How to recognize and fight whiteflies on indoor plants

This insect, similar to a microscopic butterfly, has a reputation for being a pest that is not easy to handle. There are many tips and methods on how to deal with whiteflies on indoor plants, but the main condition for success is the patience and perseverance of the grower. The special morphology of the insect allows it to preserve offspring and reborn again, but there are effective means against the invincible whiteflies.

"Portrait" of a white-winged pest

Hothouse whitewing (greenhouse), settling on indoor plants - one of the 30 species common in Russia. It is so tiny that it is almost impossible to notice single insects. Especially if this is the first meeting with a pest. Typically, flower growers sound the alarm when a population reaches impressive size.
Outwardly, the insect looks like a tiny moth or leaf flea. The yellow body is no more than 1–1.5 mm long, in a calm state it is covered by 2 pairs of white wings, as if crushed by powdery dust. Since this is a sucking insect, looking closely, you can notice the proboscis, by which the pest pierces the leaf plate in order to get to the delicious juice. Once in a plant, a mature female lives on the back of the leaf, seeding it intensively.

The fact that the white-winged greenhouse was the uninvited guest can be determined by the appearance and a number of other signs.

1. If you disturb the whitefly on indoor plants, it instantly rises into the air with a white cloud.
2. Carefully examining the reverse side of the leaves, you can notice clusters of larvae - convex, oval-shaped greenish-white plates, firmly attached using wax secretions.
3. As a result of vital activity, the insect secretes a sugary liquid, similar to that observed in aphids. It is sticky, well diagnosed.
4. If there are a lot of such secretions, a soot fungus develops on them. He lives in symbiosis with similar pests, is a black coating on the foliage.

Note! Greenhouse whitefly is a tropical insect. It prefers warm (21–27⁰ С), moist (60–75%) conditions. The apartment most often comes with indoor flowers grown in industrial greenhouses.

Phenology and developmental features

The struggle with whiteflies, which settled on indoor flowers, is complicated by the fact that under favorable conditions it reproduces year-round, giving life to 10-15 generations. Nevertheless, one can successfully fight an insect, knowing the development cycles and the characteristics of each of them.

Sexually mature individual

In adulthood, males and females are distinguished. The latter are slightly smaller - up to 1 mm in length. The female lives about a month. A few days after hatching from the puparia, begins to mate, then lay eggs. One female is able to give life to 85–130 insects. Throughout life, the imago eats the juices of the host plant.

Embryonic development

Whitefly eggs on fuchsia, pelargonium or other flowers are almost impossible to notice.Their size is only a quarter of a millimeter, the female lays them randomly, in small groups of 10-20 pieces. Under the microscope, you can see that each egg is equipped with a process (stem), with which it is attached to the leaf. At first it is greenish in color, as larvae mature, it darkens.

Larval stage

Hatching from an egg, a tiny larva (1 mm), the entire cycle of development and transformation into a new insect takes 23–29 days.
At first, it is mobile with a translucent body, but gradually becomes stationary. From the first day, the larva actively sucks the plant sap. After 1-2 weeks, tightly attached to the leaf plate, begins to become covered with a waxy substance. In fact, this is a pupation variant that lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, the larva does not feed, and, taking into account the durable cover, it becomes practically invulnerable neither to chemicals, nor to mechanical methods of destruction.

What likes to eat?

Once in the apartment, the whitefly first attacks the plants with succulent, delicate foliage - fuchsia, pelargonium, begonia, balsam, lantana. Prefers to settle on young shoots, can affect flower buds.

If the population is too large, the pest develops plants with stiffer foliage, but it is unlikely that orchids, ficus, or ehmei can handle it.

Note! If you grow vegetable seedlings on the windowsill, the whitefly will gladly switch to tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant. And having got together with them in the garden, he will populate cucumber beds.

How to fight and win

Before you start fighting whiteflies on indoor plants, determine the level of infection at least by eye. If the insect just got into the apartment, it is much easier to lime. But if it has bred, you must understand that all stages of the pest are present on the flowers. Adults and motile larvae will die after one treatment, but some of the eggs, false pupae will remain. Therefore, be prepared for re-treatments, do not let the tenacious butterfly out of sight.

Prevention

The one who had to fight and defeat the whitefly, tries to prevent its getting on plants.

Carefully inspect all new acquisitions after purchase for infection. If the slightest suspicion appears, treat the flower with insecticides.

Do not allow overmoistening of an earthen coma, especially if this is not provided for by the plant's agricultural technology. Watch out for temperature conditions. Heat plus high humidity can trigger a pest.

Mechanical insect killing

There are several ways to get rid of whiteflies on indoor plants without resorting to aggressive drugs.

• The easiest option is to throw away the infected instance. But if it’s a pity to do this, it must be isolated from the rest of the plants, lower the temperature of the content to 10–12⁰ С. Sometimes this is enough to insect disappeared.
• If there are not many larvae, you can try washing them off with warm, soapy water using a sponge. Soap to take economic or tar. After the procedure, the leaves should be washed with clean water. Continue to periodically inspect the plant, if necessary, repeat cleansing.
• If you see that the leaf is irreparably damaged, do not reanimate it, but rather remove it with the laid eggs and larvae.
• To combat whitefly on fuchsia, such a method of control as installing sticky traps has proven itself. This is a rectangular screen made of cardboard, plywood, tin, painted in bright yellow color and lubricated with a sticky substance (ALT glue). Tiny moths fly in bright color and stick. As an option, sticky tapes for flies are suitable.

Biochemical control measures

To combat whiteflies on indoor flowers, any systemic insecticides are suitable. Well helps Aktara, Actellik, Confidor, Proteus. After treatment, the infected plant is recommended to be placed in a greenhouse - this will enhance the toxic effect.

For reliability, the treatment is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days. To prevent addiction, the drug can be changed.

Of safe means, Fitoverm, which has a biological mechanism for the defeat of the pest, helps well.

Advice! Indoor flowers are usually in the same room with people and animals, so be careful with insecticides. Instead of spraying, it is better to water in a pot. The exposure interval is delayed, but the method is safer.

Folk recipes

To combat whitefly in the initial stages of infection, the treatment of indoor plants with infusions prepared according to folk recipes will help.

• Yarrow infusion (100 g / l boiling water). The solution can be washed, spray the leaves.
• Infusion of wormwood (200 g / l boiling water). Insist 2-3 hours, apply as described above.
• Infusion of dried orange peels (100 g / l boiling water). After steaming, insist a day. Before processing the plants add a little laundry soap to it.

Whatever method of fighting whiteflies you choose, the main thing is not to give up. Approach the duel with the pest in a comprehensive way - set traps, treat with chemicals, depress with cold temperature, and the last word will be yours.

How to deal with whitefly safe means: