Small white insects in a flower pot

Varieties of white bugs

In the soil of indoor flowers, one miniature insect goes unnoticed. But after a few days, a colony of pests actively sucks out the plant’s juices. External signs of infection: spots on leaves, stems, curled leaves, wilted flowers, fallen buds.

There are several types of white pests:

Aphid. The maximum size of an adult is 2 mm. The colors of aphids are very diverse; on indoor plants they can be found in light gray, white, green, red, etc. The body has an elongated shape, small legs, and straight antennae. It reproduces extremely quickly. Small white bugs feed on the juices of the plant, thereby leading to the complete death of the crop.
Spider mite. White insects appear suddenly in the soil of indoor plants, unnoticed by humans. The mite body size does not exceed 2 mm. When flowers are heavily infested, a clear symptom of the presence of this pest is the presence of cobwebs on the back of the leaf. The result of the vital activity of the parasite is spots, dried, curled leaves. Females take refuge in the soil, under rotting leaves.
Root mite. Insects live in flower pots in moist soil. They parasitize bulbous plants - tulips, gladioli, hyacinths. They live directly in the soil, feeding on the bulb itself. As a result of active life activity, the flower gets sick and dies.
Mealybug. Small white bugs in indoor flowers no larger than 3 mm in size. An oval flat body with growths, covered with a dusting in the form of flour. Long tentacles are visible on one side. A sign of the life of a mealybug is a white coating on the leaves, stems, and soil.
Springtails. Small bugs with an oblong, translucent body live in soil with high humidity. They feed on dead organic matter and do not harm the plant. Externally, the springtail is similar to a caterpillar, but with legs. The mustache is clearly visible on the head.

White pests
White bugs on flowers can disappear on their own if living conditions change - the soil dries out, the temperature drops, etc., but in most cases human help is required. Otherwise, the plant gets sick, dries, loses strength, and dies.

Pests of indoor flowers and measures to combat them. First and second parts.

1. Aphids. Perhaps I’ll start with a fairly simple pest, since it’s quite easy to notice it on a plant; it settles in large colonies, usually on the fleshier, juicier and more tender parts of the plant, leaving a sticky, sweetish coating behind. These are small insects, approximately 0.5-2 mm, have an ovoid body, long legs, and come with or without wings. They reproduce super quickly) maybe because aphids do not always need a female to reproduce; aphids often breed their own “clones”. There are many species and they are distinguishable by color, usually from yellowish, greenish (greenhouse aphid) to black (beetroot).

Aphids, if there are a lot of them, can greatly weaken the plant. Inspect plants in summer, as aphids are carried by the wind when windows are open. I became familiar with these pests a long time ago. I won’t say that in the garden you can always see it on one plant or another, not always on a home plant, but there are chances. An aphid has settled on my guzmania. The struggle was quite easy and painless for the victim herself. First, I bathed in the shower, tilting my growth point so that water would not pour in there. Using laundry soap, I went through all the leaves with a foam sponge. Thus, I got rid of both insects and sticky plaque. I let it dry and sprayed it with Fitoverm. A week later I examined the plant, there were no aphids, but for peace of mind I sprayed it again)

Folk remedies for deliverance (tested by forum participants)

— zoo shampoo against ticks and fleas. Dissolve a small amount and spray the plant (3-4 times)

— Garlic infusion: Grind 20-30 grams of unpeeled garlic in a meat grinder, add 1 liter of water, leave for 1 day.

- Pour 100 g of dry citrus peels into 1 liter of warm water and leave for three days in a warm place. Then spray.

Insecticides against aphids - Fitoverm, Intavir, Aktara, Konfidor.

2. Thrips.

Did you know that you can encounter thrips almost every day?) How? Take an onion bulb and remove the top layer of peel. Could the second layer of husk be sticky and unpleasant? And even with a silvery tint) This is it, or rather not the bug itself, but its action. You can also sometimes notice an adult individual on the bulb. By the way, it is also easy to find on dandelions) they, like a “jack-in-the-box”, always crawl out of the axils of the petals.

