How to get rid of a mealybug on an orchid - effective remedies and methods

Orchid is a real queen among indoor flowers. An exotic plant requires the creation of special conditions - high humidity, ambient light, transparent pots for photosynthesis of the root system. In addition to the listed daily worries, there are diseases of indoor flowers. Orchids often infect rot caused by fungi and bacteria. Another threat is pests. One of the most common species parasitizing on flowers is a mealybug. You can notice it by plaque on the substrate and the plant itself. How to get rid of mealybug on an orchid? To save flowers, folk remedies and special chemicals are used.

How to identify a pest

Mealybugs - small insects with a size of 3-6 mm. Their oval body is covered with a wax coating. At the back are plates of various lengths. The color of the insects is white or beige. There are small setae along the body, and transverse grooves on the back. Pests are mobile at any age, they move around the plant, fall into the substrate, spread to neighboring indoor flowers. Mealy mealybugs belong to the superfamily coccida. They are close relatives shields, another type of insect parasitizing on orchids.

Information. The common name for mealybugs is shaggy lice.

In worms, sex differences are pronounced. Males have wings, but they do not have a mouthpart. Adult males do not feed. After mating, they soon die. Flightless females live in large colonies. They have a long proboscis to pierce the plants and suck out the juices. Before laying eggs, the females create white cotton-wool-like bags. On the leaves of plants, they look like plaque, it determines the presence of a mealybug on the orchid.

Fertile females during the season bring 3-4 generations of insects. Larvae appearing from eggs actively move along the plant. They look like light gray fluff. After choosing a convenient place, the larvae stick to the plant and feed on the juice. Soon they molt, a more adult individual is looking for a new place. Females can lay eggs in a secluded place near the flower, the larvae find the way to the orchid.
The pest prefers to live and feed in the grooves of the leaf sinuses. Adult females crawl into buds and orchid flowers. With a severe defeat, the flowers are deformed, and a marble color appears on the leaves. Mealybug weakens the plant, contributing to the emergence of secondary orchid diseases. In addition to sucking out nutrient juices, the pest leaves specific secretions that enter the leaves and flowers. The digestive enzymes of the parasite slow down the metabolic processes of indoor plants.

Types of Worm

Among the many representatives of the worm family, there are several species that cause concern to lovers of indoor flowers.

1. Powdery mealybug (Pseudococcus adonidum) - female and insect larvae harm the plant. The body of adults is orange or pink. It is covered with powdery coating. Females reach a length of 5 mm, males are smaller. The pest releases a large amount of paddy (sweet secret), which causes the appearance of the fungus. This species is viviparous; its representatives actively creep along the orchid.
2. Seaside mealybug (Pseudococcus affinis) - this species is most widespread. The body of the female is elongated, the color is pinkish-gray. Powdery coating is clearly visible on its surface. Males grow up to 2 mm; they use wings to move. Females do not fly, their length is 3-4 mm. Well-developed legs allow them to look for better places to feed and lay eggs.
3. Mealybug citrus mealybug (Planococcus cirti) - the color of the pest ranges from yellow to brown. The body is covered with a wax coating, thick bristles are visible on the sides. Females leave behind a sticky sweet pad.

Information. Over 2000 species of mealybugs have been found in the world. Most prefer tropical latitudes, 300 species are found in Europe.

Causes of the pest

Pest activity time is in winter. For natural reasons, the plant receives less light. This leads to metabolic disorders. A healthy, well-groomed flower rarely becomes a target of parasites. There are several reasons for the appearance of the worm:

• non-compliance with the temperature regime;
• low humidity;
• abuse of nitrogen fertilizers;
• high soil moisture;
• untimely removal of dead leaves and flowers.

All these problems lead to a change in the concentration of plant juices. Such changes contribute to a sharp increase in the parasite population.

Larvae and adults prefer to select sections of succulent greens for suction - young shoots, leaves, buds. White cotton deposits on the surface of the plant, which create parasites, can be seen with the naked eye. In addition, a characteristic sign of the appearance of the vermilion is sugary discharge. If a citrus worm has settled on the plant, then the root system is also affected.

