Shield on indoor plants: 10 ways to get rid of, instructions

The scale insect on houseplants is one of the most common problems of ornamental plants that are found in every home. Most often, parasites affect the leaves, stems and petioles of flowers. Pests adhere tightly to the surface of plants and suck out useful elements from them. Then the affected flower begins to deform and stops growing. Therefore, the question often arises of how to get rid of scale insects on indoor plants: 10 ways.

Soap-alcohol solution

There are relatively few effective folk remedies that allow you to deal with scale insects.The body of the insect is covered with a strong chitinous shell. Therefore, it is important to use rather caustic compounds that can dissolve it. In this case, the substance should not harm the indoor flower.

One of the most effective remedies is a soap-alcohol solution. For its preparation, it is recommended to use laundry or tar soap. Green potassium soap is also a good option. If there is no such tool, you can use the usual one. In addition, it is permissible to use washing powder or dishwashing detergent.

To make a mortar, it is recommended to do the following:

Grind 15-20 grams of solid soap on a fine grater.
Shake the resulting chips in 1 liter of hot water. As a result, you need to get foam.
Add 10 milliliters of medical alcohol to the composition and mix thoroughly.
Test the product on one leaf to make sure it's safe. If after half an hour no negative changes occur, the composition can be applied.
Apply with sponge or brush. This needs to be done evenly. First, the soil must be covered with a piece of film or other material that does not allow moisture to pass through.
Leave for 3-5 hours. Then rinse off with warm water.

The procedure is recommended to be repeated 2-4 times with an interval of 7-10 days. It depends on the activity of the parasites. You can also water the soil. However, in this case, the shower will not help the plant. It will need to be transplanted, completely replacing the soil. Also be sure to thoroughly wash the pot.

Gasoline

With single lesions, you can treat the plant pointwise. For this, gasoline is used. This substance perfectly dissolves chitinous covers. To achieve the desired results, the composition must be applied to each parasite using a cotton swab.

The chemical will corrode the shell in 2-4 hours. Then the plant should be wiped with a clean cloth. It is recommended to process the culture systematically. This is done every 2-4 days for 2 weeks. One procedure will not give results. After it, most likely, pests, their larvae and eggs will remain.

In a similar way, you should use engine oil. It does not damage the chitinous covers, but helps to block the spiracles of pests. As a result, they lose their ability to breathe.

After such exposure, the parasites die in 1.5-2 hours. In this case, the manipulation also needs to be carried out repeatedly. This will help to destroy the parasites at different stages of development.

Gasoline can be replaced with kerosene, acetone, turpentine. Machine oil can be replaced with vegetable oil. Gasoline analogues can be safely used for spraying lemons and other citrus plants.This substance does not leave burns on their foliage. Vegetable oil is considered a gentle option. It can be used on orchids and other delicate crops.

Strong chemicals should not be used on flowers with thin leaves. However, the oil is not suitable for leaves covered with fluff or villi.

Garlic infusion

To make this remedy, you should use garlic. This product has a pungent aroma that pests do not tolerate. To prepare the infusion, you need to do the following:

Chop 200 grams of garlic until smooth.
Add 1 liter of hot water and seal the container. Then you need to shake its contents well.
Leave for 4-5 days to infuse under a well-closed lid. The composition should be shaken well several times a day.
Strain the infusion.

Liquid recommended for spraying. In this case, the soil must first be covered. The procedure should be performed with an interval of 3-4 days. With a small number of parasites, 3-4 treatments are usually enough.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionYou can also use garlic-based gruel in its pure form. To do this, it must be applied to the places where insects accumulate on the foliage. After 2-3 hours, the composition can be cleaned with a damp cloth. When choosing this insecticide, it is important to consider that it has a pungent aroma.

Chili pepper (infusion)

To use this remedy, you need to take a pod of chili pepper and chop it. This can be done with a knife, blender or meat grinder. Mix 50 grams of the resulting mass with 500 milliliters of water and mix well.

After that, the composition must be brought to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then the container must be removed from the stove, tightly closed and put away in a warm and dark place for 7 days.

During preparation, it is recommended to shake the infusion every day, and filter before use. It can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 8-10 weeks. After that, the properties of the tool will be lost.

To apply chili pepper infusion, you need to sprinkle the affected plants, cover them with a film and fix it on the pot. Leave on for 2-4 hours and then rinse thoroughly with water.

Corrosive liquid corrodes chitin shells of scale insects well. However, it is important to consider that it can also harm the flower. Therefore, an infusion of hot pepper can only be used for those plants that have dense leaves. So, this tool is ideal for ficus Benjamin. You can process cultures a maximum of 1 time in 12-14 days. Usually 2-3 manipulations are enough to destroy scale insects.

Chemicals

Today there are no special tools for the destruction of scale insects. However, there are many insecticides that are used to control aphids and other pests. They can also be used to destroy scale insects.

Aktara

This is a broad spectrum insecticide that belongs to the group of neonicotinoids. Its active ingredient is thiamethoxam, which is considered a synthetic derivative of nicotine.

" Aktara" effectively destroys scale insects, false scale insects, aphids. It can be used to control thrips, soil flies, and mealybugs. At the same time, the product affects only adult insects.

The effect of one spray lasts for 3 weeks. Therefore, "Aktara" can be used once. It is important to consider that over several generations, scale insects can develop resistance to this agent. Therefore, the insecticide must be alternated with other substances.

Aktara is produced in the form of a suspension or granules. After processing, the composition is absorbed by the root system and integumentary tissues, spreading through the sap flow system. After 2-3 hours, the action of the remedy begins.

The drug acts as a neurotoxin. When ingested, it suppresses the activity of the nervous system of the pest. As a result, he loses the ability to breathe and absorb food. The death of the parasite occurs in 20-24 hours.

When working with Aktara indoors, it is required to use personal protective equipment. In this case, be sure to wear goggles, a respirator, rubber gloves.

To prepare a working fluid, it is recommended to mix 1 gram of the substance with 1.25 liters of clean water at room temperature. In order for the product to dissolve well without sediment, it is necessary to mix the liquid thoroughly. After processing the plant, the room needs to be closed for 5-6 hours. When watering under the root, this time period is reduced to 1.5-2 hours. Be sure to adhere to the consumption norms. When spraying, 0.1-0.2 liters per 1 square meter is used, when watering, 1 liter is enough for 25 medium-sized pots.

Fitoverm

This drug has a gentle effect and does not harm a person. Therefore, experienced flower growers begin the fight against the scale insect with this substance. To make a working solution, it is recommended to mix 2 ml of the chemical with 200 ml of water.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionWith this composition, the flower should be sprayed from all sides, using an ordinary spray gun. A total of 3-4 treatments will be required. This will help to completely destroy the parasites.

Fufanon

This insectoacaricidal drug is actively used in agriculture. It is also often used in everyday life for disinfection of premises. The name "Fufanon" hides a whole line of drugs. To destroy scale insects on indoor plants, it is worth using tools such as Nova and Expert.Malathion, which is an organophosphorus compound, is considered to be the active component of these drugs.

The drug is used to combat scale insects and false scale insects. It also helps to cope with spider mites, thrips, ants, soil flies. Fufanon is produced in the form of an aqueous emulsion and its concentrate. The tool is distinguished by the intestinal-contact principle of action. After one treatment, the effect of the substance lasts up to 3 weeks.

When an insect enters the body, the composition transforms into dangerous malaoxone in 1-2 hours. It suppresses breathing and heart activity. This leads to paralysis and death of the parasite within a day.

To prepare a working solution, it is recommended to take 2 milliliters of the drug per 1.5 liters of water. This volume is enough for 10 square meters. After processing indoor plants, it is recommended to close the room for 2-4 hours, and then ventilate well. It is important to consider that "Fufanon" has a pronounced specific smell.It can be used twice with an interval of 1 week.

With prolonged use, parasites get used to Fufanon. If their attacks are repeated systematically, the agent must be alternated with other insecticides - pyrethroids or neonicotinoids.

Metaphos

This insecticidal drug has a wide spectrum of action and belongs to the group of organophosphorus agents. The composition has a contact mechanism of action. With its help, it is possible to cope with scale insects and false shields. Also "Metaphos" successfully destroys whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs.

When it hits the chitinous integument, the substance penetrates into the body of the parasite and causes a violation of the metabolism of acetylcholine. This causes paralysis and death of the pest.

The product is sold in ampoules. To make a working solution, their contents must be mixed with 10 liters of water.Most of the parasites die within 1 hour after treatment. It takes another 2 days to destroy the remaining pests. The effect of this treatment lasts up to 20 days. It is permissible to use the product twice a year.

" Confidor"

To cope with the scale insect, it is recommended to take 1 gram of "Confidor" per 500 milliliters of water. After 3-4 hours, the pests will die. The remaining parasites must be collected from the flower with moistened gauze. It is important to consider that "Confidor" does not pose a danger to the plant.

Aktellik

This remedy belongs to insectoacaricides of intestinal-contact action. It successfully copes with scale insects, false scale insects, aphids. Also, Actellik helps to get rid of Colorado beetles, whiteflies, spider mites.

The active ingredient of the product is pirimifos-methyl. The term of the protective action of the substance in open ground is 3-10 days. When using the product at home, it increases to 10-12 days.The main disadvantage of the product is considered to be an intense smell, which persists for another 1-2 days after treatment.

The scale insect is considered a fairly dangerous pest that can bring great harm to houseplants. To cope with the parasite, you need to choose the right tool and clearly follow the instructions for its use.