Thrips are not so easy to spot on a plant. Its body is elongated and slender, measuring from 0.5-2 mm (rarely up to 5 mm). The color is unsightly, often black, gray, brown. The larvae are white-yellow and grayish. There are a lot of varieties - bulbous thrips, dracaena, rose, tobacco, decorative.

In general, these comrades are omnivores) they can eat both a delicate rose and a not-so-delicate cactus. Therefore, inspect not only the infected plant, but also the one standing nearby, even if it is a 2-meter palm tree)

Larvae and adults suck cell sap from plant tissue. This initially causes yellow or discolored spots, streaks, or a peculiar streaking appearance; gradually these strokes and spots merge. Damaged plant tissue dies, resulting in holes; leaves wither and fall off. Flowers lose their decorative effect and fall off prematurely.

When infested en masse, “silver” areas are visible on the plants, and curvature of the stems is often noted. Thrips-infested plants show traces of excrement.

As a preventive measure, humidify the air in the apartment; thrips do not like humidity. Give your plants a shower, it's useful. Inspect the undersides of the leaves.

Thrips is my friend at the moment, since he settled on my hibiscus. The saddened hibiscus now stands on the reservation with other plants that stood side by side. You are the one to blame(

Getting rid of thrips is not easy, but it is possible. What did I do? She took the hibiscus to the bathroom, diluted 2 ml of fitovrem into 200 ml and began to carefully spray each leaf, thereby knocking down both the larvae and the parent itself under the pressure of the stream. I wrapped the hibiscus in a bag. The place where the plants stood was washed with disinfectants. I removed the top layer of soil from the hibiscus and added a new one. I'm waiting for re-processing. In total, you need to do 3-4 treatments with an interval of 4-6 days.

Insecticides effective against thrips - Fitoverm, Aktara, Vermitek, Confidor.

Folk remedies work for small infestations, but for severe infestations you need to use insecticides!

Attention! Thrips are carriers of many plant diseases. After getting rid of thrips, it is advisable to treat the plant with a systemic fungicide.

3. Scale insect, false scale insect.

In fact, there are many varieties of them and they can be eaten, like all thrips)

The body of an adult scale insect has a hard, waxy shield, which is why spraying with insecticides does not always work on them. However, young insects do not yet have a scutum. Larvae and adult females suck plant juices. Scale insects can be from 0.5 mm to 5 mm in size. The shield can be either round or elongated. False scale insects, or coccids (Coccidae)

They differ from true scale insects in that they do not have a waxy shell.

Scale insects and pseudoscale insects secrete a sticky liquid on which sooty fungus can settle.

Females are immobile, but males can even fly during their lives . However, the life cycle of the male is very short. They live only a few days, unlike females, who live for several months.

Prevention - spraying the plant and ventilating the premises.

I became acquainted with the scale insect a long time ago, when my mother brought me one infected flower. It’s not easy to get rid of it because of the shell, but again it’s possible and necessary. It is advisable to mechanically remove them from the plant. Gently, without damaging delicate tissues. If there are a lot of them on some part of the plant, if possible, then it is better to cut off the damaged part.

If the injury is minor, alcohol diluted with soap will help you. You can carefully wipe the areas where scale insects accumulate with a cotton pad. In case of severe damage, use only insecticides and be sure to water the plant, not just spray it.

Remedies against scale insects - Aktara, Bankol.

4. Whitefly.

It’s beautiful when butterflies fly) ... but not at home and not when there are a huge number of them)

A small white butterfly, no more than 3 mm, which settles mainly on the underside of the leaf. Fuchsias are most susceptible to whitefly, especially when kept warm in winter, as well as pelargos, especially fragrant, royal and angels, also when kept warm. Whiteflies also love mint)

It is easy to detect if you lightly touch the infected plant; many white small butterflies fly into the air. A shiny coating often appears on the upper side of the leaves. A sooty fungus likes to appear on whitefly feces, causing the leaf to first turn whitish and then turn black. Whiteflies are carriers of viral diseases!

The whitefly is a pampered companion, therefore, by observing the temperature limits inherent in each plant in its individual period, the risk of its occurrence is sharply reduced.

For prevention in summer and winter, you can water the plants with Aktara solution. This is usually enough to prevent whiteflies from appearing.

