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Even in ancient times, people decorated their homes and clothes with flowers, and used various plants as gifts. The history of indoor flowers takes us far into the past, and evidence of this is archaeological excavations dating back to three thousand years BC. Yes, even in modern concrete jungle“People really miss living nature. That's why many people create their own green corners on windowsills. And real lovers of indoor plants, day after day, try to learn something new about their green pets, study new types of plants, and select special care for each of them.

The most dangerous pests for house flowers have been and remain pests of indoor plants in the soil. There are not many of them, but they can cause damage to the roots of plants, and therefore to the flower itself as a whole. After all, if the root is sick, then the part that is above the ground will die over time. And in order to avoid this problem, you need to carefully monitor the quality of the soil in which you place the plant, replant it on time, and if you notice that the flower is not feeling well, the first thing you need to do is check the soil.

Almost every potted flower has its own soil, which contains all the components necessary for this particular type. And if you want your flowers to delight you with green leaves and buds for a long time, it is best to purchase soil for planting in stores. This way you will minimize the problem of root disease. But, as they say, “forewarned is forearmed,” so let’s look at the types of pests of houseplants and figure out how to protect your pets from them. We will also learn methods of combating harmful insects.

Woodlice

Although this type of insect is related to shrimp and lobsters, it prefers to live in the ground. Or rather, in damp soil. They are not among the most dangerous pests indoor plants that can grow in the soil, but you still need to know about them.

Woodlice prefer damp places and hide in the trays of pots. This type The pest is gray in color and has a flat body with many legs. They prefer night time. They can harm plants by eating their roots. However, they will not cause much damage to your plant, since woodlice are easy to detect and destroy manually.

If you have plants in your home that like frequent watering, regularly check the trays of the pots, wash them, and do not allow wet soil to accumulate in them. This will prevent woodlice from multiplying and harming your flowers.

Centipedes

This type of pest of indoor plants living in the soil is very diverse. They form a whole zoological class, which includes various insects. They have one thing in common: by eating plant roots, centipedes prevent the plant from developing. Centipedes have a serpentine structure: their body consists of rings, and their numerous legs are very difficult to notice, they are so miniature.

There are two ways to infect the soil with centipedes. Either you bought low-quality soil (this also happens), or you used ordinary soil from the garden for planting. These insects can only be detected during transplantation. If you notice them in the ground, be sure to change the substrate completely, even the roots need to be cleaned of the old soil, since pest eggs may remain in it, which over time can harm the fresh soil.

Springtails

Another name for these jumping flea-like insects is podura. This type of pest of indoor plants also lives in the ground. Springtails reproduce very quickly, especially in moist substrates. They feed on decaying plant remains, so they gnaw out small holes on the stems located close to the ground, and less often on the roots. Springtails cause the greatest harm in the wet season - in the fall, when plant growth stops and it is unable to fight for life.

If you notice the infestation in time, getting rid of the pests is easy. It is necessary to cover the soil surface with ash or dried sand. The so-called potato traps are very effective: raw potatoes cut in half are placed on the ground cut side down, and then insects that have climbed there are collected. If the infection is severe, it is necessary to use special watering solutions. Here you need to consult a specialist in the store. It’s best to thoroughly wash the pot and sweep away the soil completely.

Nematodes

These small worms damage the root system, thereby causing negative changes in the above-ground part of the plant. The leaves of the flower wither and dry out, and swellings appear on the roots. These pests cause severe damage to indoor plants; it is almost impossible to cure an infected flower. Ficuses, cacti, and cyclamens are especially susceptible to infection.

The good news is that nematodes are rare at home; they can only be brought in with soil from the garden. However, if you are planning to professionally grow plants in greenhouses for sale, then you should beware of them.

Spider mite

Pests of indoor plants and their control are as diverse as the flowers themselves. Insects can cause damage to more than just plant roots. Some of their species are dangerous for the above-ground part of the flower. One such pest is the spider mite. It is dangerous for almost all types of house plants, especially if you take them out onto the balcony or into the yard during the warm season.

The presence of a mite can be seen by the web stretched between the leaves. These pests eat leaves from the inside, causing the leaves to lose color and curl inward. Flower buds damaged by mites may dry out and fall off without ever blooming.

Spider mites attack en masse during the hot season, best prevention it helps maintain moisture, so spray the plants more often. To destroy pests, you need an acaricidal solution, which can be purchased at a specialty store. After treatment, wrap the plant in plastic. This way you will protect other flowers from infection and create more humidity, which will speed up the death of mites.

Aphid

A very common pest, but it is quite easy to detect. Aphids are dangerous for all types of indoor plants, especially in the summer. Some species of these insects have wings. Flying into open windows, aphids occupy the flower, sucking the juice from the leaves and stems. Thus, the plant weakens and stops developing.

If you detect pests in time, it is not difficult to deal with them, just wash the plant with soapy water and then with clean water. If the aphid has already thoroughly settled on the flower, it is treated with special solutions, such as “Inta-vir”, “Karate” or “Fas”. You can also use poisons of plant origin: infusion of wormwood or tobacco. Regular treatment will help you avoid attacks from these insects.

Whiteflies

This type of pest is very similar to winged aphids. Whiteflies are very small, about three millimeters. They attack the inside of leaves and drink the juice from them. If measures are not taken in time, the leaves wither, turn yellow and fall off. Since whiteflies come from tropical countries, their habitat is very warm and humid areas. The most likely victims of these insects are plants with thin leaves, as well as flowering plants such as azalea, primrose, and hibiscus.

A good prevention against whiteflies is to ventilate the room, as well as lower the temperature. You can treat the plant with an insecticide solution: this must be done once a month. It is advisable to prevent the flower from becoming infected, since it is quite difficult to combat this pest.

Weevils and Caterpillars

These insects are about one and a half centimeters long and have hard wings. They are especially dangerous for begonias and azaleas. By eating the edges of leaves, weevils cause irreparable harm plant, and their larvae feed on the roots. These pests attack the flower from both sides, so the plant stops developing, quickly weakens and eventually dies.

It is necessary to fight weevils with the same insecticide. If the infection was severe, then the procedure must be repeated again, after about a week.

Everyone knows about these pests. Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies that feed on the foliage of trees and plants. In the garden, on the veranda or on the balcony, your flowers run the risk of becoming food for them. If pests are not noticed in time, the plants may be left completely without leaves. Dealing with caterpillars is easy; you just need to remove them with your hands and destroy them. However, insecticide prevention will be just as effective.

Scale insects and scale insects

This is truly a disaster for all indoor plants. It is quite difficult to fight them, since they reproduce quickly, replacing several generations per year. The insects are protected by a shell similar to a mussel shell. Forming motionless columns on the stems and leaves, scale insects suck the juice from the plant.

Australian mealybugs (false ladybugs) also belong to this category of pests. They differ from scale insects only in that they sometimes move around the plant. At home, scale insects take root well, since room temperature is optimal for their development.

Rootbugs, relatives of mealybugs, are slightly smaller in size. They live and reproduce in the roots. These pests pose a particular danger to plants with dense leaves, releasing dew that forms burns. Due to the fact that scale insects and scale insects spread very quickly, they can cause irreparable harm to the plant. Cracks appear on the stems, the leaves turn yellow, then the branches die and the flower dies.

There are several ways to combat these insects. First, you need to wipe the damaged areas with an alcohol solution, wait about twenty minutes and remove the pests from the plant with a damp cotton swab. Next, you need to spray the flower with an insecticide. The fight against root bugs requires transplanting the plant to new soil. Before transplanting, the roots should be thoroughly washed with running water. And for another three months, water the plant with a half-diluted insecticide solution.

Miners and Thrips

Miners are a type of fly. They lay eggs on leaves and stems, and their larvae gnaw long tunnels there. If there are few larvae, it simply spoils the appearance of the plant, and when the infection is severe, the flower stops growing and developing. Since miners are rare guests in houses and apartments, there is no need to treat plants with poison, just remove the damaged leaf as soon as you notice the traces left by the miners.

