How to get rid of whiteflies on indoor flowers

There are many insects that can harm both indoor and garden plants. And the whitefly among them is one of the most dangerous pests. But you can get rid of it, the main thing is to know what methods can really destroy an insect.

What is this insect

The whitefly is similar to a small mole and has a length of about 2 mm. On top of the insect is covered with white pollen. It is not easy to find it, since they usually hide on the underside of leaves. In the same place, females lay eggs, which are attached to the plant with thin stems. One female is capable of laying about 300 eggs per month.

Then larvae appear that can immediately after birth independently move around the plant and look for food. When the larvae grow up, they stop eating. Female whiteflies spread to other plants, where they continue to lay eggs. Insects live for about a month.

Whitefly, like its larvae, feeds on the sap of plants, and therefore can destroy them very quickly. The leaves turn yellow quickly, as the plant loses all strength, and soon dies. In addition, insects carry many different diseases that infect flowers and plants. That is why whitefly is considered a dangerous pest and a headache for all gardeners.

How to recognize a pest

The first sign of whitefly is the presence of white midges near the plant. Therefore, if they appeared there, you must immediately check the leaves. Just shake the plant so that the insects fly away. You can identify an insect and due to the following symptoms:

1. Small white flakes appear on the underside of the leaves. These are larvae postponed by whiteflies.
2. A sticky coating appears on the plant. These are waste products of insects.
3. On the leaves you can see black spots that appear as a result of the development of soot fungus.
4. The plant stops growing, and the leaves quickly curl and turn yellow.

Where and when does the whitefly appear

The insect affects not only indoor plants, but also garden gardens. In the house, it can appear in the summer during frequent rains. The fact is that whiteflies love heat and humidity very much. For example, at temperatures below 10 ° C, adults and larvae die. But eggs can easily tolerate frosts.

Therefore, in the cold, midges prefer to live in greenhouses and greenhouses. Ideal conditions for whiteflies are the lack of ventilation and the close proximity of plants. And in order to prevent the appearance and reproduction of insects, you need to ensure that:

• the plants were well ventilated;
• there was no excessive watering;
• the plants were often fertilized and were not planted too close.

Of indoor plants, whitefly most often affects ficuses, gardenia, orchids, begonias, and gerberas. They can also eat vegetable crops, especially tomatoes, and deciduous trees such as apple trees, mulberries, pears, mountain ash and oaks.

How to deal with whitefly

There are a huge number of ways to save plants from flying pests. The most effective are chemicals. They poison the juice of a plant that whiteflies eat. But "chemistry" does not work on eggs. Therefore, after the first spraying, you need to wait until the larvae hatch.

Folk remedies act on the insects themselves, without poisoning the plants, and also give a good result. And with the help of traps and fumigators, it is easy to destroy adults.It is important to know that during the period when the larvae transform into an adult, all chemical agents practically do not act on them.

Traps and Fumigators

As a trap, you can use special devices that are sold in specialized stores. This is cardboard, impregnated with a glue that is safe for humans. These cardboard traps are usually yellow to attract insects. Whiteflies are just a little closer to the cardboard to stick. In addition, such traps also work well against other harmful insects, for example, a tick mite or mushroom mosquitoes.

They can easily be made independently. To do this, you need a dense cardboard of bright yellow color. Then it is covered with petroleum jelly, castor oil and a mixture of rosin and honey. They are fixed on a holder made of metal or wood. Such traps can be installed directly in the flowerpot if the plant is already affected by insects, or on the windowsill. In the greenhouse, one trap is enough for 10 square meters. m

You can use fumigators, intended for mosquitoes and flies. They need to be included in sockets located as close as possible to the plants themselves. It is important to isolate the room, since the liquid in the fumigator is quite harmful to people and animals.

