Are earthworms harmful to indoor flowers. Enchitreuses: worms in a flower pot. What kind of white worms are in a room flower

AT recent times a lot of information about the benefits of earthworms. But it's in the garden. And for indoor flowers? Many believe that they should be destroyed in a pot. Is it so?

Opinions about earthworms are extremely opposite. Some praise their virtues and even breed them at home, others see them as an unpleasant creature, like a gluttonous caterpillar.

On the Internet, you can find many stories that give examples of how earthworms "bite a poor flower in a pot" (hereinafter - quotes from various forums). However, such statements are highly questionable. And first of all, in the education of their authors.

Here is a quote from which one story begins: "Usually, earthworms are considered as useful insects ...".

What follows is a description of a poor flower that "faded before our eyes." After it was taken out of the pot, it turned out that there was an earthworm (and not even one!). Apparently, "these worms gobbled up all the roots, only miserable bits remained from them."

What earthworms look like, of course, we know. Let's try to figure out if they can harm plants.

Let's start with the fact that earthworms are not insects (as they were called on the forum). The offensive word "worms" is also not about them. The earthworms we see in the garden are terrestrial invertebrates. Here's how it looks according to scientific classification: Kingdom - Animals; Type - Annelids; Class - Belt worms; Subclass - Small-bristle worms; Order - Haplotaxida; Suborder - Earthworms; Family - Lumbricidae.

Large eyeless worms 10-30 cm long belong to this family. The genera and species of this family differ in the shape of the head lobe (the so-called upper lip), by the position of the belt and by the number of rings.

In Russia, there are several dozen species from the genera Lumbricus, Dendrobaena and Allolobophora.

Members of this family are the best helpers to improve soil fertility, and in combination - a popular bait for fishing.

The accusations that the earthworm "bite" the poor flower are completely groundless. The earthworm does not have gnawing organs, unlike, for example, the wireworm. That's why healthy roots plants are too tough for him.

The earthworm feeds on semi-decomposed organic matter, including roots, but already rotten and softened. So in a pot, he could well "gobble up" the roots of a flower if they rotted. But with such roots, the flower itself would die, without the "help" of the worm.

If he ate the rotten roots, he was more likely to be beneficial, as he eliminated most of the infected tissue. This can be compared to the amputation of a leg affected by gangrene. Doctors donate part of the body to prevent its death as a whole.

So, the worm does not eat healthy roots in a pot. What happened to the plant that began to wither?

There may be several reasons for the disease. Most likely, the flower was simply flooded. Stagnation of moisture in a pot is harmful to any plants. The top layer of soil may look dry, but the bottom soil remains moist.

Stagnation of moisture occurs when the plant is often and abundantly watered, when not drainage holes or the holes are too small and clogged with earth. Sooner or later, this leads to root rot.

Also, the roots begin to rot from hypothermia of an earthen coma on the windowsill or from a high dose of fertilizers. Another reason is diseases, the pathogens of which penetrate from the soil into the root system.

But in all these cases, the owner of the flower is "to blame", because he did not fulfill the requirements of the plant or inattentively followed him and missed the onset of the disease. It is clear that we do not like to blame ourselves. It is much more convenient to blame everything on the earthworm, especially when he was "at the scene of the crime."

KILL OR LEAVE THE EARTHWORM?

Earthworms (as well as their eggs) get into the flower pot with garden soil or compost, which is added to soil mixture. These inhabitants usually do not exist in store soil, since the soil is steamed.

A sure sign that there are earthworms in a pot with a houseplant is small black pellets on the surface of the earth. If in the soil the activity of earthworms is considered useful, then in flower pot they have no place. This is due to the fact that in a pot, the worms are forced to live in a small amount of soil. In search of food, they make many moves and actually "spin" in one place. Thus, they interfere with the growth of thin suction roots that nourish the plant. It takes on an oppressed appearance and slowly develops.

With all due respect to earthworms, it is better to remove them from the pot. They do not respond to a polite request to leave, they will have to be kicked out. To do this, use this method. The pot is placed in a container and water is poured to the ground level. Soon the worms will run out of air and crawl to the surface. There they can be collected and transferred to the garden or city front garden. However, this method does not guarantee that no earthworm eggs remain in the ground.