Thrips are very small insects, no more than a millimeter in size. A thrips attack can be confused with a spider mite attack, but this pest does not leave a web in the plant. They reproduce very well in warm rooms. Despite the fact that thrips have a pair of tiny wings, they are inactive. Harm is caused not only by adults, but also by insect larvae. They drink liquid from the leaves of the plant, which causes development to stop; the leaves dry out because they lack moisture and air. Buds damaged by this pest are subject to deformation, white spots form on them, and the flower dies before it has time to bloom.

Thrips do not like the smell of mothballs, so a few balls of it will not hurt near the most vulnerable plant, for example, near cyclamen or begonia. If an infection does occur, it is necessary to treat the flower with an anti-aphid agent, repeating this procedure after five to six days. You can also spray the plant with infusion of onion or garlic (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water). Flowers that cannot be sprayed are treated as follows: finely chopped garlic is placed near the plant and the flower along with the “medicine” is covered with polyethylene for two to three hours.

And finally...

There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from this article - there are quite a lot of pests of indoor plants, and their appearance is a real nightmare for an avid gardener. However, this is not as scary as you might think, because all of them have already been developed effective methods struggle. And if you catch it in time, the plant will fully recover and will delight you for a long time.

Growing indoor flowers is a very exciting hobby. But only knowledge and, of course, patience will help you achieve some success in this activity. The main thing that a gardener should remember is that prevention never hurts. Inspect your pets regularly, check every leaf, every twig. The sooner you detect traces of pests, the easier and faster it will be to combat them.

The development and flowering of indoor plants depends only on their owner. Treat your flowers like best friends, understand them, and even talk to them sometimes. Believe me, this is better than flooding plants with fertilizers, because they will not help if there is no proper care, care and love!

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HOUSEPLANT PESTS, PREVENTION AND CONTROL.

PESTS

How to avoid indoor pests? No one is immune from this. An attack by pests such as aphids or scale insects can be considered a disaster, because... They affect many types of plants, while other pests are more selective and prefer certain species. If a pest or signs of its appearance are detected, urgent measures should be taken:

1. If any pest of indoor plants is detected, you should try to remove the pests mechanically by wiping the leaves and stems with a sponge soaked in soapy water or alcohol.
2. It is imperative to remove all damaged buds, flowers, leaves and shoots.

3. Immediately isolate the affected plant. 4. If a pest is found on one of the plants, then all other plants should be immediately inspected. If some adult pests are visible to the naked eye if you look closely, their numerous larvae are completely invisible. 5. Eliminate the causes, if possible, accompanying the appearance of pests. For example, dry air contributes to the appearance of spider mites - take measures to increase air humidity.

It is worth remembering that all pest control chemicals are not safe for humans and animals, birds and fish. They all release toxic substances. Therefore, if it is possible to fight pests with folk remedies, i.e. herbs, alcohol infusions, etc., as well as biological plant protection products, then you should definitely try them first.

Be aware that not all plants are equally susceptible to pest damage. Some, for example, roses - who doesn’t eat them - and aphids and thirpses and scale insects and mites. Moreover, if from other plants the same mite can be easily removed using a soap solution, then with such susceptible plants as roses this will not help; most often only a strong remedy can give a positive result.

Beetle If you decide to fight with pesticides, then take precautions when working, do not abuse these products, thoroughly ventilate the rooms after working with them. And most importantly, store chemicals out of the reach of children and animals!

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PESTS

Whitefly.

These small flying insects, up to 3mm in size, look like small white moths. The body is yellowish, 2 pairs of wings are covered with a white dusty coating. They are usually found on the underside of the leaf. The larvae are oblong-oval in shape and pale green in color. Pest eggs can be found in the form of small grayish grains on the leaves. Larvae and adult insects suck the juice from the leaves and leave a sugary secretion on which a sooty fungus develops, polluting the plants. Damaged leaves become covered with whitish spots, turn yellow and fall off. Whitefly infestation has a depressing effect on the plant. The most dangerous thing is that it is a carrier of viral diseases. It multiplies quickly.

It severely damages fuchsias, pelergoniums, begonias, balsams, hibiscus, and jasmine and also affects other indoor plants with soft leaves, especially in summer.

Control measures:

Whitefly is difficult to control. The number of adult moths can be reduced by hanging flypaper or other yellow sticky tape near the plants. Eggs and larvae should be washed off the leaves regularly. You can spray the underside of the leaves 3-5 times at intervals of 6-7 days with a solution of green soap (10-15 g per 1 liter of water). Among herbal remedies, garlic infusion helps. If this does not help, spray the leaves once every three days with an aqueous solution of nicotine sulfate (2-3 cm3/l) or parathion (0.5-1 cm3/l).

Grape elephant.

The beetles attack the leaves, but the real danger comes from the cream-colored larvae, up to 2.5 cm long, that live in the soil and eat roots, bulbs and tubers. It is difficult to fight it - by the time signs of wilting appear, the root system of the plant is already affected. Water the soil with a systemic insecticide, the same can be recommended as preventative measure if beetles appear on the leaves of cyclamen or primrose. Caterpillars.

This is basically garden pests can sometimes attack indoor plants if the plant is placed in the garden for the summer. A sure sign of their presence is eaten holes on the leaves.

The caterpillar hides under leaves during the day, in the ovaries of flowers, and at night it comes out and eats leaves and young shoots, so carefully inspect all the secluded places on the flowers and pick up insects.

Control measures:

Manually remove pests from plants. As a preventive measure, you can spray with insecticides, but if the plant is standing in the open air, the chemicals are quickly washed off.

Weevil.

The weevil or vine elephant most often affects primroses and cyclamens. However, any plant placed in the garden for the summer can be the subject of a weevil attack. Beetles eat leaves, leaving holes in them, like the Colorado potato beetle. But the real harm comes from the cream-colored larvae, up to 2.5 cm long. The larvae live in the soil and devour roots, bulbs and tubers. If the pest is not detected in time, the roots will be completely eaten and the plant will die.

Control measures:

If the root system has not yet been completely eaten, i.e. the plant has just begun to wilt, then water the soil with a systemic insecticide (fufan, inta-vir, etc.) and treat the leaves. It is better to replant the plant in fresh soil.

Drosophila.

Small dark brown midges about 2-3 ml long. They start easily in souring conditions food products or in the trash can. In itself, this insect does not cause direct harm to the plant, but, flying from flower to flower, it can carry pests and pathogens.

Mites.

For all types of ticks, dry air and high temperatures are very favorable conditions for development. They reproduce very quickly, 6-7 days pass from laying eggs to the appearance of an adult.
Mites damage many indoor plants throughout the year, but are especially active early spring. Mites bite into the skin of the stem, damaging it, leaving uneven grayish or yellowish spots. As a result of damage, the skin of the stems and leaves becomes dead and cracks. The plant develops poorly.
Ticks are very small in size, so they are difficult to detect in a timely manner. In the later stages of the lesion, a cobweb is visible on the plant, along which small dots move - these are mites.

Prevention:

The simplest preventive measure is regular spraying with water. The tick does not like high humidity, although it can adapt to it.

Control measures:

Since ticks are very serious pests, you have to fight them regularly and with all available means. After the first victory, do not rest and carefully inspect the plants to see if the pest has appeared again. Even if it is not visible after the first treatment, do another one a week later for prevention.

1. Spider mites do not tolerate ultraviolet rays, so in nature they hide under leaves from the daytime sun. If you have an ultraviolet lamp, you can irradiate plants with it. Sessions of 1.5-2 minutes once a week greatly reduce the number of mites and increase plant resistance to many diseases. Try to ensure that the rays illuminate the lower surface of the leaves, where the mite is most often found. It is also unfavorable for the mite to take the plant out onto the balcony or into the garden, where, in addition to ultraviolet radiation, it can be detected natural enemies. The most noticeable of them is the predatory large mite (not to be confused with pest mites - it is much larger and does not form a web!), which feeds on small spider mites and their larvae.

