Means from aphids in the apartment. Aphids on indoor plants

often on summer cottages aphids damage many trees and bushes, thereby causing irreparable damage to gardeners. This small insect harms not only garden plants, but also indoor plants. You can even see it with the naked eye. Vegetable, fruit, berry and flower crops are damaged various types aphids. Often, many gardeners do not know how to cure already diseased plants. Let's figure out what kind of insect it is - aphid, and how to deal with it?

Green rose aphid (Macrosiphum rosae) colony on a young rose shoot. © Lucis

Description of aphids

Aphid ( Aphididae) are insects of the order Hemiptera ( Hemiptera) from 0.5 to 2 mm in size. The body is egg-shaped, soft and easily crushed, the legs are long, but the insects move slowly. There are wingless and winged individuals.

The wingless female is oblong-oval in shape, the mouth apparatus is long, thickened in front. Winged insects have two pairs of wings, they fly and infect other plants. The rapid reproduction of aphids is explained by the fact that one fertilization is enough for a wingless female to produce offspring up to 150 larvae 10-20 times every two weeks.

The adult aphid is a small green or black insect. In the middle of summer, wings grow in some individuals. Thus, pests move considerable distances to find new sources of food. Aphids live on buds, stems and the underside of leaves, on the tops of young shoots, preferring fattening branches (tops).

Aphids are an exceptionally large group of insects. According to the most conservative estimates, it unites about 4,000 species, of which almost a thousand live in Europe. Every year more and more new species are described.

Reproduction and aerial migration of aphids

Aphid lays eggs, some species are inherent in live birth. Most aphid species reproduce over several generations by parthenogenesis. A certain generation is born winged and heterosexual. In species that change hosts, this happens before the new plant is colonized or when the colony grows too fast and the overpopulation associated with this. Winged individuals are able to travel long distances and create new colonies in new places.

According to new research, the birth of winged aphids may also be triggered by special scents released by aphids when they are attacked by enemies such as ladybugs. These warning substances cause great unrest and increased movement in the colony. This creates the effect of overpopulation, which causes the rapid production of winged offspring.

A colony of aphids on cabbage. © Ed Cullen

Harm from aphids

The harm caused to plants by aphids is underestimated by many, but in vain. Aphids suck plant sap from stems and leaves, buds and buds. In the affected plant, the leaves are twisted, the buds and shoots are deformed, growth slows down, the fruits do not ripen. An affected weakened plant may not survive the winter. In addition to direct damage, aphids carry viral diseases, black soot fungus (black sooty dew) settles on the sugary secretions of aphids.

Aphids pierce the integument of the plant and suck out the juice. In places of mass bites, tissues are deformed and then die. Flowers on the affected peduncles do not develop, wither, barely opening. The peduncle itself quickly fades. Aphids, like mealybugs, root scale insects, whiteflies, leafhoppers, shitovki, false shields, suck out much more juice from the plant than they need to maintain vitality.

Excess moisture and carbohydrates are excreted from the body of aphids in the form of sugary secretions, which are called honeydew or honeydew. This sticky, sweet liquid coats the plant, making it difficult for it to breathe. Pad is a good substrate for the development of various fungi. Sooty fungi, for example, can cover the leaf in a continuous layer, reducing the intensity of photosynthesis, which depresses already weakened plants.

A colony of aphids on mallow leaves. © esta_ahi

External signs of damage

Along with insects that are clearly visible to the naked eye, deformed tops of shoots, twisted leaves, as well as sweet secretions (honeydew) on leaves and shoots testify to the defeat of aphids. Subsequently, a soot fungus settles on these secretions. If you see ants running around the plant, be sure to check for aphids. As a rule, ants are attracted to honeydew, which is secreted by aphids.

Aphids have a symbiosis with ants. Some ants protect ("herd") aphids and receive sugar-containing secretions from them in return.

Aphids live in large groups on the underside of leaves, around growth points, on young shoots, buds, pedicels, feeding on plant sap. They are dangerous because they weaken the plant, reduce its resistance to diseases, and can also be carriers of viral diseases.

In damaged plants, leaves curl and turn yellow, form nodules, buds do not develop or give ugly flowers. A sticky coating appears on mature leaves, in which the fungus can settle. Roses, carnations, fuchsias, many aroid, forcing bulbous crops are especially affected by aphids.

Many aphid species are able to spread plant diseases in the form of viruses and cause various anomalies in plants, such as galls and gall-like formations.