It is better to transplant a flower into a new soil, while choosing uninvited guests. Earthworm eggs are also easy to choose. They are round, yellow or brown and quite large (2 to 4 mm). More precisely, these are cocoons in which there are from 2 to 20 eggs.

When transplanting a flower, sometimes they find many small red worms in a pot at once,

which bear little resemblance to useful helpers. They immediately try to destroy these "worms". But this is how a young earthworm looks like, which hatched from eggs (on the first day, the cubs are only 1 mm long). Together with the earth, they also need to be released into the beds.

In addition to removing worms, transplanting indoor flowers is also recommended because it allows you to carefully examine the plant for root rot.

Diseased roots are easily distinguished by color: black or dark brown. Sometimes the roots become translucent and soft to the touch.

The affected areas of the roots should be cut with sharp scissors and sprinkled with crushed charcoal (or an activated charcoal tablet). After transplanting, water moderately, and cover the aerial part with a jar or bag.

To treat the disease, you need to water the plant with some kind of fungicide, for example, phytosporin.

If the roots were healthy and you just removed the earthworms, then the plant will soon recover.

It is very difficult to deal with them manually. Firstly, after trying to pull out earthworms with tweezers, trembling all over your body and a bad dream are guaranteed. Secondly, the worms are very nimble and fast, and you won’t be able to find them all - very small, like hairs. Shaking the whole earth is extremely dangerous for the plant itself. Even transplanting into new soil will not give a 100% guarantee that you will not introduce worms again. Soaking the soil in hot water for several hours, as suggested by some sources, gives a very weak result. Earthworms are alive. But the plant in such an experiment may die.

What to do if earthworms have bred in the soil of a flower pot? Remains to fight chemical methods. Everything is very simple here. You need to buy the most common table vinegar 9%.

So, take a watering can, pour 5 parts of water and 1 part of vinegar. We shake. Fill the pot to the brim, placing it in a container so that the vinegar solution is above the soil level. Let stand for a few minutes and drain.

This is a serious procedure, some of the small roots may suffer, you need to take into account the individual characteristics of your green pet: is it afraid of the bay, does it have delicate roots. The plant may shed or dry out some of the leaves.

Such tillage should be carried out only in summer, during the period of plant growth.

If you have your own methods of dealing with earthworms, please write in the comments.

One day I noticed that my favorite pelargoniums began to wither. And they do not grow and do not disappear, young leaves become smaller, the leaves quickly turn yellow, curl.

I used various growth stimulants, sprayed against pests, and even spilled the earth in a pot with an insecticide solution. All this brought only temporary improvement.

I could not understand what was the matter until I decided to transplant them right in the middle of winter. It turned out that there were earthworms in the pots. For the summer, I planted pelargoniums in open ground, and in the fall, fearing to disturb the root system, I transferred earthworms to a pot together with an earthen clod. At the beginning of autumn, my pelargoniums still somehow held on, and by the middle of winter they completely withered.

By the way, buying indoor plants even in a store does not give a full guarantee that there are no earthworms in the pot. One of the readers shared that she noticed an earthworm in a pot of a plant she had just purchased in a store.

Although they write that earthworms do no harm to a houseplant, I do not agree with this. If your houseplant does not grow, looks depressed, the leaves turn pale or curl for no apparent reason, then ordinary earthworms in a pot.

It would seem that earthworms loosen the ground next to the roots, contributing to soil aeration. But it's in open field where they feed on half-decayed plant debris. And in the closed space of the pot, earthworms disturb and eat up the roots of the plant, and indoor plants do not tolerate this well. When I transplanted my pelargoniums, I did not see young white suction roots. Therefore, water was not absorbed during irrigation, but remained at the bottom of the pot. The ground at the bottom of the pot had already begun to get wet, the drainage did not work. Here are my flowers withered. Hence the conclusion: the presence of earthworms in a flower pot is highly undesirable.

Along with earthworms in a pot, enchitreuses can start. Do not confuse earthworms with other pests (centipedes, larvae of cutworms or mowers) that feed on plant roots or gnaw the entire plant.