Poisons - Aktara, Konfidor, Mospilan, Fufanon.

Folk remedies - garlic infusion and cool conditions.

In the second part we will discuss mites, soil scale insects, nematodes, springtails, fungus gnats, etc.

py.sy. thank you very much to the site

Pests of indoor plants. Control measures. Part 2.

So here's the second part. Here we will look at the remaining pests and how to deal with them. In this article I did not write my measures of struggle, I did not make it too personal. If you have any questions, write.

1. Spider mite. Almost all gardeners know this enemy by sight, because it is one of the most common pests. It occurs unexpectedly and is difficult to notice at first glance until the plant makes it known that it is sick.

Visible signs - in advanced cases, a cobweb is visible, at the first signs of damage - small white dots on the back of the leaves, drying out, yellowing of the leaves, the plant sheds its leaves, deformation of the growing leaves and buds.

The life activity of the tick, as well as its reproduction, directly depends on the air temperature. The higher it is, the better it is for the tick. It is worth noting that under poor conditions for ticks (cold weather, high air humidity), females can hide in the soil, under fallen leaves, or cracks in pots. Therefore, when caring for a plant, it is important to collect dry leaves, wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or wash them in a warm shower.

Control measures include spraying the plant with effective acaracid preparations, such as Fitoverm, Actellik, Fufanon, Neoron, Sunmite, Nissoran, Oberon, Omite-30, Bi-58, Admiral, Karate.

From available means - Green soap, laundry soap, pet shampoo for fleas and ticks.

It is important to combine several poisons, since ticks adapt to poisons quite quickly.

2. Flat mite or flat mite. Red mite.

It often settles on ficus, citrus, euonymus, cacti, aucuba, and palm trees.

This mite does not produce webs and at room temperature from 18-25 degrees it behaves very actively. It is more difficult to detect, but it is possible.

The leaves of the affected plant curl and dry out. Yellowish or grayish streaks appear on the leaves. Its lesions are somewhat similar to those of thrips.

Control measures are the same as for spider webs.

3. Cyclamen mite.

This comrade loves to eat cyclamens and violets, pelargoniums. Unlike spider mites, they love moisture. Therefore, the higher the air humidity, the better for it. It settles mainly on the upper side of leaves, the center of violet rosettes, tubers and cyclamen leaves; in large clusters it resembles dust. It is microscopic, so you won’t be able to see it without a magnifying glass. Lays eggs in cracks and depressions.

Traces of damage are curling and yellowing of leaves, deformation of leaves, “dust” on the leaves.

Control measures.

Spraying with pesticides (see above), generously wetting the leaves. Twisting out infected leaves and buds of cyclamen. Reduced air humidity. Removing flower stalks from violets.

4. Root mites.

Microscopic and very tenacious mites. More popular is the bulb mite, which likes to settle on the bulbs of gladioli, hyacinths, and tulips. It eats away the tissue of the bulbs and lays a huge number of eggs. A damaged bulb becomes loose and easily falls apart in your hands.

It loves humidity, so the main prevention is to store the bulbs and tubers in a dry and cool place!

It is worth mentioning here about Soil Mites.

There are mites in any substrate and you should not be afraid of this. Therefore, there is no need to be scared and stock up on poison when you see a tiny and transparent spider on the ground. Mites are of great importance for the normal functioning of the soil as a nutrient medium for plants. Among them there are also predatory mites that feed on pests of indoor plants. By the way, there are biological “poisons” against plant pests, these are these same predatory mites.

These mites are not dangerous for plants, but if there are too many of them in the soil, you should think about mistakes in caring for the plant.

5. Nematodes.

Round, small worms that live in moist soil on plants. They affect various plant tissues - roots, leaves, stems, buds.

As a result, plant growth is inhibited, the plant stem is bent and deformed, leaf petioles are underdeveloped, short internodes, and leaves die off. “Galls” or thickenings appear on the roots.

Security measures:

1. Do not take soil from the area where crops are grown.

2. Do not take questionable soil mixture or sterilize it thoroughly.

3. Disinfect tools, pots, trays.

Control measures.

Use of a systemic nematicide (carbosulfan).

