Ticks on orchids: shell, white, root, how to fight and get rid of them, and whether the use of the insecticide acaritox will help

Orchids themselves are very delicate and fragile plants. Therefore, they need our constant care and care.

An exception is not an attack of ticks on our beauty - here, too, all the responsibility lies with flower growers. The state of the orchid depends on how quickly and efficiently it responds.

In this article, we will tell orchid owners how to identify a flower’s disease, as well as how and with what to process a plant to combat ticks.

What it is?

Despite its miniature size, ticks do not belong to insects, but to animals. These are arthropods that have a high level of survival under various conditions due to their tiny size and the ability to eat degradable substances.

Description of appearance

The length of these animals rarely reaches three millimeters. Usually their growth stops at 0.5 - 1 millimeter, which makes them very invisible to the human eye. Ticks can be recognized by a body divided into two, and the division is not uniform.

On this small animal you will notice twelve appendages, eight of which are hind legs. Also in these appendages are claws and the so-called suction cups. And the front pair is always clawed.

Plant Affecting Species

Root
False spider web.
Red spider web.
Bulbous.
Flat-bodied.
Armored.

What parts of the flower may be affected?

Ticks can attack leaf plates, flower stalks, and the buds themselves. And also you can find them in the soil mixture. However, some species of these animals cannot be considered without a magnifying glass.

What do the affected areas look like?

Very small gray specks appear on the green part of the plant. Also, the leaves begin to change their shape and dry at the edges. When the infection reaches a high concentration, a spider web will appear on the orchid. Too short peduncles and deformed flowers are also tricks of ticks. Plus, a purulent process begins at the growth points of the orchid.

In some areas, a metallic sheen appears caused by the fact that the bite site is filled with air and swells a little. If there is no this shine, then bites can be recognized by the formed depressions - in these places ticks sucked the juice and made them lifeless.

Photo

In the photo you can see what ticks and their bites look like on orchids:

Type of pest and methods of controlling it

We will consider three ways to combat the parasite: biological, chemical and folk.

Spider web

Biological. Get several hundreds of predatory ticks or bugs - they will help you in the destruction of adult ticks.
Chemical. Experienced growers recommend alternating insecticides, as the “attacker” easily develops immunity to the drugs used. In addition, the treatment should not be one-time and systematic. Use Metaldehyde, Thiophos, Actellic and other drugs. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions for use.
People’s.
1. A decoction of the roots of cyclamen. To prepare it, you need to boil the tubers for half an hour, let it cool and insist (it will take about 24 hours) and then strain the resulting liquid.
  Processing should be done with a break of at least five days.
2. Another popular recommendation (suitable only for orchids with hard leaves): wipe with a cloth soaked in alcohol all the leaves of the plant.
  IMPORTANT! Before performing this procedure, test the stability of the foliage on one of the leaves.

Read more about what a spider mite is and how to deal with it, read here.

Armored

Folk methods. This is the inhabitant of the underground part of the flower, so in order to get rid of the carapace tick immediately remove the orchid from the flowerpot. Get rid of the old soil immediately, and soak the roots in lukewarm water for half an hour. A few minutes after the roots are immersed in water, you will be able to observe how ticks emerge. After that, remove the root system from the water, and rinse off the ticks.
It is better to carry out the described procedure several times to obtain a full-fledged result. Dry the roots and plant the orchid in new soil.
For chemical treatment of plants, acaricidal preparations are used. There are a great many of them in stores. The main thing is to make sure that your choice is designed to combat ticks.
Do not put the treated plant in the sun, because under its influence all the applied preparations decompose.
The biological way. Get a predatory tick at the store. Hypoasmis Miles, for example, is suitable. One package will be enough for you to completely get rid of parasites.

Bulbous

Firstly, if this type of tick is found, immediately change the soil in the flowerpot.

Folk remedies. Suitable only for those stages when the ticks have not yet spread much. Sometimes it can be more a preventative measure than a therapeutic one. A solution from laundry soap is suitable for this, with which you can both wipe the surface of orchids and immerse it completely in it. After that, do not forget to rinse the plant.
Manganese solution is considered to be slightly stronger (but it should not be saturated, but rather, a little pinkish). Act with him in the same way as with soap.
Chemicals. For general use, insecticides are recommended. But we will advise you to purchase means of narrower specialization, the action of which is aimed specifically at combating ticks - these are acaricides.
You will need to dilute the product, while clearly observing the instructions on the package. You can make the concentration weaker, but by no means stronger. Otherwise, the effect will be the opposite - you simply destroy the flower.
Remove the orchid in the soil and soak it in the resulting solution (the exposure time is also indicated in the instructions). Send the roots back to the ground only when they are completely dry.

Root

This is one of the most tenacious and difficult to destroy types of ticks. It has a high ability to restore and reproduce. Regularly inspect your plant, so you have a chance to notice the pest in the early stages and get rid of it with more gentle methods.

If you notice a root tick on an orchid, immediately remove the affected areas of the flower. (Do not forget about processing the cut points.) Isolate the infected plant from other healthy ones. Throw away the soil immediately, and give the flowerpot disinfection.

From folk remedies, you can choose a tincture of nettles, which in addition to everything else will raise the level of immunity. To prepare this miraculous potion, take 700 grams of fresh grass, pour five liters of boiling water and put it in a dark place. This process can take up to five, so make sure that this tincture is in your stock constantly.
As for chemicals, ascaricides are again needed here. Against pests, the insecticide acaritox is suitable. Use it according to the instructions. Do not forget to repeat the procedure after five to seven days.
You can also use biological products. They are also wonderful in fighting ticks, but at the same time they have a natural basis, for example, oils.

Flat

If you want to immediately take up heavy artillery and fight against a flat-body with chemicals, then turn to acaricides again. Remember that ticks are not insects, so insecticides will not help you. Keep in mind that any drug is toxic, so you need to handle it with extreme caution. But there are several that are considered most suitable for use in enclosed spaces: actofik, fitoverm, vermitek.
Necessarily re-treatment will be required, because no remedy kills eggs and larvae.
Folk remedies can be used the same as for the "war" with other types of ticks. But do not forget that they are effective only in the early stages of infection.

Prevention

Everytime, Bringing a new orchid into the house, arrange quarantine for it lasting 10-20 days. But before isolation, the plant needs to be thoroughly washed in the shower, and then also hold the flowerpot with a flower in a basin with water for about thirty minutes. This time will be enough to get all pests out of the soil, if any.

During transplantation, soak the new soil in the freezer or in the microwave. So all parasites will be removed. And, of course, do not forget about the regular hygiene of any plant: wiping leaves, spraying.

Naturally, ticks will not bring any joy, so try not to bring the matter to their appearance. Follow the instructions for the proper care of orchids, and then your beauty will not be overtaken by any pest.