How to rid a flower of spider mites. How to permanently get rid of spider mites on indoor plants. Pest extermination methods

Spider mite on indoor lemon- This is a very dangerous and widespread pest. This insect is very small size, almost invisible to the naked eye, so it is very difficult to identify and take timely measures to eliminate it. It feeds on the sap of the plant, its activity leads to starvation of the plant, drying out and falling of the leaves.

Spider mites feed on sap from a plant leaf

How to deal with spider mites indoors citrus plants? What are the methods? effective treatment homemade lemon and tangerine against ticks, how to prevent infection - we will share our experience. Evidence of activity spider mite on lemon leaves- the appearance of yellow dots, yellowing of the tips of the leaves, curling of the leaves. In the later stages of infection, cobwebs may appear, at first single stripes, and then advanced cases entire nests inside curled leaves.

This is what a spider mite looks like on a leaf under slight magnification.

Spider mite, description and photo

Spider mite- an arachnid insect, ranging in size from 0.3 to 0.6 mm, depending on gender and fatness. Has 6 or 8 legs. Homemade lemons are most often inhabited by red insects and their dark green larvae. They move very slowly and most often live on back side leaf plate, but sometimes they can be found on the outer one. To the naked eye they can be identified as small red dots.

Spider mite on the back of a leaf, barely visible to the naked eye

Spider mites belong to the class Arachnids. This must be taken into account when choosing a means of pest control; preparations for killing insects do not work on it.

It lives for about a month, the female can lay unfertilized eggs, from which new female ticks hatch in 3-5 days, capable of laying eggs (up to a hundred pieces) on their own within a week. Behind a short time the population can increase hundreds of times. Spider mites overwinter in the ground or in crevices of greenhouses; the eggs do not lose their viability for several years while waiting for favorable conditions.

Only when the spider mite larva emerges into the world does it bite into the leaf. suitable plant from the bottom side, and begins to suck out the juice. The spider mite “menu” includes about 200 plant species. The appearance of the pest can be detected by noticing yellow drying spots and spots on the surface of the leaves. Looking at the underside of the leaf, you can see a thin web and small greenish or red creatures - this is the spider mite. At large numbers pest, plant leaves quickly dry out, growth slows down and is inhibited. In addition, spider mites can carry infections dangerous to plants (gray rot, viruses). If urgent measures are not taken, you can lose the entire plantation; the mite spreads very quickly.

Ticks are especially rampant in protected soil. In a greenhouse, with its elevated air temperature and many places where you can comfortably overwinter, the tick feels great. Therefore, in addition to the usual means of exterminating the pest, autumn washing and disinfection of the greenhouse is mandatory.

Preparations to combat spider mites

Cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, and beans are especially often affected by spider mites. It causes considerable damage to flowers, especially asters and roses. Apple trees, cherries, pears, mulberries, currants, strawberries and gooseberries also suffer from the pest.

When choosing a drug to combat ticks, you need to remember that they are not insects, and there is no point in using insecticides.

Acaricides used against spider mites: Omite, Flumite, Demitan, Apollo, Bitoxibacillin (10 g per 1 liter of water), Borneo. Insectoacaricides will also be effective: Fufanon, Oberon, Aktofit, Kleschevit, Fitoverm (1 ml per 1 liter of water), Karate, Agravertin, Akarin (2 ml per 1 liter of water), Vertimek.

The drugs are diluted in strict accordance with the attached instructions.

Important! Treatment with chemicals is carried out taking all precautions: when spraying on foliage, you must wear a respirator, goggles and gloves. After finishing work, put your work clothes in the wash, wash your face and hands with soap. Smoking or eating while working is prohibited!

Due to the short development cycle of the mite and the ineffectiveness of the drug on the pest eggs, several plant treatments are carried out. Usually, 3 – 5 sprayings are enough, with an interval of 4 – 7 days. The higher the air temperature, the shorter the interval between sprayings.

The tick has the ability to get used to and adapt to toxic substances, so medications need to be changed regularly. Need to focus on change active substance, carefully reading the composition of the drug on the package.

The disadvantage of using chemicals is their toxicity to pets and people.