6. Enchitrea.

Small, about 1 cm, ringed white worms that live in contaminated soil.

They feed on the roots of the plant, so the affected plant lags in growth, falls out, yellowing of the leaves occurs, and then the complete death of the plant. Waterlogging of the soil contributes to the appearance of enchytrae.

Control measures.

Washing the roots of the plant from the old soil, replanting it in new soil. Spill of soil by Aktara.

7. Mealybug.

Sucking insects are about 3-3.5 mm in length. Oval body with growths, usually whitish or pinkish. They settle mainly in the leaf axils of the plant, and in case of large infestation - on the leaves and stem of the plant.

A winged insect has one pair of wings. The larvae can settle on the root collar of the plant. The eggs are protected by a cotton-like secretion.

The affected plant sheds its leaves, shoots lag behind in growth, and sooty fungus often forms on the mealybug secretions.

Control measures.

Removal of adults manually or using a cotton swab. Spraying with systemic insecticides Fitoverm, Aktara, Vermitek.

8. Root mealybug.

White, 2-3 mm long. They settle on roots and well-aerated substrates. It can only be discovered by digging up the plant.

The affected plant partially loses turgor, sluggish appearance, deformation and death of leaves.

Cacti and succulents are most susceptible.

Control measures.

Spill the soil with actelik, karbofos, actara, decis several times with an interval of 5-7 days.

Folk remedy. https://floralworld.ru/illnesses_wreckers/rhizoecus.html

9. Springtails, fools.

Small white insects that live in moist soil. They feed on organic residues in soils.

Podurs can move in the soil in a unique way. Some species have a special organ on the abdomen, the so-called “jumping fork,” with which it makes jumping movements. Some species do not have a jumping fork; they crawl on the ground.

A number of springtails harm the plant, like green sminutur, which eats into the roots of greenhouse plants. Some carry fungal spores that can cause plant infection. In general, springtails are harmless to plants, but they even benefit them, playing a major role in soil formation.

Control measures.

Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged. Keep the plant in drier conditions. Cut the raw potato into halves and place it cut side down on the soil. After the insects stick around the potato, take it out and throw it away.

10. Fungus gnat, sciarids.

A small flying black and gray insect with a narrow body and a rounded head. Adults do not harm plants, but their larvae living in moist soil can gnaw at the tender roots of the plant.

Inspect the soil, if you do not see mosquito larvae in the ground, then there is no need to panic, it is enough to destroy the flying insects using sticky tape or dichlorvos. If there are larvae, then you need to sprinkle the soil with Bazudin, Grom-2, Pochin powders.

Control measures.

Do not over-water the soil. Keep the plant in drier conditions.

For flying individuals - tape, neo-dichlorvos.

For larvae - powders Grom-2, Bazudin.

How to get rid of white bugs in the soil of indoor plants

Professional preparations and folk remedies are used to control pests. The choice depends on the individual preferences of the grower and the number of parasites.

Aktara. Universal insecto-acaricidal agent. Destroys adult individuals, imago. White bugs die within 30 minutes. The product continues to act for another 20 days, preventing re-infection. Does not harm the plant, helps to recover. 4 g of the drug is enough for 5 liters of cold water. Spraying is carried out in a well-ventilated area or outside.
Actellik. Broad-spectrum insecticide. Destroys pests in 20 minutes and continues to work for another 20 days. Sold in ampoules of 2 ml, designed for 5 liters of water. The solution is prepared immediately before use. Plants are sprayed outdoors. The drug is toxic and requires strict adherence to the instructions.
Inta-Vir. An insecticidal preparation for treating any plants in open or closed ground. The tablet dissolves in 10 liters of water. Spray the flowers in a well-ventilated area. Does not affect vegetation, helps restore strength.

Methods to combat bugs

Getting rid of a white beetle on an orchid is difficult, but possible. You can choose any of the methods of struggle or alternate several.

Cattleya orchid: home care options and propagation methods

First of all, the diseased flower is isolated from healthy specimens. After this, sanitation (trimming of heavily affected areas) and treatment with drugs are carried out.

Roots that cannot be treated must be removed along with part of the healthy tissue, after which the sections are treated with an antiseptic or charcoal. The leaves are cut in half and removed from the growing point. Each insect is removed from the leaf axil with tweezers.