2. Try safer methods first:

Spray the plants with water, then pollinate them with pyrethrum powder or ground sulfur (colloidal sulfur and sulfaride);

Among folk remedies for fighting ticks, tobacco or garlic infusion is sometimes recommended, but these remedies are not radical; they can reduce the number of ticks, but not completely destroy them. Therefore, chemical control measures are also used. Remember that most drugs have no effect on spider mites. Therefore, be sure to ask for instructions for using this or that product, evaluate whether you can use it in the living room where there are plants, and whether it will work on ticks.

3. CHEMICALS: metaldehyde, thiophos, "Aktelik", "Neoron", "Nurell-D", "Fitoverm". The latter is based on natural substances and is therefore safer. Metaphos and phosphamide are toxic, so they are used only as a last resort. Ticks can adapt to chemicals, so it is better to use different ones, alternating them.

4. Alcohol treatment. Treat the leaves with undiluted medical (96%) alcohol from a fine spray bottle or wipe with a swab dipped in alcohol. This is a radical means of control, which, however, is more suitable for plants with dense, leathery leaves (rose, monstera, palm trees). It is important to briefly wet the entire surface of the leaves so that the alcohol evaporates quickly without causing the leaves to burn. The method is contraindicated for pubescent plants, since evaporation from them occurs more slowly than from smooth leaves, which causes burns. For plants that have a waxy coating or waxy epidermis (cacti, succulents), treatment with alcohol can only be done locally in small areas. In any case, you must first check on several leaves how the plant will survive the operation. Alcohol treatment is also easy to destroy mites located in cracks and cracks of the window.

Now about ticks in more detail:

Cyclamin mite

It is impossible to see individual insects with the naked eye; mites are very tiny. A large cluster of mites appears as a layer of dust on the underside of a leaf. This is a monophagous pest, i.e. It does not attack other plant species; it affects cyclamens, impatiens, pelargoniums and gloxinias. Unlike spider mites, this pest prefers to live in damp conditions. Symptoms of plant damage include slow growth, wilting of buds, curling of leaf edges, and twisting of stems.

Red flat mite.

The mite, 0.25 mm in size, brownish-reddish in color, is the most dangerous pest of cacti. It also affects aucuba, citrus and other plants.

Spider mite.

Spider mites are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate indoor plants. In apartments with central heating, the tick finds favorable conditions - dry air and high temperatures. At the same time, only 7 days pass from the laying of eggs to the adult tick. Outbreaks of mite activity are especially frequent in early spring, but at other times of the year it also infects plants, causing great damage. Spider mite

The most unpleasant thing is that most flowering indoor plants are affected. At the very beginning of the lesion, small yellowish spots appear on the leaves, later turning brown. In the later stages, a web is visible on the plant, along which small reddish-brown dots move - this is the spider mite.

Root mites.

These include several different types of mites, all of which have in common the fact that they damage underground parts of plants. Among root mites, the most common are the Bulb root mite and the Bulb mite.

These mites primarily harm bulbous plants (gladioli, hyacinths, tulips, orchids, etc.) The mites are very small in size - the bulbous root mite is approximately 0.5 - 1 mm, a wide oval body of light yellow color, narrowed towards the end, and four pairs of legs. The bulb mite is slightly larger - up to 1.5 mm long, has an oval body and two pairs of legs. They gnaw out the tissues of the bulb, laying eggs there in huge quantities - about 300 eggs from one female bulbous root mite.

At the initial stage of the infection, the eaten away places and passages of the mites are visible; gradually the mites gnaw out the entire bulb. A damaged bulb will easily fall apart in your hands or break, all the internal tissues in it are eaten away, only white dust remains, and mites are visible to the naked eye. Root mites actively reproduce and develop in a wide range of temperatures - from 10 to 25 ° C and even higher; when conditions change, they do not die, but enter a state of diapause.

Prevention:

Root mites multiply especially strongly at high air humidity. Therefore, one of the measures to prevent the appearance of root mites is to store tubers, bulbs and root vegetables in a cool, dry room, with a humidity not exceeding 60%.

Control measures:

Before planting, carefully inspect the bulbs. Promotes root mite conditions high humidity soil. At the same time, there is no need to water the plant less than it requires; you must not allow water to stagnate in the roots, i.e. make good drainage and drain the water from the pan. Affected bulbs and roots of plants are kept or watered with a solution of a systemic insecticide (for example, Neoron, Actellik, Apollo).

Centipedes.

These whitish or dark brown insects, similar to a caterpillar with numerous legs, can harm indoor plants placed in the garden for the summer. Millipedes eat the root areas of plants and lower leaves, as evidenced by eaten away areas in healthy plant tissues.

Control measures:

CentipedesDry the surface of the soil in a pot, sprinkle the soil with dry sand, or ash. Centipedes hide in dark and damp places, so you can detect and collect pests by placing a wooden plank or a small piece of linoleum or an opaque bag on the soil near the plant. Centipedes will crawl under such a trap, from where they can be collected.

Nematodes.

Free nematodes do not attach to the roots in one place, but crawl from place to place.

Root-knot nematodes invade the roots, causing thickenings on the roots with their secretions - galls, in which the worms live and reproduce. When the gall is destroyed, the eggs fall into the soil, from where the larvae spread further.

Affected plants wither and die from lack of nutrients as a result of the death of damaged roots. Warmth and dampness promote rapid reproduction of nematodes. They damage many species of tropical and subtropical plants.

Prevention:

Quarantine for new plants. Disinfection of dishes and tools (the simplest measure is scalding with boiling water). Sterilize the substrate in a water bath at a temperature of +50-55C for at least 10 minutes. You can neutralize the soil with chloropicrin, formalin or carbon disulfide.

Control measures:

There are no radical measures to combat the nematode. Heavily infected plants are destroyed along with the soil. You can try anthelmintic medications, for example, Dekaris. 1 tablet is dissolved in 1 liter of water and the plant is watered well several times.

Root root nematode

When infected with root-knot nematodes, the plant turns completely yellow and growth stops, so-called dwarfism. The flowers become smaller, the shoots become bent.
Measures to combat root-knot nematode:
The contaminated soil is treated with formaldehyde or bleach.
The completely affected plant is dug up and destroyed. The soil is thrown away.

Pratylenchis, or penetrating short-bodied nematodes

Plant roots are affected.
First, small, elongated brown spots appear on the roots of the infected plant. After two to three weeks, the infected parts die off. The plant as a whole withers and stops growing.
Measures to combat pratylenchus:
The affected parts of the roots are separated and destroyed, and the plant is replanted in an uninfected soil mixture. If the entire root system is damaged, the plant is completely destroyed.

Stem nematodes

The base of the stem is affected and upper part roots. Serious disturbances occur in the development of the plant.
Measures to combat stem nematodes: The affected parts of the plant are separated and destroyed. When the entire plant is infected, it is destroyed.

Leaf nematodes

They are round, small earthworms. The size of the leaf nematode is 1 mm or even less.
In an infected plant, light green oil spots appear on the leaves. Over time, they darken and rot. Damage to the buds and young shoots also occurs. The stem on top dries out along with the flower buds and upper buds. The plant dies.
Insects spread when watered with contaminated water or when a healthy specimen comes into contact with an infected one.
Measures to combat leaf nematodes:
It is most effective to treat an infected plant with a heterophos solution. If the plant is completely infected, it should be destroyed along with a lump of earth.
As a preventative measure, the soil should be steamed at a temperature of 100 °C for 30 minutes. The pots are treated with a 10% formaldehyde solution, which is washed off after 2 hours.

Springtails, or springtails.

Small jumping wingless insects white, 1-2 mm in size. Appear and reproduce in large quantities with frequent excessive watering. They develop in the soil, feed on plant debris and small plant roots. With strong reproduction, they may appear at the bottom of the pot near the drainage hole or on the surface of the soil in the form of a white mass. They do not cause much harm, but their appearance indicates an urgent need to reduce watering to prevent acidification of the soil and rotting of the roots.

Prevention:

To prevent the appearance of dura, moderate watering is necessary.

Control measures:

When pests appear, you must carefully remove the top layer of soil by 2-3 cm and sprinkle the soil with dry sand. Sprinkling the soil with tobacco dust helps.