Ants guarding a colony of aphids. © Mathieu Lemieux

Aphid prevention

Aphids can settle in almost any garden and indoor plants, it is important not to miss the moment and start the fight on time. Particularly attractive to green aphids fruit trees and shrubs, roses, chrysanthemums, many indoor plants. For black - legumes, garden cornflower, etc.

Carefully inspect all new plants brought into the house or bought for the garden, as well as bouquets of fresh flowers - they may already have aphids. When an enemy is detected, take urgent measures to combat it, otherwise it will occupy your plants and the fight will require disproportionately great efforts from you.

If we are talking about aphids in the garden: plant umbrella plants - carrots, dill, fennel, parsley and others. Thus, you will attract tireless aphid eaters - hoverflies to the garden. Arrange flower pots filled with wood shavings in the garden - earwigs can live in them, also big lovers of aphids for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Attract birds to the garden - arrange feeders for them, birdhouses, do not ruin the nests found in the garden, birds eat aphids in large quantities.

Lavender planted in a rose garden will repel green aphids.

Thyme (savory), sown next to legumes, will protect them from black aphids.

Sow nasturtium in the near-stem circle of cherries - it will attract black aphids, reducing the load on the tree, moreover, it is easier to deal with aphids on nasturtium than on a tree.

Aphids piercing the stem of a plant. © Dougie Ritchie

Do not abuse chemicals unless absolutely necessary - along with pests, you destroy their enemies: hoverflies, earwigs, ladybugs, lacewings, riders, ground beetles and predatory bugs.

A balanced feeding of plants is very important - aphids prefer plants that are overfed or weak from a lack of nutrients. In addition to proper feeding, a strong healthy plant needs the right choice of place of growth, a sufficient amount of light and water, good air circulation - all this is also a pest prevention. It is important to loosen the soil under the plants, or better, mulch.

A colony of aphids on a yarrow stem. © Susan Noble

Ways to deal with aphids

Insecticides against aphids

Aphids are quite easily destroyed by insecticides. Insecticides against aphids are divided into preparations of contact, intestinal and systemic action.

Contact drugs penetrate the surface of the body of the insect and kill it. An example of such drugs is the drug Fufanon (Karbofos).

Intestinal drugs enter digestive system insect, causing poisoning and death.

More often, combined preparations of contact-intestinal action are produced: Akarin, Actellik, Bankol.

Systemic preparations penetrate into all cells of the plant, including fruits, and are contained in it from 2 to 4 weeks, are not washed off by rain and watering. Systemic drugs have the longest waiting period, are convenient to use, but are the most dangerous. They must be used with caution. The most modern systemic drugs: Aktara, Biotlin, Tanrek.

Ladybug eating aphids. © davidh-j

Folk remedies against aphids

Decoctions and infusions of herbs against aphids

Decoctions from herbs and crops are effective, for example, from the shield, wormwood, tansy, tobacco dust, yarrow, hot pepper, dandelion, garlic, onion, tomato tops, potato tops, mustard, rhubarb (from black aphids). 2-3-fold treatments are required with an interval of 7-10 days.

An infusion of garlic or onions is quite suitable: pour 30 grams of chopped garlic (onion) and 4 grams of laundry soap with a liter of water. And if you water a houseplant with a liter warm water in which dissolve 80 grams table salt, then you can get rid of both aphids and ticks. Spraying and watering should be carried out at least three times with a break of 10 days.

You can use an infusion of onion peel, tomato leaves. The treatment should be repeated 3 times with an interval of 8-10 days. With a strong infestation of aphids, small plants can be lowered into this solution, having previously covered the ground. You can also put fragrant pelargonium near the plant affected by aphids for 2-3 days, and the aphids will disappear.

Harmful insects have a negative attitude to the infusion of hot capsicum. 100 g of fresh fruits are poured with water and boiled for at least an hour in a liter sealed container. Then they insist for two days, the pepper is ground, and the solution is filtered. For spraying, the concentrate is diluted tenfold with water, a tablespoon of soap powder is added there.

A heavy watering with liquid nettle fertilizer can sometimes drive out aphids in a few days. Plants quickly assimilate this nutritious, strengthening mixture and, therefore, after a short time become more resistant to pests.

Celandine, collected during flowering (take the whole plant). 300-400 g of fresh or 100 g of dry crushed mass must be infused in 1 liter of water for 24-36 hours or boiled for 30 minutes. It also helps against false shields and thrips.

