It is quite difficult to deal with pests and diseases of indoor plants, so it is better to know in advance how to prevent the occurrence of a problem. For this, it is important to understand how indoor flower diseases manifest themselves, how pests look, and what their detrimental effect is expressed in. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to identify a parasite or notice pathology at the initial stage of development. In such cases, there is nothing left but to resort to effective methods of combating the disease.
Pests
There are many different parasites that pose a threat to home flowers.
White bugs in the ground
If small white bugs appeared in indoor flowers in the ground, then we are talking about whiteflies. It is a pest of indoor and garden plants. All its varieties are easily propagated at home.
Greenhouse Whitefly
Black bugs on indoor plants
If there were black insects, then the plant was attacked by thrips. Characteristic signs of infection:
- Silver spots on the leaves.
- The stems dry out and change shape.
- Flowering is absent.
- Leaves turn yellow.
- Black dots, similar to strokes, are observed on leaf blades, as well as shiny black drops and dark insect skin.
- Shedding pollen in flowering plants.
Aphid
It is a threat to domestic plants, regardless of the time of year. Insects breed very quickly and form colonies. Aphids have a fairly large size, it can be easily seen on the tissues of the plant.
The parasite captures the most tender parts of its "victim": buds, upper parts of shoots, flowers.
To get rid of the problem, you need:
- Cut off affected stems, cut off peduncles.
- The leaves of the plants forming the outlet should be treated with a solution of green potash soap and washed off under a hot shower. Clean the sinuses of the leaves with cotton buds, after moistening them in alcohol.
- With severe infection, the flower must be sprayed with an insecticide.
- You can apply decoctions of wormwood, tansy, dandelion root, yarrow, garlic, onions. Powder dusting of a diseased plant will also be effective.
A plant captured by colonies often looks like dandruff.
Diseases and pests of domestic flowers
Also, the disease is indicated by:
- Discolored parts of shoots;
- Deformed flowers;
- Twisted leaves;
- Yellowed and dying leaves;
- Cessation of plant development;
- Lack of flowering (buds are not opened);
- Contaminated flowers with sticky mucus.
Aphids on the stems of a plant
Onion root mite
The body has the shape of a wide oval, the color is light yellow. The surface of the skin is smooth, thin, with a glossy tint. The parasite feeds on the underground part of plants - bulbs and roots.
Symptoms are as follows:
- Growth inhibition.
- The appearance of red or brown spots on the bulbs. White dust is also formed on their surface.
- Yellowing leaves.
- The cessation of flowering.
- Chlorosis (a sign of starvation).
- Drying of individual branches.
- Fusarium - as a secondary disease due to the fact that infection penetrates into the wounds on the bulbs and roots.
The chance that a tick may appear on a plant increases in conditions of increased soil moisture. To prevent the disease, the soil must be disinfected, and all newly acquired plants should be quarantined.
Another measure is proper storage: the underground parts of the plant must be kept in a cool, dry place where the humidity is not more than 30%.
Methods of struggle:
- The affected bulbs and roots are treated with a solution of acaricide.
- Any drug based on spiromesifene is also suitable.
Spider mite
The most common parasite attacking houseplants.
Signs:
- Presence of puncture punctures on leaf blades of yellowish or whitish color. Over time, the points merge and turn into spots.
- Leaves lose color, turn gray, then dry out and completely discolor. It also happens that the leaves become red or bronze.
- Leaves are deformed.
Adult insects have a greenish color and are almost invisible on plant tissues.
Treatment methods:
- Increase air humidity. This will help: wide trays with water; humidifier; table fountain.
- Short-term hot (45-48 degrees) shower. Repeat the procedure after 3-5 days (first water 3-4 times every week, then once every 3-4 weeks). Before a shower, it is recommended to apply a layer of tar, green or laundry soap on the plant.
- The use of acaricides or insectoacaricides.
Spider mite on plant tissues
Whitefly greenhouse
According to the external description, this is a small white little midge resembling a reduced version of the moth (body length - about 2 mm, has 2 pairs of white wings).
The greenish larvae of the insect are located on the back of the leaf and suck out the cellular juice from it, leaving behind sticky secretions. Ideal conditions for development:
- Air temperature - from 21 to 27 degrees.
- Humidity - from 60 to 75 percent.
Signs of parasite activity:
- Light yellow or white spots appear on the leaves.