How to get rid of earthworms in a flower pot?

To check if there are still earthworms left, submerge the entire flower pot in a basin of water so that the water is above ground level in the pot. As soon as the whole earthen ball gets wet, all the earthworms will crawl out of the pot and float up. There is very little air in the water, the worms have nothing to breathe, they suffocate and float to the surface.

After collecting all the worms, leave the pot in the bathroom for two hours so that all the water from the pot drains. It is not necessary to water this plant for some time, wait until the earthen ball dries out, and only then resume watering.

Similarly, you can get rid of earthworms by digging in the fall perennials for storage.

Also, earthworms die quickly in very dry soil. The thing is, earthworms breathe the entire surface of the body, which is covered with a moist mucous membrane - the skin. In dry land, the skin of the worms dries up quickly, breathing stops, the worm dies.

If you are making your own houseplant potting mixes, then steam or calcine the garden soil before use, then you will not encounter earthworms in a pot.

Enchitreuses(Enchytraeus), belonging to the genus of low-bristle worms - white or gray worms, from 1 to 3 sometimes 4 centimeters in length, very thin. Enchitreus, or white milk worms, got their name not only for their milky color, but also for their rapid reproduction, if you pour milk on the ground. Enchitreus live in tangles garden soil and between plant roots. You probably met such small and thin worms in your garden or garden.

Enchitreuses feed on diseased or dead plant tissues, rotten strawberries or strawberries, fallen plums, pears, apples or vegetables in contact with the ground. You pick up an apple from the ground, and in the place where it was in contact with the ground, in the damage to the skin of the apple, you suddenly find a ball of wriggling small worms. This is the enchitreus. We can say that the picture is not pleasant. Sometimes, unknowingly, these worms are mistaken for nematodes.

Although it is believed that enchytreus do not cause any harm to plants in a flower pot, however, their presence is not in vain for plants: plants stop growing, leaves begin to turn yellow, the plant looks sick, shows signs of a flooded plant. All these symptoms are due to the fact that the worms constantly damage the earthen ball. Even with a small accumulation in the closed space of the pot, enchitreuses begin to eat up the roots of the plant. Determine what it is flower worms harm the plant can only be recognized during transplantation. If nothing is done, the plant may die.

You can get rid of enchitreuses in the same way as you can get rid of earthworms - by immersing a flower pot in water. Enchitreuses should float. But most often, everything ends with a plant transplant.

Prevention against enchitreus

Monitor the watering of plants, do not allow waterlogging of the soil. Use only heat-treated garden soil for soil mixtures.

To protect plants from earthen pests and various fungal diseases, garden soil must be calcined or steamed before use. It's not the same thing. You can ignite the earth in the oven or microwave, simply scattering it in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Steaming is steaming in a water bath. Pour water into a large pot or bucket and bring to a boil. A cup of earth is placed over hot water and steamed for some time (at least half an hour).

The use of ready-made store-bought soil mixtures cannot give a 100% guarantee that flower worms will not start in it. With constant waterlogging, enchitreuses start up even in purchased soil.

In the summer, when you take the plants out into the garden, use a variety of pallets to keep the pots from touching the ground. In addition, you need to ensure that water does not stagnate in the pallets after watering. In the fall, before you bring the plants into the room, quarantine them.

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Fly larvae, sciarids up to 4 mm in length, white color. Adult hatchlings have wings. They reproduce in wet and dry soil in the same way - they are more attracted to the situation in the room where they are comfortable.

How to remove white worms in a room flower?

Since most midges and worms in indoor flower, we will dry the soil mixture to kill pests.

How to remove white worms in a room flower:

• Stop watering the plant;
• Fall asleep expanded clay, dry hydrogel, beads - prevents stagnation of water and prevents the laying of larvae;
• To catch and poison midges - spread sticky lenka over the pot and spray midges with dichlorvos (attention: ventilate the room before sleeping);
• Mix wood ash + tobacco shavings into the soil;
• Clean off the sulfur from the match head;

The listed methods will help to kill white worms in indoor flowers, but if there are too many of them, you will have to use chemicals.