Dandelion medicinal (300 g of crushed roots or 400 g of fresh leaves insist 1-2 hours in 10 liters of warm water (not higher than 40 degrees), filter and spray.

Tagetis (marigolds) at the time of flowering (fill 1/2 bucket with dry raw materials, pour 10 liters of warm water, leave for 2 days, filter and add 40 g of soap).

Lavender planted in a rose garden. © gardensnips

Other decoctions and infusions

Pour 100 g of dry citrus peels with 1 liter of warm water and leave for three days in a warm place. Then spray.

Tobacco, shag. 40 g of dry raw materials are infused in 1 liter of water for 2 days, filtered and another liter of water is added.

Also, when aphids appear, the plant is sprayed with a solution of tar soap (10 g per liter of water) or a settled and filtered decoction of wood ash, prepared as follows: 300 g of sifted ash is poured with boiling water and put on fire for 30 minutes. Before use, add 10 liters of water.

Wood ash. 2 cups of ash insist in 10 liters. water, add 50 gr. laundry soap shavings.

Manual assembly

If all a few aphids appear on the plant, remove them with a damp cotton swab.

The appearance of aphids causes great harm to indoor plants. Their growth slows down, the stem becomes crooked, the buds do not open, and the leaves twist. Flowers familiar to the eye change, acquiring a deformed shape. Insects, settling on a plant, infect it without a chance for recovery. It is necessary to solve the question of how to get rid of aphids on indoor plants at the first sign of the appearance of a colony of pests. Otherwise, the invasion of insects will lead to the rapid death of home flowers.

What is an aphid?

The insect belongs to the order of Hemiptera with a sedentary lifestyle. Aphids settle on the stems or the back of the leaves. The insect feeds on the sap of the plant, damaging mainly its young parts. Such an effect is detrimental, since the liquid secreted by aphids is capable of spreading various fungal diseases.

The lack of appropriate measures on the part of flower growers to combat insects creates excellent conditions for their reproduction. As a result, the eggs laid by aphids in autumn are perfectly preserved in winter, and by spring they give a large offspring. One insect is capable of laying about 30 larvae daily.

Dealing with insects is as difficult as identifying their species. There are more than 4,000 aphid varieties that can settle on completely different plants. This feature complicates the search for a suitable pest control agent.

Another danger of aphids for plants is the appearance of sticky secretions and soot fungi, which are formed due to the accumulation of sap residues. Indoor flowers are exposed to such a disease due to the intensive nutrition of pests.

How does aphids appear?

You can eliminate the chances of aphids getting on indoor plants if you know their main ways to enter the house.

Insects can appear in the apartment in the following ways:

• fly in while airing the room from the street;
• through an aphid-infested plant that the owners have recently acquired;
• entry through ants, which are in most cases distributors;
• bringing any objects into the house on which aphids could randomly settle;
• through the ground, which is used to plant a new indoor flower.

Ideal conditions are warm air temperature and unmoistened ground. The task of flower growers is to ensure soil moisture and maintain an optimal indoor climate.

All means of combating aphids are effective at the very beginning of its detection. It is enough to carefully care for the plants in the house and check the main areas of the appearance of aphids: the reverse side of the leaves, stem, buds.

When insects appear on flowers in the house, several methods are used:

• chemical;
• biological;
• ecological;
• folk recipes.

Chemical control agents

The method of getting rid of plant pests is similar to the standard procedure for spraying poisonous liquids. Such means of cleaning plants from insects have a milder composition containing insecticides and pesticides that do not cause significant harm to the environment. Funds are used quite often. Their composition can be based on the following components: vegetable oils or fatty acids.
If the aphid has only affected a small area of ​​the plant, it must be carefully removed. This happens without prejudice to the home flowers, as the damaged parts can no longer be repaired anyway. The rest of the plant must be wiped with soap and water diluted in it.
With a strong spread of aphids, insecticides can be applied. These include:

• Aktar;
• Agravertin;
• Confidor;
• Kinmiks;
• Actarin;
• Fitoverma;
• Actellik;

There are also other means, but when processing plants with any of them, it is important to adhere to the basic recommendations:

1. Solutions should be applied to every plant in the house, regardless of whether aphids have settled on it or not. This is due to the peculiarity of the behavior of insects, which, after processing, can again return to indoor flower. Therefore, you should perform a cleaning procedure for all plants in the house to eliminate the chances of aphids surviving.
2. Insects quickly adapt to insecticides. Some drugs can make them addictive and the ability to adapt to their action. If aphids are found after several procedures, the agent should be replaced with another one.