Note! White bugs on an orchid take a long time to eliminate, up to several months; with a positive trend, treatment is carried out less and less, and then it is reduced to nothing.

Traditional methods

If you do not want to use chemicals, you can use home remedies.

What to do if there are white bugs on the orchids, and there are no insecticides on hand? Insects can be removed using the following folk recipes:

mix 10 ml of denatured alcohol and 15 ml of liquid soap, add to 1 liter of warm water, wipe the leaves with the solution after mechanical removal of parasites. This solution is recommended to be used only for strong, thick leaves; alcohol can burn thin leaves;
grate brown laundry soap and make a solution in warm water. Wipe the leaves of the plant with a moistened cotton pad;
mix 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil in 1 liter of warm water. Wipe orchid leaves to prevent the appearance of scale insects;
Pour 50 g of grated orange zest into 1 liter of water and leave for 24 hours. The leaves are wiped with the solution 2 times a day.

Important! Home remedies are more gentle and are suitable only at the initial stage of infection.

Mechanical methods

Mechanical removal must be used before treating leaves with chemicals. Insects and their larvae are removed with a sponge or cotton pad from stems, leaves and buds. For hard-to-reach places, tweezers are used. Severely affected leaves are completely removed.

For your information! Parasites love young, not yet mature shoots and leaves. On such parts, bugs easily damage the integumentary tissue and suck out the juice.

If there is a pseudobulb, the integumentary scales will be removed from it. What to do if there are white bugs in the orchid and in the soil? Trim the affected roots, buy a new pot and fresh substrate.

How deep can a mealybug go?

Chemicals

If white furry bugs appear on an orchid, how to get rid of them; if traditional methods do not help, buy chemicals in a specialized store. They are used as a last resort and used strictly according to the instructions.

Treatment with insecticides is carried out outdoors, a respirator mask is put on the face.

The most popular drugs:

spark;
doctor;
fufanol;
kemifos;
bison;
vermitek;
Aliot;
Actara.

All of the above preparations are suitable for protecting open ground plants.

Before getting rid of bugs, their type is determined by description and photographs. The hardest thing to deal with is damage to the root system.

There is no better protection against parasites than prevention. Proper care, regular inspection of leaves and substrate, warm showers and periodic quarantine will protect against the appearance of white bugs.

How dangerous are household pests?

Photo of an adult fool with multiple magnification

To be fair, it should be noted that only some species of collembola are classified as pests. But there are springtails that eat nematodes and enchytraeids, thereby bringing benefits. Insects feeding on rotting organic matter improves soil formation. The white fool is one of those four species of “brothers” that stand out for their harmfulness from the more than 4 thousand that live on earth. We can talk about the danger of insects in the case of a sharp growth of the colony, when there is not enough rotting residue in the pots to feed, and the thinnest thread-like roots of the root system begin to be eaten. Most often, orchids, violets, and gloxinias fall into the risk zone.

Attention! The appearance of springtails in indoor flowers is an indicator of waterlogged soil in pots and flowerpots and improper care of plants.

Solutions according to traditional recipes

Stop watering your plant and wait until the soil in the pot dries out.

You need to get rid of all adult insects. You can set traps made of bright yellow paper smeared with sweet honey. Or use a vacuum cleaner.

Now loosen the soil in the pot and water it with a solution according to one of the following recipes:

Dilute potassium permanganate so that the solution is almost colorless. Water and spray the flower with this solution every month.
You can water and spray the plant with a solution of laundry soap. To do this, grate a small amount of soap on a fine grater and dissolve it in warm water.
Sulfur water: use ordinary matches. You just need to stick a few matches into the pot, heads down, and water the plant. For one week, you need to change matches every two days.
Once a week, water the diseased plant with a solution containing an anthelmintic for cats and dogs. This can be found at any veterinary pharmacy. Use dosage for puppies and kittens.