Slugs

The most frequently attacked plants are those used for landscaping balconies and loggias: carnations, gladiolus, iris, phlox. Infection with this pest leads to the appearance of ulcers on the leaf pulp between the veins and on the petals.

Measures to combat naked slugs

The ground around the plant is sprinkled with stove ash, or lime, or a mixture of both (four parts ash and one part lime).
The plant is pollinated with a mixture of tobacco dust and lime, taken in equal quantities.
The procedure is carried out every 1-2 hours during one day.

Sciarides.

Sciarids (fruit or fungus gnats, black flies) are black flies with an elongated body about 3-4 mm long, which lay their whitish, translucent eggs in the roots of plants. Young, newly emerged mosquitoes can be about 1.5-2 mm light gray in color. The mosquitoes themselves, if they start, usually fly in large numbers, but do not cause harm, except for the diseases they carry and the larvae of other pests. And the larvae of the fungus gnat - whitish worms about 3-6 mm long with a black head - eat the root system of plants, as a result of which it withers, lags in growth, does not bloom, often reaching complete death.

Sciarids, like all flying insects, can enter a room through open windows, ventilation and simply open door. It is possible that you can bring home an infected plant from a store or introduce larvae with purchased and not disinfected soil. But a fungus gnat entering an apartment does not always mean immediate multiplication of the colony. Their reproduction is associated with excess soil moisture and the use of a substrate rich in organic matter. It has also been noted that fungus gnats tend to appear when water from an aquarium is used for irrigation, along with fish waste products. If you notice several insects, you need to check all the pots. If sciarids first appear in pots with a waterlogged substrate, then with intensive reproduction of these insects, moderately moist soil will suit them, and then, if they are hunted, they will agree to fairly dry soil.

So you need to check all containers where there is earth. Sciarids If you shake or lightly tap a pot with a plant, and a flock of flies flies up above the surface of the ground, then most likely there is a clutch of eggs there. If you look closely you can see that the flies are flying different ages: light gray - still translucent and larger - already black. In such a pot, it is better to immediately replace all the soil. Since it has most likely already been processed by worms and is in a rotten state, and, in addition, it is necessary to check the condition of the roots of the plant. If you take the plant out of the pot and scatter the soil into a tray, then in the damp soil you can see whitish, translucent larvae with a black head, up to 5 mm long. It is much easier to detect the larvae if you water the soil in the affected pot with an insecticide - they usually crawl to the surface and you can see them writhing.

Prevention:

Proper watering of plants, avoid unnecessary waterlogging of the soil. Careful use of organic fertilizers. For sowing, use a peat-sand substrate that does not contain humus.

Control measures:

If a swarm of fungus gnats is discovered, it is better to immediately take radical measures. You need to fight the sciarids in two directions - from the air and on the ground. If you poison only flying individuals, then new sciarid larvae will hatch in the soil every day. To destroy the larvae, you need to use a solution of insecticides. I would like to immediately warn you that the more powerful the drug, the more effective the fight. Decis or karbofos, Inta-vir are best suited. Do not be afraid of harming the plant; almost all produced drugs for controlling pests and diseases are not phytotoxic. If “nests” or clutches of fungus gnats are found in more than one pot and the flies fly, as they say, in flocks, then it is better to re-treat with an insecticide during the next watering. You will also have to fight flying insects; for this it is better to use the same means that are used to fight flies. Adult insects can be caught using flypaper or other yellow adhesive tape, using Raptor or Fumitox plates, but they are usually not very effective. . It is better to use aerosols, such as the well-known dichlorvos and the like. Treatment of the room and pots with plants with aerosols against flying insects, as well as watering the soil with insecticides, may have to be repeated, preferably until the pests completely disappear.

Aphids.

Usually, aphid infestation is fairly easy to recognize. Aphids live in large groups on the underside of leaves, around growing points, on young shoots, buds, and pedicels, feeding on plant juices. They pose a danger because they weaken the plant, reduce its resistance to disease, and can also be carriers of viral diseases. Aphids In damaged plants, leaves curl and turn yellow, form nodules, buds do not develop or produce ugly flowers.

A sticky coating appears on mature leaves, in which fungus can settle. Roses, carnations, fuchsias, and many aroid and forcing bulb crops are especially affected by aphids. Aphids are unpleasant, but in principle easily eradicated pests.

Prevention:

Care that promotes the development of healthy shoots that are less susceptible to attack by aphids and do not favor their rapid development. Overfed and having little fresh air plants form weak shoots - soil for the rapid development of aphids. Keep it clean, remove all dried leaves on which young insects often sit.

Control measures:

Aphids are a nuisance but eradicable pest. When you find the first insects, just crush them with your fingers and, for prevention, wash all the plants with laundry soap.
When the aphids are already hanging on the plant in clusters, you will have to fight them. Isolate affected plants from healthy ones and wash them with soapy water or brush them to remove most of the pests. When cleaning, you need to remove all the ties, scrape the pegs to which the plants were tied, because a lot of eggs are hidden in all the cracks and corners.
If young stems and leaves are completely covered with aphids, then it is best to cut them off completely and destroy them along with the insects, especially since especially severely affected branches, no matter how thoroughly you clean them, usually dry out.
After this, treat them with one of the following preparations 3-4 times with an interval of 5-6 days.
- Spraying with infusion of tobacco, wormwood, dandelion, onion, yarrow, sophora, tansy or marigold.
- Spraying with soap-ash solution.
- Washing infected plants with a solution of green potassium soap (20 g per 1 liter of water), after covering the ground with a plastic bag.
- Treatment with pyrethrum diluted in water (2 g per 1 liter of water).
- Pollination with pyrethrum, wood ash tobacco dust or sulfur.
- Use of chemical preparations based on pyrethroids: “Inta-vir”, “Cypermethrin”, “Karate”, “Fas”, “Decis”, “Khostakvik”, etc. in accordance with the instructions. These drugs are non-volatile and have low toxicity.
- Aphids are sensitive to most poisons that are used to protect plants from insects, for example, Actellik or Fitoverm.
- As a last resort, you can use pirimor (a very strong drug), as it is highly toxic.

Aphids get used to the chemicals used against them, so each product can be used 3-4 times during the spring-summer season.

Root aphid (root mealybug).

Symptoms of damage include cessation of growth, loss of shine and pale color of leaves in the absence of other pests. When damaged by root aphids, plants are very susceptible to fungal diseases. With severe damage, the leaves wrinkle and the plant gradually dries out. It is very harmful to cacti and other plants during dry wintering.

Prevention:

In spring and autumn, 3-4 waterings with an interval of two weeks with insecticide solutions.

Control measures:

At an early stage of damage, the plant can still be saved. If you suspect a root aphid attack, the plant should be removed from the pot and the roots examined. If a pest is detected, it is necessary to wash the roots and cut off damaged roots. If there are a lot of them, prune the plant's crown to compensate for root loss. Destroy the soil, disinfect the pot or throw it away. Immerse the washed roots in an insecticide solution for 10 minutes, dry and plant in fresh soil.

Mealybug (mealybug).

The body of the wingless female is flesh-colored, elongated-oval, with outgrowths and long bristles along the edges, covered with a white powdery coating. A winged insect has one pair of wings. Female mealybugs lay up to 2000 eggs in white cotton wool-like fluffy secretions on the underside and in the axils of leaves, along the veins. They can secrete a sticky liquid on which sooty fungus develops.

Eggs protected by down are not afraid of water. Mealybug Larvae spread throughout the plant and can settle at the root collar and even on the roots. Insects remain mobile throughout their lives. Damaged plants become covered with a white cobwebby coating. By sucking the juices of young shoots, leaves, and buds, mealybugs greatly retard plant growth. Amaryllis, azaleas, asparagus, begonias, geraniums, dracaena, cacti, lemons, palm trees, ferns, fuchsias and some other plants are affected.

Prevention:

Keeping plants clean, removing all dried leaves. Plants that regularly wash their leaves are very rarely affected by scale insects.

Control measures:

1. If the number of scale insects is still small, wash it off the leaves and stems with a soft cotton swab dipped in a soap solution. Then spray three times with an interval of 7-10 days with a solution of green soap (10-15 g per 1 liter of water), tobacco infusion, garlic infusion or cyclamen decoction. Alcohol treatment (see “mites”) or treatment with a pharmacy tincture of calendula gives a good effect.

2. CHEMICAL METHODS. In case of severe damage, in addition to manual destruction, spray at intervals of 7 days with one of the following preparations: thiophos, "Aktelik", "Vertimek", "Nurell-D", "Fozalon", "Fitoverm", "phosphamide" , "metaphos" (highly toxic).

Thrips.

Greenhouse thrips or bladderwort. The insect is 1-2.5 mm in size. The body is oblong, black or dark brown with two pairs of wings with ciliated hairs. The larvae are white at first, and when the wings appear, they are light yellow, and have a transparent bubble on the back of the body. Externally, mobile larvae are similar to adult insects. Full development of insects occurs in 25-30 days.

Thrips live in groups on the undersides of leaves, especially along the veins. Eggs are laid in leaf tissue. Thrips fly or crawl from leaf to leaf, leaving behind characteristic silvery streaks. On damaged leaves, brownish-brown spots appear on the lower side and whitish spots on the upper side. With severe infection, the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off. Thrips cause the main damage to flowers, which become stained and deformed. It causes the greatest damage in summer, in hot weather. Thrips damage palm trees, dracaenas, fuchsias, cordylines, aspidistras, azaleas, cacti, ficus, roses, begonias, citrus fruits and many other indoor plants.

Prevention: In summer, you need to frequently spray the plants with water to prevent dry air.

Control measures:

1 To remove the pest, wash the surface of the leaves warm water with laundry soap. This event greatly reduces the number of insects, although it does not completely destroy them.

2. Next, one of the following means is used.
Herbal preparations:
- spraying plants twice every 7-10 days with pyrethrum diluted in water (2 g per 1 liter of water),
- spraying with infusion of yarrow and tobacco,
- spraying with infusion of Persian chamomile and green soap,
- spraying with a decoction of cyclamen tubers.

Chemicals:
- after spraying the plants with water, dust them with pyrethrum powder or ground sulfur (colloidal sulfur, sulfaride), DDT dust,
- spraying three times with the following mixture: 2g nicotine sulfate or anabasine sulfate and 4g soap per 1 liter of water, then pollinate with pyrethrum,
- thiophos in a concentration of 0.1-0.2%,
- "Vertimek", "Nurell-D" (slightly toxic),
- phosphamide (moderately toxic),
- metaphos (highly toxic).

Earwig.

Another name is tick. A well-known garden and home pest of the order Leatheroptera with a dark brown body and two pincer-like appendages. It is called the earwig because of the belief that it crawls into the ears of those who are sleeping. This insect is difficult to detect indoor plants, because during the day it hides, and at night it eats leaves and petals, so that holes form on the leaves, until the leaf tissue completely disappears.

Control measures:

Insects are caught by hand, looking under the leaves and shaking off the flowers, or using thinly rolled tubes of strong paper, hollowed out sticks, etc., which are placed on the pots. The mite hides in such shelters in the morning and can be destroyed.

Earthworms.

It would seem that earthworms They are not pests of indoor plants; some even believe that they are useful because they loosen the soil. However, this is not so; earthworms can feed not only on organic residues in the soil, but also eat the roots of plants. This usually causes the plant to become lethargic and stunted in growth.

Control measures:

Earthworms can be collected in so-called traps, just like centipedes. You can water the soil in the pot well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Scale insects and false scale insects.

Ivy scale insect - a body separated from the scutellum, ovoid in shape, yellow, scutellum greyish-white, about 3mm, round.
Oleander scale insect - the body is pale yellow, the shield is flat, round, at first it is whitish, then yellow and grows simultaneously with the insect until it reaches a diameter of 2.5 mm. The male is brownish-yellow, covered with a thin white coating.
Pink scale insect - the male is pale red, covered. The female is ovoid, flat, yellow, with a round, flat, convex shield only in the middle.
The cactus scale insect is an orange male. The female is pale yellow, the scutellum is rounded, yellow, approximately 2 mm.
Bay scale is a pale cherry male. The female is white or pale cherry, with a rounded brown shield in the form of a shell, having a red-yellow elevation in front and concentric rings and ledges.
Palm scale insect - male is pale yellow. The larva is linear, white and fluffy. The female is pale yellow, with a round, flat, white shield, no more than 2.5 mm.

Soft scute - the body is broadly oval, asymmetrical, brownish-brown in color, with unclear punctures on the back. Scale insects Most species of scale insects reproduce by laying eggs, but there are also viviparous species. Pests live on the underside and top of leaves, shoots and trunks of plants. Only young larvae that stick to various parts plants and adult insects are motionless. With severe infection, the leaves along the veins and plant trunks become covered with a coating formed from a large accumulation of scale insects. Damaged plants have stunted growth and development, leaves turn yellow and fall off prematurely. Scale insects and false scale insects secrete a sticky liquid - honeydew, on which a sooty fungus settles, which further impairs the development of plants. Scale insects and false scale insects damage many indoor plants: asparagus, aucuba, palm trees, citrus fruits, oleander, ivy, cyperus and others.

Prevention:

Regular inspection of the stems and leaves of plants, especially from below.

Control measures:

It is easiest to destroy these sedentary insects at the very beginning of their appearance. Regularly inspect plant leaves, especially the undersides. If the scale insect has so far settled on one leaf or twig, which you can sacrifice, then it is better to remove it along with the affected organ. In case of more severe damage to the pests, it is necessary to remove them from the plant with a soft brush or a cotton swab moistened with soapy water or anabasine sulfate solution, or even better with alcohol (for alcohol treatment, see the article “Mites”). Remains of shields and dust must be washed off with a brush or swab and a weak solution of vinegar. In addition to adult insects, larvae invisible to the naked eye will probably remain on the surface of the leaves. To destroy them, you can spray them three times (within 2 weeks) with a solution of green potassium soap (20-30 g per 1 liter of water) or spray with garlic infusion; treatment with insecticidal preparations is possible. There are no specialized chemical insecticides to combat scale insects, so choose an insecticide with the broadest spectrum of action.

Enhytrea.

These insects, which look like small white worms, can be seen if you remove the plant from the pot. They eat the roots, so the affected plant begins to lag in growth, the leaves turn yellow, the plant withers and eventually dies. High soil moisture promotes the appearance of enchytraea.

Control measures:

If these pests are detected, you need to wash the roots from the old soil and plant the plant in fresh soil. If the plant cannot be replanted for some reason, then you need to water the soil with an insecticide solution.

Pests of indoor plants photos and how to deal with them

Aphid

Signs: Leaves are sticky. Deformed young shoots, withering flowers.
Features of the pest: These are fairly small insects of green color (black, orange, gray and green are found). It feeds on sap, sucking it out of the soft tissues of the plant.
Method of control: At the initial stage, spray with a soap solution or nettle decoction, which is prepared in this way: 100 g of fresh nettle is soaked in 1 liter of water for 12-24 hours, then the plant is sprayed. Use without dilution, repeatedly. In more advanced cases, remove the most damaged parts of the plant and treat with permethrin-containing preparations or use derris.
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Soft-skinned or cyclamen mite

Signs: Leaves are curled and drying up, shoots have dried out brown tops, flowers dry up while still in buds.
Features of the pest: Tiny mites, accumulating in large quantities, resemble a layer of dust on the leaves from below. Settles on the underside of leaves. They love humidity and cool temperatures.
Method of control: In case of severe damage, the plant should be disposed of. If it is minor, it is enough to remove the diseased parts. You can use Karbofos, Neoron, Decis, Intavir, Fitoverm.
.

Holes on the leaves

Signs: Eaten holes in leaves, damaged young shoots.
Features of the pest: At night, the caterpillar crawls out and eats leaves and shoots. During the day it hides under the leaves and in the ovaries of flowers.
Method of control: The manual method of collecting caterpillars is used. If the plant is exposed to the street, it can be sprayed for prevention.

Signs: Holes are observed on the leaves. The complete disappearance of leaf tissue is possible.
Features of the pest: Dark brown with 2 tick-like appendages. At night it eats leaves and hides during the day.
Method of control: Insects are collected by hand.

Signs: Something similar to paths or passages is observed on the leaves.
Features of the pest: Damage occurs mainly in the open air. The larvae of leaf miners gnaw tunnels under the skin of leaves.
Method of control: Pluck and destroy affected leaves.

Snails, slugs

Signs: Chewed leaves, shiny mucus.
Features of the pest: Snails and slugs usually do not live in indoor conditions, as they require moist air. But in a greenhouse, plants can be damaged. They feed mainly at night. During the day they hide in a damp place.
Method of control: Collected by hand. You can spray granular metaldehyde or mesurol over the soil surface.

Centipedes

Symptoms: Consolidated basal stems and lower leaves.
Features of the pest: These insects are dark brown or whitish in color and resemble caterpillars. They harm plants placed in the garden in the summer.
Method of control: The soil in the pot should be dried and sprinkled with a layer of sand, you can use ash. Since centipedes love moisture, you can make a trap for them. A small board is placed next to the plant, under which insects will subsequently gather. Now they can be collected.

Grape elephant or weevil

Signs: Nibbled edges of leaves. Withering and drooping plant.
Features of the pest: Both beetles and larvae cause damage. The beetles chew off the edges of the leaves. The larvae are cream-colored (up to 2.5 cm), live in the ground, feed on roots, bulbs and tubers.
Method of control: If bugs appear on the leaves, you need to water with a systemic insecticide and also treat the leaves.

White spots and white coating on leaves and soil

Signs: White, cotton-like deposits are visible on the leaves. With heavy damage, the leaves wither, turn yellow, and fall off.
Features of the pest: Small insects, covered with white fluff, settling in large colonies on leaves and stems.
Method of control: Increase air humidity. Place the plant in a cool place.
Remove plaque with a soft damp cloth. In case of severe damage, systemic insecticides are used for spraying. In case of minor damage, apply the following solution with a brush: 1 liter hot water dilute 20g of liquid soap, cool, add 20 ml of alcohol.

Signs: Whitish spots appear on the leaves, then they turn yellow, the leaves fall off. You can see the sugary secretions left by insects. It develops on them.
Features of the pest: Flying insect (up to 3 mm), similar to white moths. Attached to the underside of leaves. The larvae are pale green in color and oblong in shape. The eggs look like grayish grains.
Method of control: Next to the plants you should hang flypaper for flies. Eggs and larvae are regularly washed off the leaves. The underside of the leaves is sprayed with green soap up to 5 times with an interval of 7 days. You can use garlic infusion.
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Signs: Under the influence of mites, a thin whitish web appears under and between the leaves. Yellowish spots become visible on the upper side of the leaves. Leaves are falling ahead of schedule.
Features of the pest: Adult mites are small (from 0.3 to 0.5 mm), red and purple-red in color. This small sucking arthropod, which settles on the underside of leaves, is quite common. It can affect almost all indoor plants located in a warm, dry room. Can be carried by wind.
Method of control: Increase humidity, regularly spray the plant. If you notice signs of mites, you should use a derris or systemic insecticide spray. You can prepare an infusion of chamomile. To do this, take 100 g of dried chamomile flowers and infuse them for 12 hours in 1 liter of water. Before use, dilute 1:3.
.

Signs: White or slightly yellowish streaked spots on the leaves. As a result, the skin becomes dead, cracks, and the leaves become twisted and deformed.
Features of the pest: Brown or green. Reaches a size of up to 0.6 mm. The mite lays dark red eggs on leaves.
Method of control: Stems and leaves are wiped with soapy water on both sides. In case of significant damage, spray with insecticides (Fitoverm, Agravertin, Neoron, Fufan, etc.).

Root aphid (root mealybug)

Yellow leaves or yellow spots

Signs: The leaves turn yellow, then the plant withers and dies. The root system is affected.
Features of the pest: Found in the ground. Insects look like small white worms that settle at the roots of the plant and feed on them.
Method of control: Remove old soil, wash the roots and plant in good soil.

Signs: yellow leaves, the growth of the plant stops and it withers.
Features of the pest: Lives in the soil. It most often affects cacti, bulbous plants, and palm trees.
Method of control: maintain sufficient soil moisture. The diseased plant is watered about 3 times with preparations containing pyrethrum.

Root-knot nematode

Symptoms: Sticky leaves, covered in places with yellowish spots. When severely damaged, they dry out and fall off.
Features of the pest: Insects with a wide oval body of a brownish-brown color. They are found on the upper and lower sides of leaves, plant trunks, and shoots. Adults are immobile, only larvae disperse.
Method of control: Regularly inspect the plant, especially in the lower part. If you notice isolated cases of scale insects, it is better to remove it along with the leaf. For more extensive damage, use a soft cloth or brush moistened with soapy water or anabasine sulfate solution, or alcohol. Residues are cleaned off using a weak vinegar solution. In this way, you can deal with the adults, but invisible larvae remain on the leaves. Repeat 3 sprayings over 12 days with a solution of green potassium soap (20-30 g per 1 liter of water) or garlic infusion.
Detailed article about scale insects.

Brown and tan spots on leaves

Signs: Brownish-brown spots are visible on the underside of the damaged leaf, and whitish and silvery streaks are visible on the upper side, which are left by thrips as they crawl from leaf to leaf. Then the leaves may turn yellow, dry out and fall off. Flowers become stained and deformed.
Features of the pest: An insect with an oblong and black body with two pairs of wings. Lays white larvae, which later turn light yellow and have a transparent bubble on the back. They are collected on the underside of the leaf near its veins. Eggs are laid in leaf tissue.
Method of control: Leaves are washed with water and dissolved laundry soap. For complete destruction, pyrethrum diluted in water (2 g per 1 liter of water) is used for spraying, which is done twice with an interval of 8-10 days. They also use the slightly toxic drug thiophos (0.1-0.2%) or the moderately toxic ones - Nurell-D, Vertimek. Spraying with a decoction of tubers, infusion of tobacco and yarrow also gives results. For prevention, it is important to spray the plant with water, maintaining sufficient humidity.

Signs: Tick passages are visible. The affected parts of the plant are filled with brown dust.
Features of the pest: Small (up to 1 millimeter) yellowish or white mites that attack bulbous, tuberous plants, and orchids.
Method of control: Affected bulbs and tubers are destroyed. The earth is dried out.

Withering plant. Damaged root system.

Springtails, or springtails

Signs: Wilting plant. There are neat piles of earth on the surface of the earth. Insects are clearly visible under the pot in the tray and on the surface of the soil.
Features of the pest: Very mobile jumping insects from 1 to 4 millimeters of various colors (from light to black). Depending on the species, they live in the ground or on the surface of the soil. They usually do not cause significant harm to the plant.
Method of control: It is necessary to dry the soil in a flower pot. Add a layer of sand on top. In case of severe infection, immerse the pot in water, collect the floating insects, and treat the surface with insecticides. Dry the ground.

Earthworms

Signs: Causeless wilting, depressed appearance of the plant. There are characteristic piles of earth on the pallet.
Features of the pest: Large worms that feed on plant debris. When there is a shortage of food, they switch to underground shoots and roots.
Method of control: Watering is carried out with a weak pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. The crawling worms are collected. You can put the pot in hot water (50 degrees) and hold it for 15 minutes. When taking the plant outside, place the pots higher so that the worms cannot get in. Sterilization of garden and forest soil will help destroy worm eggs.

Signs: Plants wither and wither. Young roots are damaged.
Features of the pest: Also called fungus gnats. These are dark-colored midges, 3-4 millimeters in size, with long mustaches. They hatch from white larvae with a black head and approximately 4 mm in length. The mosquitoes themselves are not dangerous. And their larvae eat biological remains and young roots.
Method of control: An aerosol is used against adults to kill flying insects or collected with a vacuum cleaner. To kill the larvae, Bazudin and Grom-2 are used. A 0.5 cm layer of sand is poured onto the surface of the earth.

