What to do if white bugs are wound up in the soil of orchids?

Orchid is a very beautiful flower, pleases the eye with its flowering. However, often the beauty of this flower is interfered with by small insects - white and other flowers bugs and midges that start in a pot.

What kind of insects appear? What are the methods of dealing with them and how to avoid this problem in the future, we will consider in this article. We also recommend watching a useful video on this topic.

Types of pests

Shields

Scaffolds are small insects that are not particularly visible to the naked eye. The main sign of scale insects is dark tubercles or mounds on the stems of orchids. It is under these growths that these insects hide. Scutellaria prefer orchids with denser and stronger stems.

Scorpions create the main threat to the flower by eating juice from orchid stems. Thus, pests slow down the growth of a flower or lead to its death. Scaleflies also love orchids with dense leaves.

You will find all the details on how to get rid of scale insects on an orchid in a separate article.

Aphid

Aphids are small insects that predominate in black or green. Aphids inhabit young orchids, preferring plant leaves. You can notice these pests on the back of the leaf. Also, the presence of aphids is evidenced by deformation of orchid leaves and a sticky coating.

The aphid sucks the juices from the flower, as does the scab. But the difference between this pest and the scabbard is that when it sucks the juice from the stems and leaves, the aphid injects the poisonous substance back. This substance also causes deformation of the leaves and stems of orchids. Also, aphids are a carrier of fungal and viral diseases of plants.

We talked about how to deal with aphids on your plant here.

Mealybug

Mealybugs form a bloom on the stems, leaves of plants, as well as in the soil and even on the walls of the pot in which the orchid grows. This plaque mainly forms around female worms. The consistency resembles cotton wool. If the stem or leaf of the flower is raised, then besides plaque, larvae of worms can also be detected.

You will find practical tips on fighting a mealybug in this article.

Spider mite

This pest forms a thin cobweb around the stem of the orchid, as well as on its leaves. This significantly prevents sunlight and air from entering the plants, which slows its growth or even leads to the death of the flower.

Important! It is very difficult to detect a spider mite in the early stages, so a frequent examination of the orchid for the web is necessary. If run, then the flower may die.

You can read about the spider mite here, and about what other types of ticks can attack your beauty and how to get rid of them, you will learn here.

Watch the video about the pest of indoor plants spider mite:

Fools

Podurs (or they are also called nails) are gray-brown or gray-white insects, which mainly move along the ground in which the orchid grows. Most often they can be found after watering the flower. This type of insect pest loves wet soil. Mostly the tailed ponytail live in soil in which moss predominates.

It is very difficult to catch these pests, as they are very jumping and fast. In terms of speed, the suds resemble animal fleas. The main danger of these pests is for orchid roots, often for young roots. Therefore, the faster you protect the orchid from the nails, the greater the chance that the flower will remain alive.

Watch the video about orchid pests podurah (foottails):

Woodlice

Woodlice are not a very common pest. However, if a wood louse comes into a pot with an orchid, then the flower is in real danger.

Note! Most often, woodlice fall into the ground if your pet was outdoors in the summer. Often, these pests crawl out of the water pan in which the orchid is.

You will learn about all types of orchid pests in another article.

How to detect insects in the ground and on the plant?

The presence of pests is easy to guess from the appearance of the flower.

  • If scale insects are found in the soil or on a flower, then they can be detected by the presence of growths or mounds on the stem of an orchid.
  • The presence of mealybugs will be indicated by cotton-like formations in the pot around the flower stem.
  • Aphid is a sticky coating on the leaves of orchids.
  • The nasal tails (podura) appear after watering; these pests love moist soil.
  • The spider mite reveals itself as a thin web around the stem or on the leaves.

It should be noted that the sooner signs of deformation of the leaves and flower stem, sticky plaque and other signs of abnormal development of the flower are detected, the higher the probability of saving the flower from death.

What should i avoid?

First of all, it should be noted that if insect pests are found on your pet, then you should not immediately panic. In any case, timely measures will save the flower. Do not abuse chemicals with various types, because an orchid is a delicate flower. Also, you do not need to experiment with different methods of struggle, if one specific tool is chosen, then it should be used to the end.

How to get rid of small insects?

What to do if midges appeared in the ground? There are many ways to control pests. The most common will consider below.

Midge control

  • In this case, it is necessary to let the substrate dry and remove a layer of moss from it (if there is one). You also need to protect the flower from places where midges can start. Often this is the kitchen, or the place where vegetables and fruits are stored. After such a small prophylaxis, midges can disappear on their own, as there will be no food for them (midges like rotten vegetables and fruits).
  • You can also use adhesive tapes to speed up the process of eliminating midges. Many flower growers use special soil mixtures treated initially with protective agents.
  • You can also independently add coffee grounds, sleeping tea leaves, fish bones to the substrate as fertilizer. However, you should periodically clean the soil from this type of fertilizer.
  • Still often used a solution of laundry soap in a ratio of 1: 6. This solution should be wiped with orchid leaves. It is also recommended to spill the substrate with running water at least once a month.

You can find even more tips on how to get rid of midges that are wound on an orchid here.

Beetle fighting

  • You can use a solution of onion peel. It is very easy to prepare it: pour 150 grams of onion peel with three liters of water and insist for 5 days. The resulting solution to spray the plant.
  • It is also good to use medical alcohol. To do this, moisten a cotton ball with alcohol and wipe the orchid leaves.
  • Very good in the fight against pests helps a solution of garlic. To do this, chop two heads of garlic and pour a liter of water, put in a dark, cool place, insist for about 5-7 days. Then strain the resulting infusion halfway with water and spray the plant.
  • If folk remedies do not help in the fight, then the following remedies should be used: Fitoverm, Neoron, Aktofit, Vermitek, etc.Important! But it should be remembered that the orchid is a delicate flower and the abuse of chemicals can lead to the death of the flower.

Read more about fighting bugs on orchids in this article.

What to do for prevention?

  1. First of all, the orchid should be located in a place where there is no food (especially vegetables and fruits).
  2. You should also periodically inspect the flower for spots, deformations of the stem, leaves, various growths and mounds.
  3. In the summer, if the orchid is on the street, it is necessary to hang the pot with it to a decent height so that insects do not crawl into the pot.
  4. It is recommended to wash the soil with running water, periodically removing fertilizers from it (sleeping tea leaves, coffee grounds, etc.).
  5. Also, you should sometimes allow the soil to dry completely without watering it for a certain time, because many pests love a moist substrate and appear in it.
  6. Do not forget that the capricious orchid needs to be kept away from other plants from which pests can move.
  7. Also, sticky tapes are a good prevention of insect damage (especially midges). Place them in a room with orchid pots.
  8. Periodic treatment of leaves with a solution of laundry soap is recommended.
  9. Do not forget that timely processing of the flower: pruning sluggish leaves, eliminating old roots, cleaning the substrate from fertilizer (tea leaves, coffee grounds, fish seeds, peat slices, etc.) is the best prevention of the appearance of bugs and midges in the ground and flower leaves.

Orchid is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful flowers. However, it is a very delicate and capricious flower, which is prone to various types of diseases and lesions. Therefore, timely prevention and transplantation will save your darling from withering and death.

Watch the video: DIY Blue Orchid - How blue Phalaenopsis Orchids are made (October 2024).

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