Folk remedies for whiteflies

The easiest way to kill pests is to wipe the leaves of plants with a sponge and water. This method allows you to get rid of larvae and adults. But it is acceptable only for indoor plants. It is enough to wipe the leaves 1 time per week to reduce the number of whiteflies. You can kill insects by lowering the temperature in the room. But the eggs will not die, so this method needs to be repeated from time to time.

Wipe the leaves of plants most effectively with a soap solution. To prepare it, you need to take laundry soap and grate it on a fine grater. Then it must be dissolved in water in a proportion of 1 tbsp. l soap on 6 tbsp. l water. After this, beat the solution into the foam and wipe the leaves. They can also be sprayed with this liquid, but then you do not need to whip the foam. The main thing is that the solution does not fall into the soil.

It helps to destroy the whitefly infusion of garlic. To do this, take 3 small cloves of garlic, chop and immediately pour a liter of water. You need to insist for about a day in a dark place. Then the affected plants are sprayed with this liquid. From time to time the procedure needs to be repeated.

You can get rid of insects with the help of tobacco. It is enough to grind a pack of strong cigarettes and pour a liter of water, only hot. Keep the infusion in a dark place for at least 5 days. Before use, the solution must be filtered. Spray the plants once every few days until the whiteflies have completely disappeared.

Chemicals

Among all modern chemicals, the most effective in pest control are:

1. Actara. It is enough to pour the root of the plant with this solution so that all insects die. All adult individuals and larvae die due to the fact that the agent slightly poisons the juice of plants. For the first time, it is better to make this solution a little stronger than what is written in the instructions for the drug. It is absolutely safe for the flower, but the pest will disappear guaranteed. If the flower is very damaged, you can spray it with Actara. This must be done 3 times in a row with a break of a week.
2. Confidor. Usually, one irrigation is enough to completely destroy pests. The product must be diluted according to the instructions and water the root of the plant. Confidor can be replaced with drugs such as Admir, Appleood and Copfidor.
3. Akarin. This is an excellent remedy not only for whiteflies, but also for most other plant pests. They need to spray plants, preferably only places of accumulation of insects. Acarin acts through the juice of the plant, and in direct contact with insects.
4. Spark. The drug is available in the form of tablets, liquid, powder and sticks. They need to water infected plants. The advantage of the spark is that it is valid for 20–25 days. Therefore, one spraying is quite enough.

After the plant has been treated with a chemical agent, it can be placed in a bag and tied. You need to hold it for at least 1-2 hours, so that the drug works more effectively. Then the plant needs to be washed well under a strong stream of water and put in place.

Some experienced gardeners recommend the use of a more extreme method, in which the plant is completely immersed in a chemical solution for 5 minutes. Then it also needs to be washed thoroughly. Garden plants are sprayed with these drugs 3 times in a row with a break of 7-10 days.

Preventive measures

Fighting such a pest as whitefly can last all summer. Therefore, in order to prevent the appearance of insects in the garden or garden, you need to take preventive measures. For example, when planting seedlings of tomatoes or other vegetable crops in a greenhouse, you need to provide it with good ventilation.

The air temperature should not exceed 15–16 ° C. The greenhouse should be painted, and the entire plot removed from the old grass. In winter, it is better to open the greenhouse so that it freezes well. A purchased seedlings should always be carefully checked for infection.

As for indoor plants, it is necessary:

• prevent stagnation of water in pallets;
• Do not put flowerpots very close to each other;
• do regular sanitary cleaning, removing dry leaves, pruning shoots, etc .;
• often ventilate the room in which the plants are located;
• when buying a new houseplant, it is necessary to arrange for it quarantine for at least a week;
• wash the plant from time to time and wipe the leaves if there are no contraindications to this.

And remember, if the soil for planting is mixed independently, all components must undergo mandatory sterilization!

If a whitefly infects a plant, then it will not be easy to get rid of it. Insect eggs are very difficult to destroy, and insects breed and spread quickly. Therefore, when a whitefly is first discovered, urgent measures must be taken to destroy it.

Video: whitefly control