Some substances (phosphorus-based) are prohibited for use in closed spaces. Many products cannot be sprayed on fruit-bearing plants. The use of such strong agents is justified in case of severe damage to plants and large area landing

Folk methods of struggle

Spider mites cannot tolerate high humidity air. When the pest population is small and to prevent its occurrence, it is useful to wash the plants with a stream of cool water. Barrels and buckets of water are placed in greenhouses to increase air humidity (at 80% - 85% humidity the tick dies). These measures are quite effective, provided that high humidity is not harmful to the plants. This method works well for cucumbers. To increase air humidity in open ground In addition to the shower, you can wrap the bushes in pieces of film or place wide containers of water under them.

The spread of the pest is prevented by timely (preferably daily) collection of affected foliage and its burning.

In the greenhouse you can place open jars of turpentine or ammonia. The fumes from these substances will poison the tick. Less caustic, but also good remedy- chopped garlic and onion.

Sowing calendula among vegetables will help scare away the pest from the beds.

You can use an effective biological method to combat spider mites in a greenhouse - start a colony of predators that feed on them. These are predatory mites Amblyseius and Phytoseilus. They are not dangerous to plants and will die when they deal with the pest. You can buy them at large garden nurseries.

Washing the leaves will help get rid of the pest. soap solution. To prepare it, use simple laundry or tar soap; you can purchase special green soap at a garden store. Dissolve the soap in a bucket of water and wash the affected plant generously.

Important! When the soap solution dries, it forms a film on the leaves, which prevents the plant from breathing. Therefore, a couple of days after treating with soap, the bush should be washed with plain water.

It is easy to prepare an infusion of onion and garlic for spraying affected plants. 200 g of garlic or onion are crushed and infused in a liter of water.

For onions, a few hours are enough. The garlic is infused for a day, then the solution is diluted with water 3-4 times. The resulting mixture copes well with spider mites, even if their numbers are small.

Herbal infusions for spraying plants against ticks:

• dandelion infusion - 0.5 kg of greenery is infused for several hours in a bucket of water;
• calendula – 100 g of crushed herbs per 1 liter of water, infused for 4 – 5 days;
• celandine - a teaspoon of herb, pour a glass of boiling water and cool;
• yarrow – brew 100 g of dry raw material with a liter of boiling water, dilute with 5 liters of water.

Preventive measures

1. It is necessary to regularly inspect the plants in order to notice the pest as early as possible and take action.
2. In autumn, digging up the soil and filling the soil with phosphorus fertilizers will help destroy the pest hiding in the ground.
3. Greenhouses and greenhouses are washed and replaced in the fall upper layer soil, fumigated with a sulfur bomb, and the frame is whitened with lime.

Spider mites are a common pest. Unfortunately, almost every owner of indoor plants encounters it, since it is “omnivorous” and is able to reproduce on any flowers except aquatic ones.

The tick feeds on plant sap. As a result, your favorite flowers quickly weaken and die. The pest is very dangerous. It is difficult to detect, since the size of adult individuals does not exceed 1 mm. The color of the body often blends in with the foliage and serves as an excellent camouflage. They settle on the bottom of sheets, making them even more difficult to notice.

The rapid reproduction of ticks also brings many problems. They group into colonies and inhabit an increasingly larger area of ​​the plant. And even if the conditions for this are unfavorable, the females enter a resting stage and live up to 5 years, having the opportunity to begin the breeding cycle again at any time.

Interesting: females also “hibernate” in winter, hiding (in addition to leaves) in the soil, and even cracks in the windowsill, walls or floor.

This all complicates the process of getting rid of the pest. To save a plant, you need to understand the signs of its appearance and the features of dealing with it.

What does it look like

It is quite difficult to see it with the naked eye. Biologists classify it as arachnid, a type of arthropod. This is due to the structure of the body - it has several legs (in adults - 8, in larvae - 6), which makes it vaguely similar to a spider.

Color varies from pale, greenish-yellow, translucent. Visible internal organs, outwardly similar to dark spots from the back. But there are other types that are more noticeable in color, such as bright red.

Adult females acquire an orange and reddish hue closer to winter, which makes them easier to detect on the plant. They have small “claws” on their legs that help them attach to leaves.

Ticks spin a thin web in which both adults and larvae live. The life cycle of each tick is up to 50 days.

Where do spider mites come from?

When an arthropod lands on a plant, it immediately hides on the underside of the leaf or in the upper layers of the soil. Therefore, it is simply impossible to determine the infection immediately. At this time, it actively reproduces.

A tick can settle if:

1. No special soil for the plant is used (soil from the garden, lawn);
2. Nearby is an infected flower (in a pot, or a simple bouquet);
3. The flower stood on the street or next to an open window.

In the first case, the pest immediately gets into the ground, and in the others - onto the foliage. Less commonly, a mite enters a houseplant through pets or human clothing.

Interesting: the spider mite does not jump or fly on its own, but only moves slowly over short distances. It can be brought by the wind, with the help of a cobweb. So he is able to move over kilometer distances quite quickly.

The only way to protect the plant is to avoid the influence of these factors on it.

Reasons for appearance

Spider mites are a very common pest that even affects gardening and vegetable gardens. However, it does not take root everywhere. If the plant is located in a place where the temperature is above 25 degrees and the air is dry, the likelihood of active pest development is very high.

Dry, warm climates are a common cause of arthropods.

Therefore, it is more often found in greenhouses rather than in the garden, where the soil is damper and colder. In humid environment the adult “falls” into depression because it is unable to get rid of excess water.

As for the tick on indoor plants, he feels great in heating season. This causes heat from the battery and insufficient air humidity. Rare watering of the plant and lack of a humidifier are factors contributing to the appearance and development of spider mites.

Signs of appearance

During its life, the spider mite damages the plant cells responsible for photosynthesis. Various flowers react to this individually. But there are common features, noticing which we can talk about the presence of a pest:

1. The leaves below become lighter or acquire a brownish tint in spots.
2. Over time they merge into one big spot, the leaf completely dries out and falls off.
3. The leaf blade turns red, becomes bronze, and becomes covered with a “marble” pattern.
4. A cobweb appears under the leaf or on other parts of the shoot.
5. The leaves become deformed, curling at the edges.
6. Slow growth, fading buds, lack of flowering.

With severe damage, the entire plant becomes covered with cobwebs. A moving mass is noticeable at the tips of the leaves - this is a colony of mites. In this case, it is difficult to help the plant. The ticks are going to migrate to nearby flowers, since there is no food for them anymore.

To check for pests on indoor plants before cobwebs appear, place a piece of paper under the leaves and shake them lightly. Then examine the leaf under a magnifying glass; small bugs will be visible.

How to fight

But there are several options that you can use to try to get rid of the pest. However, there is no guarantee that even after thoroughly treating all house plants, mites will not appear again.

Home Recipes

Folk remedies sometimes help better than store-bought chemicals. Several effective ways:

• Using medical alcohol;
• Treatment with laundry soap;
• Application of drops from cat fleas.

To kill a tick, 96% spirit is needed. They need to moisten a cotton pad and thoroughly wipe each leaf of the plant.

Be careful: the method is quite aggressive and is only suitable for plants with thick leaves (ficus, Chinese roses, palm trees). Fuchsias and violets cannot be treated with this product!

Laundry soap has long been a well-known way to get rid of pests. By itself, it does not affect mites and their eggs, but creates a film on the plant. Ticks cannot breathe under it and die over time.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Beat the soap into foam and use a brush to apply it to all the leaves.
2. After 3-4 hours, the plant is washed under warm water from the shower. To do this, the pot is tightened plastic bag, tying it around the stem to prevent water from getting into the ground.
3. Then cover the plant itself with a plastic bag, leaving it like that overnight.

Good to know: for plants with many small leaves, spraying with a strong soap solution is suitable.

Also effective method To combat spider mites, use cat flea drops. It is necessary to dissolve 3-4 drops of the product in a liter of water and thoroughly spray the plant. After 10 days, the procedure is repeated.

Ready-made products

The most effective are drugs from the category of acaricides. Another popular type is insectoacaricides. Insecticides are less effective broad action. For use in apartment conditions, special biological agents have been created that are safe for humans and animals. However, these substances are not able to affect tick eggs; they destroy only adult individuals. Therefore, treatment is carried out several times with an interval of 3-4 days.

A well-known remedy is Fitoverm for spider mites.

This is a drug with enteric contact action. When a pest enters the body, it causes its death. The biological product has a slight odor that completely disappears after 3-4 hours, so it is more suitable for room processing.

To cure a plant from mites, you need to dissolve 2 ml of the drug in 1 liter. water. Spray the leaves with the resulting solution every 7 days. Repeat 2-4 times.

Many consider a drug such as Aktara to be the most powerful remedy against this pest. However, it is an insecticide that is more effective in controlling harmful insects, not ticks. It has a weak effect against arthropods.

Another popular insecticide used against large concentrations of insects and mites is Alatar. It is characterized by an aggressive effect on the pest from the inside and outside. However, it is quite toxic and during room processing you need to be very careful, open the windows and thoroughly wash your hands and wash yourself after processing. It is better to consult sellers in flower shops about the dosage.

A non-standard way to solve the problem with ticks is the use of Dichlorvos. This poison is quite effective against arachnid pests. It must be used carefully. Isolate the flower using a cardboard or box cone and spray the product on top of the plant. Carefully spray the soil, stems, entire pot and nearby surfaces. It is better not to be in the room for several hours after treatment.

This is one of the types of arachnids, characterized by its small size (0.2-0.3 mm) and 4 legs. Distinctive feature- he doesn't spin webs. Lays red eggs individually near the veins on the bottom of the leaf.

The plant is affected in the same way as a simple spider mite. It breeds in dry, warm environments. Moves slowly. It most often affects orchids, citrus fruits and flowers from the Passiflora genus. You can get rid of it using the same methods as spider mites.

There are a few simple tips to avoid ticks:

• Spray the plant more often;
• Ventilate the room regularly;
• Humidify the air;
• Before transplanting, “fry” the soil in the oven;
• Do not place bouquets near the pots;
• Be sure to wipe the window sill and all nearby surfaces while processing plants.

Prevention helps to avoid problems with your favorite flowers, but if infection does occur, persistence and regular treatment are important.

To make the fight against cobwebs as effective as possible, you need to know what type of mite has infected the houseplant. The following types of these pests are found in nature:

1. Red spider mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus). Red webworm most often affects indoor plants. It primarily affects callas, balsams, lemons, cineraria, roses, nightshades, and orchids. The body color of this pest varies from dark brown to bright red. The size of females reaches 0.5 mm, males - 0.3 mm. You can see them with the naked eye if you look closely at the bottom of the leaf. The red spider mite does not tolerate high humidity and low temperatures, but reproduces well in dry and warm conditions. The reproduction rate is not as impressive as that of the common spider mite, but it is still enough to infect a large surface of the plant in a couple of weeks.
   Red spider mite - pest of indoor plants
2. Common spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). This is the most polyphagous species - it feeds on almost any plant and is sometimes found on potted plants, but prefers fruit crops, berries. He has a special “love” for apple trees, currants and blackberries. Greatest growth The number of this animal is reached in July-August. Common spider webs reach 0.3–0.6 mm in length - they are visible to the human eye. The color of the body changes depending on the stage of maturity - young larvae have a green or yellow body, older individuals - brown and red. The common spider mite reproduces quickly - in less than a month it can lay up to hundreds of eggs, from which larvae hatch within a week.
   The common spider mite is the most common type of spider mite that affects fruit crops.
3. False spider mite (phalaenopsis mite). It is much smaller than the cobweb and is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. The main difference between a false tick and a true one is the absence of a web. Its presence on the plant can be noticed only by tiny, almost indistinguishable bodies running along the leaves. It is extremely important to be able to distinguish a spider mite from a false mite, since conditions that are detrimental to the first cause the rapid reproduction of the second. Thus, the spider mite quickly dies in high humidity and coolness, while the false spider mite feels very comfortable in such conditions.

Three more types of mites - Atlantic, hawthorn and date - only affect fruit crops. For example, the Atlantic prefers cotton, clover, alfalfa, strawberries, apple trees, and pears. Hawthorn (which is most often found in Germany and Austria) likes to reproduce on apple trees, plums, and apricots. The date tree is practically not found in Russia due to its preferred climate - it is more comfortable than those in hot and dry countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Signs of plant damage

How can you reliably determine that a houseplant has been attacked by a spider mite? The symptoms that indicate a pest are quite varied:

1. Small eggs can be seen on the underside of the leaf. The eggs laid by spider mites are very small, but thanks to a large number their presence can be determined even with the naked eye.
   Depending on the type of tick, the color of the eggs can vary from white to grayish.
2. The most important and most unambiguous sign is the appearance of a thin cobweb on the underside of the leaf or between the leaf and shoots. The cobweb is not durable and is easily erased from the sheet even with bare hands. Mites can move along the surface of the web, which can be seen with the naked eye.
   
   A thin web on a plant - main feature the presence of the web spider
3. Yellowing of leaves. This is a later sign, which indicates that the plant has been under attack from spider mites for more than a week.
4. Falling and dry leaves. Withered leaves and shoots, dried by the mite, soon curl and fall off.
   Leaves attacked by cobwebs quickly dry out and lose color.

Fighting spider mites

The peculiarity of this pest lies, unfortunately, in its survivability. It reproduces quickly and lays a huge number of eggs in a short period. Because of this, unfortunately, it will not be possible to get rid of spider mites in one or two procedures. It is necessary to apply comprehensive measures to destroy both adults, larvae, and laid eggs.
Spider mite at different stages of its life cycle dies from different conditions and drugs

Chemicals

Chemicals for pest control are most effective, but can be toxic. When using them, it is important to strictly follow safety precautions:

• isolate treated plants from animals and children;
• use medications wearing a protective mask and gloves;
• Carry out thorough ventilation or use the product outdoors.

Please note - ticks are not insects. Spider mites are arachnids, so insecticides ( chemicals to eliminate insect pests) will not affect it. It is necessary to choose from acaricides:

1. "Aktellik" is an insecto-acaricide. This drug is effective against both insects and ticks. Actellik is extremely toxic, so its use indoors is not recommended. If you need to apply it to a houseplant, it is better to take the pot outside or to a well-ventilated balcony while it is being treated. "Aktellik" is very powerful and effective remedy, so it is excellent for mass plant infestations. Unfortunately, it does not kill eggs, so additional treatment with another acaricide is necessary after it. Unlike other means, it can cope not only with the most common ticks (red and common), but also with more exotic species that are rarely found in Russia (date, Atlantic, hawthorn).
   
   Actellik is a highly effective but very toxic drug
2. "Fitoverm" is an acaricidal agent. It is less toxic than Actellik, so its use is also permissible in indoors. However, it still poses quite a risk for children and animals, so treated plants must be placed in a place inaccessible to small household members. This product can be used without protective gloves and masks, but after finishing work, be sure to thoroughly wash your face, mouth, and hands. “Fitoverm” also does not destroy spider mite eggs, only adults and larvae.
   "Fitoverm" - an effective and low-toxic acaricide
3. "Neoron" is an effective acaricide that destroys not only adult ticks, but also tick eggs. It is toxic, so you need to remember safety precautions and ventilate the room well after using it. Despite the fact that it quite quickly destroys the pest population, one application of the product is not enough - it is necessary to carry out at least three treatments of the plant. It is best to carry them out at intervals of 3–5 days - this is not enough time for the larvae to hatch from the eggs and produce a new generation.
   "Neoron" is a powerful acaricide that can remove the entire population from a plant
4. "Sunmite" - like "Neoron" effective remedy to destroy both adult ticks and larvae with eggs. This drug can only be used once every six months, otherwise the pests may develop immunity. “Sunmite” is used by dissolving at the rate of 1 g of acaricide per 1 liter of water. The plant is carefully sprayed, it is especially important to treat the underside of the leaf - the drug is effective only in direct contact with the larva or adult.
   
   "Sunmite" - acaricide with ovicidal effect

Biological method

This method was developed by Candidate of Biological Sciences G. A. Beglyarov. Its essence is simple - feed the spider mite to a predator that feeds on them in natural environment(acariphage). Today, garden stores offer sachets (small bags) containing natural enemies of the mite - phytoseiulus or amblyseius. The control method in this case is as follows: the bag is hung from one of the branches of the affected plant and opened. Predators immediately go in search of food. In one day, each of the acarifages eats several adult ticks and several dozen eggs. Within a week, the colony of spider mites is emptied, and the predator itself dies a few days later from starvation.
Phytoseiulus - acarifagus that feeds on spider mites

This method is recognized by scientists and gardeners as extremely effective, but it is not suitable for use on plants with heavily pubescent leaves (for example, violets).

Folk remedies

If the plant has just been attacked by pests, and their population is not yet large enough, you can use gentle folk remedies:

1. Medical alcohol. A cotton pad or small sponge should be moistened with an alcohol solution (1:10) and thoroughly wipe all the leaves of the plant. Unfortunately, this method does not destroy tick eggs, but it works well against adult ticks. If the spider mite has not yet had time to leave its future offspring on the leaves of the plant, then such treatment will be enough to get rid of the pest. Look at the underside of the leaf - if you do not find small whitish fixed dots, then the pest has not yet laid eggs. Please note that this method is not suitable for plants with thin and sensitive leaves (rose, fuchsia, petunia), but is well tolerated by denser ones (ficus, dieffenbachia, phalaenopsis). Medical alcohol - universal remedy, which will help not only disinfect wounds, but also get rid of pests of indoor plants
2. Tobacco smoke. This method is certainly not the safest for humans, but if you or anyone in your household smokes, you can use this bad habit to eliminate spider mites. The smoker must release smoke onto the plant. Tobacco smoke is extremely harmful to adult spider mites, but it will not get rid of eggs and larvae.
   Tobacco smoke contains many toxins and combustion products that are harmful to spider mites
3. Laundry soap. This method is ideal for plants with large leaves: violets, dieffenbachias, orchids, and some types of ficus. Laundry soap must be whipped into foam and lubricated with it on the leaves of the affected plant. This product does not kill the tick directly, but creates a dense film through which the pest cannot breathe and feed. After treatment, the plant is left with foam on the leaves for 3–5 hours, then the product is washed off warm shower with weak pressure. Without allowing the plant to dry, you need to cover it with a plastic bag or any other “cap” that will prevent the moisture from quickly evaporating. The combination of a foam film and high humidity is detrimental to an adult spider mite, but eggs can survive this impact - additional treatment with an acaricide chemical will be required.
   Laundry soap is one of the most available ways fighting spider mites
4. Garlic. One large head of garlic must be finely chopped and poured with three liters of water. The mixture is infused for five days, after which it is filtered and sprayed on the leaves of the affected plant. This method can only show its effectiveness on early stage lesions when the spider mite colony is still very small.
   Garlic is very useful not only for humans, but also for plants affected by spider mites

Spread of the pest to other plants

Spider mites, unfortunately, very quickly spread to neighboring plants, since they not only have the ability to rapid reproduction, but also the ability to overcome relatively large (for a tiny pest) distances. To prevent massive tick infestation of your green pets, you should take the following precautions:

• the plant on which you found a tick must be urgently isolated from other potted plants;
• all plants that were in the same room with the affected one must be checked for signs: cobwebs, eggs, mites themselves;
• if several plants are affected, they also need to be kept isolated from each other until complete recovery.

Prevention of spider mites

Spider mites can enter your home in two main ways: on a new plant or through a window. To significantly reduce the risk of ticks entering the house, any new plant purchased in a store (even a trusted one) must be kept separately for the first time until the absence of diseases and pests is confirmed.
Plants in flower shop are often susceptible to attacks by various pests, so immediately after purchase it is important to cure a new pet before placing it next to the others

The pest can enter the window along with the wind, especially in hot and dry weather. Of course, we cannot keep the windows closed all the time (stale air is no less destructive for plants than spider mites), so we need to create the most uncomfortable conditions for the mite in the house itself:

1. Spider mites do not tolerate high humidity. Use a humidifier and regularly wet cleaning. If your plants are not fans of desert and dry conditions, mist them regularly. The mite, as a rule, lives on the underside of the leaf, so this is where you need to pay attention when spraying.
2. Once a week, wash the leaves of the plants with soapy water. This allows the mite to suck the juice out of them, and therefore the pest will quickly die of starvation.
3. Moisture-loving plants can be washed 1-2 times a week under a warm shower. Ficus and ivy tolerate this procedure especially well. Ticks that may end up on their leaves will die from the flow of warm water.

What to do with succulents? These indoor pets cannot tolerate spraying, moisture on the leaves, or high humidity in general - how can you protect them from spider mites? Fortunately, this pest does not threaten succulents. The fact is that succulents have fleshy leaves with a dense shell that ticks simply cannot bite through.
Succulents are beautiful and unpretentious indoor plants that, in addition, are not threatened by spider mites

Are spider mites dangerous for humans?

Spider mites are phytophagous - that is, animals that feed on plants. For humans (including small children), as well as for animals and birds, it is completely harmless. Spider mites cannot bite through human skin.

Spider mites are one of the most malicious enemies of house plants. Fortunately, with the help of simple and inexpensive means you can effectively combat it, protecting flowers from this pest.

The tick poses a threat due to its feeding on plant juices. Adults pierce the stems with their proboscis and inject special enzymes that destroy the chloroplasts of the cells.

When the affected specimen is sufficiently depleted, the colony of pests moves to a healthier one. With a high probability we can say that insects found on one flower have already settled in all the pots on the windowsill.

Signs of spider mites on indoor plants

Due to their tiny size, spider mites are almost impossible to see without glasses or a magnifying glass. Insects hide well on the back of leaf blades or just earthen lumps. Adults have mimicry - they merge with the greenery, having similarities with it color shades. Wintering females are easier to recognize; they have a reddish tint.

The main signs of ticks are:

• Light single punctures on the leaf blades, which can be seen in the light. At first there are few of them, but the number gradually increases. Over time, the lesions grow and merge into large brown, pronounced spots.
• Greenery loses its natural color: it becomes yellow, gray, and acquires bronze or red shades.
• The leaves change: they curl, deformations occur. The same applies to buds.
• Growth and development stops. Photosynthesis is disrupted, cells cease to function properly and absorb nutrients.
• In the later stages, a network of thin, barely visible to the eye, cobwebs. Sometimes they can only be seen when there is a large concentration of pests or on a completely dried out plant.

First of all, you need to look for the skins that adults shed after molting. They are white grains, similar to dandruff, located on inside leaf. On initial stages the web appears between the veins, and can only be seen with a magnifying glass.

With severe pest damage, the plant looks sick, lethargic, loses its green crown and may die.

Reasons for the appearance of spider mites on indoor plants

There may be several reasons for the abundance of ticks:

• A new plant from the store or borrowed from friends. It is better to keep a newly arrived specimen separately in so-called quarantine for 1-2 weeks.
• Open window. Residents of the lower floors are most at risk, as a colony of pests can reach them from the nearest tree. Flowers located on unglazed loggias are at risk. A person can carry ticks on clothing or the soles of shoes.
• Contaminated substrate purchased from a store. Another option is soil taken from a flower bed for replanting.
• Tanks and pallets that have not been used for a long time.
• Heating season in winter. In cold weather, females hibernate and become inactive until favorable conditions occur. Eggs can be in diapause for up to 5 years.

The florist needs to inspect home plants daily, because with low humidity and high temperature air, the tick population increases sharply. The female, despite short term life, manages to lay 150-200 eggs in 2-3 weeks, the ripening time of which is 1-3 days.

Houseplants most susceptible to spider mite infestation

All species of this insect can settle on almost any house plant. However, spider mites have individual preferences and often attacks plant families such as:

• kutrovye;
• aroid;
• citrus;
• arrowroot.

Methods for controlling spider mites: general rules

The general rules of treatment are as follows:

After defeating the mite, the plant should be transplanted into a new container, completely replacing the substrate, and root system treat with protective biological products.

Chemical

When using drugs from this group, it is important to strictly follow the dosage and number of treatments in accordance with the attached instructions. Chemicals, destroying ticks, are divided into two groups:

• insectoacaricides;
• acaricides.

To effectively treat a pest, you should alternate products with different components in the composition. Many products cease to perform their function after repeated treatment.

If you need to use chemicals, you must follow a number of simple but important rules:

• When using, wear long sleeves, gloves and a hat for protection. skin and hair. The best place for spraying chemicals balcony, loggia.
• For indoor flowers choose products with toxicity class 3-4. Highly toxic substances are only suitable for outdoor plants.
• In case of serious infection, it is necessary to carry out not one, but 4 treatments with an interval of 5-7 days.

Examples of chemicals and their use are presented in the table: