Whitefly on indoor plants - how to deal with it at home

Houseplants are found in many people's homes. Taking care of them is not so easy - the flowers can start to hurt. The scourge of a home grower can be a whitefly.

Whitefly on indoor plants

Man is used to decorating his home. Indoor flowers are often used for these purposes. They give more comfort and purify the air. Sometimes something strange begins to happen to the plants: the leaves dry and fall off, moldy, the plant looks lethargic and sick. Small white moths are also sometimes visible. All this suggests that a whitefly infection has occurred.

This is what a whitefly looks like

Whitefly is the collective name for a whole family of insects, which was given because of two pairs of white wings. Scientifically, this family is called Aleurodids (from the Greek aleuron, which means flour - it is exactly like it that the plaque on the wings of pests looks like). In total, whiteflies exist around the world about one and a half thousand species. They can be found in greenhouses, gardens and homes, causing tremendous damage to plants.

Those of their species that live in Russia, usually from 1.3 to 3 mm in length, resemble moths in appearance. Their whole life passes on the plant - they feed on its juice, multiply there. If you do not take any measures, soon the flower will die.

Whiteflies especially love passionflower, geranium, fuchsia, begonia. In the absence of such, they can settle on other flowers.

Infection symptoms

It is necessary to get rid of these parasites. Before starting the fight, you need to make sure that it is the whitefly that is harming. She betrays her presence as follows:

• The leaves of the plant are covered with spots;
• After stains, they gradually begin to dry and fall off;
• Sometimes adults of whiteflies are seen in the foliage;
• Gray mold stains are found on the underside of the leaf;
• The plant has all the signs of a viral disease, which can interfere with diagnosis.

Whitefly Occupied Leaf

Reasons for infection

The whitefly loves two things: humidity and high temperatures. Therefore, infection with it usually occurs in summer, especially rainy. For this reason, it is more often found in greenhouses, hotbeds, apartments, and not on the street. Air circulation there is usually less, temperatures are higher. A cold snap below 10 degrees Celsius is deadly for these insects.

The whitefly also grows more often where there are many plants, and they are close to each other.

Whitefly eggs and larvae

Biological means of fighting whitefly

If a whitefly starts up on indoor flowers, you can get rid of it at home both with the help of folk remedies and by resorting to modern methods. Everyone has different principles of influence. For example, the biological method involves applying various natural remedies to the leaves. This makes the insect leave the flower:

• Processing with tar soap. The bar should be passed through a grater and mixed with water in a ratio of 1 to 6.Part of the solution is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed with a diseased plant. The rest is made into foam, which is applied to the underside of the leaves. Repeat the procedure every ten days so as not to harm the flower.
• Yarrow tincture. 100 grams of this fresh plant is filled with warm water in a volume of one liter. Then the remedy must be insisted for 2-3 days. Then the tincture is ready for spraying. You can process a sick flower with infusion once a week, in a course of 2-3 applications.

Woman sprays flowers

Folk remedies for fighting whitefly

If a whitefly starts up on home flowers, folk methods will tell you how to get rid of it (if the infection is detected quickly). They act on a different principle, they affect the insects themselves, and not the plant. These include:

• Traps. Now on sale there are glue traps for pests of domestic plants. The principle is the same as for fly tape. The thick yellow colored adhesive attracts parasites. They stick to it and die. You can make such a trap yourself by applying a mixture of rosin and honey to a piece of yellow plywood.
• Low temperatures. Whiteflies are afraid of the cold, therefore, in order to expel them, the flower can be taken out into a cool room or outside. True, the procedure will have to be repeated several times, because the eggs of parasites cannot be destroyed by a cold snap.
• Water. This pest does not hold on to the leaves tightly, so a simple washing of the plant can help. After that, you will need to remove the top layer of soil in the pot and add fresh soil.

Insect Pest Trap

Whitefly chemicals

If a whitefly has appeared on indoor plants, it may be unclear how to deal with it at home, especially if the infection is already large-scale, and the above methods do not work. The most effective method is chemical. It changes the sap of the plant that the parasites feed on, making it poisonous. This makes it easy to get rid of the flower. Among all drugs, the following are especially popular:

• Aktara. This remedy not only heals the plant, but also helps protect against re-infection within 3-4 weeks. It contains thiamethoxam, which is harmful to pests. The drug is diluted with water, this solution is poured over the flower closer to the root. If the infection is serious, it is recommended that the concentration of the solution be made 3-4 times stronger for the first time. This will not harm the plant, the effectiveness of the procedure will increase.
• Confidor. This medication is very effective. Dilute it with water according to the instructions. To remove a whitefly, in most cases, even one watering and spraying is enough. Its main active ingredient is imidacloprid.
• Akarin. Sick flowers are sprayed with this remedy. It should be applied well to the leaves so that they are well moistened, especially from below. At the same time, try to get on insects as well.

Aktara

How to prevent infection

Any problem is easier to deal with by prevention and with whiteflies. Plants should be taken care of, taking into account the following factors, then the chance of infection is reduced to a minimum:

1. Arrange ventilation. In a room where fresh air is actively circulating, there is little chance for parasites.
2. Do not spray too much. High humidity is a direct path to pests. Therefore, it is important to observe the measure in spraying, in wet weather to reduce them to a minimum.
3. Do not stack the plants together. Where there are most of them, it is more likely to see the beginning of whitefly infestation. Better to keep a reasonable distance between colors.

Whiteflies are the white death of flora. From it, even in spite of prevention, it is impossible to fully protect yourself.With proper care and attention of the owners, getting rid of it is possible.