The reason for the depressed state of indoor plants can be various pests, which are sometimes not noticed. The scale insect is a very insidious pest. It can appear on almost any ornamental plants, greatly inhibiting their development and even leading to complete death.
The most dangerous species are palm, ivy, fern, brown, soft and hemispherical false scutes. There is even a quarantine Californian scale insect.
Why are shields and false shields dangerous?
The pest affects all parts of the plant located above the soil. These are trunks, petioles, twigs and leaves. Larvae and females feed on plant sap. This leads to curvature of the stems, yellowing and drying of the leaves. The plant withers and dies with a large accumulation of pests. In addition, the false shield gives off abundantly sugary excrement, on which a sooty fungus settles.
How to deal with pests?
The fight against them is very difficult. The pest is protected from above by a "shield" that protects it from external effects of any insecticidal treatments. You have to carry out such treatments many times. But it is not a fact that this will bring guaranteed success. In addition, it is harmful to "chew" in a residential building.
Control measures
If there are few pests, you can periodically clean it with a soft brush, wash the plants with soapy water. This procedure must be carried out repeatedly.
Pests cannot tolerate sunlight. Damaged plants can be placed in a lighted place, while watering should be moderate. There shouldn't be too much space between the plants. Providing good ventilation and more light will keep pests from breeding.
Of the chemicals, Aktellik, Aktara, Confidor will be effective. You can spill potted soil on affected plants. At the same time, strictly follow the instructions and carry out the processing in a non-residential area, for example, on a balcony. So, the action of the "Aktara" solution when watering the soil is as follows. The insecticide penetrates the plant through the roots and moves with the juice, penetrating into the trunk, petioles and leaves. Which makes the whole plant toxic for a while. The pest feeds on "poisoned juice" and dies.
Prevention
Pests enter the house along with new plants. Therefore, it is necessary to be wary of newcomers and examine them for settling by "uninvited guests". It is better to quarantine new plants for a while, away from other flowers.
