February 16, 2023, 22:54 – BLiTZ – News Aphids on an indoor flower may appear due to contaminated soil or “arrive” on a new plant. Also, insects can fly in from the street through a balcony or window, or enter an apartment on the fur of a pet. The public news service figured out how to deal with aphids on houseplants.
Aphids form large colonies on the plant. Individuals feast on the juice of leaves and stems and thereby inhibit the development of the plant. In an indoor flower affected by aphids, the leaves curl up, the ends of the processes are deformed, growths form.
What to do
As soon as the grower noticed an aphid on a houseplant, you need to change the top layer of soil in the container, wash the affected culture well with soapy water and let the flower dry, and then treat the plant and soil with a systemic insecticide. After that, you can begin to fight the insects themselves.
How to process
You can try to drive away insects using folk methods or buy special preparations:
Folk remedies
Alternative methods of struggle may not be as effective, therefore, repeated procedures are possible, however, these methods are as safe as possible for both the plant and the people living in the house. The most popular of them:
Dissolve crushed laundry soap (300 g) in water (10 l) and wipe the areas on which the aphids have settled. Mix laundry soap (100 g), kerosene (20 ml) and water (5 l) and treat the plant with the resulting composition. Some flower growers recommend adding potassium permanganate to such a mixture. Boil in water (1 l) tomato tops (400 g), strain and add crushed soap (1 tbsp. L.). When the soap has dissolved, rub the leaves and stems with the solution. If such an infusion is diluted with water, then the resulting mixture can be used for spraying plants.
Biological preparations enter the digestive tract of insects and cause their death. As a rule, these products are safe for humans and animals, but you should also be careful with them because of the toxins they contain. Flower growers distinguish the most popular drugs:
Fitoverm. In the first treatment, this tool destroys adults, after 6 days a second manipulation is performed, as a result of which young insects die. “Akarin”. It begins to work within 8-16 hours after treatment, and after a day or two, you can see the first dead parasites. The maximum effect of “Akarin” reaches in 5-6 days. “Entobakterin”. The tool is offered in the form of a powder that works at high temperatures. So, the best result can be achieved at a temperature of +25 … +26 degrees. Photo: freepik.com Chemicals
Chemical preparations effectively and quickly destroy aphids, but they can harm not only plants, but also humans, so all procedures must be carried out in strict accordance with the instructions:
“Aktara”. When treated with this substance, the first results can be observed within half an hour, however, for a greater effect, the procedure must be repeated after 3 weeks. “Aktelik”. This is a highly effective drug that can hit aphids both on the flower and in the ground. Leaves and stem are sprayed with the agent, and in case of a mass attack of aphids, re-treatment is carried out after 2 weeks.
When working with Actellik, it is important to perform the procedure in the fresh air, as the product is very toxic.
Prevention
The problem is easier to prevent than to solve. Therefore, use simple recommendations to prevent the invasion of aphids on indoor crops:
Inspect houseplants daily and take prompt action if insects are found. Quarantine each purchased flower for at least a week. Place mint leaves between the pots. Aphids cannot stand the smell of this plant. Maintain indoor climate. High temperature combined with dry air is the most favorable environment for the development of aphids.
