the tropical insect does not tolerate coolness. Also, traps, riders and insecticides are used to combat this pest of indoor plants.
Shchitovki
Symptoms: brown shields under which insects sit. Pay attention to the photo - indoor plants affected by these pests shed their leaves:
Felt and mealybugs
Symptoms: cotton-like formations, especially in the axils and on the underside of the leaves. Bad growth. Causes: too dry air. Control measures with these insect pests of indoor plants are the same as in the fight against scale insects.
Nematodes
Symptoms: glass or brown spots bounded by leaf veins. Dropping leaves. Causes: infection promoted by moisture on the leaves. Control measures: remove diseased leaves and destroy. Keep the leaves dry. Here you can see photos of the main diseases and pests of indoor plants:
Changes that occur with the leaves of plants indicate the presence of pests, diseases or care errors. A healthy leaf is strong, with flawless edges and a tip. Pay attention to metamorphoses and take action. Leaves are the life nerve of a plant and are therefore the best indicator of the presence of pests and diseases. Sometimes buds and flowers are also damaged. The main causes of such damage should be known. The pale colors of the flowers indicate an excess of sunlight. Deformed or broken flowers indicate the presence of pests, such as aphids.
How to get rid of indoor plant pests: flower protection methods
There are several ways to deal with houseplant pests. Some of the most effective are mechanical protection, biotechnical methods and the use of chemicals. How to get rid of pests on indoor plants using mechanical protection:- Carry out the removal of the affected parts of the plant.
- Carry out pest removal, including washing them in the shower.
- Submerge the aerial parts of the affected plant in warm water with a small amount detergent. The pot must first be placed in a plastic bag and tied on top.
- Riders against whiteflies,
- Predatory mites against spider mites and fringe-winged,
- Predatory gall midges, golden eyes or riders against aphids.
- The yellow plates are glue-covered insect traps that attract with their bright color mining flies, whiteflies, sciarids and other flying pests.
- In the "plant bath" due to very high humidity air destroy spider mites. To do this, water the plant well and place it in a transparent plastic bag. Beware, rot! Plants with soft leaves do not tolerate such treatment.
- Oil-based products, such as white oil, clog the airways of insects. Sprays for leaf shine work in a similar way.
- Follow the directions for use and dosage on the package.
- Follow recommended spray intervals to eliminate new generations of pests.
- Do not use sprays that are harmful to the environment.
- Treat plants only outdoors.
- Wear gloves and do not inhale sprays.
- Store plant protection products in the closed original packaging out of the reach of children and pets.
- Don't keep leftovers chemicals, their effectiveness is quickly lost. Do not dispose of chemicals with normal household waste, but take them to special waste collection points.