Podury - what the emergence of nailstails, measures to control the pest of indoor plants signals

Appearance and behavior

Podury living in pots, close relatives of the inhabitants of the reservoirs. They also prefer high humidity. What do fools look like? The body shape is elongated, segmented, resembles caterpillars. Coloring transparent white, sometimes gray. The body length is 2-3 mm. The antennae are noticeable on the head.

Their distinguishing feature is an outgrowth in the back of the torso called a jump fork. This process allows the nails to push off the surface and jump. A characteristic behavior helps novice growers to distinguish podura from another pest - mealybug. Outwardly, these small whitish pests are very similar, but the nails do not suck the plant sap like worms. At rest, the fork bends under the abdomen.

Information. Not all types of collembol have a jumping fork, some only crawl with the help of the pectoral legs.

Nailtails breed by laying eggs. The female buries the clutch in the soil to a depth of 3 cm. The larvae that appear are a miniature copy of the parents.
Adult individuals are quite active, they can be seen on the surface of the earth, on the windowsill near the flowers, at the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. In a small amount, they are harmless. With uncontrolled reproduction, arthropods eat all the organic matter in the soil and proceed to the roots and shoots of the plant. More often than other flowers from the invasion of jumping pests, violets and orchids suffer.

Attention. The appearance of podur is a kind of indicator of systematic excess of irrigation norms.

Podura in a pot of orchids

The most common option is the appearance of brisk pests on orchids growing in moss. If on the substrate noticed nails, this is a signal of a violation of the conditions of the plant. Podura on the orchid appear in several cases:

• The soil is waterlogged, which leads to rotting of the roots, stems and pseudobulbs; subsequently, infectious diseases can occur.
• The flower does not receive enough sunlight, so it does not have time to use up moisture during the period between waterings.

The desire to quickly destroy pests arises not only because of their potential threat to plants, but also of an unsightly appearance. How to get rid of podura in orchids? To do this, it is recommended to transplant the plant. Before the procedure, it is necessary to wash the root system with warm water. This will wash away eggs and larvae that are invisible due to their small size. During the transplant, you can clearly see the roots. Rotten and dried parts are removed, the tissues are stripped to a healthy green color. Treated areas must be disinfected. Most often, activated carbon powder is used (for its preparation, it is necessary to crush several tablets purchased in a pharmacy).

Interesting fact. Nail tails can be beneficial, they are placed in the soil contaminated with heavy metals, for gradual cleansing.

The orchid should not be returned to its original place, it is better to rearrange it to a more illuminated area. If there is no way to improve natural lighting, fitolamps are installed. This is especially true in the fall and winter in the short light period.

Pest on violets

Nailtail pods are present in almost every houseplant soil. It is difficult to notice several miniature individuals; they do not leave any signs of their existence. With an increase in the level of humidity, adults begin to multiply intensively. Root decay occurs in moist soil, and rotten organic matter is the main source of food for fools. The number of springtails increases, they begin to jump, appear floating in pallets with water. Harm from collembole intensifies at low indoor temperatures. Adverse conditions slow down the growth and regeneration of indoor plants. Even minor injuries turn into serious problems.

Heavy sour soil in pots with violets is a violation of the agronomic conditions of cultivation. Some species of podura damage young seedlings of violets. Damaged plants become vulnerable to diseases and other pests. Collembolans are also carriers of fungal spores that provoke diseases.

Pest Control Methods

Most collembolas, and there are about 8 thousand species, lead a secretive lifestyle. Their diet includes fungal mycelia, algae, lichen. A limited number of springtails feed on plants, but gardeners have to deal with them.

Methods of how to get rid of podura on indoor flowers can be divided into several groups: mechanical, agricultural, folk and chemical.
For those who are confident in the health of plant roots, a simple but effective method is recommended. The pot is completely immersed in a basin of water. Nail tails float to the surface. It remains only to collect them. The method has several disadvantages:

• it is effective in small infections;
• light particles of the substrate emerge - expanded clay, peat.

Mechanical control methods include cleaning with a soapy solution of pallets, pots, shelves or windowsill where flowers stand.

Tip. Do not leave water in the pan; pour it out half an hour after watering.

The most effective way to deal with fools is to reduce watering and dry land. Loss of moisture is disastrous for them. Lumps of earth are dried in the air in the shade or blotted with napkins. Not every plant can endure prolonged drought, so you have to act, focusing on each type of indoor flower. It is worth reviewing the composition of the soil, organic residues are excluded from it - tea leaves, dry leaves. These components contribute to the growth of fungi, a nutrient medium for the nailstail. Proper drainage is needed, then moisture will not stagnate in the ground.

Tip. The pot should be selected according to the size of the root system. With a large volume, simple fungi and bacteria fill the free space. A favorable environment is created for the development of springtails.

With a large accumulation of pests of podur on the surface, the topsoil is replaced. 3-4 cm of soil is removed, in their place pure sand is poured. After 4-5 months, sand can be replaced with soil. It is also effective to sprinkle soil with ash, this worsens the living conditions of pests.

Folk recipes

An easy and safe way is to lure pests from a pot into a potato. For this, a raw vegetable is taken, cut in half. Half of the potatoes are placed in the ground with a slice down. Nailtails gather around him. Pests are removed with a spatula, along with soil. You need to act quickly, but carefully. The collected podura are placed in a container with a lid (do not forget about their jumping ability), and then destroyed. This method does not eliminate all pests, but significantly reduces their population.

To repel pests, it is recommended to put dry peels of citrus fruits - oranges or lemons in pots. Falling asleep a thin layer of tobacco dust will help. Watering with the addition of a citramone tablet in 2 l of water helps to control the number of tails. If the above methods are ineffective, you will have to replace the soil.

Chemical treatment

If the soil fool has bred in large numbers and is eating young shoots, then it is necessary to resort to the use of insecticides. These drugs in a short time destroy any plant pests. Among the tested funds: Fitoverm, Aktara, Mospilan. The drugs are diluted in water according to the instructions, then poured into the soil. In this case, the treatment is not carried out by spraying, as with other types of pests, the soil must be soaked to a depth of 3-4 cm. This will destroy the eggs and larvae.

Another recommended remedy is Bazudin. These are granules scattered on the surface of the soil. A thin layer is enough to kill the nails. The effect of the drug lasts more than a month.

Attention. Before using Bazudin, consider that it emits an unpleasant odor. When watering, it intensifies. The action of Bazudin negatively affects the well-being, it is not recommended to use it if there are children in the house.

Another soil insecticide, Pochin, effectively destroys the tails when a pot is introduced into the ground. Small granules act on the pest upon contact. It is enough to mix them with the ground and the women will die within a few hours.

Preventive measures:

1. Buying indoor flowers is better in specialized stores. Before buying a copy it is good to inspect, if there is a doubt in health, take another plant.
2. Establish high-quality drainage that prevents the accumulation of moisture at the bottom of the pot.
3. Observe the agrotechnical conditions recommended for plants (temperature, humidity, lighting).

Before starting the fight against fools on indoor plants, the size of the threat should be assessed. They are part of the processes of humus formation. Chemicals that harm indoor plants will not be needed if flower care is properly organized.