How to process flowers from white worms:

• "Aktara";
• "Bazudin";
• "Agravertin";
• "Fitoverm";
• Preparations for worms;

Tillage from white worms in flowers

The soil mixture is steamed or spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate before use. Try not to overmoisten the soil in a pot, lower the humidity and air temperature to a level that is comfortable for indoor flowers. Perform insecticide prophylaxis once a year.

If you find white worms in a flower pot, it's time to sound the alarm, because they are by no means harmless. Because of these pests, not a single new plant can grow in the ground, and an adult one can die.

Preventive actions

Control measures

Soil disinfection

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What do sciarids look like?

This midge has many names; besides the mushroom mosquito, it is also called the tomato mosquito and the soil midge. The adult insect is up to 4 mm long and has wings. Larvae are whitish, translucent, have a black head. Finding them is easy, just knock on the pot, the midges will fly out, and if you stir up the topsoil, you will see white worms and even heaps of skins from the molt of adult mushroom mosquitoes near the roots of the flower.

Sciarides fall into a flower pot with purchased soil or a purchased flower. Usually, midges live in waterlogged soil, but if they are not immediately removed, but only reduced in watering, they will not disappear, but will quickly get used to the new conditions and will reproduce perfectly in a dry substrate.

How to destroy black midges in flowers

As we already wrote, sciarids love such a humid environment where the process of decay takes place. Many people water the ground under the flowers with water from the aquarium, tea leaves, water with which they washed meat, mullein, and so on. Naturally, plants grow better from this, but bugs also quickly start up in flower pots. Therefore, pest control is reduced to a set of measures:
Transplanting a flower into a new pot and new soil, if there are a lot of midges.
Simultaneous treatment of the premises with dichlorvos or other means.

If there are few midges, do not replant the flower, but do this:

1. Dry the soil in the pot - do not water for several days.
2. Pour a layer of expanded clay, you can even beads, the main thing is that it is dry and the midges are not comfortable laying eggs.
3. Destroy flying flies with dichlorvos.
4. Hang sticky tape over the flowers.
5. Sprinkle the soil with ashes mixed with tobacco dust.
6. Stick the matches head down into the soil.

And to prevent midges from entering from the street, always have a mosquito net on the windows.

These are all folk methods, but why fight these annoying insects for so long if you can destroy pests with poison. Buy one of effective means, how:

• agravertin
• decis
• actor
• actellik
• fitoverm
• inta-vir
• kinmix.

It is enough to water the soil 2 times with an interval of 7 days and all pests will die. And flying too. They will not be able to lay new eggs in the cultivated soil and will gradually disappear. Just do not need to water the plant for 5 days.

You can also use thunder granules 2, bazudine. They are scattered on the ground and lightly mixed with the topsoil. The action is slow, but the black midges in the flowers die.

And in order not to bring these pests home in the future, always ignite the purchased soil over steam, freezing will not help, it’s checked.

Pests indoor plants

Appearance of white spots

brown spots

Withering

Description of pests

spider mite

Aphid

Shchitovki

• lemons;
• oranges;
• tangerines;
• asparagus;
• oleanders;
• ivy;
• palm trees.

thrips

Podura white

Mealybugs

These are white worms, they love the back of the sheet in those places where the vein passes.
Mki are large, up to half a centimeter, very prolific. They arrange houses for the offspring, similar to lumps of cotton wool, and lay eggs in them. The hatched larvae are mobile, quickly gaining space on the flowers.

whitefly

If white worms are present in the soil, but black small flies do not fly around the plants, then probably enchitrea, or saprophytic species of nematodes, develop in the ground.

Enchitreya look like small white worms about 1-2 cm long. These are the closest relatives of earthworms. Fans of aquarium fish are specially bred for food. They live in the soil, at a depth of about 10 cm.

You can see them when you take the plant out of the pot. They harm potted plants - they eat roots and tender sprouts. The damaged plant begins to lag behind in growth, the leaves turn yellow and wither, and as a result, the plant dies. High soil moisture and the presence of undecomposed pieces (organics) of plant residues contribute to the appearance of enchitraes. In places rich in food, enchitrei are found in whole balls.

