How to get rid of aphids on orchids: a photo of insects, as well as what to do and how to process it to fight it at home?

Plants in the house help maintain a healthy microclimate. They purify the air and delight the eye.

Some believe that domestic plants are protected from parasites and diseases, unlike street ones. However, indoor flowers can hurt and wither.

In order to prevent this, it is necessary to study in detail information about possible diseases and varieties of the pest.

Species affecting a flower: description and photo

Small bugs that attack mainly young shoots are aphids. It can have a different color - green, gray, yellow or black. There are more than 4000 species of these pests. On orchids, you can find 3 species.

Orchid

Most often, it can be seen in greenhouses and orchid farms. Aphid mainly affects coelogens, but it can also be found on other varieties.

Greenhouse

It has another name - tobacco or green peach aphid. It lives in places where there are peach gardens. 2-3 generations of bugs are born on trees, then females with wings look for secondary hosts. It can be orchid plants, and many others. You can mainly see them at:

vandah;
Cattleya;
dendrobiums.

Bean or beet

Distributed throughout Russia. It has a dark color. It enters houses through windows, flying from viburnum, jasmine, euonymus or thistle. It can fly from a regular garden. Found on:

dendrobiums;
fragmentspedia;
cymbidium.

There is a danger of buying an already infected plant in the store. Ants living in apartments can be peddlers of this bug.

Harm

The aphid bug multiplies very quickly, forming entire colonies, settling on the growth site of young leaves. First attack the leaves, then the stems, flowers and buds, preferring the most juicy parts. Eating, aphids secrete poison inside the plant itself. The poison prevents the spread of nutrients in the flower, and photosynthesis does not occur. Development slows down, the plant withers, the leaves curl.

Flowers damaged by aphids may not open. If opened, the flower will be deformed. Leaves turn yellow and fall. Toxic salivary secretions of aphids lead to the formation of black mold. The secretions have an attractive smell for other insects that can harm the flower. With untimely help, the plant will soon die.

Reference! Aphids, having wings, spread other infections and diseases.

Where and why does it appear?

There are several reasons why an orchid is affected by aphids:

The substrate used to plant the flower could contain these pests. It’s best to buy planting soil at a store from trusted suppliers.
A flower bought in a store could have aphids on stems or buds. Before buying, you must carefully inspect and check the flower for bugs and other suspicious changes.
If there are a lot of flowers in the house, then the aphids could very well get over from another plant. Proximity to windows can also cause aphids to attract indoor colors.
The reason may be improper care of the plant during the growth period.

It is necessary to periodically inspect the plant for the presence of sticky plaque characteristic of aphids.

How to fight?

After detecting the affected parts of the plant, it must be moved to another place so that the rest of the plants are not infected.
It is necessary to process all parts of the flower, including the soil and the pot. Aphids can lurk in hard to reach places.
Then the diseased parts of the root are removed, watered with Fitoverm.
The orchid is transplanted into a new clean substrate.
After transplantation, the ground part is treated twice with the same tool.
The treatment is repeated after a week.

How to get rid of folk remedies?

To combat aphids, there are folk methods. Some gardeners do not want to disturb the environment of the flower and do not use chemicals. There are several effective folk recipes:

Pour a liter of boiling water onion, after grinding it in a meat grinder. Allow the mixture to cool, then strain and spray the leaves with a spray bottle. The soil also needs to be cultivated. Carry out the procedure several times a day.
Laundry soap, ground into powder, mix with a liter of water. Wash the orchid in the shower and treat with soapy water. The recipe is suitable for a flower grown without a substrate.
Pour boiling water onion husks, put on a stove and bring to a boil. Insist under a closed lid. Then strain and process the leaves of the plant. Pour the solution with a solution.
Essential oils can help fight aphids. Peppermint, tea tree oil or tree oil is mixed with water. To do this, 10-15 drops of oil and 300 ml of water.
Citruses are also used to treat plants. To do this, peel the fruit, which is placed in boiling water, 100 g of raw materials per liter of water. This mixture is insisted for 3 days. Infusion is sprayed every 5 hours. Dry crusts can also protect the soil by laying them on top.

Effectively cope with aphids using folk remedies is not always possible. Solutions and mixtures do not accumulate in plants and soil. Undetermined aphid eggs or larvae can restore the colony and attack the orchid again.

Chemical and biological preparations

Insecticides, in contrast to folk remedies, always cope with their task. You must select the appropriate chemical product that will be safe for use at home:

"Commander" - 1 ml per 2 liters of water. It is aimed at combating both adults and larvae. The colony dies a few hours after spraying, the effect lasts about 2 weeks. The drug is odorless.
Aktara - 2 g per 2.5 liters of water. Susceptible to orchids. After spraying, the aphid disappears after 24 hours. They process leaves and substrate. The product penetrates deep into the plant, so the effect lasts about a month.
Tanrek - 1 ml per 2 liters of water. This drug must be sprayed with leaves and flowers. It penetrates all the organs of the plant. The effect lasts for a month. The product has a faint odor that disappears very quickly.

Plant growers are advised to cover the orchid with a bag after using insecticides. So the tool will act faster, and the smell of a chemical drug will not spread throughout the apartment.

Biological preparations are no less effective, they can be used in combination with chemicals:

Fitoverm - 2 ml of the drug per 250 ml of water. Paralyzes aphids in a few hours. The product contains a toxin - aversectin C. It is secreted by streptomycete fungus. The drug is sprayed on the leaves and roots of the flower.
"Actofit" - 8 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. They spray the plant. The protective effect lasts 48 hours. Aphids are not addictive. At the heart of the drug is the same toxin aversectin.
Lepidocide - 3 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. The agent is sprayed on the leaves and roots of orchids. The drug enters the digestive system of aphids and paralyzes it. Pests die in a few days. The basis of the drug is a complex of toxins and spores of soil bacteria.

Reference! Natural insecticides are slow, but always effective. Pests are not addictive, so you can use the same drug several times.

What to do to prevent infection?

In the first place, pest control requires preventive measures. Aphid bugs do not like moisture, breed well in dry climates. Humidity should be maintained within 60%. This will help not only save the plant from pests, but also accelerate its growth.
The soil should not remain dry, watering is necessary every week. The plant can be sprayed with warm water, which can prevent the appearance of pests. However, moisture should not accumulate in the folds of leaves and flowers.
The appearance of aphids contributes to a lack of nutrients. The plant's immunity may be weakened due to a lack of iron, which will help the orchid become vulnerable to aphids.
Incorrect dosage of fertilizers and nutrient mixtures can lead to a saturation of the soil with nitrogen. This favors the appearance of bugs.

Proper nutrition helps the plant resist and cures diseased areas of the plant.

When buying a flower, it is necessary to examine it well, check the stem and all leaves for viscous mucus or other affected areas. In the house, an orchid is best left in a place remote from other plants. Watch her for a few days. When transplanting, disinfect the substrate and the pot.

Small aphid bugs can be immediately seen on the leaves or young shoots of an orchid. They affect the flower, feed on its juices and lead to the death of individual parts or the entire plant. To combat this parasite, timely measures must be taken. Use folk or chemical agents, as well as carry out preventive measures.