Biological method of destruction of aphids

The method involves the settlement of the home garden with other living creatures that feed on aphids. The main representatives are:

• ladybugs;
• wasps (some species);
• lacewings.

Efforts must also be made to attract aphid fighters. The home garden should be planted with complementary flowers that attract their attention. Only then can aphid exterminators take root in it for a long time and get rid of plant pests.

• predatory gall midge;
• aphidius;
• lysiflebus.

Aphids on home flowers: how to get rid of ecological methods

Many flower growers begin the fight against aphids with this method, considering it the most acceptable. The method includes the following procedures:

1. Washing plants with soapy water. Flowers prone to aphid settling should be washed regularly in the shower.
2. Pruning the most damaged areas of plants, provided that aphid colonies are insignificant.
3. The use of oils. Oil-based preparations are absolutely safe for humans, so it is better to start the fight with them. Spraying the agent is carried out at the sites of infection in such a way that a film forms on the surface of the leaves of plants. Care should be taken to apply them in the growth zone of buds and flowers, since when non-toxic drugs enter these parts of the plants stick together and eventually begin to wither.
4. Place a pot of room fragrant pelargonium near the infected plant. The presence of such a flower repels aphids. Within a few days, the insects should be gone.

Aphids on flowers: how to get rid of folk methods

You can exterminate aphids in your home garden using natural recipes based on biological substances.

Prevention

Aphids can quickly infect indoor flowers, so the plants in the house require careful care, which includes several general recommendations:

Destroying aphids is faster and easier in the initial stages of their appearance, so it is important to regularly inspect indoor flowers.

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Indoor plants for many owners are an outlet. Still, because they are pleasing to the eye for a whole year bright colors and green border. But sometimes it happens that pets get sick: appearance plants lose their former beauty, the leaves turn black and dry, the buds fall off. The reason for such unfavorable changes may be aphids. You should know how to deal with aphids on indoor plants so that the pest never returns, and your plants will delight you with their beauty and sophistication for a long time to come.

The aphid is a sucking insect that feeds on the plant juices of a wide variety of plants. The insect has an oval body, on which long limbs are located. oral apparatus prickly and elongated, so the aphid leaves small punctures on the stems and leaves during feeding. The pest is characterized by low mobility and small size: from 0.5 to 7 mm. The largest individuals are females. The insect has a variety of colors. On indoor plants, green or white aphids are most common.

Aphids on indoor flowers multiply at an incredible rate. In one season, up to 20 generations can change on a flower, which constantly form colonies. One female can lay about 100 larvae during her life. It will take two weeks to turn a larva into an insect. Individuals are divided into winged and wingless, which perform various functions: individuals without wings form colonies, and winged ones capture new plants.

In total, there are about a thousand varieties of this pest. Determining one or another species is a rather difficult task, because most aphid species adapt well to a new habitat and often resort to modification. The insect is most often found on young plants on the inside of the leaves. He likes to besiege plants such as hibiscus, orchids, roses, cyclamens, fuchsias.

Threats and signs

The leaves of a plant that has been occupied by aphids are first deformed, and then wither and fall off. By sucking the juice from indoor flowers, pests create favorable conditions for the reproduction of the fungus. An adult female can lay up to 25 eggs per day, as a result of which insects immediately spread to other indoor plants.

Grab new flower aphids start from the bottom of the plant. If you find that a colony of eggs and small bugs has formed on the inside of the leaf, it's time to start pest control. There are special chemicals that destroy insects in just one or two sprays, but you can also use safer old methods.

initial stage

If you are used to closely monitoring your plants, then it will not be difficult to notice when aphids appear on home flowers for the first time. At the first stages, it will be enough to crush the female and destroy the eggs, if she has already managed to lay them. Then it is recommended to carefully examine all the plants that were in the room with the infected flower.

Sometimes it is necessary to cut off damaged leaves to prevent aphids from breeding - there is nothing wrong with that. Such a procedure will not harm the flower too much, because it can recover very quickly. In cases where time has already been lost, and there are too many insects, more radical pest control methods should be used.

The use of folk remedies

Fighting aphids on indoor plants is a rather tedious task. Help can be asked from a smoker, if there is one in the house:

Killer scent

The first means of pest control can be made from shag or by buying a pack of cigarettes in the nearest store and squeezing tobacco out of them. To do this, you need about 40 g of dry ingredient, which must be soaked in a liter of boiling water and left to infuse in this state for at least a day. The filtered solution is used for spraying flowers. It is best to use a spray bottle so that all the product gets on the roots and lower leaves.