Toxic "greenhouse":

Stop watering the plant for a while until the soil becomes dry enough.
When the soil dries, loosen it thoroughly using a small stick.
Place the plant in a thick polyethylene bag and spray a small amount of Dichlorvos inside; the product should be predominantly in the soil. It is necessary to avoid getting the product on the leaves, as this can lead to the death of the plant. After this, close the bag tightly. Make sure that the bag does not crush the leaves of the plant. To do this, you can stick a couple of sticks into the ground, on which the “greenhouse” will be stretched.
Leave the plant in the bag with the product for 7-10 hours.
While the plant is in the bag, you need to ensure the destruction of all midges that did not end up in the toxic “greenhouse”. You can make special traps for this.
You can repeat the procedure after a week to prevent midges and bugs from appearing again.

Prevention is a preventive method of control

Timely prevention will help to avoid the appearance of springtails and podura in indoor plants.

A large population of white fools is the cause of illness in indoor pets

The outer surfaces of flowerpots and pots, flower shelves, window sills, and stands are wiped with detergents.
Preliminary watering of the soil with hot water is organized before planting flowers. Larvae and adults brought with the soil are destroyed.
If necessary, the old soil is completely replaced with new one.
The dosage of organic fertilizers, a potential food for springtails, is strictly observed.
Organization of moderate watering and frequent loosening of the soil.
When replanting plants, the soil is treated in advance, and the flower container is equipped with an effective drainage system that prevents stagnation of water.
If necessary, the lump of earth on the root is dried in a shaded place in the breeze or blotted with soft paper.
Rotten roots must be cut off.
To prevent the reproduction of insects, containers for flowers are chosen of a suitable size, free of voids in which fungus, bacteria and other food for the fool can develop.
For the purpose of prevention, planted (or transplanted) flowers are watered with an aqueous solution: 1 liter of liquid and 4g of Fitosporin.

How to prevent insects from appearing?

If white bugs have appeared in indoor plants, then it is necessary to urgently resort to their destruction in order to avoid the death of the plant. However, it is much easier to prevent their occurrence. This can be done if you adhere to the following recommendations:

It is important to carefully monitor the watering regime. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged or dry out.
Having brought home a new plant, you need to quarantine it, placing it for 2 weeks separately from other house flowers. In this way, infection of healthy plants can be prevented.
It is necessary to carefully inspect the flowers for pests.
It is important to replant flowers in a timely manner, and also not to use soil of questionable quality.

It is also recommended to observe the temperature regime, since most pests prefer to reproduce in warm soil. It is important to know which insects have attacked the plant in order to provide it with the necessary help. If this is not done, then the flower is in danger of inevitable death.

Drying

Excess moisture must be removed from flowerpots

It is impossible to get rid of dura in an orchid, ficus, gardenia, and Dieffenbachia without thoroughly drying the soil in the pot. The soil is dried thoroughly, to a powdery state: the pot should become much lighter than its original weight. If dracaena, lemon and other indoor crops withstand a lack of moisture, then azalea and gardenia immediately begin to shed their leaves and dry out. Therefore, the process is controlled for each plant separately. The roots removed from the soil are carefully examined, and putrefactive, damaged areas are removed.

Attention! Excessive soil moisture is not always a sign that soil podura or other bugs necessarily live in it. There are never any of them in pots with moisture-loving cyperus, just as there are no rotting organic matter.

We recognize pests

First of all, you need to pay special attention to whether your plants have any pests, since they are the ones that can spoil the condition of potted flowers and sometimes even kill them.

The most common are small white bugs that spread very quickly throughout the flower. Before we talk about how to get rid of such “unexpected guests”, it is necessary to find out the reasons why small white insects appeared in the pot.

We tried to find out what factors contribute to their appearance:

it is likely that small white insects in flower pots were blown onto the plants by the wind, by way of an open apartment window. Therefore, it is better not to place plants under direct wind flows from the street;
Also, if you notice that strange white small insects have appeared in the soil of your flowers, photos of which on the Internet are labeled with various names - from aphids to thrips, the soil itself could be the reason for the appearance. Midge larvae could be brought in with soil, especially if it was not purchased in a specialized store, but was taken from the forest or garden;
If there are small jumping midges in the pot, the reason for their spread could be waterlogging of the soil or the process of rotting caused by excessive watering of the plant.

