The appearance of various bugs and their larvae on indoor flowers is very upsetting for the housewife. Aphids are no exception; this insect is capable of sucking out all the juices from a plant, as a result of which it dries out. Therefore, at the first sign of aphids, it is necessary to carry out procedures to get rid of them.
Causes of aphids
You can immediately see aphids on plants, although they are very small individuals, ranging from 0.3 to 1.8 mm. However, female aphids can be very large and reach up to 0.6 cm in length. On house flowers, aphids are greenish and whitish in color. Using a special trunk, insects suck nutrients from the plant, and it gradually withers and dies. If no measures are taken, the aphids will move on to other plants; they will know that the plant is sick by drying out leaves and buds; they suddenly stop blooming.
To find out whether there are aphids on plants, you need to carefully examine the plant. Signs of damage vary, here are some of them:
- Young leaves and buds of flowers wither.
- On the shoots you can see dots left by the proboscis of aphids.
- The leaves have become sticky due to the secretion of mucus from aphids, or it is called honeydew, and ants often attack it.
- Ants appeared around the flower.
For what reasons do aphids attack indoor plants and how to avoid it:
- Infection by transfer, bringing home a new flower or seedling with aphid larvae.
- Bouquets of flowers, leaves picked up from the ground on the street.
- Soil for flowers with aphid larvae.
- The wind blew the larvae into the house.
- Brought in from the street using clothing or pet hair.
- It was brought in by ants.
In order to prevent pests and insects from appearing on flowers in the house, the following rules must be followed for prevention:
- carefully inspect new plants and keep them away from other indoor plants at first;
- flowers given as gifts for birthdays or other holidays are placed separately from house flowers; they may contain insect larvae;
- soil bought in a store should be pricked in the oven, cooled and only then used at your discretion or added to flowers;
- install mosquito nets on windows to prevent wind-blown insects from entering the house;
- inspect children's clothes and clean pet hair upon arrival from the street or a picnic;
- When black ants appear, get rid of them immediately, they can bring aphid larvae into the house. Red ants destroy aphids and their larvae.
Florists recommend growing geranium or fragrant mint at home; its smell can repel insects that are harmful to flowers. Parsley and dill also help repel aphids. Place pots of herbs on the window along with house plants, and aphids will avoid this place.
When buying a plant in a store, they carefully study and examine it for insects and their larvae; in most cases, the plants are infected. Therefore, after purchasing, do not place it on the windowsill with other pets to eliminate the risk of infecting other plants.The soil bought in the store can be put in the freezer and frozen, the insect larvae and the insects themselves will simply die with such an effective method.
Measures for eliminating aphids
How to deal with aphids if they have bred on indoor flowers. If you notice aphids on one flower, inspect other plants as well. All infected plants are isolated from each other and methods against insect control are taken. After all, aphids reproduce quickly, and even after a few hours they can lay their eggs on other plants.
The easiest way to get rid of aphids is to put a flower pot outside in the summer, where ladybugs or red ants live. They will happily feast on insects and their larvae.
Insecticides can be purchased at flower shops or in special departments in stores or at the market. They are used only if measures to destroy aphids were not taken in a timely manner, and there are many of them. Here there is a choice, either to save the flower or it will wither and die. For the home, non-odorous chemicals are used such as: Intavir, FAS, karate. After treating the plant, it is advisable to put it outside and thoroughly ventilate the room. When using these products, after one or two treatments, the aphids disappear.
However, you need to take precautions, wear disposable gloves when treating flowers, and carry out the procedure in a ventilated room. Children and pets should not be allowed to be with the treated plant, as minor poisoning may occur.
They also buy oil-based preparations, they not only get rid of aphids, but also protect plant leaves from new insect damage.In addition, they are safe for plants, people and pets. These drugs can be purchased at flower shops.
Folk remedies against aphids
In case of primary infection of a flower and a small number of insects, you can use folk remedies that are safe for both plants and humans.
Means to combat aphids:
- Treat the infected areas of the plant with a solution of laundry soap.
- Dilute kerosene with water and coat all the leaves with a brush with this solution, but you need to do everything in a ventilated area, after a while wash the plant in running water.
- Infusions of fragrant plants are an excellent way to get rid of aphids. The following are suitable: tomatoes, tobacco, wormwood and celandine.
- The garlic infusion is mixed with aromatic soap and ash and sprinkled on the plants.
- Arrange water treatments for the infected plant, carefully using a shower to wash off the insects along with the water.
- While the plants are infected, sprinkle it with grass, tobacco and shag.
- Prepare onion infusion with soap.
- An infusion of citrus peels, they can also be dried and placed on the soil where the plant grows.
- You can spray the plant with an infusion of tomato leaves, soap and water. A very effective method of getting rid of various insects.
- Sometimes watering and spraying the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate can help. Just don’t overdo it, it can cause burns to the leaves and roots, and the plant will die.
If the above methods do not help, then use chemicals to combat aphids, which are purchased in special stores.
Prevention of flowers
To prevent aphids and other insects from appearing on plants, it is necessary to care for them and carefully monitor their condition.If there are primary signs of plant damage, immediately take measures to eliminate insects. After all, saving one plant is much easier than saving all the flowers. Aphids cannot tolerate damp indoors or odorous odors, so you should wash the plants and give them a shower, and occasionally treat their leaves with a solution of laundry soap for prevention against pests. Carefully examine the young shoots and leaves of the plants; aphids settle in those places. This type of insect can be found on roses and chrysanthemums, so if you give these flowers as a gift, do not place them on the windowsill near indoor plants. There is a high risk of infestation of indoor plants with aphids, because rose petals may contain larvae or individual insects themselves.