The second recipe consists of one liter of water and 30 g of minced garlic. The spice is soaked for a day, then the infusion is poured into a container with a spray bottle. Instead of garlic, you can use one medium or two small onions per liter jar of water. The infusion, closed with a nylon lid, is aged for about 8 hours. The onion method is able to rid the plant of both aphids and spider mites.

Heavy artillery

Celandine is able to destroy both pests and warts. In a jar with a liter of water, you need to put 300 g of fresh raw materials or 100-150 g of dry. The infusion is kept in the refrigerator for about a day. Flowers affected by thrips or aphids must be sprayed with a spray bottle.

If there are a few hot peppercorns lying around the house, then this will also help in the fight against the pest. You just need to cut the product into small pieces, pour water and put on a slow fire. It is necessary to boil water with pepper for about 50-60 minutes, and then leave to infuse for another day. Pour the resulting mixture into a spray bottle.

In order not to burn the flowers, it is advised to dilute the concentrated infusion with water at the rate of 10-15 ml of concentrate per 1 liter of water. Strengthening the effect can be achieved with the help of laundry soap: rub a small piece and dilute the resulting shavings in pepper liquid.

elementary solution

Sometimes it will be enough just to wash the indoor flowers affected by aphids in the shower:

Ash and mustard

Burn some wood of any kind in the oven. You won't need coals, so you don't need to mix them with ash. Collect clean raw materials from the ash pan and dilute it in water. It will take 2 tablespoons of ash per 1 liter of water, plus about a spoonful of laundry soap. Stir the workpiece thoroughly so that all components are successfully dissolved. Spraying should be done with a brush, because ash particles can get stuck in the spray gun.

The second method will require 10 g of powder made from mustard seeds (white). This amount of ingredient requires a liter of water. The solution must be infused for 2 days, after which it is recommended to strain it well. The tincture is advised to be diluted with water to avoid damaging the plants. In extreme cases, when the plant is in a neglected state, it is allowed to use a concentrated product.

Dandelions and marigolds

Aphids are not able to tolerate the aroma of some plants. This weakness is recommended to be used in the fight against arrogant insects.

The first option: steam 40 g of dandelion roots and leaves in a liter of water. Wait two hours, then strain the broth. The liquid should be sprayed on all plants that were in the same room with the diseased, and then repeat the procedure in a day.

The second option: put pots of marigolds next to the affected plant, or make an infusion for spraying from leaves and dried buds. A handful of dried raw materials are poured into three glasses of water. You need to wait two days and add shavings of laundry soap to the solution. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray the plants.

Unpleasant remedy

Harmful bugs do not like the scent of geraniums. Aphids will quickly leave their "home" if placed next to the infected flowers of a new neighbor. You can also use pelargonium instead of geranium.

Very often, a tincture of onions or other natural ingredients is powerless in the fight against the pest, or the aphid disappears for a couple of weeks, then to return again. In such situations, you can not do without the use of insecticides.

Professionals recommend using "Confidor" or "Aktara", "Agravertin" or "Actellik". To get rid of aphids on houseplants, you can try Iskra, Kinmiksom, Fitoverm or Karate. Perfectly removes aphids "Decis", "Neoron" and "Inta-vir".

1. You should carefully study the instructions and be sure to follow the dosage indicated in it. Insecticides recommended for indoor plants are not volatile, but it is still recommended to wear a mask or gauze bandage and gloves when working with the drug.
2. During pest control, it is necessary to remove all children from the house and close pets in other rooms.
3. It is necessary to process both affected and healthy areas so as not to miss the eggs laid by aphids.
4. If the pests have not disappeared after the second treatment, you should purchase another remedy. Aphids have the ability to very quickly adapt to insecticides and become insensitive to certain insecticides.
5. Before you start treating flowers with a chemical agent, it is worth wiping all the leaves with a cloth dipped in soapy water- this will enhance the effect of the insecticide.

The best way to fight is prevention

Removing small greenish bugs from a plant is quite difficult due to their vitality, so it is best to warn them possible appearance in the house:

If you carefully monitor weakened and diseased flowers, examine their buds and leaves daily, then it will not be difficult to see aphids that have not yet managed to occupy the plant. At the first sign of aphids, it is recommended to first use folk remedies pest control, and only then, if the infusions and decoctions were useless, resort to the help of insecticides.