Methods of struggle

Pest control is a rather complicated process. In adverse conditions, they are able to secrete a large amount of wax that protects the insect from the harmful effects of chemicals. Fibers in the form of cotton wool protect the worm eggs. A plant with traces of pest activity is immediately isolated. Measures to control the mealybug on orchids are selected in accordance with the degree of spread of parasites.

If insects settled on peduncles, buds or flowers, then they will have to be cut. On some types of orchids, pseudobulbs are covered with dry scales. All growths must be removed. The bulb itself is wiped with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol. This will help remove larvae that are poorly visible due to their small size.

Tip. With significant damage to the plant, pruning of the leaves is recommended. This unpopular event spoils the appearance of an orchid, but saves her life. Do not worry about loss, the leaves dry and die naturally in 2-3 years.

Processing should begin with the mechanical collection of parasites. The worm and its cotton bags are removed with tweezers and destroyed. The place where the parasite sat is wiped with a disinfectant, for example, alcohol tincture. The plant should be thoroughly washed. This will remove the sweet pad and a large number of pests from the leaves. The leaves are wiped with a cotton swab with a soap solution.

Tip. Plants that were next to an infected flower should be carefully examined for a month. At the first sign of a pest, proceed with treatment.

Folk remedies against mealybug

To destroy the pest, a different composition is prepared on the basis of soap, alcohol, oil, various tinctures. To prepare a soap solution, you will need:

• 20 g of ground laundry soap;
• 1 liter of warm water;
• a tablespoon of alcohol.

The ingredients are mixed until completely dissolved. The product wipes the leaves of the plant. The places where the cocoon of the vermilion was located are especially thorough. To spray the plants using horsetail infusion. The product is bought in a pharmacy, before application it is diluted with water 1: 1. The infusion of garlic is a good remedy for many types of parasites. It is prepared simply:

• 3-4 large cloves of garlic are passed through a crush or chopped with a knife;
• 0.5 l of water is brought to a boil;
• garlic is poured with boiling water, left for 4 hours.

The finished product is filtered. Liquid is applied to the plant with a brush. To avoid re-infection, you will need to process the window sill and pots with soapy water.

Attention. If ants appeared near the flowers, attracted by the sweet pad, it is necessary to destroy them. Insects are carriers of mealybug larvae.

Chemicals

If the defeat of a houseplant was severe, and treatment with folk remedies did not help, resort to insecticides. Chemicals are most effective against young animals. After leaving the eggs, the larvae do not have a wax coating, therefore they are defenseless against the toxic effect of the preparations. The complexity of the fight against mealybug is that the plant has insects with different stages of development. A single spray with an insecticide will not fix the situation. To destroy the parasites will have to perform 3-4 treatments with an interval of 2 weeks.

A toxic substance sprayed onto an orchid enters the plant. Together with the juice, it enters the body of adult individuals and larvae, causing their death. Some types of pests lay eggs on the roots. For their destruction, the drug Fitoverm is used. Organic insecticide is safe for humans, and insects die several hours after poisoning. The recommended concentration for indoor flowers is 2 ml per 200 ml of water.

What is the best way to process an orchid from a mealybug? The choice of drugs is quite large: Aktara, Mospilan, Actellik, Calypso. When using the product in the form of a spray, the recommended spraying distance must be taken into account. Otherwise, the composition may damage the leaves of the orchid. Well-known drugs of systemic action, such as Actara. The insecticide is dissolved in water according to the instructions, then it is used for spraying and watering on the roots. The effect of the drug lasts 1 month.

Attention. Treatment can be considered successful if within a month during examination the worm is not found.

Preventative measures

The most common way a pest appears on indoor plants is to buy an infected orchid. Before acquiring a flower, it is necessary to carefully examine it, if there are doubts about its health, it is better to abandon this specimen.

To prevent pests, the recommended conditions for keeping domestic flowers should be followed. Orchids need adequate lighting, if there is little natural light, you can install a special lamp. It is important to remove dry leaves in time, in which parasites like to hide. Worms do not like moist air; create high humidity around orchids. Wipe the leaves of the plant more often. It is recommended to arrange a warm shower for plants once a month. This procedure will wash away pests accidentally introduced by the wind. The flower is removed from the pot, washed roots, stem, leaves, peduncles. After the shower, excess moisture gets wet with a napkin. Stagnant water causes rot.