The real scourge of houseplants is scabbard, the most common pest. She does not disdain even poisonous plants. It reproduces very quickly, and it is very difficult to remove it. The first thing that flower growers should take care of is preventive measures aimed at protecting plants from insects. Every lover of flowers would be nice to know what to do if there was a scale shield on indoor plants, how to fight at home.
What does a scale shield look like on indoor plants
Scutellum is a parasitic tick belonging to the family of homopterans. Lives due to the fact that it feeds on the juice of green spaces. The size of the pests varies from 0.5 to 5 mm, depending on what species they belong to. If small tubercles appeared on the leaves, then, most likely, a scale shield appeared on them.
Leaves affected by scabies are covered with unpresentable tubercles
Important! The shield is covered with a durable shell, which complicates the fight against it.
There are differences between females and males. Females have a more powerful and rounded shell, often lacking wings, legs and eyes. They are absolutely motionless. Males have well developed wings and legs. The carapace is slightly weaker than that of females of oblong shape. Underdeveloped mouth. Males have a very short life span; they die immediately after mating.
During breeding, females lay eggs on leaves, from which larvae appear over time. They do not show activity for long, for several days, and then strengthen on the stems and leaves.
What harm does the scale brush do to indoor flowers
The appearance of scale insects on indoor plants is really detrimental to them. There are cases when pests destroyed a fruit tree in 3 to 4 years. And this is not an exaggeration. In practice, when a scale shield is found in the garden, quarantine is declared.
Leaves infected with scabies turn yellow first, then dry completely.
Important! The appearance of scabies primarily leads to the appearance of a fungus that spreads quite quickly on the stems, leaves and roots. The insects themselves, eating the juice of the plant, weaken it. If in time you do not take measures to combat the scale, the plant will die, completely dry.
Signs of a scab
It is possible to understand that indoor flowers in the house are affected by a scale, according to several signs:
- The appearance of plaques on leaves and stems. These are small convex spots, the shade of which varies from light yellow to brown.
- The formation of sticky plaque. At an early degree of infection, droplets having a transparent and sticky structure are observed. And over time, a plaque forms on the entire surface.
- The plant stops growing. The leaves turn yellow, dry and fall.
Signs of damage to the scale in the plant
Very often, a fungus forms on the sites of the scale insects. All this contributes to clogging of pores, disruption of photosynthesis. If the plant is not helped, it will dry completely.
False shield on indoor plants
In addition to the scale insect, there is a similar insect pseudoscutis. They may look the same and beginner gardeners often confuse them.
But there are several signs by which it is easy to distinguish pests from each other.
If a false shield has settled on the plant, then there is no sticky liquid and no plaque on it. The shell is not firmly connected to the body of the insect. Therefore, if you take on the shield, it will immediately detach from the calf. It differs in shell and shape. In scale insects it is rounded, like a pea, in a false scaffold it is flatter.
How to get rid of scale insects on indoor plants
It is difficult to get rid of scabies at home. Pests are reliably protected by the shell, and eggs with larvae are not visible to the naked eye.
Important! So that the plant does not die completely, it is necessary to carry out activities in a complex: water it with chemical preparations and spray the surface of the plant.
Chemicals
In the event that the pests were not noticed on time, and the scabbers managed to spread massively, it is necessary to turn to chemistry. Affected by spraying or moistening the soil with insecticides. With this method, the product used reaches the pests through the sap of the plants.
The most effective of hormonal insecticides are:
- Admiral
- Fitoverm;
- Corado
- Actara;
- Confidor;
- Tanrek.
Effective drugs in the treatment of scale insects
From phosphorganic preparations will help get rid of scale insects:
- Kemifos;
- Fufanon;
- Actellik.
The product is dissolved in a liquid according to the instructions indicated on the package. But, it should be remembered that getting rid of the pest involves repeated treatment. Watering and spraying is repeated several times until the characteristic symptoms disappear completely.
Folk remedies for scale insects on indoor plants
Often experienced flower growers use folk methods in the fight against scale insects. They are preferred due to the lack of toxic substances. They are less effective, therefore, they are used only if the spread of pests has not become widespread.
The composition of the national structures:
- A mixture of soap and alcohol. According to 1 tbsp. l dissolve liquid soap and alcohol in 1 liter of water. The composition is whipped until a thick foam is obtained and applied to the stems and leaf plates of the plant. After 1 hour, the product is washed off with clean water.
- Oil with soap. It is necessary to mix 10 g of machine oil and the same amount of soap, then add 30 ml of water. Soil in a pot is protected by covering with polyethylene. The resulting mixture is applied to the plant and left for 12 hours. After time, the solution is washed off.
- The combination of washing powder and burdock oil. 10 g of powder and burdock oil are added to 1 liter of water, stirred and allowed to stand for 4 hours. The resulting composition periodically wipe the leaves and stems of a room flower.
Treatment of a plant from a scale with folk remedies
- The use of wood ash. 300 g of ash are dissolved in 1 liter of liquid, heated and allowed to boil for about 30 minutes. Before applying the solution to a diseased plant, it is diluted in 10 liters of water. The soil must be protected with polyethylene.
- Able to cope with pests and capsicum. It is passed through a meat grinder, and then a solution is prepared in the ratio: for 2 liters of liquid, 100 g of chopped pepper. They let it brew for a day, after which you can spray the flowers. The frequency of processing is 2 weeks.
- Acetic essence is used as a prophylactic after mechanical treatment. All parts of the flower are wiped with a weak solution of vinegar.
Important! Folk formulations are best used for prevention. With severe infection, their effectiveness is minimal.
Preventive measures
The disease is better prevented than cured. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention of flower growers to the timeliness of preventive measures from scale insects. They consist of five steps:
- Introduction of quarantine. This applies to newly acquired plants. They are initially placed in a separate room and preventive spraying with insecticides and fungicides is carried out.
- Conducting systematic monthly treatments with soapy water.
- Regular pruning of plants. As soon as yellowed and wilted leaves appear, they must be removed. In no case should you leave fallen leaves in the pot - they must be removed.
The best protection of indoor flowers from scale insects preventive measures
- Carrying out disinfection measures in the form of processing plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Ensuring proper care of indoor flowers. Eliminate the crowding of flowering plants on the windowsill, observing the temperature and humidity levels will help minimize the likelihood of scabies.
These insects love heat and stuffy rooms. Therefore, you need to try to systematically ventilate the room, but do not arrange drafts. And in the summer, to bring flowers to the balcony, providing access to fresh air. This process is called flower hardening by flower growers.
As you can see, it is difficult to get rid of scale insects during mass infection. Therefore, it is necessary to take all measures to prevent the occurrence of pests. If you carefully inspect the plants, produce regular treatments, then your favorite flowers will not be threatened with infection. They will be able to please their beauty for a long time.