Signs: Plants wither and wither. Damaged root system.
Features of the pest: They live in compost heaps, consuming organic residues. When starved of food in a flower pot, insects can feed on plant roots.
Method of control: Use the manual method of collecting centipedes.

Signs: The plant is withering, the root system is damaged.
Features of the pest: Oval-shaped, dark-colored beetles about 2 centimeters long spoil the leaves. Their cream-colored larvae, which live in the soil and eat roots, tubers, and bulbs, are dangerous.
Method of control: As a preventive and therapeutic measure, the soil is watered with a systemic insecticide. 5,00 /5 (votes: 3 )

Beautiful indoor flowers grow on the windowsill, but suddenly strange black bugs appear on them, the owners begin to panic, what kind of insects are these, will they harm the plants, where did they come from and how to get rid of them?

Fungus gnat– sciarids (flower midge, soil mosquito, detritus), dipterous insects up to 7 mm in length, elongated dark body and almost black wings, with long antennae and legs. Some females lack wings.

For indoor flowers, the most dangerous are the larvae of fungus gnats, which in the soil feed on the remains of decaying tissues and eat up the roots of plants.

Shchitovka- arthropods, hemiptera insects with strong differences between males and females. Young females have a soft, waxy shield of almost white color; males are very small, almost invisible, and die after fertilization. In adult females, the scutellum becomes more rigid and dark brown in color, hardening on the leaves of plants.

The scale insect causes significant harm by sucking out the sap of the plant; sticky marks and yellowing appear at the site of the sucker. It is especially dangerous for citrus crops, where it damages the ovary.

Thrips(puff-footed) - small, up to 1.5 mm, black insects with an elongated body and wings.

They are dangerous for all plants, as they suck out the juice, after which the leaves of the flower fall off. Thanks to their wings and long, fast legs, they move among all flowers and lay many larvae.

Every person who grows indoor plants can encounter other pests:

• enchytraea - white annelids;
• whitefly;
• spider, flat-bodied, cyclomene or root mites;
• mealy or root bug;
• nematodes;
• idiots.

Where do black bugs come from on potted flowers?

Black bugs can appear at any time of the year on indoor flowers and multiply quickly, because a warm room contributes to this.

Where do they come from:

• brought in from an open window with air and wind;
• along with flowers purchased in stores;
• when purchasing soil for plants;
• from a personal plot, soil taken from it;
• with bouquets of flowers purchased in flower shops or brought from the fields.
• with shoes and clothes, especially if you went on picnics.

Prevention measures

It is not possible to completely protect your indoor plants; it is very important to carry out preventive measures.

• Do not over-moisten the soil;
• Do not leave food, stubs, or plant debris in pots that may begin to rot;
• It is not advisable to experiment with watering with fatty water with sugar or other ingredients that can become a breeding ground for pests;
• Steam purchased or collected soil in the oven;
• Spill the soil once every six months with a disinfectant solution of manganese;
• Once a week, thoroughly wash the trays and window sill with laundry soap without leaving even a residue. After washing, wipe the top with a pest repellent;
• Infected plants should be quarantined, the soil should be changed, and the roots should be washed with running water and a disinfectant.

Ways to fight

There are many methods and means for eliminating pests on indoor flowers; which one is suitable and effective depends on the conditions of detention and the correct treatment of the plants.

• A sick plant with signs of emerging pests must be placed in a quarantine zone, completely excluding its proximity to any types of plants. This could be a separate window sill in another room or a bathroom.
• It is worth deciding on the type of insects or worms that have affected the indoor flower. If pests are not visible on the leaves from above, you need to inspect the axils, trunk and shoots. If the pest is not detected, but the plant is withering, its leaves have dropped, and it has not been flooded or fed with fertilizer before, then you will have to pull it out of the ground and inspect the root system.
• The choice of a drug or folk remedy that can be used to remove pests depends on the degree of damage.

Ways to fight:

1. Mechanical - with minimal infestation of visible insects, which can be removed from the plant by hand, rinse the leaves with water or spray the product. These include the scale insect.
2. Folk remedies for protecting plants from pests are also used with minimal damage to areas on flowers.
3. In case of severe damage or a large number of pests, natural or chemical-based preparations are used.

Before choosing a drug, it is important to familiarize yourself with the hazard class of the drug and its effect.

When the plant is not significantly affected, it is better to use folk remedies or biological drugs with a low level of toxicity, only if they did not help to try more aggressively.

Hazard classes:

1 – extremely dangerous;

2 – highly dangerous;

3 – moderate toxicity;

4 – low toxic.

Protecting indoor flowers - folk remedies

Compliance with agricultural techniques for caring for flowers and preventive measures will not give insect pests a chance to destroy the plants.

Preventive measures:

• it is very important not to flood the soil and not to overdry it;
• do water treatments, spraying, showers for indoor flowers 1-2 times a month.

Folk remedies will help prevent the colonization of indoor flowers by pests, especially scale insects, aphids, thrips, and fungus gnats:

Means	How to use and dilute?
Manganese (potassium permanganate, KMnO4)	Watering into the ground: 1 liter warm water 1-2 crystals of manganese so that the solution turns pale pink. Watering is carried out every 4-5 days, 2-3 times no more. Foliar treatment with the same solution is carried out daily, spraying the diseased plant for no more than 5 days in a row. Before each spraying procedure, you should irrigate the flower leaves with plain water.
Iodine	1 tsp. for 10 liters of water, suitable for spraying and spilling soil once every 10 days.
Iodine + soda ash + laundry soap	Only for spraying against aphids, scale insects, gray rot. For 5 l. water 5 ml iodine and 1 tbsp. soda and soap. Stir thoroughly, pour into a spray bottle and spray once every 10 days.
Alcohol tincture of calendula	For 1 liter of water, 10 ml of tincture, a solution only for external irrigation of leaves. As a preventive measure, once every 10 days for a month. When infested with pests, apply once a day for 5-7 days.
Tea tree essential oil	5 ml per 3 l. water, spray daily for 5-10 days, depending on the degree of pest infestation.
Tobacco dust	100 gr. tobacco dust, pour 2.5 liters. water and add 1 tsp. liquid laundry soap. Leave for 2 days, strain and spray the plants once every 2 days, 5 procedures.
Onion scale	Pour 1 cup of onion scales into 2 liters of hot water, leave for 24 hours, strain, add 1 tsp. soap Irrigate the leaves 1 r per day for 3-7 days.
Laundry soap	Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid laundry soap in 1 liter. Spray the diseased plant with water and leave for a day. The next day, rinse off in the shower and spray with the solution again, repeating the procedure for 3 days.

Even more information about pests on indoor flowers is in the video:

You might also like:

What to do if midges appear in indoor flowers?
How to fight mealybug on indoor plants Root rot: how to recognize and fight the disease
Diseases of indoor chrysanthemums and their treatment
Whitefly on indoor flowers - how to get rid of them using folk remedies

Do you know how to take wheat bran, the benefits and harms of which have been repeatedly reviewed by leading nutritionists? The effect of this product is ambiguous. At the right approach, it helps replenish the deficiency of missing substances. But this does not mean that bran can be eaten in any quantity. Rational nutrition is to maintain a balance between the supply of elements. For bran, as for any other additive, there are rules and regulations for intake.

Bran is a secondary product obtained during the production of flour. It consists of the outer hard and difficult-to-digest grain shells.

The main value of bran lies in its high content of coarse fibers.

Fiber should be present in the diet of any person. Plant fibers stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. Their lack acutely affects not only digestion, but also metabolic processes throughout the body.

Coarse fibers have low nutritional value. They are not digested in the stomach and small intestine, but they successfully decompose in the lower gastrointestinal tract, turning into oligo and polysaccharides.

Complex carbohydrates become food and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Food enriched with coarse fiber helps restore internal flora, so bran can be used to prevent dysbiosis.

