Why do these pests appear on flowerpots?
Midges in flowers and on the soil surface of flowerpots can appear in the following cases:
How to get rid of midges in flowers
- poor quality soil for planting flowers. It may contain particles of not completely decayed plants, which will later become a breeding ground for insects;
- use for watering tea or other liquids other than water;
- transplanting flowerpots into a pot that is too large. In this case, the soil in the lower part of it is too moist, since the roots of the plant cannot absorb water at this level;
- intensive watering of the soil. Stagnation of water in the soil provokes putrefactive processes that attract insects;
- use of organic endorsements.
It should also be borne in mind that insects do not appear on all domestic plants. These pests love indoor flowers that have soft leaves. These include begonia, fuchsia and others. And some varieties, on the contrary, prefer flowerpots with fleshy leaves - violet, ficus, azalea.
Midges on indoor flowers
Prevention measures to help get rid of midges in flowers
Providing decent care and comfortable conditions for the development of flowers is within the power of every lover of indoor plants. Preventive measures tell you what to do to prevent midges from growing in flowers.
- When buying indoor flowers in the store, you need to pay special attention to the condition of the soil. It will also be useful to purchase a means for its insecticidal treatment.
- To avoid rotting plant roots, you need to regularly loosen the soil in pots. Thus, the oxygen required for the flowers will be provided.
- Avoid watering indoor plants with liquids containing organic matter. It is better to use special fertilizers or flower dressings.
- Transplant a flower into a soil that does not contain dust, mold, and remnants of decaying foliage.
- Also, when transplanting, you should pay attention to the cleanliness of the pot (if it is old).
By observing all these measures, it is possible to ensure that flower midges do not appear anymore.
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Varieties of midges
Sewer midge
The following types of insects can start on flowerpots:
- white midges are springtails. These insects most often appear on the surface of the soil or near the bottom of the stems of plants that have been watered too abundantly. Most often they are found in winter or in the first half of spring, when the moisture from the flowerpots does not evaporate so intensively;
- black midges are sciarids. They are not dangerous for humans, but they can cause poor growth or death of a flower. The larvae are laid in the ground, which negatively affect the root system of the flowerpot.
How to deal with these insects with folk remedies?
If you have black flies or other types of insects, getting rid of them is quite simple. To do this, you can even use the tools at hand that can be found in any home.
Potassium permanganate solution
The most popular methods of dealing with such annoying pests are:
- potassium permanganate solution. Dissolve a small amount of it in water to obtain a slightly pink liquid.Water the indoor flower with it 1-3 times at intervals of several days to get rid of pests;
Fly sticky when dealing with midges and other insects - orange peel. Place a few pieces of zest on the surface of the soil. Its smell is very unpleasant for insects. You can also grind the zest into powder, add to the soil and transplant a houseplant into such a mixture that will save you from small pests;
- matches. Take 3-5 pieces and stick the head down into the ground, then water the flowerpot. When the sulfur has completely disappeared, you can repeat the procedure to accurately remove all pests;
- garlic. To get rid of this misfortune, spread several cloves on the surface of the soil, which must first be cut in half. Also, in order to quickly remove pests, it is recommended to prepare a garlic infusion. To do this, pour a liter of boiling water over the peeled and chopped head of garlic. Such a remedy is insisted for 4 hours, after which watering and spraying of the flower is carried out;
- laundry soap. Use a soapy solution to rub the stems and leaves of your houseplants. To do this, combine 50 g of laundry soap and 200 ml of warm water;
- wood ash. To get rid of this misfortune, just pour it on the surface of the soil. Also loosen the soil a little so that the ash particles get deep;
- Velcro for flies. If small pests are introduced, hang it near the pot. When a lot of insects gather on the Velcro, discard it and attach another;
- dill. To remove small pests, it is necessary to put several fragrant twigs on the soil surface.
Signs of damage to flowers by soil midges
Midges in orchids: how to get rid of at home and how to treat
Soil gnats, also known as springtails, often live on flowers. The reason for the appearance is the oversaturation of the soil with liquid. Pests live in the upper soil layer and inside the container, where they settle their larvae. The length of an adult in home floriculture is 4 mm, the color is white or yellowish-brown. You need to be afraid for geranium, violet, orchid, cactus, carnation.
Soil midges (springtails). General form
When jumping insects appear, as well as holes in foliage and young stems, white bloom, measures should be taken immediately. Reduce watering, check drainage, soil density. You can replace the pot with a larger container with an updated soil composition.
Important! Inaction will lead to the rapid multiplication of earthen midges. And if from a small number of pests the harm is minimal, then a large one leads the flowers to extinction.
How to fight insects with commercial products?
If midges are bred, it is not always possible to get rid of them with folk remedies. In this case, purchased preparations will be more effective, which will quickly and without harm to plants and people kill all insects. The most popular remedies against midges are:
- Regent. It will help to remove all varieties of midges. The drug dissolves in water, which is poured over flowerpots;
Rotten fruit encourages gnats to breed - Agravertine. It must be diluted in water and sprayed with this liquid indoor plants. Helps against insects themselves, but not from their larvae;
- Aktara. The solution prepared with its help can be used for watering and spraying. Completely destroys adult pests and their larvae;
- Inta-vir. The drug in the form of a powder or tablets is dissolved in water, with which watering is carried out;
- Bazudin. It is used against pests in the garden, but no less effective against indoor pests;
- Actellic. Quickly destroys all pests. It is forbidden to use them during the period of intense flowering.
Reason for appearance
Midges in flowers.What to do? Before we analyze in detail all kinds of methods and tips, let's first figure out why such a problem arises.
There are several reasons why midges appear on the plant. You need to know them in order to care for flowers, observing all precautions.
The first reason is that the soil was infested with midge larvae from the very beginning. Of course, you can't change the past, but next time you need to remember that before planting plants in the ground, it must be disinfected. In addition, regular preventive soil treatment against pests will prevent the emergence of parasitic colonies.
The next reason why midges have started in indoor flowers may be excessive waterlogging of the soil. This can be due to frequent and heavy watering. If the weather is hot and dry, it is tempting to moisturize the flowers more than they need to. This can cause the water in the pot to stagnate and create unwanted insects.
Also, midges in home flowers can appear due to a constantly open window through which they can fly in and settle in moist soil, or because of crumbling leaves that begin to rot in the pot itself, thereby creating a favorable sphere for the appearance of harmful insects.
As you can see, if you follow all the rules for growing indoor plants and regularly disinfect the soil, then you will never have a question: how to get midges out of flowers in a pot?
Prevention methods
To prevent the appearance of midges, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- Don't water the plants too vigorously. This is especially true in the cold season, when moisture slowly evaporates from the soil.
Disinfection of the room promotes the fight against midges - Place expanded clay, river pebbles, charcoal and river sand at the bottom of the pot for planting indoor flowers to ensure drainage.
- If you bought a new pot from a store, transplant it into a different pot. When doing this, be sure to clean the roots of the plant. Also use a ready-to-use substrate that contains the optimum ratio of mineral approvals.
- The soil for planting indoor flowers must be steamed in a water bath for several minutes.
- Place mosquito nets on windows, especially on hot days. This will protect the flowerpots from pests that can come from the street.
Sticky tape in flowerpots - The pot for planting domestic plants must be doused with boiling water.
- It is recommended to cover the soil surface of indoor flowers with small pebbles, marble or granite chips. This will prevent pests from breeding because they will not be able to lay eggs.
- Loosen the soil periodically to ensure even moisture evaporation.
- Inspect the flowerpot regularly, remove dried flowers, leaves, stems. If they fall to the surface of the soil, be sure to clean the soil to prevent rotting.
- To feed the plants, use only ready-made mineral fertilizers. It is strictly forbidden to use humus, infusion from onion husks or egg shells.
It will be very easy to get rid of midges if you follow these recommendations and apply one of the above means.
