Getting rid of a spider mite on an orchid

A spider mite on an orchid appears under certain conditions - when the humidity becomes too low. In such a climate, the parasite successfully multiplies and greatly spoils the appearance of domestic plants. How to recognize a pest and what to do to combat it?

Description

The spider mite has an oval body, the dimensions of which can be 0.3-0.5 mm. Its color will depend on the food consumed, often the chitin cover is red or green. In adults, 4 pairs of legs, but at the same time they move extremely slowly. In the process of life, the parasite weaves the thinnest cobwebs, with which it entangles the stems, leaves and buds of plants. Under it, several generations of parasites develop.

Reproduction of the spider mite occurs rapidly. From masonry to puberty, 10 to 20 days pass — it depends on the climate in which the pests live. The larvae that emerged from the eggs have only 3 pairs of legs; the fourth appears through several molts. The total life expectancy is up to 5 weeks.

Ideal for a spider mite is a dry, warm climate. Normal reproduction and development proceeds at a temperature of + 27 ° C and a humidity of 30-40%. If the humidity starts to increase, the development of young individuals will be slowed down.

On a note! This feature is often and very successfully used in the fight against spider mites on orchids!

Malware

Spider mites feed on plant juices. They pierce the surface of the leaf or stem and, when bitten, inject a special substance into the cells of the specimen that destroys the cell membranes. As a result, juice separation occurs faster, and air penetrates the body of the plant through the damaged area. The surface in this area first becomes silver, after which a web appears on it, yellowness forms on the sheet, which spreads rapidly and after some time the sheet falls off.

Sometimes the web is found not only on the leaves, but also on the buds. This suggests that there are many pests and the plant may die soon. In such cases, the leaves will turn yellow very quickly, then curl and dry. Affected buds also dry and die.

In addition, spider mites, based on orchid, can provoke the development of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. For this reason, along with damage from the parasites themselves, other signs may appear on the plant, for example, weeping areas and dark spots.

Methods of struggle

So, how to get rid of a tick on an orchid? First you need to rinse and thoroughly wipe the infected instance. The better this procedure will be carried out, the more adults and their eggs you will remove from the body of the plant. It is better to rinse the flower not with plain water, but with a warm solution of laundry or liquid soap (a tablespoon of soap per 1 liter of water). We wet a soft sponge in the liquid and process each leaf and the entire surface of the stem.

Important! Using a soap solution for the treatment of orchids, you should act with extreme caution, being careful not to pour it on the roots. Otherwise, the soil pH will be changed and the plant will die!

We also wipe with soap and water the place where the infected flower, the pot and the tray were located.If the orchid was on the windowsill, then in this case it would not be superfluous to process the window frame and glass.

Next, spill the substrate well and cover the plant with a plastic bag. In such a greenhouse, it should spend about 3-4 days. Thanks to the package, you can significantly increase humidity, so that spider mites die. However, keeping the orchid in this case is necessary in the shade, as the sun's rays can do much harm - the temperature in the greenhouse will increase significantly and the plant will simply spray.

Chemicals

To get rid of the spider mite on the orchid, chemicals such as:

• Fitoverm;
• "Actelik";
• Neoron
• Thiophos.

Processing with finished preparations can be combined with the creation of greenhouse conditions. Only use one of the chemicals first and only then increase the humidity with a greenhouse.

Important! However, remember that the spider mite is highly resilient and quickly develop resistance against such agents. Therefore, chemicals must be changed from time to time.

Folk remedies

If the orchid is slightly affected by the spider mite, then in such situations you can use one of the folk remedies.

Very good results show a decoction of cyclamen. To prepare it, you should take the tubers of the plant and cut them into several parts, then put the pieces in boiling water and boil for 40 minutes. Removes the product from the stove and leave for a day, after which we filter and use it to process infected specimens. A cyclamen broth is used several times every five days.

To save orchids from spider mites, they often use alcohol. But only this method is suitable for species with hard leaves.

Prevention

In order to protect the orchid from infection with a spider mite, it is necessary:

• inspect the plants and from time to time wipe their leaves and stems with damp cotton wool or a napkin;
• shedding flowers with a warm shower - this will prevent the parasite from reaching the orchid, and if infected, it will help get rid of some of the adult individuals and eggs;
• regularly spray specimens of your home collection - so the humidity will always be high and the climate unattractive to parasites.

Important! Only when spraying, make sure that the water does not linger in the axils of the leaves, otherwise the plant will begin to rot in these places!