Plant fibers not only create conditions for the growth of beneficial microorganisms, but also mechanically stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber swollen in water expands the walls of the intestinal tube, causing a response. Stretched muscles digestive tract, trying to return to their original form, are actively contracting. As a result, peristalsis increases. Food moves faster through the gastrointestinal tract.

The intestinal tract must receive the necessary load daily. This reduces the likelihood of atony, constipation and diseases arising from digestive disorders.

Fiber actively binds cholesterol and prevents its excess absorption. Diet rich plant fibers, is effective in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease and hypertension.

Bran is useful for people suffering diabetes mellitus. They're lowering glycemic index food, binding excess glucose. Thus, the herbal supplement can be used to prevent diabetes, as well as be included in the diet of those already struggling with this disease.

Coarse fibers are an effective natural sorbent. They absorb toxins formed as a result of food oxidation, take on heavy metals, and neutralize metabolic products.

Thus, bran compensates for the deficiency of dietary fiber. Their influence has a positive effect on metabolism throughout the body. Bran reduces the level of slagging and helps prolong youth and health.

Composition and calorie content

For a long time, bran was considered an unnecessary product. The outer shells of grains contain a lot of fatty acids, which cause whole grain products to spoil quickly. To extend the shelf life of white flour, they try to clean it as much as possible from coarse impurities.

White flour has a higher commercial and consumer value. It is much more often used in the food industry. In the 20th century, bran practically disappeared from the human diet.

White flour is more nutritious than whole grain flour, as it consists to a greater extent of easily digestible starch and simple sugars. But she has low biological value, it contains significantly less essential acids, vitamins and minerals.

Bran does not have such great nutritional value, but plays a serious role in replenishing biologically important compounds.

The husk contains much more useful substances than the wheat grain itself and the flour obtained from it.

The rough shells contain a small amount of energy (216 kcal). They contain virtually no sugar (0.4%), but contain a huge amount of dietary fiber (43% versus 10% in whole grains).

Due to the high protein content (16%), flour production waste is quite nutritious. Compared to the original product, bran contains twice as much beneficial fatty acids (4.3%), including essential ones. The outer shells of the grain are rich in B vitamins, which are responsible for the growth and renewal of cells and tissues.

The food supplement is rich in minerals. When 100 g of bran is burned, 5 g of ash residue is formed. The non-burning substrate contains microelements such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.

Dosage per day

According to information from different sources The norm for consuming bran per day is from 16 to 50-60 g. You can guide yourself by the number of teaspoons. One unit contains 4 g of product. On average, manufacturers recommend eating 2 teaspoons 2-3 times a day.

Different packaging may contain different information. Bran is natural product, in which the amount of substances may vary depending on the composition of the feedstock. Very often, salt, sugar, herbs, fruits, berries, artificial and natural flavoring and mineral additives are added to the finished bran. Therefore, the rate of use will depend on the final composition of the product.

The supplement should be introduced into the diet carefully. Starting with a teaspoon once a day, gradually (over 1-2 weeks) increasing the amount to daily norm. When taking husks, be sure to follow a drinking regime (at least 2 liters of water per day).

How to use it correctly for weight loss?

The benefits of wheat bran for weight loss are obvious. The product has a low calorie content and helps speed up metabolism. Swelling in water, it increases in volume, fills the stomach and gives a feeling of fullness.

To reduce weight, bran is consumed before meals. They are pre-soaked in water or kefir, the excess liquid is drained and the thick, swollen mass is eaten. If you repeat this three times a day, you can significantly reduce the amount of food you eat and, accordingly, get rid of extra pounds.

Use in folk medicine

IN folk medicine Bran is used as a general tonic. They are boiled a little, mixed with honey and eaten throughout the day. A hot decoction of bran and burnt sugar is drunk as an expectorant for respiratory tract infections.

Grain husks are an excellent remedy for constipation. Bran washed down a large number water. Most often they eat it once at night. Or consumed together with kefir during the day as a cleansing and laxative.

Due to the high content of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, bran has a beneficial effect on the skin. They take baths, prepare masks and facial scrubs.

Cereal hull powder is included in the diet to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Official studies confirm that with such a diet, its concentration is sometimes reduced by 30%.

Diabetes patients use food supplement in your diet to lower the glycemic index of the food you eat. Bran sprinkled ready meals. Be sure to wash down your food with plenty of water.

Recipes for dishes made from wheat bran

You can not only eat bran yourself, add it to food, but also cook delicious and healthy dishes with it.

The simplest dish is buckwheat porridge with bran. The cereal must first be boiled and left to simmer under the lid. At this time, in a frying pan in butter Fry the onions and bran until the products acquire a golden hue. All ingredients are mixed and salted to taste. For 100 g of boiled buckwheat, take about a glass of bran.

Okroshka with kefir– a dish that improves digestion and helps fight excess weight.

To prepare it you will need:

• fresh cucumber;
• boiled egg;
• half boiled beets;
• greens (preferably onions with feathers).

Chop everything into cubes and place in a bowl. Season with kefir, half diluted with water. Add bran (30 g per serving), salt and sour cream to taste to the finished dish. Stir and let it brew a little.

You can make a substitute for bread bran cakes. To do this, you will need to heat 100 g of sour cream in a water bath so that it becomes liquid and fluid, but does not have time to curdle.

In a separate container, beat chicken egg with a spoon of granulated sugar until stable foam. Combine both substances. Add to them 60 g of bran and 40 g of hard grated cheese.

Form the dough into flat cakes. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 180°C until done (about 30 minutes).

Can it be given to children?

Most often, the instructions for using the supplement limit the age at which you can take the product to 12 or even 14 years. For this reason, bran should not be given to children.

Coarse fibers can provoke irritation of fragile intestines, causing bloating, gas formation and constipation.

Sometimes, on the advice of a pediatrician, children starting from 10 months of age are given a bran decoction as a vitamin supplement. A teaspoon of grain husk is poured with half a glass of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, strain and add a spoonful to prepared dishes or drinks up to three times a day.

This drink promotes digestion and strengthens the immune system. The minerals contained in bran have a positive effect on the growth and development of the musculoskeletal system.

Possible harm from consumption

The influence of bran is not clear. You shouldn't get carried away with them. It is better to use courses with breaks, after consulting with your doctor.

Despite its natural origin, the dietary supplement has contraindications.

• adhesions in the gastrointestinal tract;
• erosive and ulcerative lesions of the mucous membranes of the stomach or intestines;
• inflammatory diseases of the alimentary tract in the acute stage;
• obstruction.

In these cases, an active effect on the intestinal walls can lead to an exacerbation of the underlying disease.

In addition, excess dietary fiber in the diet causes the opposite effect in the form of bloating, constipation, increased gas formation and intestinal pain.

Bran as a natural sorbent is partially absorbed useful substances from food. Their active use can lead to a lack of vitamins and minerals.

In recent years, many discoveries have been made. Phytic acid was found in bran. According to some researchers, this substance interferes with the absorption of magnesium, calcium, iron and other trace elements from food, so frequent consumption of bran can lead to a deficiency of certain compounds.

The version about phytic acid does not have a final version. On at the moment the debate continues. It was found that when exposed to temperature, the insidious compound is destroyed. According to the latest recommendations, it is better to consume the grain additive in steamed or cooked form, thus making it less dangerous.

Product selection and storage

On the shelves of shops and pharmacies you can find a wide range of similar products. But not all bran is equally useful. By themselves they have no taste. To make a product more attractive, manufacturers often add salt, sugar, and natural or artificial flavors.

It is worth giving preference to a product with a simple composition, without sugar and “identical to natural” components. Bran should not contain much salt. To solve specific problems, you can choose a fortified product, for example, bran with calcium.

Cereal husks should be stored in tightly closed jars or paper boxes. Protect from moisture and direct sunlight.

In pursuit of health, people sometimes take rash steps. Practice shows that the craze for dietary supplements does not lead to anything good.

Before consuming bran, it is advisable to check your health and exclude possible contraindications. And only then start choosing a high-quality and truly useful product.