HOW TO GET RID OF MEALYBUG ON AN ORCHID: PHOTOS OF THE PEST AND SIGNS OF DAMAGE, HOW TO DEAL WITH IT WITH FOLK REMEDIES THAN TO PROCESS AT HOME?

An orchid is a capricious plant that is often affected by various diseases and pests, including the mealybug.

It is necessary to fight it immediately after detection, otherwise the parasites will quickly multiply and lead to a massive defeat.

In this case, the treatment will be difficult and save the flower will be problematic.

Definition

The mealy worm is a type of insect that is distinguished by high fecundity. They are able to form numerous colonies that completely destroy the orchid. Females can lay eggs up to 4 times a year.

There are about 1500 hairy lice, thanks to which they have adapted to living in all corners of the earth. Insects differ in the presence of one pair of limbs, the remaining ones can be reduced or be completely absent.

Description of the appearance and photos

The mealybug in the people received the name shaggy louse. These pests are classified as sucking. And although they have small sizes - 3-6 mm, it is easy to notice the parasites on the plant, as they leave out waxy secretions. The peculiarity of the insect in the presence of shaggy surface light shade. In the photo you can see what an insect looks like.

Signs of flower damage

To confuse the attack of this parasite with another insect is quite difficult. Its peculiarity is that after its activity a white coating remains on its leaves, which resembles medical cotton. The next sign of a lesion remains the presence of a glossy wax coating in the places of sucking the juice from a flower. Pest can hit a different part of the orchid - from escape to the flower itself.

Why can attack a plant?

Shaggy lice infects the orchid for the following reasons:

Wrong watering. Do not over-wet the ground too much or allow it to dry out.
Lack of hygiene. Orchid should be regularly cleaned and bathed in the shower. If you do not do this, then the flower can be hit not only by a mealybug, but also by other harmful parasites.
No quarantine for new copies. As soon as the plant was purchased and brought into the house, you should not immediately put it to other colors. A new orchid is to be sent to quarantine for 1-2 weeks to detect existing parasites.
No windows protection. Very often mealy cherventsy entered the house with dust during a gust of wind. So on the windows, near which there are orchids, you need to hang a mosquito net.

What is he dangerous?

Scaly insects during a bite emit saliva, which contains many toxic enzymes that have a detrimental effect on the culture. After that, the plant lowers the protective barrier, which contributes to infection by other parasites.

How not to fight him?

There are many recommendations on the Internet about how orchids can be processed. These are various means based on oils. But flower growers claim that such treatment is detrimental to the flower. The reason is that the oil clogs the airways of the culture, as a result, it gradually weakens.

What are the control measures at home?

How to remove a mealybug? To do this, use the mechanical method and drug treatment. And in the second case, you can use, as purchased funds, and cooked at home.

How to process from folk remedies?

To combat the mealybug, use the following folk methods:

Chamomile decoction.
1. Need to take 200 grams of raw materials.
2. Pour 1 liter of boiling water.
3. Infuse the agent in a dark room for 12 hours.
4. After that, filter the broth and add 3 liters of liquid.
Apply to immerse the flower for 20 minutes.
Garlic tincture.
It is necessary to pour 5-6 cloves of garlic with boiling water, leave for 12 hours.
The resulting decoction is used for spraying orchids.
Onion decoction.
Peel one onion, boil it for 5 minutes, cool the liquid and apply to spraying the orchid.

Broth should cool down completely. You can not spray the orchid with a warm infusion.

Pepper tincture.
Pour 50 g of hot pepper 500 ml of boiling water.
To simmer on the fire for 5 minutes, and then filter, and as soon as the broth cools, then use it for spraying.

Attention! It is often advised to use alcohol to wipe the sheet plate. This should be done with extreme caution, since the leaves get burned during the evaporation of alcohol.

We offer to get acquainted with another folk remedy for fighting with mealybug in the orchid:

Shop preparations

A mealybug is a rather robust insect for which mechanical processing is not enough. Even if there is at least one larva, it can degenerate a new generation of parasites.

So you should not take the risk, but start to combat pests with the help of the following drugs:

Fitoderm - copes with adult individuals, larvae, as it leads to their paralysis.
Bankol - convenient in terms of use, as there is no unpleasant smell, and a positive result occurs within 2-3 days.
Aktara - A powerful drug that can destroy the parasites after 4 hours. It is best to add the drug to the water for irrigation. This will extend protection for 60 days.
Mospilan - this drug can eliminate not only the larvae, but also the egg-laying.

When using toxic drugs do not forget about safety. Treat the orchid only with gloves, and after the procedure, ventilate the room, wash your face and hands thoroughly with soap and water. In case of contact with the eye, rinse with plenty of water.

We offer for viewing a visual video about the processing of orchids by Aktar:

Step-by-step instructions: how to treat a plant for pests

Consider in stages how to get rid of mealybug infestation and cure homemade orchid.

Insulation

If mealybugs were found on the plant, then the following recommendations should be followed.:

Remove all noticeable pests.
Wash away their remnants under the shower.
Disinfect all surfaces on which the orchid pot was located.
Remove the flower in a separate place to protect other plants from infection.

Bud removal

This procedure is unpleasant, since it is a pity for the flower growers to remove flower buds that could soon bloom. But it is simply necessary to do this, since pests can hide there. You just need to cut the buds with scissors, and cut the cut sites with activated carbon.

Cleaning and disinfection

The first step is to remove the roots of the orchid from the pot, and then remove the soil residues carefully from the roots.
Now is the time to put the plant in a basin with warm water, to which an insecticide was previously added.
The old earth is to be thrown away, and the fresh one should be placed in a plastic bag and held in the oven for 5 minutes.
Wash the tank itself with a brush in hot, soapy water.

Insecticide treatment

For processing plants you can use not only purchased products, but also homemade. The most commonly used solution in which is immersed in an orchid for 10-20 minutes. After the procedure, be sure to dry the roots. When all activities are completed, then cool the substrate and plant a flower.

Prevention of subsequent infection

To prevent plant infection with mealybugs, The following preventive measures must be observed.:

Just bought a plant must be isolated from the rest.
To humidify the air near the container with a flower constantly, as these parasites like dry air.
Water the plant should be regularly, but not allowing waterlogging or drying out of the soil.
Remove dust and dirt from the plant weekly. Do something in difficult places with cotton swabs.
Spray the flower as often as possible.
Promptly remove dried parts of the plant, as it is an excellent breeding place for the pest.
Do not forget to feed the plant, making nutrient compositions in the ground every 2 weeks.

Mealybug is the main pest of the orchid. It is not so easy to fight it, but you can save a flower if you find the parasite in time and start to destroy them immediately. Using folk remedies, you need to understand that they are effective only at the initial stage of infection, but to cope with a colony of pests under the force of aggressive chemical drugs.