How to properly deal with mealybugs on houseplants. Diseases and pests of indoor flowers: causes and control measures Myrtle of his disease white foam on the stem

Only males have wings, strong limbs, abdomen, two tail threads.

Features of harm to plants

Individuals of the mealybug are able to secrete a sticky liquid (pad), on which the so-called sooty fungus subsequently forms, leading to contamination and disease of the plant.

The main types of mealybug:

1. bristly;
2. grape;
3. seaside;
4. citrus.

From the bristly bug

The bristly mealybug (Latin name Pseudococcus longispinus) poses a danger in the form of breeding females and voracious larvae.

The body of a mature female has:

• length up to 3.5 mm;
• oval elongated shape;
• color pinkish or orange;
• white patches on the body.

Females are viviparous species. These insects have well-developed limbs, thanks to which they can easily move to distant plants in a short time without much effort.

This species is usually seen in clusters on the underside of leaves, on plant branches, in leaf axil depressions and of course on young shoots.

The bristly bug is easy to spot on plants also for the reason that its body has a pronounced whitish sparkling coating. The secretions of the bristly mealybug also resemble whitish wax lumps.

Damaged leaves turn yellow and fall off. Shoots have a noticeable lag in development. It is known that mealybugs climb under the bark of citrus plants, and under the leaf scales of bulbous plants.

From grapevine

Grape species of mealybug (Latin name Pseudococcus citri) is a typical pest on grape plants. Individuals also have developed limbs.

The body of an adult female has:

• oval extended shape;
• color yellowish or pinkish;
• whitish coating, resembling powder.

Among grape scale insects, males are extremely rare. The larvae, having hatched, begin to spread throughout the plant. Severe lesions often occur, in which large colonies become noticeable, destroying succulent plants in a short time. The leaves turn yellow, the shoots die, drying out.

It feeds not only on various types of beets, but it can also cause great damage to oak plantings.

Insects can carry very dangerous and sometimes even fatal diseases. To protect yourself from unpleasant consequences, we advise you to read.

Have you noticed insect eggs on your plants? Then use ovicidal drugs. How to use these tools, you will learn from the link.

From seaside worm

The body of a mature female is oval and elongated, up to 4 mm long, expanded up to 2.5 mm. The body color is grayish or pinkish with a grayish mealy coating. Like all worms, this species is distinguished by well-developed legs.

The males of the seaside mealybug are much smaller than the females, they have wings. Flight throughout the summer. The larvae do not have a wax coating on the body. As usual, the larvae spread throughout the plant, spread to neighboring growing plants. The larva eats constantly, sucks out all the useful substances from the shoots and leaves, and after a month and a half becomes an adult insect capable of producing offspring on its own.

Plants damaged by them cease to bloom, grow and die.

If the infection of the foliage with the mealybug is not yet clearly expressed, then treating the plants with soapy water will help. Cotton swabs are wetted, and they are processed leaves, stems, shoots, basal areas. To consolidate the effect, spraying is done with a solution of soap, tobacco infusions, garlic infusions, decoctions of the cyclamen plant (calculation of 10 grams per 1 liter of water)

• The larvae feed continuously, and adults may not even have a mouth organ.
• Some species of mealybugs are able to secrete useful substances that people use in industry (lacquer bug and cochineal species, which give people red paint - the substance carmine).

Mealybug- This is a whole group of insects that are a close relative. Since the species of worms are very similar and the methods of dealing with them are the same, I will not dwell on the description of the species, but will talk about the pest in general.

Almost all types of plants are susceptible to this, but most often it appears on plants with dense and fleshy leaves - ficuses, orchids, etc.

A distinctive feature of this pest is the presence of white cotton-like secretions in which the female lays her eggs. Usually worms settle in the axils of the leaves and on young shoots. However, if the plant is heavily infested, the pest may cover all parts of the plant. Damage to the root neck of the plant and the roots themselves can be very unpleasant.

The female mealybug is wingless, flesh-colored, 3 to 5 mm long, oval in shape with bristles along the edges. The body is covered with white wax, which makes the insect invulnerable to many chemicals. Males have wings but only live for a couple of days and have no mouthparts. So they are not dangerous.

The female lays up to 2000 eggs in a mealy formation. Moreover, young larvae can move around the plant themselves and, like an adult female, feed by sucking the juice from the plant. In addition, the mealybugs secrete a sweetish liquid, which causes the formation on the plant, which further worsens the condition of the plant.

The affected plant suffers from a lack of nutrients, may lose leaves, at the base of which the pest has settled, begins to wither. Leaves damaged by the pest are deformed. Young specimens of plants may die.

In fact, the worm, like the scale insect, is one of the most serious pests of indoor plants.

How to deal with a pest

Control measures depend on the degree of damage to the plant. If the worm has just appeared, it can be carefully collected from the plant with a cotton swab or napkin dipped in soapy water. Places where there was a pest, treat with a soap or alcohol solution. After that, it is desirable to treat the plant 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days with a soapy solution (10-15 g of liquid soap per 1 liter of water), an alcohol solution or a pharmacy infusion of calendula.

If the lesion is significant, it is necessary to apply systemic. These include "", "Vertimek", "Nurell-D", "Fozalon", "Fitoverm", "Phosfamide", "Metaphos". Of these drugs, the most powerful is Metaphos, but it is also the most toxic. The least toxic "Fitoverm", but it is usually used in a slightly higher concentration than indicated on the package. The plant should be treated 2 times with an interval of 7-10 days.

In any case, the fight against mealybugs is complex and rather lengthy and is most often associated with the use of chemicals. Therefore, you should carefully monitor your plants and, if cotton-like lumps are found on the trunk or leaves, immediately begin to fight the pest. In addition, all new plants should be carefully inspected, because this is the way this pest most often gets on houseplants.

And this is what a mealybug looks like under a microscope.

Of course, indoor plants are less likely to suffer from diseases and pests than their garden relatives, as they usually are under more scrutiny. But if they are nevertheless damaged by insects or exposed to infection, it is much more difficult to treat them, because “green pets” are more pampered and capricious, they react worse to outside interference and, especially, to the use of chemicals.

Incorrect location (very dark, too sunny, excessively cold, very warm, low humidity) as well as improper care (too much water, lack of moisture, wrong fertilizer, unsuitable substrate) can cause poor plant health. Unskilled care also contributes to the damage of indoor flowers by pests and diseases, the plants refuse to bloom, wither, and, in the end, die.

Enemies, as they say, you need to know in person. Therefore, check out the photos and names of diseases and pests of indoor plants, learn about the causes of damage and how to get rid of these insects and infections.

Diseases of indoor flowers: photos, causes and methods of struggle

In this section of the article, you will learn how to deal with some houseplant diseases and see what the symptoms look like.

Brown edges of leaves

Causes: excess or lack of water, excess soil that has lost its suitability, dry air.

Control measures: optimize care, increase air humidity.

twisted leaves

Causes: low air humidity, dry land. Root damage can also cause this plant disease.

Control measures: optimize care, if necessary.

Pale leaves (chlorosis)

In plants that prefer acidic soil, such as azalea and spurge. The leaf veins are still green.

Causes: hard water, iron deficiency.

Control measures: soften the water, add an iron preparation to the water.

Light spots on the leaves

Causes: temperature fluctuations, too cold or too warm water. Humidification in the sun (for example, in the uzambar violet).

Control measures: change location, optimize care, water from below.

powdery mildew

Symptoms: powdery coating from white to dirty brown on both sides of the leaves.

Causes: fungus spores.

As you can see in the photo, you can fight this disease of indoor plants with the help of fungicides:

Control measures: for prevention, spray with infusion of horsetail. Remove diseased leaves.

gray mold

Symptoms: gray-brown coating on leaves, petioles or flowers.

Causes: not suitable for spraying or cold water, too high humidity.

Control measures: remove diseased parts of the plant, reduce air humidity, put in a brighter place.

Bacteria and viruses

Bacterial soft rot occurs in alpine violet and house calla.

Symptoms: rot at the base of the stem.

As shown in the photo, with this disease of indoor flowers, if there is no proper treatment, the rot spreads throughout the plant:

Control measures: No.

mosaic virus

First of all, it affects orchids, gloxinia, hippeastrum.

Symptoms: light green and dark green spots.

Control measures: No.

Reset of the kidneys is most often caused by a violation of the water balance. Either the plant has experienced a lack of moisture, or, as a result of excessive use, the roots are so damaged that they cannot absorb and transport a sufficient amount of moisture. Some plants, such as stephanotis or camellia, shed their buds even when the location changes dramatically. Premature shedding of flowers is also a consequence of a change in place of growth and is especially evident when the plant is not hardened enough. Inactive flowering may be due to genetic factors (some varieties bloom less than others) or a lack of phosphorus, a violation of the dormant period, or improper wintering. Cracked pedicels are considered the result of irregular watering. This can lead to tension in the tissues and rupture of the shoots. Rotting flowers or buds indicate gray mold infestation.

These photos show the symptoms of some indoor plant diseases:

Pests of indoor plants: photos, causes and control measures

The most favorable time for pests of indoor flowers is the end of the heating period. Lack of light and dry air in a heated room put plants at risk of pest damage. During this period, spider mites and aphids appear especially often on plants. Summer and autumn are the season for whiteflies. The best prevention is care that meets the needs of plants. Choose the most suitable locations. In addition, you should devote more time to observing plants.

First of all, pay attention to the underside of the leaves. In this case, it is often possible to detect a disease or pests in the initial stage of the lesion. Sick plants should be isolated to avoid spreading the infection to other specimens.

Spider mites

Symptoms: cobwebs under and between leaves.

Causes: too dry air.

Control measures: increase air humidity, use a warm shower, add predatory mites. Also, special preparations are used to combat these pests of indoor flowers.

soft-bodied mites

Symptoms: twisted leaves, cessation of growth.

Causes: infection, which is promoted by heat and high humidity.

Control measures: reduce temperature and humidity. Parts of indoor plants affected by this pest must be removed and destroyed.

thrips

Symptoms: silvery strokes on the leaves.

Look at the photo - when indoor flowers are affected by this pest, brownish traces of the introduction of sucking insects appear on the underside of the leaves:

Causes: dry air.

Control measures: warm shower. Traps for insects, predatory mites, insecticides.

whiteflies

Symptoms: small white flies on the underside of the leaves.

Causes: infection from other plants.

Control measures: lower the temperature, since the tropical insect does not tolerate coolness. Also, traps, riders and insecticides are used to combat this pest of indoor plants.

Symptoms: sticky leaves, leaf deformation.

Causes: draft, open windows in spring, too dry air.

Control measures: warm shower, golden eyes, predatory gall midges, ichneumons, insecticides.

Shchitovki

Symptoms: brown shields under which insects sit.

Pay attention to the photo - indoor plants affected by these pests shed their leaves:

Causes: too dry and warm air.

Pest control measures: put indoor plants in a cooler and brighter place. Remove shields. To get rid of these indoor plant pests as quickly as possible, you need to use insecticides. For hard-leaved home crops, use white mineral oil or leaf shine spray.

Felt and mealybugs

Symptoms: cotton-like formations, especially in the axils and on the underside of the leaves. Bad growth.

Causes: too dry air.

Control measures with these insect pests of indoor plants are the same as in the fight against scale insects.

Nematodes

Symptoms: glassy or brown spots limited by leaf veins. Dropping leaves.

Causes: infection promoted by moisture on the leaves.

Control measures: remove diseased leaves and destroy. Keep the leaves dry.

Here you can see photos of the main diseases and pests of indoor plants:

Changes that occur with the leaves of plants indicate the presence of pests, diseases or care errors. A healthy leaf is strong, with flawless edges and a tip. Pay attention to metamorphoses and take action. Leaves are the life nerve of a plant and are therefore the best indicator of the presence of pests and diseases.

Sometimes buds and flowers are also damaged. The main causes of such damage should be known. The pale colors of the flowers indicate an excess of sunlight. Deformed or broken flowers indicate the presence of pests, such as aphids.

How to get rid of indoor plant pests: flower protection methods

There are several ways to deal with houseplant pests. Some of the most effective are mechanical protection, biotechnical methods and the use of chemicals.

How to get rid of pests on indoor plants using mechanical protection:

• Carry out the removal of the affected parts of the plant.
• Carry out pest removal, including washing them in the shower.
• Immerse the above-ground parts of the affected plant in warm water with a little detergent. The pot must first be placed in a plastic bag and tied on top.

Biological control methods consist in the use of beneficial insects, for example:

• Riders against whiteflies,
• Predatory mites against spider mites and fringe-winged,
• Predatory gall midges, golden eyes or riders against aphids.

Beneficial insects are most effective when a large number of plants are affected and the air is not too warm and dry. The ideal is considered to be a temperature of about 20 ° C, and at 27 ° C and above, success is in question.

Biotechnical control methods use the natural reactions of pests to physical or chemical stimuli:

• The yellow plates are insect traps coated with glue that attract miner flies, whiteflies, sciarids and other flying pests with their bright color.
• In the “plant bath”, due to the very high humidity of the air, spider mites are destroyed. To do this, water the plant well and place it in a transparent plastic bag. Beware, rot! Plants with soft leaves do not tolerate such treatment.
• Oil-based products, such as white oil, clog the airways of insects. Sprays for leaf shine work in a similar way.

Do not take pesticides right away. In many cases, the same effect can be obtained using completely harmless means.

Chemicals should only be used as a last resort. If you have to use chemicals, then you must follow the following rules:

• Follow the directions for use and dosage on the package.
• Follow recommended spray intervals to eliminate new generations of pests.
• Do not use sprays that are harmful to the environment.
• Treat plants only outdoors.
• Wear gloves and do not inhale sprays.
• Store plant protection products in the closed original packaging, out of the reach of children and pets.
• Do not store chemical residues, their effectiveness is quickly lost. Do not dispose of chemicals with normal household waste, but take them to special waste collection points.

These photos show how to deal with indoor plant pests using various methods:

Prevention to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests

Improper care and mistakes in choosing a location can greatly weaken plants. In such cases, flowers easily become victims of diseases and pests. Therefore, the best protection for indoor plants from pests and diseases is prevention and the right choice of location.

If it was not possible to avoid the disease or pests, then quick diagnosis and targeted treatment will help.

Proper care is considered guaranteed and pest free.

How to carry out prevention to protect indoor plants from diseases and pests:

• It is especially important to increase air humidity during the heating season. Dry air is the main cause of pests.
• Avoid too much plant density.
• Trim dead leaves and flowers regularly and keep pots and soil clean.
• Plant tissues can be strengthened with the correct dosage of fertilizers and with the help of special products, such as horsetail mixtures containing silicic acid or aromatic sprays.

Most of the problems with this plant are caused by improper care, myrtle diseases most often manifest themselves in drying and falling leaves, less often in the appearance of spots on them.

IMPORTANT: Myrtle needs frequent but moderate watering and fertilization every summer, regardless of it.

If your myrtle leaves turn black or the ends of the shoots, then the reason is excessive watering: constantly flooding the flower, you do not allow the roots to receive oxygen, which leads to their decay.

This, in turn, adversely affects the health of the crown of the plant.

There are two possible ways out: loosen the ground and water the flower less often or transplant it into a drier soil (with a lower content of moisture-intensive components).

ATTENTION! The water in the pan must never stagnate.

If the leaves begin to turn yellow, it means that the myrtle is either too dry as a result of improper watering or dry air, or is in too bright sun.

REFERENCE: Best of all, he feels on the east or west window. An overdried plant can be revived by providing it with frequent watering. If the reason is still in dry air, if possible, move the flower away from the battery and spray it daily with a spray bottle.

What to do if the leaves fall off?

If the myrtle began to suddenly lose leaves, this often happens with, pay attention to the water with which you water it. Settled water is best for irrigation, since it no longer contains chlorine, which harms the condition of the leaves. Also shedding of leaves can be the result of overdrying, move it to a cooler place.

ATTENTION! Myrtle reacts sharply to the drying of the soil, do not forget to water the plant regularly.

If it began to crumble immediately after purchase, the reason is the stress experienced by the plant due to the change in conditions of detention. Provide the flower with sufficient humidity.

REFERENCE: Small young plants can be kept under polyethylene until the condition of the crown improves.
The well-being of the plant can deteriorate dramatically after transplantation, as this is stress for the flower. Give him the best possible care, and he will soon recover.

IMPORTANT: Myrtle is evergreen and does not have seasonal leaf fall. Therefore, when answering the question of why myrtle leaves fall off, look for the reason in improper care or pests (they are described in detail below).

What to do if the foliage is dry?

Most often, the reasons for the drying of myrtle lie in improper watering or insufficient humidity in the room.

Plant demanding for watering: the earth in the pot should be slightly damp all the time, otherwise the leaves will dry and curl.

The plant needs to be watered daily, however, in the autumn-winter period, the frequency of watering can be reduced(unless, of course, the flower is in a hot place). The problem of dry air is solved by daily spraying; during the heating season, you can put a container of water on the battery.

ATTENTION: For watering and spraying use only distilled water.

Also, excessive feeding can cause drying, in which case it is necessary to transplant the flower into a new land, washing the roots. This is a risky procedure, but it is she who can save the plant from death.

Diseases and pests in the photo:

Temperature effect

Heat and cold are equally dangerous and can lead to drying and death of the plant if resuscitation measures are not taken.

As mentioned earlier, the heat and dryness of the air myrtle sheds leaves- what to do to help the plant? You can water and spray the plant daily with a spray bottle, in extreme cases, you can put a plastic bag on the flower to preserve moisture.

It is resistant to air fluctuations and endures drafts, moreover, it is recommended to keep it in a cool place in winter.

Freezing myrtle is more difficult than drying it. However, such a misfortune can happen if you leave a flower in frost at an open window or on a balcony. The reaction to the cold will not keep you waiting: most of the leaves will dry out literally within a day.

So what to do if the myrtle dries up? There is a chance to save the plant if the roots do not have time to freeze. The first aid algorithm for a frozen person is as follows: cut off all dried branches, sprinkle living branches with a biostimulant (for example, Epin) and cover with polyethylene.

Pests

It happens that the care is correct, the temperature and humidity are normal, and the plant suffers. What to do if the myrtle has dried up or dropped all the leaves? In the dense crown of a house plant many small pests like to settle.

Myrtle of any kind, and and, are affected by the same pests that harm other houseplants. These are aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies and spider mites.

Aphid settles in colonies on the back of the leaves and feeds on their juice, which causes the leaves to curl and dry out. You can get rid of aphids by spraying the plants with a special insecticide preparation (for example, Aktara). Before spraying, insects should be removed from the leaves by washing the flower under the shower with the crown down.

Shchitovka, like aphids, suck the juice from plants. The characteristic signs of scab infection are the appearance of a sticky coating on leaves and shoots. If you find a scale insect on a flower, you need to remove them with a cloth or soft toothbrush dipped in soapy water, and then treat the plant with an insecticide (recommended "Aktellik").

Mealybug well visible on plants, it can be calculated by a white fluffy coating on leaves and branches. The detected pests must be removed, and the plant itself should be watered with Aktara.

IMPORTANT: Insecticide preparations are very toxic, strictly observe the concentration indicated in the instructions.

thrips- a small insect, the presence of which can be determined by light spots on the upper side of the leaves and dark dots on the back. Thrips harm not only leaves, but also buds, so if you want myrtle to please you with abundant flowering, you need to get rid of thrips as soon as possible. A folk method is to water the plant with an infusion of garlic or tobacco dust, but a more effective way is to treat it with Actellik.

whitefly looks like a small moth, settles in colonies on the inside of the leaves and feeds on the sap of the plant, like aphids.