Aphids are a mite that can appear on almost every plant. It is small, ranging in size from 3 to 5 mm. Ticks form large colonies of individuals that feed on above-ground green parts of the plant. They are easy to recognize: the bodies of insects are thin, sometimes almost transparent, oval in shape. different color(green, white, red). They have long thin legs, tentacles and a pair of delicate wings.

Their development cycle is divided into two periods: autumn-winter and spring-summer. During the winter, aphids lay their eggs in the soil, and in the spring they hatch into wingless individuals. They reproduce on the same plant, and soon individuals with wings appear that can move in colonies to neighboring plants.

The direct harmfulness of aphids found on flowers in pots is the sucking of juice from young shoots, stems and leaves. Feeding on juices, aphids secrete saliva onto the surface of the plant, which changes its appearance. The consequence of this are deformations that reduce the decorative value of the flower. As a result of the activity of the pest, the growth of the plant, its flowering and fruiting is delayed.

Aphids can carry viral diseases into the sweet nectar that houseplants produce. It is a breeding ground for fungal diseases, such as gray mold. The harmfulness of these insects is huge, and you need to start fighting them as soon as they appear. Fortunately, many drugs have been developed that effectively fight aphids. But chemical protection agents are often expensive and harmful to environment. In such situations, it is worth using folk remedies.

Home ways to fight

It is possible to destroy pests through the use of a self-prepared plant-based preparation. Such a tool has not only an insecticidal property, but is also a deterrent for many potential pests. The fight against aphids at home is carried out using extracts and decoctions from onions, garlic, dandelions and nettles. The lack of natural remedies against aphids is short term storage of the substance, so they need to be cooked in small quantities, depending on the needs.

The following are ways to deal with aphids on plants:

1. 1. A decoction of onion peel. 100 g of onion peel pour 4-5 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. Then cool and strain thoroughly. The solution is used for spraying the leaves. The decoction is stored in a jar or bottle for 3-4 months in a dark place. A decoction of onion peel is also effective in the fight against fungus on plants.
2. 2. Extract from onion peel. 100 g of husk should be poured with water (5 l) and left for 72-96 hours. After that, strain the solution and apply undiluted to the leaves using a manual sprayer. The extract should be used on a regular basis. Garlic preparations are prepared in a similar way. You can use them, alternating with onion solutions.
3. 3. A decoction of onions. To prepare a decoction of onions, you need to cut 75 g of the vegetable into small pieces. Pour 8 liters of water and boil for 30 minutes. After cooling, the decoction is sprayed on the plants. This and good remedy with some fungal diseases.
4. 4. Another home method is an infusion of garlic. To prepare it, 250 g of garlic must be crushed, pour 8 liters of water, and leave for about a day. Before spraying, dilute with water 1:1.
5. 5. You can remove aphids on plants using dandelion infusion. You need to take 40 g of dandelion leaves and pour 10 liters of water. Leave to brew for 2-3 hours, and spray the leaves of the plant. The infusion can be stored for 2 months in a tightly sealed container.
6. 6. Spraying with milk. As a home remedy against aphids, you can use a mixture of milk and water 1: 1. After mixing, spraying is carried out. Efficiency will be higher if fresh fresh milk is used. Spraying with milk from the store, or rather from the package, may not bring the expected effects.
7. 7. In pest control on indoor plants, spraying with soap and water is used. If there is laundry soap, you need to dissolve about 20 g in 1 liter of water. Spray the plants with the liquid. In decoctions, infusions and herbal extracts prepared on your own, in order to increase efficiency, it is worth adding liquid potassium soap. To do this, dissolve 10-20 g of soap in a liter of slightly warmed water. After the soap has dissolved and the water has cooled, it must be diluted with the resulting solution. herbal preparation. Gray soap should be grated first, so it will dissolve faster. Potassium soap, added to herbal preparations, creates a kind of film on the surfaces of plants, thereby facilitating adhesion and increasing protective mechanisms.
8. 8. Dishwashing liquid. It's safe and effective method get rid of not only aphids, but also spider mites. Pour 1-2 drops of dishwashing liquid into a spray bottle. Pour a bottle warm water and shake hard. Spray the plants with the resulting solution.
9. 9. Nettle infusion. For 10 liters of water, add 1 kg of nettles collected before flowering. Leave to ferment, shake every day. The drug will be ready after 10-20 days. Before use, dilute 0.5 liters of solution with 10 liters of water. The agent is used in the fight against aphids and spider mite, it is also a valuable fertilizer.
10. 10. A decoction of tansy. You can use 3 kg of fresh tansy flowers or 0.3 kg of dried ones. Pour 10 liters of water. Bring to a boil, strain after cooling. Apply to spraying affected plants.
11. 11. Infusion of yarrow. Pour boiling water over 0.8 kg of dried raw materials, leave for 40 minutes. After this time, add water to 10 or leave for 2 days. Plants are sprayed with this decoction.
12. 12. Tobacco extract. Pour boiling water over 50 g of tobacco, preferably in unnecessary dishes, because it is poisonous. The tool is useful in the fight against aphids.
13. 13. Baking soda. Dissolve half a teaspoon of soda in 1 liter of warm water, add 4 tbsp. l vegetable oil and a few drops of liquid soap. Shake before use, repeat spraying twice a week, with an interval of 2 weeks. The mixture should not be used on sunny days, as burns may occur on the leaves.