Preventive actions

Avoid waterlogging the soil in pots. When taking plants to Fresh air be sure to use pallets to prevent insects from entering pots from open ground.

Control measures

• Dryer content of potted flowers.
• Immersion of flowerpots completely in hot water for washing insects.
• Transplanting plants that have undergone this scourge: rinse the pot and roots from old earth and plant the plant in fresh soil. But such a procedure for a flower is not painless.
• Most effective way- water the soil with an insecticide solution (Aktara, Bazudin, Inta-Vir, Fury, Fitoverm) or helminth preparations (repeat twice with an interval of two weeks). In the spring, transplant the plants into new soil, thoroughly cleaning the roots of the old one.
• Land must be bought in branded flower shops. First of all, check that the package has not been torn and pay attention to the expiration date. Do not buy soil in fake bags that do not have the brand name and address of the manufacturer.

Soil disinfection

The soil must comply with all standards, and it should not contain any pests, spores of pathogens and weed seeds. But it’s more reliable, after all, to disinfect the finished earth yourself.

You can pour the earth poured into a bucket with boiling water or a hot (90 ° C) solution of potassium permanganate and cover it on top for a longer preservation of high temperature.

But it is better to steam the soil using any large old pot or bucket. Water is poured into the bottom of the container (1/4 of the volume). At a height of 1/3 from the bottom, a lid is installed with drilled holes(lattice, colander bowl), which is covered with a large piece of cloth so that the earth does not wake up. Or pour the earth into a cloth bag. Top with a tight lid and boil for at least 40 minutes.

Decontamination of the soil in the oven requires caution. A layer of earth is poured no more than 8-10 cm, and the temperature should not be higher than 60-80 ° C. Heat treatment causes the death of not only pathogenic microorganisms, but also beneficial ones.

Sterile soil very quickly (within 2-3 weeks) is populated by new inhabitants, both harmful and beneficial. In order for the first to be as small as possible, it is recommended to add biohumus (1:10) to the disinfected chilled soil.

indoor.usadbaonline.ru

We have small white worms up to a millimeter long in our greenhouse. At first glance, it seems that all the beds are sprinkled with semolina. As soon as we tried to get rid of them! They sprayed the soil with dichlorvos, watered it with a solution of potassium permanganate and even creolin.

The worms that our reader writes about belong to the springtail order (collembole - springtail). Springtails appeared on Earth much earlier than insects and higher plants, so they adapted to eat algae, fungi, lichens. More often they live among the decaying remains of the plant and in the surface layer of the soil, but they can also climb deeper. Rarely live on plants and in water bodies.

Soil-dwelling species are white; those that live on green plants are greenish; in forest litter - grayish and brown; there are brightly colored or with a metallic sheen. The body length of the worm is 1 mm. Head with antennae and eyes on the sides. Three pairs of legs allow you to actively move on the surface, and thanks to the "fork" under the abdomen, even jump. White springtails living in the ground do not have a "jumping fork", they can only crawl with the help of short chest legs.

Springtails reproduce in a peculiar way. Males deposit spermatophores in the form of droplets (seminal fluid) on stalks. Females capture spermatophores with their genital openings and, after fertilization, lay their eggs in moist places. The eggs hatch into small springtails that look like adults.

Collembolas, or springtails (Springtail)

Springtails are not bothered by cold snaps, they are active even in frozen soil, and the development of eggs does not stop up to plus 2-3 °.

Are springtails harmful? Yes and no.

On the one hand, springtail activity enriches the soil. They feed on decaying organic debris, bacteria, animal excrement. In the north, it is they who destroy fallen leaves, enriching the soil with nutrients.

Collembolas, or springtails (Springtail)

However, there are also such representatives of white springtails that eat into the succulent roots of plants. Undoubtedly, they oppress plants both in the greenhouse and in the garden. Hence the crop loss.

