How to deal with mealybug on indoor plants: a review of effective remedies

Ornamental plants in neat pots can become the main decoration of any interior, while some of them bloom for a long time, which only enhances their aesthetic characteristics. However, sometimes troubles happen, for example, when the flowers suddenly become covered with a whitish bloom and begin to fade. This indicates an attack of a dangerous parasite - a mealybug. What affects the appearance of this pest, and how to deal with the mealybug on indoor plants?

Characteristic

Mealybugs - These are pests of ornamental crops that feed on plant juices. They have an oval body, covered with a whitish wax-like coating, which can form a dense uniform layer or be located in separate teeth. Depending on the species, the body of the parasite will have a pinkish or grayish tint. The size of an adult can also vary - from 3 to 7 mm.

The mealybug got its name due to the substance that the pest produces itself. Initially, this is an adhesive mass, which after a while is covered with a whitish fungus. Outwardly, it looks like a small ball of cotton wool, under which the parasite or its masonry is usually found. If you do not find out in time how to remove the mealybug and do not start treating the plants, then over time the plaque will spread along the stem and foliage, which will seriously impede gas exchange and can lead to the death of the flower.

Acceptable habitat and breeding conditions

Ideal conditions for the propagation of worms on indoor plants are created mainly due to improper care, for example, when a large amount of fertilizer is applied to the soil, especially nitrogen-containing. Also favorable for this pest is the temperature, which is in the range +25 ... 27 ° C. With such indicators, the development in the egg will take a small amount of time and very soon larvae will appear from them.

On a note! The mealybug is most actively attacking indoor plants with the beginning of the heating season, when the batteries begin to warm up and dry the air in the room. But often green "pets" are in close proximity to them - on the windowsills!

Gentle means to kill parasites

If the plant has been infected with a mealybug, then initially it is advisable to try sparing folk remedies. When there are few pests, such home-made preparations quite often show excellent results.

Before applying the solutions, it is necessary to manually collect all the parasites that were able to detect and trim the damaged shoots and leaves. Next, we wash the plants with running water, paying particular attention to the lower surface of the leaf plates. Now you can proceed to the processing. What is used for this?

• Soap solution with the addition of alcohol.This is a very effective remedy for mealybug, which is also notable for its ease of preparation. We take ordinary laundry soap, rub it on a fine grater (we need one teaspoon) and dissolve in a small amount of hot water. We bring the volume of soapy water to 1 liter, pour 15 ml of alcohol or 30 ml of vodka. We mix and spray the aerial parts of the plants, after covering the soil with a plastic bag. The next day, wash the flower with warm water. Treatment with a soap-alcohol solution must be repeated several times with a three-day interval.
• Infusion of garlic. A few cloves of garlic (50-70 g) are passed through a press and pour a liter of boiled water. Leave the mixture for 6-7 hours, it can be overnight, after which we filter and spray the affected flowers.
• Pharmacy tincture of calendula. This is the simplest remedy for the mealybug, since you do not need to cook anything. We take a pharmacy tincture, moisten a cotton pad in it and wipe the affected areas very carefully. Processing should be repeated 2-3 times and it is better to carry out it in the evening.
  

  Important! For the period of treatment with tincture of calendula, plants must be moved to a shaded place!

• Infusion of citrus fruits. In this case, you can use the peels of orange, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit. Pour the raw materials with water and insist for two days, after which we add a tablespoon of liquid soap and use to spray the plants.

Use of insecticides

The use of insecticides from the mealybug is recommended in cases where there are a lot of parasites or folk remedies have been ineffective. They will have to be applied twice with an interval of 10-15 days. This is necessary in order to destroy the larvae that come out of the eggs.
There are many drugs that work pretty well against mealybug. Consider the most popular.

• "Confidor." A systemic insecticide that copes well with pests of indoor plants when other drugs did not bring a positive result. Moreover, its effectiveness is at the proper level even in those cases when the parasite has settled in the rhizome. It has intestinal contact activity. The working solution, which is prepared from 1 g of the drug and 10 l of water, is sprayed with the aerial parts of the infected specimens and additionally shed the soil. If the infection is serious, then the working solution is made more concentrated - 1 g of the drug per 5 liters of water.
• "Aktara" is a complex drug that helps get rid of a wide range of pests, including the mealybug. It shows high efficiency, both when spraying, and when applied to the substrate. Half an hour after treatment, the parasites lose their ability to eat and die within 24 hours. This product is compatible with many insecticides, fungicides and growth regulators. How to breed Aktara from a mealybug: at a concentration of 250 g / kg - 1 g of product per 10 liters of water; at a concentration of 240 g / l - 1 ml of the product per 10 liters of water. Ready working solution shed the soil under the infected plants.
• Aplaud. An insecticide that comes in the form of a wetting powder. It is characterized by contact-intestinal activity. The main active ingredient is buprofesin, which interferes with the normal synthesis of the pest's chitin cover, which is why the larvae do not molt. As a result, they die. The working solution is prepared from 1 g of the drug and a liter of water. Components must be carefully moved and used to process plants. Efficiency does not appear immediately - the death of parasites is noted within a week. It can be used together with synthetic pyrethroids and organophosphates, while it does not cause resistance in pests.
• "Fitoferm" is a biological preparation that perfectly protects plants from a mealybug.It is based on the vital products of soil microorganisms and exhibits an intestinal-contact effect. Penetrating into the body of the pest, the active components of the drug affect its digestive system, as a result of which the pest gradually loses its ability to eat and dies. The drug is active for one to three weeks from the time of treatment.
• Mospilan is a systemic insecticide that exhibits contact-intestinal activity. Based on acetamipride. Getting on the leaves and stems of a plant, the active substances are immediately absorbed and evenly distributed throughout its body. Thanks to this ability, even those sections that were not properly processed receive protection. Parasites die by contact with a poisonous substance and when the juices of a treated plant are sucked out. The result of the drug can be observed already an hour after spraying: parasites have a lack of coordination of movements, as a result of which they lose their ability to stay on the underside of the leaves.
  

  Important! When using the “Mospilan” preparation, plants must be placed in the shade, since sunburn may cause burns!

• "Calypso". Intestinal contact insecticide, the active substances of which penetrate the body of insects and disrupt the transmission of nerve impulses. As a result, pests die. The working solution is prepared from 0.5 ml of the drug and a liter of water. Components mix and spray infected specimens. The greatest effect is observed during the first three hours after treatment.

Re-treatment from a mealybug is preferably carried out with a drug based on another active substance, since the pest may develop resistance - resistance to poison.

Important! Organophosphate insecticide “Aktellik” can be used for processing indoor plants only if they are in the open air. The use of this tool in a residential area in view of its high toxicity is strictly prohibited!

Important Tips

Remember that during the treatment of infected specimens, care must be taken to water them. Excessive waterlogging of the substrate can lead to decay of the rhizome, and since the plants are already weakened, this outcome is observed in most cases. If the parasites settled in the soil and damaged the roots, then with abundant watering through these wounds, a secondary infection may well penetrate.

In order to protect their green "pets" from the invasion of the mealybug, it is necessary to regularly inspect them, especially in the off-season, when the central heating starts to work. During this period, it is important to observe how the plant develops and whether white lumps appear on its leaves and stems.

Among indoor plants, the following are most susceptible to infection with the mealworm:

• orchids
• cacti
• ficuses;
• all types of succulents;
• crotons.

Take care of indoor plants, keep them clean, from time to time wipe the shelf or windowsill on which they are located, with soap and water and remove fallen leaves in time. These simple recommendations will help protect potted flowers from mealybug attacks and other pests.