Whitefly larvae are covered with a coating through which chemicals do not penetrate, which makes it difficult to control this pest. Adults are removed from the leaves by hand, then the flower is thoroughly wiped with soapy water. After that, the plant must be treated with Aktellik.

spider mite forms a web on the shoots of myrtle, you can get rid of it by carefully wiping the leaves and branches and spraying the flower with an infusion of tobacco dust or the same Aktellik.

So, it is affected by many insect pests, but, fortunately, you can get rid of all of them. with systemic insecticides. The main cause of indoor myrtle diseases is the neglect of watering and spraying.

Also in our article, you learned how to care for, how to transplant, what to do if the myrtle dries, why do the leaves of the plant fall? Follow the rules of care, and the myrtle will feel great.

Interesting information about decorative indoor trees:

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If suddenly you find white lumps on your houseplants that resemble lumps of cotton wool, then this means that they were attacked by a mealybug.

Mealybugs, also called hairy lice, are sucking insects that are perfectly visible to the naked eye. ( Pseudococcidae) is a close relative of scale insects and false scale insects.

In room conditions, a worm can start up along with a plant bought in a store, with a bouquet or seedlings from greenhouses. Worms can get on houseplants along with garden soil. The optimal conditions for the development of worms are considered to be room temperature and high humidity.

There are several types of worms on indoor plants. The most dangerous are considered amaryllis, grape, seaside, cactus, bristly. Almost all of them look the same - white, furry, with many legs. The body of the female is elongated, oval-rounded, about 3.5 mm long, grayish, pinkish or orange. The worms have very well developed legs, so they can easily move from plant to plant.

Worms are very mobile and able to move at almost any age. They have a soft body, devoid of wings, covered on top with a powdery wax coating of white color, sometimes with wax plates along the edge. It is this wax coating that reliably protects the worms and their larvae from the effects of any poisons and makes them immune.

The larvae turn into an adult insect in 1-1.5 months. Both larvae and adult insects harm plants.

In addition to the fact that the worms suck the juice from plants, they leave behind a sweet sticky secretion - honeydew, on which then a sooty fungus quickly adheres - a mold that looks like soot.

By the nature of the lesion, leaf and root scales are distinguished

grape mealybug. The body of the female is about 3.5 mm, broadly oval, pink or yellowish, covered with a white powdery coating. This type of mealybug prefers amaryllis, aralia, gardenia, jasmine, figs, cacti, coffee tree, ferns, hedera (ivy), grapes.

Palm mealybug- a very dangerous quarantine pest, but very rare. The body of an adult female is up to 2.5 mm long, covered with a wax shield in the form of cone-shaped cream-colored spikes. It feeds on the juice of indoor plants, located on the underside of the leaf. Damages palms, bananas, aroids, orchids, avocados and other subtropical plants.

Bristly mealybug rather large and easily noticeable insect on the plant. It hides on the underside of the leaves, climbs under the bark of citrus fruits, under the scales of bulbs. Damages asparagus, begonia, dracaena, lemon, clivia, coleus, dracaena, oleander, palm, pandanus, primrose, cycad, ficus, fuchsia, dieffenbachia.

seaside mealybug- the most common of all types. The female is elongated-oval, 3-4 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, grayish-pink in color. Egg sacs covered with waxy spiderwebs look fluffy and out of shape. Often egg bags are located in a hard-to-reach place - in the axils of the leaves, and in plants such as nolina or dracaena, it can be problematic to get them. Prefers asparagus, cacti, succulents, including nolina (bokarney); camellia, coleus, dieffenbachia, krinum, pelargonium, oleander, laurel, cordilina, cypress, rhododendron, citrus.

Is there some more citrus mealybug, which settles not only on the leaves, but also affects the root system. It is found not only on citrus, Mediterranean (oleander, laurel, myrtle), but also on other indoor plants.

Root mealybug, almost the same as cactus root worm, only slightly larger. Both species prefer cacti and succulents, and are found on plants of the Bromeliad and Euphorbia families. For these plants, whose root system is very small, root mealybugs are very dangerous. Pests settle on the roots or near the root neck, feed on the juice.

Signs of damage to plants by mealybugs

The egg-laying of the mealybug, the larvae and the pest itself look like lumps of small wax threads or lumps that look like fluff or cotton wool.

Often the surfaces of the plant where the worms live become sticky to the touch due to the pest's honey secretions.

The affected plant lags behind in growth, they have an unhealthy appearance, the stem is often bent, becomes deformed, sometimes dries out.

The leaves become smaller in size, lose color or turn yellow without time, fall off prematurely. And if they do not die off, then traces remain on them - gnawed areas, which then dry out, turn brown, the decorative effect of the leaves is greatly reduced.

A plant weakened by a mealybug often rots, being affected by bacterial rot and fungal diseases.

Root bug colonies can be detected by the characteristic white felt in the soil and on the inner walls of the pot. If your cactus, succulent or spurge is sick and not growing for some reason, remove it from the pot and carefully inspect the earthen ball. The root mealybug can be seen by the white, cobwebbed coating on the roots.

Measures to combat the worm

Do not flatter yourself if there are few worms, sometimes the fight against them takes a very long time, and you will have to deal with it with complex measures.

If white lumps are found, wipe or wash the plant in a soap-alcohol solution (dissolve one teaspoon of finely chopped laundry soap in 1 liter of hot water, add 2 tablespoons of vodka), you can use a dishwashing liquid solution. Rubbing the leaves with alcohol or vodka also helps. All these improvised means weaken the wax coating of the worms, which makes them more vulnerable to pesticides. Before processing, all visible pests must be removed with a cotton swab or toothbrush. The cotton swab must be changed, and the brush thoroughly rinsed and treated with alcohol or detergent so as not to transfer the worm to other parts or neighboring plants.

After the "mechanical" processing, it is imperative to proceed to the "chemical" one. To do this, you can use insecticides: golden spark, fitoverm, actellik, phosphamide, intavir, fufan, metaphos, aktara, karbofos, mospilan. In addition to spraying with the same solution, you need to shed the earth in a pot. Such treatments will have to be repeated more than once, it is best to change the drug each time. It is assumed that the worm very quickly gets used to one drug and develops immunity. It should also be noted that it is difficult to deal with a mealybug because of its wax coating. If you simply, having found a worm on a plant, immediately treat it with an insecticide, then it is not always possible to achieve the desired result. The worms or their larvae (egg sacs) need to be disturbed - with a stick, brush, cotton wool, weaken their protection - a wax shell, only then the insecticide can act on them. Such a complex treatment is carried out every 4-5 days. With more rare processing, no measures help.

And even knowing all this, I had to fight with a mealybug on nolin for half a year. I thought I would never get rid of it.

When damaged by root scales, the soil is completely changed. The pots are thoroughly washed in hot water with a disinfectant. The roots of plants are carefully examined, washed in running water and completely placed in a solution of any insecticide for 15 minutes.

The plant must be transplanted into fresh, moist soil, carefully watered, and a week later - with an insecticide solution. But even after that, make it a rule to carefully examine the plant, so that at the first detection of white lumps, you can resume the fight against them.

At risk are many plants with dense, smooth and hard leaves, like alocasia, aglaonema, dracaena, dieffenbachia, sansieveria, nephrolepis, ficus, small-leaved carmona, citrus, Mediterranean, subtropical plants, cacti, succulents, euphorbia (almost all indoor plants ). Do not overmoisten the soil in pots, do not create cold drafts, use sterile soil. Quarantine newly acquired plants, and only then substitute them for your home collection.

When writing the article, materials from the site otsvetax.ru, ru.wikipedia.org, magazine Home Flowers 8/2009 - article by N. Galynskaya about the mealybug were used.