White aphid: a photo, and how to fight on indoor plants and flowers, how to get rid of it on orchids at home, what kind of insect is it and where does it come from?

The aphid is a representative of the class of half-winged. The insect infects indoor flowers by drinking juice from them. Plants weaken, dry out and die.

Pests can choose roots, flowers, leaves, stems. They prefer soft stems that are easier to pierce.

The article describes in detail what the pest looks like and why it appears, what threatens plants, as well as how to get rid of such misfortune and what preventive measures to take in order to protect yourself in the future.

What is this insect and what is dangerous?

White aphids are easy to recognize if they have settled on an ornamental plant. She has a drop-shaped light body, reaching a length of 0.5 cm. The oral apparatus is represented by a proboscis. On the head are antennae that perform the function of sensors.

Externally, the shape of the body is drop-shaped. If you examine an individual under a microscope, you can see that its oral apparatus consists of a proboscis - it aphids pierce the surface of plants (shoots or leaves). The head is equipped with long antennae - it is on them that tactile sensors are located.

There are individuals with and without wings. Winged aphids breed asexually. Scientists believe that the appearance of wings in insects is due to the fact that in the process of evolution they were forced to flee from ladybirds and ground beetles. Flightless aphids for life change several owners. They are born bisexual, mate, lay eggs and after 7-14 days a new offspring appears from them.

Important! White aphid destroys indoor and garden plants, as well as planting on beds. Insects enter the room from the street. The danger also lies in the fact that aphids carry viral diseases of plants.

Photo

Next you can see what the pest looks like.

Where, where and why does it appear?

Surprisingly, even a single female, based on flowers, can independently reproduce thousands of small copies. White aphids breed fantastically fast.

Attention! The sooner a pest has been discovered, the more likely it is to save the plants from extinction.

Aphids alone cannot get into the house. The pest was brought from the street:

together with flowers;
greens;
soil;
purchased plants that have already been affected;
on shoes;
on animal hair.

In the garden or garden for breeding aphids the most favorable conditions. An insect can move from site to site with the help of ants. They carry aphids on themselves because they feed on the sweet secret secreted by arthropods.

White aphids love flowers very much:

violets;
chrysanthemums;
begonias;
hydrangeas;
primrose
calla lilies;
cyclamens.

Insects can fly in through an open window or door. This is especially true of wild crops located on the terrace or balcony.

How to get rid of indoor plants at home?

There are several methods to deal with a dangerous pest. You can choose one, or combine several, depending on the scale of the problem.

There are 2 groups of methods on how to deal with aphids and defeat it:

mechanical;
chemical.

Mechanical method

The first is the manual removal of pests. It does not require financial investments. Inspection of plants should be carried out regularly to prevent mass reproduction.

A number of conditions must be observed:

time availability;
patience
lack of a sense of disgust.

The method is suitable if the aphid has not yet managed to breed. Manual collection of insects is possible only at the initial stage of infection.

Chemical method

The chemical method involves the use of special tools designed to kill aphids. Each of them is accompanied by instructions with a detailed plan.

Important! The poisons are so strong that they can solve the problem the first time.

Popular aphid killers are:

"Aktara";
Intra-Vir;
"Karate";
Fas
Hostakvik.

They include synthetic insecticides. The preparations are suitable for treating plants indoors. Drugs need to be changed from time to time, as the aphid becomes immune to chemicals.

Precautions should be observed:

wear gloves;
use a respirator;
ventilate the room;
isolate animals and family members during processing.

The dosage of the drug and method of use are described in the instructions. Chemicals should be used as a last resort.

Spraying decorative crops is recommended 40 days before harvest. Indoor plants are treated before the onset of the flowering phase.

Folk remedies

You can deal with the invasion of aphids with the help of improvised means. They are no less effective than chemicals.

Ammonia. The product is diluted with water (1: 1) and the plants are sprayed. Re-treatment should be carried out after 4 days.
Soap solution. To prepare the product you will need 5 liters of water, 1 tbsp. l liquid ammonia, a few drops of shampoo or soap. Mix all ingredients and spray on the plants.
Onion husk. In a container of boiling water (1 l.) Throw a pinch of husk and cook for 5 minutes. Then the composition is insisted for another day, filtered, the plants are sprayed with the finished product. Particularly effective pest control on tomatoes and indoor flowers.
Vinegar. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to dilute 1 tablespoon in 1 liter of water. 9% acetic acid. The spraying procedure should be repeated every 4-5 days until the pest dies.
Citrus peel. The skins of orange or lemon are boiled. 1 handful per 1 liter is needed. water. The broth is cooled, insisted for 3 days, then filtered. The prepared product is used to treat plants. You can just put a peel of citrus in a flower pot.
Tobacco. There are 2 ways to use tobacco. You can just sprinkle them with leaves and soil, or prepare an infusion. On 1 tbsp. boiling water take 1 tbsp. shag. The composition is insisted for 2 days, then filtered and sprayed with plants.
Celandine. A glass of crushed leaves is poured 1 liter. water. Insist, filter. The tool is suitable for the treatment of indoor and outdoor plants. If necessary, repeat the procedure after a week.

Reference! The main advantage of folk methods is their absolute safety for animals and children.

How to deal with a pest on an orchid?

There are 2 ways to destroy the pest on the orchid chemical and folk. The latter helps to solve the problem at the initial stage. The plant is recommended to be treated with a soapy solution, citrus peels, onion infusion.

An effective remedy for pests is a rosehip solution. Fruits (15 g.) Are soaked in warm water (1 l.), Insist for a day, then boil for half an hour. The prepared solution is sprayed with flowers.

After treatment, wait 2 weeks and observe the plant. If the insect has not died, you should resort to chemicals. The interval between treatments should be 2 weeks. The same drug is not used more than 3 times.

Preventative measures

Treating plants is much more difficult than preventing the propagation of pests. Prevention consists in observing several recommendations:

systematically check plants for pests (especially from March to September);
water, cut yellowed leaves;
spray;
avoid cold areas to accommodate plants;
cut buds if aphids are found on them;
ventilate the room;
in the summer season, install sticky insect traps in the room;

Newly purchased plants should be quarantined: place them away from indoor flowers to prevent aphids from moving.

Important! In spring or autumn, be sure to cut off the affected shoots, branches, leaves of street crops. If egg laying has been observed, plants must be treated.

Aphid is afraid:

wasps;
ladybugs;
lacewing;
tits;
sparrows;
hemp;
froth.

It is recommended to plant spicy plants that attract insects on the site. As a bait suitable:

dill;
parsley;
calendula;
cloves.

Not only indoor flowers, but also garden crops suffer from white aphid attacks. Untimely adoption of measures leads to the death of plants. First, the aphid destroys the leaves, then the stem and bud. Plants are deformed at a fantastic rate. Therefore, it is important to know effective methods of killing the pest and apply them at the slightest need.