Home methods against aphids are not harmful to the environment; you can safely call them ecological. This is especially important if you use them on vegetables or fruits that will be eaten, or on house flowers that are constantly near people. Spraying with the above preparations cannot do any harm, because they are completely natural. Aphids can also be eaten by ladybugs and other beneficial insects. Therefore, it is worth planting natural allies on the plant in the fight against aphids.

Chemical protection

The easiest way to get rid of aphids on potted flowers is by spraying with commercially available products. The most common means include Decis2. 5 EC, Fastac 100 EC and Sumi-alpha 050 EC. When using chemicals, you should act in strict accordance with the instructions that come with the package. Before starting work, the pot with the plant must be taken out to the balcony or garden (if it is not too cold or hot) and a protective mask and gloves must be purchased. Chemical spraying is carried out during cloudy and calm weather, when the temperature does not exceed 25°C. The disadvantage of this method is the toxicity of the drugs and the high cost of their use. The advantage is a wide spectrum of action (drugs destroy other pests).

If you do not want to use chemicals, you can get rid of aphids on flowers in pots using biopreparations widely available in garden stores. In such products, the basis is the active substance of natural origin. The use of such products is safe even in an apartment due to low toxicity to humans and the environment.

Is an aphid. This miniature creature is able to very quickly capture the entire territory and significantly spoil the crop. That is why it causes a lot of trouble for gardeners and causes great damage to young plants, in addition, aphids also infect houseplants. Plants affected by this insect grow slowly, wither, and may die completely. That is why you should always have aphids on hand.

The appearance of aphids

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure, so you need to regularly inspect your garden. The first sign of the appearance of aphids is the twisting of the leaves. If you find several insects, then expect an early increase in the colony and the death of the plant. Therefore, do not waste time and immediately apply aphid preparations. Usually, where it is, black garden ants begin to appear. No, they do not eat aphids, on the contrary, they feed on its sweet secretions. That is why aphid preparations are often combined and act simultaneously on ants.

Ways to deal with aphids

There are several options for how to deal with this scourge. Chemical preparations for aphids are considered the most effective, but they are not always safe for the human body. Therefore, if there are still few insects, you can use the mechanical method of their destruction. Aphids can be collected, crushed or flushed with water. In addition, biological control methods can be used, that is, natural enemies of aphids. Finally, there are a huge number of folk recipes that can and should be used, as they are inexpensive and very effective.

Plants and insects as natural enemies of aphids

The very first rule: don't kill ladybugs. This insect is excellent pest control. If you happen to walk in a meadow where these slow bugs are found, carefully collect them and bring them to your garden plot. But with a large number of pests, they alone cannot cope, so plants are planted to help them that repel aphids. Onions, garlic and chamomile are planted next to the fruit beds. These plants repel aphids. But if you notice a large colony of insects in the garden, sucking juices from your plants, then it's time to take more decisive action.

Fruit trees

Very often they are affected by aphids. Insects breed very quickly - within a few days the entire tree will be captured by a huge colony. In this case, it is not possible to collect or wash off all harmful insects, you need a safe preparation for aphids on trees. One of these is the Tanrek tool. The main advantage of using this tool is the durability of the action. It is not washed off by rain or water, but it is quite safe and does not affect the edible qualities of the fruit. The effect of the drug is completely independent of the ambient temperature, that is, it does not evaporate even at the highest positive temperatures. It is enough to make one treatment per season, and the aphid preparation on the trees will act until late autumn, reliably protecting your garden from pest invasion. It is worth processing during the growing season.