Having found out the reasons for the appearance, we figured out how to prevent small white insects from appearing in the apartment. However, if such unexpected guests do appear, you need to be able to detect the problem at the first signs.

Signs that white insects, such as those in the photo below, have appeared in the bathroom or flower pot are as follows:

The first sign that a plant is susceptible to the negative influence of pests is various spots on the leaves. As a rule, they can be of completely different shapes, colors and sizes. Therefore, if you notice the slightest problem with a flower, conduct a quality inspection;
very rapid weakening and dullness of flowers is an alarm bell signaling the appearance of midges on it;
the last and final sign of the presence of insects is the detection of their presence, or the discovery of their larvae. Some of them run quite fast, so it is difficult to notice them. However, if you find midges, check for them in places with high humidity, such as on the floor of the toilet.

No chemical attacks

Having discovered small populations of insects, you can do without the use of chemical reagents.

Orchid roots need to be carefully examined

When a springtail is first detected, completely immerse the entire flower along with the pot in water. The floating insects are immediately collected. The plant should not be watered. The top layer of soil (up to 40 mm thick) is removed, and clean, dry sand is poured in its place.
If podura pests are found in a flowerpot with orchids, the plant is removed from the bark and the roots are washed well with water. The processed rhizome is planted in the whole bark. The rot is cut off and the sections are dried.
You can dissolve 0.5 tablets of citramone (ascophen) from your home medicine cabinet in 3 liters of water. When watering flowers, use this solution.
Place the cut potato (cut side down) into the container with the flower. After a while, remove the vegetable along with the podurs that have penetrated into it.
Dry lemon and orange skins and place them in pots with plants. Insects cannot stand the smell of citrus fruits and “leave.”
Do not water the soil with a solution containing decomposing organic matter: milk, tea or coffee, etc.
The soil and green areas are dusted with wood ash. Crushed into powder, it is sprinkled on the soil with a layer of 10 mm with scanty watering.
Dry mustard is also used for dusting. Powder is sprinkled on the soil in a pot with a layer thickness of 10 mm with limited watering.
Water with a solution: 40 g of grated laundry soap, pour 1 liter of water and dissolve.
Dry mustard (10 g) is silted with water (1 l) at a temperature of 60°C. The solution is infused for 48 hours, after which it is filtered. Used for treating flower seeds before planting.
The same mustard (1 tsp) is diluted in 1 liter of water. This is how the composition is prepared for watering and simultaneously destroying other pests.

Flowers

Sometimes novice collectors or flower growers who love indoor plants neglect the rules for preparing the soil substrate (do not sift through a sieve, do not disinfect, do not steam). And then problems arise: pests appear in the soil and plants die. Getting rid of uninvited guests is not difficult if you know who exactly has settled in the pot. Springtails often live in flowerpots with begonias, gloxinias, ivies, saintpaulias, succulents, cyclamen and cissus. Asparagus, tuberous and ampelous begonias, hyacinths, gloriosa, cacti, pastachis, ficus, chrysanthemums are a delicacy for various types of nematodes. Nematodes also damage many species of tropical and subtropical plants. Fungus gnat larvae most often live in pots of impatiens, hibiscus, geraniums, primroses, roses, fuchsias, citrus fruits, hoyas and schefflera. Earthworms and enchytraea can be found in flowerpots with camellias, coleuses, codiaeums, oleanders, ferns, citrus fruits, cyperus, and chlorophytums. Millipedes and woodlice love to settle in moist and loose soil next to araucaria, dracaenas, turmeric, ixora, palm trees, ferns, tetrastigma, streptocarpus, and yucca. All of these pests are soil related. Let's get to know them.

Springtails (collembolas) or poduras, or ground fleas, are widespread on moist substrates. 3500 species are known. Some species have a special jumping fork in the lower abdomen (hence the name). They live in the soil, under the bark, in mushrooms, and sometimes on water. Most of them are useful as soil formers, there are predators, and a few cause harm by feeding on plants. In the apartment, in flowerpots, the most common species is the white podura - a small jumping insect, an elongated body, 1 - 4 mm long, mostly white. Their appearance in a flower pot is a signal that you need to reduce watering, otherwise the soil will begin to sour: the roots will rot. Springtails are clearly visible on the surface of the soil and on the tray under the pot. When watered, they remain floating on the surface of the water and are able to actively jump in different directions. Often neat piles of earth with a characteristic shape appear on the surface of the earth.