What to advise? Given that the development of springtail eggs is possible only in a humid environment and they are very sensitive to drying out, try to dry the soil in the process of partially replacing it in the greenhouse (in a baking sheet on a fire or on iron sheets in the sun).

www.botanichka.ru

Symptoms to recognize harmful insects

What needs to be done to save pets? First of all, find out what harmful insects are on the flowers. To do this, a thorough examination of the plant itself and the soil is carried out. After that, a merciless struggle begins with various methods. Remember, any delay is fraught with disastrous consequences.

Insects live in the ground (on the roots), on leaves, stems, gnaw out buds.

Pests of indoor plants

Plants react to each pest in a special way: they can change the color of the leaves, slow down their growth. When visually inspecting a houseplant, you can notice changes in leaves, stems.

Appearance of white spots

White spots - a signal of the appearance:

• Mealy or root bug. You need to examine all parts of the flower. If you notice "cotton" lumps, then there is a pest.
• When a whitefly appears, the leaves become sticky and may fall off.
• The presence of a red spider (clover) mite can be determined by a whitish mesh, a spider by a cobweb. Leaves at in large numbers insects die off.

What do yellow spots indicate?

Appearance on leaves yellow spots you need to look at the leaves. If fingers stick to them, these are traces left by the scale insect. The cause may be the appearance of enchitreya. Tiny white worms live in the soil at the very root.

brown spots

The presence of brown, brownish spots from the bottom of the leaf and white smudges from above indicates the action of thrips.

Deformation of the green parts of the plant

If the shoots and leaves on the flowers begin to deform, then the flower is affected by aphids or cyclamen mites. Aphids leave behind sticky traces. She sucks the juice of indoor plants, from which they can dry out. If dust appears on the leaves from below, they curl up - the mite “hosts”.

Withering

The reason for the drooping of leaves and shoots is fungal mosquitoes, leaf or gall nematodes.

Description of pests

Pests of indoor plants can cause harm, bring to the death of green spaces, if they are not dealt with. Consider the most common insects, their destructive activity.

spider mite

Spider mite on indoor plants is the most frequent "guest". Due to their small size, they are invisible to the naked eye. You need to consider the lower part of the flower, because these pests do not tolerate light and moisture. Insects may appear to eat in a dry and hot room. Under such conditions, the development spider mite swift.

If you grow geraniums, hibicus, palm trees, aspidistra, then they need to be inspected constantly. Insects pierce the tender part of the leaves, suck out the juice. As a result, the leaves become faded, crumble.

Aphid

Aphids can be seen despite their small size. They are black and green. Insect colonies multiply rapidly: the female lays at least 150 larvae, which themselves enter the breeding stage after 7 days.
Third generation females have the ability to fly. They move to any indoor plants, lay larvae. On the paws, diseases are transferred to the flowers, for example, different types flower mosaic. Getting rid of aphids is not as easy as it seems.

Shchitovki

Shchitovka on indoor plants is a dangerous pest, loves to settle on cuttings, leaves, stems. It is not difficult to detect it: it is flat, oval, bottom bodies are closely adjacent to the substrate.

These pests are different. Real scale insects hide under the shell, just like turtles. False scale insects do not have such an opportunity, since this part of the body is inseparable.

The favorite colors of these pests are:

• lemons;
• oranges;
• tangerines;
• asparagus;
• oleanders;
• ivy;
• palm trees.

Scale insects settle on the lower part of the sheet. Colonies develop rapidly. Slowly moving dots appear on the leaves, somewhat reminiscent of plaques. Around their habitat, the leaves turn yellow. Insects suck the juice of tender plants and shoots, deplete the plant. If you do not start a timely fight, indoor flowers die.

thrips

Ficuses, begonias, dracaena, palm trees are affected by a small jumping beetle - thrips. Females, having made holes in leaves or flower buds, lay eggs. The damage is microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye. The signal that thrips on indoor plants is a silvery pattern that appears on the leaves. The insects themselves live on the back of the leaf.

Podura white

These creatures can also jump. This is a soil insect that lives directly in pots. It is distinguished by an elongated body, on which sparse hairs are visible. Mustache on the head. Most often appear in soils rich in humus.

The basis of nutrition is plant residues, but it does not shun a living root system. It is clear that the eaten roots can no longer cope with their function, the plant slows down its growth, and may die.