Biological agents for aphid control

If the harvest period has already begun, and your garden has been attacked a large number of aphids, it is necessary to find an effective and completely safe means to destroy pests. Today there are modern biological insecticides that are as safe as possible. They are made on the basis of waste products of soil organisms, and therefore they do not harm plants. You can collect fruits starting from the next day after processing. One of these can be considered the drug "Fitoverm". The maximum effect of the drug is visible within a week, unless it was washed off with water or rain. In addition, there are oil emulsions that are completely safe for humans, for example, “30 Plus”. This is a modern drug for aphids. The instructions for use speak of its highest efficiency when used on a wide variety of garden plants.

From the depths of centuries

For many generations, mankind did without industrial preparations and learned to deal with harmful insects. Given this experience, it is possible to prepare effective mixtures for pest control at home. These tools have a number of advantages. They are always at hand, you do not have to spend money on their purchase, and they will not harm your body. Folk remedies for aphids are presented in a huge assortment, today we will consider only the most effective of them, which are used from year to year in almost every garden plot.

Recipes for your garden

Aphids do not like flowers such as marigolds. Therefore, when the flower bed fades, be sure to collect dry plants and prepare them for future use. For spraying, prepare a tincture, for which you need to pour half a bucket of dry plants with 10 liters of hot water and insist for two days. After that, the infusion is filtered and 40 g of laundry soap is added. It is better to treat plants with this remedy 2-3 times with an interval of 3-4 days. By the way, the solution of laundry soap is also well suited to combat aphids. To do this, dissolve 200 g of it in a bucket of water.

Do not forget to collect potato tops as well. Considering folk remedies for aphids, this remedy should be noted as one of the most effective. You will need a kilogram of dry or fresh tops, which must be poured with 10 liters of warm water and left for 4 hours. Now the infusion should be filtered and add 40 g of laundry soap. In this solution, soap is not the active element. It is only necessary for the solution to stick to the leaves. Processing is done in the evening, and in the morning 90% of aphids die.

A very effective plant for controlling aphids is yarrow. You will need one kilogram of dry powder prepared from plants. They are poured with boiling water and infused for 36-48 hours, after which they are filtered. You can prepare a decoction, for this the same amount of yarrow is boiled for 30 minutes, filtered, topped up to 10 liters and 40 g of soap are added to the decoction. It is not recommended to store the decoction for a long time, it is best to use it immediately after cooling.

Save the flower garden

We most often treat fruit trees with insecticides in early summer, but the rose garden is left unattended until we notice how the plants twist their leaves and lower their magnificent heads. Which effective drugs from aphids on roses will solve this problem? There are not so few of them, but let's start, as usual, with the safest ones. We have already talked about which aphids feed on, these are ladybugs and many others. They are attracted to the smell of plants such as cumin and dill, daisy and violet. These plants are planted in the area next to the roses. In addition, you can protect roses if you plant nasturtium and cosmea, poppy, and mallow, which are very attractive for aphids, in a flower garden. They will serve as a natural place where they can be rendered harmless. If all these methods were not effective enough, then it is necessary to purchase drugs such as Inta-Vir, Sharpei, Karbofos. Since roses do not belong to, processing can be done at any time. Aphid preparations on roses can be alternated so as not to be addictive in pests.

fruit shrub

Probably everyone knows that aphids are very fond of currants and gooseberries. Attacking a tender bush, it can ruin the crop or cause the branches to die. But today there are effective preparations for aphids on currants. First of all, this is "Fitoverm" - a safe and inexpensive remedy that can be used even during the fruiting period. True, the effect is not enough for a short time, you should repeat the treatment about once every 2-3 weeks. So if you did not treat with chemicals during the growing season, you will have to spend more time caring for the garden.

There are also natural, natural preparations for aphids on currants. This is a familiar solution to which the branches are washed. Not bad helps and garlic infusion, which is sprayed on the plant.

Aphid chemicals

There are a lot of them on sale today, you can choose the one that best suits your requirements. There are two big groups. These are insecticides of contact action, that is, in order to work, the drug must be in contact with an insect, and systemic. The second type of drugs penetrates and infects the pest when he tries to feast on them. The first group of insecticides is used for one-time pest control, as it is washed off the surface of the leaves. These are Envidor, Inta-Vir, Iskra and many others. processed once, they are constantly in the tissues of plants, that is, whenever a pest arrives, death awaits it. These are the funds "Commander" and "Marshal", "Calypso" and others.