First, in flowerpots, springtails feed on rotted plant debris and microorganisms. In soil with a sufficient amount of unrotted plant residues (immature compost, tea leaves, “meat” water, etc.), insects quickly multiply and begin to damage tender young roots and underground shoots, and also encroach on the lower parts of plants. And if they multiply in large numbers, they can cause serious damage to the roots and root collar.

Ways to fight:

Keep plants, pots and trays clean.

Avoid excessive soil moisture: reduce watering, sprinkle the soil surface with dry sand. A slight drying of the earthen clod will reduce their numbers.

Ensure good drainage in the flowerpot so that excess water does not stagnate when watering and the soil does not become waterlogged.

Remove the top layer of soil in the flowerpot and replace it with new soil. Podurs live on the surface of an earthen clod, no deeper than 2–3 cm. Therefore, if you carefully remove the soil from above, the pests will be removed along with the soil.

Immerse the pot with the plant in warm water for 20-30 minutes, so that the water level is 2-5 cm above the ground. All insects will float to the surface.

Catch springtails with bait. Cut a raw potato in half and place the halves cut side down on the surface of the soil. Pests gathered under potatoes can be easily collected and destroyed.

Sprinkle the soil in the pot with tobacco dust or spread out orange peels.

Water the soil with any insecticide. Before applying the insecticide, first water the soil with water. For every 0.5 liter of soil, pour 50 ml of an insecticide solution prepared according to the instructions included with the preparation (as for a spraying solution).

If the soil is heavily populated by podars, transplant the plant into new soil, lighter and more permeable, 2-3 days after applying the insecticide.

Chemicals to the rescue

If it is not possible to mechanically remove the larvae and adult insects that have settled in the roots of the plant (planting in deep tubs), use insecticides: Tanrek, Kinmiks, Agravertin, Fitoverm, Aktaru, Konfidor. The solution is prepared in the following proportion: 8 g of the drug per bucket of water. If Intavir is used, then 1 tablet of the product is pre-diluted in 10 liters of water.

The product has been tested many times against indoor pests

Podura in flowers feel very confident, so the plant needs to be watered twice every 7 days with an insecticide solution at the rate of 100 ml of the drug per 0.7 liter pot.

Attention! Insecticides should be applied to the soil to soak it, rather than used for irrigation purposes. Larvae and mature insects live under the top layer of soil.

Fine-grained sand can be used. It is washed well and dried. The top thin layer of soil (several centimeters) is removed from the pot. The remaining soil is watered with any insecticide against the Colorado potato beetle. A thin layer of sand is scattered on top. Apply granulated Grom-2 or Bazudin, scattering the preparations in small quantities onto a slightly damp soil surface. A thin layer of soil is laid on top and watered abundantly. For greater effectiveness, do not water flowers in pots for 5 days after treatment.

What do people advise?

An infusion of tobacco dust, shag, and red hot pepper is used as a watering solution. Infuse a pound of tobacco waste or shag in 10 liters of water for 48 hours. Add soap shavings (40g) to the strained mixture. The plant itself is sprayed with the finished product and the soil is watered.
You can also cultivate the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Dry celandine is used. 1 kg of raw materials is poured and infused in water (10 l). The infusion, aged for 24 hours, is filtered. They cultivate the soil.

Radical means of control will not be needed if plant nutrition and watering regime are properly organized and a healthy indoor microclimate is created.

Rating: +3

osya0412

Answers:

It is quite difficult to see them in a pot; in my flowers they are clearly visible not in the ground, but in the tray under the pot; if you pour water, they float up and wriggle. I spray the soil and tray with “green soap” or other insect repellents - it helps! It is also effective against ants.

These creatures harm not only indoor plants, but also operate in gardens and destroy seedlings.

My seedlings were infected with fools from an indoor flower - the flower stood on the same windowsill as the tomato seedlings, but I didn’t notice the pest in time. The seedlings were saved, but the flower died