Mealybugs

These are white worms, they love the back of the sheet in those places where the vein passes. Females are large, up to half a centimeter, very prolific. They arrange houses for the offspring, similar to lumps of cotton wool, and lay eggs in them. The hatched larvae are mobile, quickly gaining space on the flowers.
Flower growers who grow azaleas, cacti need to constantly inspect plants for a sign mealybug. It is they who are preferred by these pests of indoor plants and it is necessary to take immediate measures to combat them.

whitefly

Whitefly by by and large greenhouse insects. If you purchased flowers in these places, do not be too lazy to examine them carefully. Even one female whitefly on indoor plants for a short time will produce great offspring. Then the question arises how to fight. Favorite flowers of the pest are fuchsias, ferns, geraniums. A two-millimeter insect feeds on the juice of plants, as a result, it weakens, withers away.

mushroom mosquitoes

It often happens that flower growers notice flying around their flowers. small flies, but do not attach any importance to this. And in vain, because the fly lays larvae in moist fertile soil. The larvae are microscopic, so their appearance is not immediately noticeable. The danger of insects is that the smallest creatures feed on the root system of plants. As a result, the flower dies.

How to deal with pests on houseplants

Many beginner flower growers are wondering how to deal with pests of indoor plants. The answer to it is important, since insects multiply rapidly, you should not waste time.

Exist different ways to help get rid of pests:

1. mechanical;
2. biological;
3. folk;
4. chemical.

If pests of houseplants are correctly recognized, and measures to combat them will be effective.

Mechanical

You need to start with the safest measures for a person, especially since they often help a lot. Before starting work, disinfect and sharpen tools. All damaged leaves and shoots are cut off, the places of cuts need to be sprinkled activated carbon.
Beetles and visible larvae are selected manually: worms, scale insects, slugs, caterpillars. Leaves with pests such as aphids can be wiped with a cotton pad. A contrast shower, spraying with water helps to get rid of pests that live on the green parts of the plant.

Biological

How to deal with harmful insects with biological agents? Such preparations are based on plants. Most often used:

• "Fitoverm";
• "Agrovertin";
• Iskra-Bio.

Before use, you need to read the instructions. Since they destroy pests, they contain poison in small doses. Plants are treated early in the morning, left in a shady place until all parts of the plant dry out. The room where the treatment was carried out is ventilated. Wash all exposed parts of the body warm water with detergents.

Folk methods

If there were indoor pests plants, treatment can be carried out by proven centuries folk remedies. To do this, prepare decoctions, infusions from:

• yarrow;
• chamomile;
• dandelion;
• nails;
• nettles;
• garlic;
• Luke;
• peels of oranges, tangerines, lemons.

These environmentally friendly and harmless to humans plants are able to effectively destroy harmful insects. Steamed citrus peels can be dug into the soil. Insects do not like their smell.

An infusion of tobacco, stove ash, a solution of potassium permanganate, furacilin or soda works well. So that the liquid does not immediately drain from the plants, laundry soap is added to it.

Chemical

With the use of chemical pest control agents, quick successes can be achieved. It is better to resort to their help as a last resort, if other methods have not given a positive result. It should be remembered that such products are unsafe for humans and beneficial insects. Work with chemicals it is necessary with an open window, removing children and animals from the room. In addition, when working, you need to use the means personal protection. After work, you need to thoroughly wash your hands and face.
The treated plants are removed in the shade until the solution is completely dry. The place where the treatment was carried out should be washed with hot water and detergents.

Remember that chemicals are toxic, so keep them out of the reach of children and pets. Popular and effective means from pests of indoor plants:

• "Karbofos";
• "Chlorophos";
• "Siphos";
• "Trichlormetafos";
• "Pyrethrum";
• "Decis";
• Fury.

They are able to destroy almost all harmful insects.

Getting rid of harmful insects

The shell of insects makes them invulnerable even to toxic drugs. With a large accumulation of pests, they should be cleaned with a toothbrush, moistened with alcohol.
Of the chemicals it is better to use:

• Aktellik;
• Detis;
• Intavir.