Anyone who likes greenery in their home probably knows lice on houseplants. A "cheap" plant may be disposed of without complaint, but this is not absolutely necessary. A valuable orchid is certainly too good for that.

Mealybugs are very fond of infesting orchids

How do I know if my orchid has lice?

Mealybugs, also called mealybugs, can be recognized by a greasy white coating on the plant. It is usually located on the underside of the leaf, often also in the leaf axils. The subspecies of root lice is difficult to recognize because they live in the ground. When repotting, they leave a greasy white streak in the flower pot.

How do I prevent transmission to other plants?

Only distance can prevent mealybugs from spreading to neighboring plants. For this reason, you should isolate your infested orchid as soon as possible. The chosen place should be bright and not too warm. The mealybugs are particularly attracted to warm, dry air from heating. Unfortunately, the orchid is also quite susceptible to lice infestation.

What can I do against mealybugs?

You can do a lot against mealybugs, there are some proven home remedies and also predators as biological "weapons". Ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps (€18.99) eat the lice off the orchid. If there are no more lice, then the beneficial insects will also disappear, because they can no longer find any food. You can easily order these useful animals online.

As an alternative to biological control, home remedies can also be used. The simplest method is to spray the affected plant with a strong jet of water. However, care should be taken with the orchid so that the sensitive and delicate plant is not damaged. Spirit, lemon balm spirit or a washing-up liquid are also very good for combating mealybugs, which incidentally also like to infest the Ficus benjamini.

The essentials in brief:

  • Isolate affected orchids immediately
  • can be easily combated with household remedies (strong jet of water, dishwashing liquid, spirit, lemon balm spirit)
  • possibly use predators (ladybugs, parasitic wasps, lacewings)
  • Cut off and discard heavily infested parts of the plant
  • prevent re-infestation

tips

The sooner you react to mealybugs on your orchid, the greater the chance of saving the plant without harsh chemicals.

Category:

Indoor plants