- Leaves curl, turn yellow and fall.
Most often from a pest suffer:
- Hibiscus
- Begonia;
- Balsam;
- Fuchsia.
Methods of struggle:
- The use of systemic drugs (Actara, Apache, Confidor, Tanrek). These means water the soil, and also spray the leaves. The drugs are ineffective against larvae, so the treatment is carried out in 3-4 stages every 2-3 days.
- The use of insecticides: malathion; Pegasus; inta-vir.
- Timely removal of affected leaves.
- It is recommended to hang sticky tape traps for flies near the flower.
Dangerous thrips
Most often, the fly infects garden plants, especially peonies, asters and other terry compound plants.
An adult insect grows to 1.5 mm, has an elongated, segmented body with a pair of long antennae and two pairs of wings, completely covered with small hairs.
Bubble-shaped suckers are located on the paws of the insect, thanks to which thrips easily cling to the surface of the leaves and quickly jump (like fleas).
Important! Thrips are carriers of fungal infections and viruses.
The body of the parasite is equipped with a piercing-sucking mouth apparatus, due to which the insect quickly sucks the plant sap. Thrips larvae can be located in different parts of the plant: most often on flowers, less often in leaves, in some cases on leaves and flowers.
The color of adult thrips varies from tan to brown. Larvae have a gray or yellowish hue.
Important! The eggs and nymphs of the insect are covered with a protective shell through which contact insecticides cannot break through. A hot shower is not able to cope with parasites.
What to do to cure a flower:
- Against insects that live on flowering plants, systemic insecticides (Aktara, Confidor) will be effective. On citrus and other trees that give fruit, you need to re-process.
- For deciduous plants, contact pesticides (Vermitek, Fitoverm, Actellik, Karbofos) are suitable.
Shields
Infection with this parasite can lead to death of the flower.
Symptoms
- Yellow spots appear on the leaves, which gradually grow. As a result, the sheet turns completely yellow, curls and falls off.
- The presence of sticky discharge on the leaves.
- Growth stops.
- The branches are exposed.
- The bush dries and the plant dies.
Methods of struggle:
- Isolate plants from other indoor flowers.
- Mechanical removal of scabs (with a cotton pad, sponge or toothbrush dipped in soapy water).
- Wash leaves with soap.
- Hot showers once a week.
- Soaking the infected crown in an insecticide solution.
- Treatment with contact preparations 3 times every 7 days.
Shield on indoor plants
Disease
Due to gross errors in caring for home flowers, the latter often fall ill with various pathologies.
White plaque on the soil
White plaque on the ground in pots of indoor plants is of two types:
- Dry. These are salt residues from evaporated hard water. You can fix the problem by watering the plant with soft water. To soften, you need to boil water or freeze. You can also use melt or rainwater.
- Soft and moist. This means that the soil has begun to mold.
White coating on flowers
If the plant tissue began to turn white, then the powder was attacked by powdery mildew. The leaves are covered with a white coating, similar to cotton wool. The reason is infection with a fungal infection. Favorable conditions for its distribution are high air humidity, a sharp change in temperature, excessive feeding with nitrogen, and a lack of calcium.
If on indoor flowers white plaque like cotton wool, than to treat the plant:
- Flower isolate;
- Apply systemic fungicide (for example, Topaz).
Why does the potted earth mold?
Mold on the soil appears due to excessive watering of the plant and high humidity in the room. To fix the problem, you will need:
- Reduce watering;
- Add new primer;
- Treat the soil mixture with an antifungal drug.
Soot fungus
In another way, the disease is called mob. Pathology is fungal in nature and affects mainly young and weak plants. Favorable conditions for the fungus are increased humidity and poor ventilation in the room.
Symptoms
- Education on the stems, fruits and leaves of black or gray stains.
- First, plaque manifests itself in the form of spots, which then combine with each other.
Treatment and prevention:
- Decrease in humidity level to 50%.
- Regular ventilation of the room.
- Spacious content of flowers.
- Treatment of trunks before the start of the growing season with copper sulfate containing lime.
- Top dressing.
- Treatment of infected plants with insecticides.
- Removing plaque with a wet sponge.
- Removing heavily damaged leaves.
Soot fungus
Knowing how pests of indoor plants look, how their various diseases are manifested, and why they arise, will help to notice the problem in time and save the flower from death.
