Cocky orchids become very meek when insidious vermin attack them. Now the queen of flowers needs your support to ward off the pests. Read here how to diagnose and successfully combat an infestation.

If the pest infestation is detected in good time, the pests can usually be driven away with home remedies

Identifying and fighting lice effectively - this is how it works

Lice of all kinds cause considerable problems for orchids. This applies equally to mealybugs, mealybugs, cup and lid scales and aphids. By checking the leaves on the underside and top every few days, you can spot the cunning bugs in good time. Look out for these signs:

  • Mealybugs and mealybugs: 1-5 mm small, pink bodies are covered with white cotton balls
  • Scale insects: 1-2 mm small, females sit under rounded humps on the leaves, males are winged and mobile
  • Aphids: 2-7 mm small, green, yellow, brown or black, often stay on the underside of leaves

By integrating high-proof alcohol into the countermeasures, you increase the success of the fight. First, shower the affected orchid vigorously with water before quarantining the plant. Wipe off the affected parts of the plant with a cloth soaked in alcohol. Dissolve the small shell of scale insects or the waxy covering of mealybugs by dabbing the pests individually with cotton swabs soaked in alcohol.

This is how you effectively combat spider mites - tips on the symptoms

The second large group of vermin comes from the insect class of arachnids. Among the more than 1,200 species, it is explicitly the common spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) that targets orchids. Furthermore, the orchid spider mite (Brevipalpus californicus) has specialized as a subspecies on the exotic flowers. You can recognize a spider mite infestation by these characteristics:

  • Common spider mite: 0.25-0.8 mm small, yellow, green, orange or red in colour, forms extremely delicate, white webs
  • Orchid spider mite: 0.1 mm small, does not form webs, lives as a loner, spreads only slowly
  • The most common symptom is mottled leaves with a silvery sheen

Once you have found these bugs on your orchid, rinse off the affected orchid thoroughly - as long as the species tolerates it. In order to combat spider mites, biological insecticides based on neem oil have proven themselves in practice. When faced with a hardened colony of spider mites, an acaricide like Spider Mite Free Kanemite by Dr. Stahler, put an end to vermin.

tips

It may seem like a truism, but it deserves your attention. A professionally cared for orchid develops a high level of defense against vermin of all kinds on its own. Placed in a bright, warm location, immersed in warm water every week and fertilized every 4 weeks, cunning pests and pathogens have little chance.

Category:

Indoor plants