How to get rid of the whitefly on indoor flowers

Insect features

Before considering the methods of struggle, one should find out what a whitefly looks like. Insect belongs to the family "Aleirodid", which includes more than 1500 species of agricultural pests. So there is cabbage, strawberry, citrus, greenhouse and tobacco whitefly.

White fly

This article focuses on the greenhouse or greenhouse whitefly. It harms not only greenhouse crops, but also indoor plants. The insect is a small to 2-3 mm butterfly, very similar to aphid. Its wings are covered with white flour-like bloom (photo of the whitefly is located below). The insect reproduces quite actively. The female lays eggs on the inside of the leaf of the houseplant. And after 10-12 days, the larvae are born, which after 2 weeks turn into adult individuals. It is at this stage of development that insects are the most dangerous, since due to the durable cocoon they are resistant to various chemical preparations.

At the end of the process of becoming an adult white midge begins to actively eat and mate. This moment is the best option to combat whitefly, since an already formed organism is more susceptible to insecticidal preparations.

Signs of plant contamination

The presence of the whitefly can be detected by the following features:

• Larvae prefer to settle on the lower part of the leaf plate, there are also whitefly eggs;
• Detect presence pest indoor plants you can, if you slightly shake the plant - a whole swarm of fluttering butterflies will appear;
• Another symptom of plant infection is a brilliant, sticky patina - this is what waste products look like, which are left by the adult individuals and larvae of the whitefly;
• Indicate the presence of whitefly gray or black spots on the leaves of the plant. It is nothing more than a black fungus, the occurrence of which provoked insect excrement;
• Yellowed and twisted leaves, stunted growth and signs of wilting plants.

White fly in flowers

The whitefly often settles in a house on room flowers, it can be found on fuchsia, on geranium, on pelargonium or hibiscus.The pest is also put on balsam and pomegranate. Do not disdain the moshkar and garden crops, she prefers to settle: on strawberries, celery, potatoes, Tomatoes or cabbage.

What makes insects

The main cause of pest infestation is improper care. It is this that creates favorable conditions for the emergence and spread of white midges. Therefore, it will not be superfluous for every gardener and gardener to know at what temperature the whitefly dies.

1. The pest prefers to dwell in a warm and constantly humid climate, so quite often greenhouses and greenhouses are susceptible to its attacks.
2. Air temperature below 10 degrees is detrimental to the larvae and adults, but eggs are able to tolerate slight frosts.

How to get rid of the pest

The question of how to get rid of the whitefly on indoor plants, many growers are asked. After all, "green friends" not only create a cozy atmosphere in the house, but also purify the air. There are various methods of dealing with whitefly. Conventionally, they are divided into the following groups:

• Chemicals;
• Folk remedies;
• Blackfly snares and fumigators.

All these methods of dealing with whitefly are effective in their own way, and they need to be selected based on the degree of damage to the plant itself.

Chemicals

Whitefly medications

Purchased means of insecticidal composition can get rid of white midges in a few hours. Spraying with a poisonous substance promotes its penetration into the sap of the plant, which the pest subsequently drinks. However, such a procedure is not always useful for the “patient” himself.

The following whitefly preparations are very popular with consumers:

• Aktara - a highly active poison, which is used for watering the root of a plant. As a result, all the stems and leaves receive a sufficient amount of an aggressive component. For the flower itself, the remedy is perfectly safe, but for the larvae and adults it is destructive. The insects who are fed up with this “treat” immediately die. In particularly advanced cases, it is necessary in addition to watering to apply spraying of green parts of the plant;
• Spark - preparation of insecticidal composition, which is liquid, powdery, in the form of tablets and sticks. Poison is used for watering and processing of infected flowers.The advantage of the tool is a long period of validity (more than 20 days). Therefore, often to combat pest cost one-time use of this tool;
• Acarin - Another effective tool that helps to bring not only the whitefly. It also kills aphids, spider mites and other plant pests. The tool is used for spraying, with the result that the poison enters the body of pests by direct contact with food;
• Fitoverm - The insecticide that kills many insects is not an exception pest of whitefly. The drug is capable of killing not only adults, but also their offspring in just 1-2 sprays. It is better to poison them with pests when the plant does not start blooming.

Folk remedies

Less toxic are folk remedies for whitefly. They do not pose a danger to the health of young children and pets, which often touch the flower.

Mechanical method

The easiest way to get rid of the whitefly at home is to regularly inspect the plants and wipe their leaves with water and a sponge.This method is only suitable for indoor flowers, and can significantly reduce the number of both adults and their larvae.

How to get rid of the whitefly

On a note!

Those plants whose leaves should not be washed should be sprayed with chemical or folk remedies. Not unnecessary will also be processing windowsill, glass and pots.

Temperature effects

Reducing the temperature in the room - another effective method of getting rid of insects. However, it is impossible to completely kill the whitefly - the pest has no effect on the pest’s eggs. Therefore, plants will need to repeat the procedure.

Tobacco Infusion

If the whitefly settled on indoor flowers, tobacco will help get rid of it. This is the best remedy for many insect pests. It is enough to take a pack of strong cigarettes and gut one of them tobacco. Then pour a liter of hot water, and insist for 5 days. Tobacco infusion is filtered and sprayed with plants 2-3 times a day.

Dandelion Infusion

You can fight with the whitefly with the help of a dandelion, which often grows in the garden. The leaves, along with the rhizomes of the plant, are crushed and poured with water in a ratio of 80 g of grass per liter of water. Insist for 4 days, then filter.The resulting infusion is used as crayfish for spraying infected plants. After 6-7 days, the treatment should be repeated.

Soap solution

Whitefly fighting agents

If the whitefly settles on flowers, then to get rid of it, it is necessary to process the leaves of houseplants with a solution of soap. It is rubbed on a fine grater and dissolved in water in a ratio of 1: 6. The resulting mixture is whipped into a foam and used for its intended purpose.

Garlic infusion

Another protection against the whitefly is garlic. From it make the infusion, which is sprayed infected plants. For its preparation, 3 cloves of garlic are minced, poured with 1 liter of water and infused during the day. To obtain the maximum effect, the treatment must be repeated several times.

Infusion of yarrow

The yarrow also helps to fight the pest. The solution prepared from its leaves is used for the treatment of the green plantings affected by the pest. Infusion is prepared based on 1 liter of water 90 g of leaves.

Wood ash

Many growers lovers use white ash to fight whitefly.1 cup of the product is diluted in 5 liters of water, and infused for 3-4 hours. Then add 50 g of soap. The resulting solution is necessary to process the infected flowers.

Ammonia

Not less effective means of combating pest is ammonia. It is used in the proportion of 1 tbsp. l 9 liters of water for spraying greenhouse seedlings. In a residential area the use of such a solution is contraindicated.

Traps

Whitefly trap

Such anti-whitefly, as traps, are designed to destroy only adults. The principle of their operation is based on the use of glue or adhesive film. You can even make a trap yourself. It is enough to apply a liquid glue on the cardboard sheet that would not dry for a long time and would not have a specific smell. For greater attraction of insects such designs are painted in bright colors.

You can also fight pests with Vaseline or castor oil, which are used instead of glue. Having made a small hole in such a trap, it is suspended with a thin wire above the plant. And if you attach a rigid support to the structure, it can be installed in a flower pot.A bright surface will attract pests, but when in contact with it, insects will not be able to free themselves and will die.

Fumigator

One effective funds from the midges in the apartment is a fumigator. It is an electrical device into which a container with a special liquid or a plate soaked with harmful substances for insects is inserted. Turning the device into an outlet, the plate begins to heat up, and the liquid evaporates. So vapors get into the air, which help to get rid of the whitefly. The duration of this procedure does not exceed 1 hour. Windows and doors in the room during operation of the fumigator should be tightly closed; it is not recommended to be indoors at such a moment.

Prevention

Whitefly in orchids

Since it is not always easy to deal with the whitefly, it is better to prevent the appearance of such a pest. Insects will not be able to start if the following preventive measures are taken.

1. It is necessary to exclude stagnation of moisture in the pallets after watering.
2. Do not allow excessive crowding of “green friends” - they must stand at some distance from each other.
3. Each newly acquired plant arrange weekly quarantine.
4. Conducting regular sanitary cleaning is the key to a healthy plant. It is necessary to promptly remove all plant residues, prune dried shoots, leaves and inflorescences.
5. Ventilate the room regularly.
6. A soil mixture or soil brought from a forest or garden should be sterilized.
7. Use growth stimulants (Domotsvet, Epin) and fertilizers. An example of this is ammonium nitrate, which is based on nitric acid and ammonia.
8. Periodically for indoor plants to arrange water days: wipe their leaves and "wash" under the shower.

Such recommendations will help prevent the emergence and spread of pests, and therefore do not die your "green friends." If the whitefly still managed to settle in your apartment or greenhouse, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible.