What to do if a spider mite appears on a ficus tree?

A spider mite on a ficus plant parasitizes quite often. Often, these insects are brought into the apartment by accident, for example, through an open window or with diseased plants. If the house is humid and warm, then the conditions are quite favorable for the rapid reproduction of parasites. The spider mite is an extremely tenacious creature, and it even multiplies with temperature changes... Many varieties of indoor plants can become a haven for these insects, however, on the ficus, signs of leaf damage are usually most pronounced.

The earlier the characteristic symptoms of parasitic invasion were noticed and the necessary treatment was started, the higher the chances of getting rid of the scourge. There are many ways to fix it. In case of severe infection, special chemical insecticides should be used. If the number of leaves infected by insects is large, it is quite possible to cope with parasites using some proven folk remedies. If at least one case of ficus infection with ticks is detected and their effective elimination, it is necessary to take certain preventive measures.

Description of the pest

Scale insects (Diaspididae) are an insect family belonging to the order of Hemiptera. Its representatives are known as pests of wild and cultivated plants, including indoor flowers. Juicy ficus leaves attract them as a source of juice, in which substances necessary for nutrition are dissolved, primarily sugar.

Males of the pest are completely harmless and very different from females: they are small flying insects. Females and larvae spend their lives on leaves and shoots of plants, feeding on their sap. The adult female scale insect is rounded creatures from 0.5 mm to 5 mm, covered with a wax shell. This protects the pest, making it difficult to control it. The fact of the rapid reproduction of the scale insect is also unfavorable for the owner of the ficus.

Signs of a scabbard infection

You need to start taking measures to save the ficus if:

1. A sticky bloom has appeared on the leaves, reminiscent of syrup. This substance is called honeydew or honeydew. The scale insect, being gluttonous, often draws out more juice from the plants than it can assimilate, and excretes it to the outside. Such an environment is fertile for the appearance of a sooty fungus, which also causes damage.
2. With a close examination of the ficus (preferably under magnification), you can see the larvae and female scale insects, which have a dirty gray or brown color.
3. The damaged areas of the leaves begin to overgrow with new tissue, therefore, bumps appear on its surface. Ultimately, the sheet plate takes on a deformed appearance.
4. Ficus leaves turn red and gradually die.
5. When the infection is started, individual shoots begin to die off, and the growth of the entire plant stops.

If the "work experience" of a pest exceeds more than 2 years, then its parasitic activity leads to mass death of leaves and drying of branches. The bark begins to crack on the trunk and shoots.

How did she get on the ficus?

The scabbard on Benjamin's ficus appears in different ways. Among them:

• the acquisition of an already infected plant, because at the initial stage it is not easy to detect a pest without a thorough examination, and in flower shops an epidemic of scale insects is not uncommon;
• together with a bouquet of flowers brought to the house - bought or collected independently;
• rarely the shield enters the room through an open window if the wind brings it;
• ficus transferred to the balcony in the warm season can become infected with pests if they are on neighboring balconies;
• if the house already has plants on which the scale insect lives.

Therefore, it is very difficult to protect plants from infection.

Photo

These photos show how a spider mite manifests itself on a ficus:

It is also useful to read: Spider mite on lemon

Ways to fight

There are different methods on how to deal with the scabbard on Benjamin's ficus. You can achieve the best result by combining them with each other. One procedure will not be enough, so regularity is the key to success.

It is important to follow the drug instructions and recommendations exactly so as not to cause harm. For example, increasing the dosage of pesticides not only will not bring the best effect, but can also cause plant and human poisoning.

Mechanical

Adults and larvae should be carefully removed by hand. To do this, use a sponge soaked in a solution of laundry soap, tweezers or the blunt side of a knife to scrape off the scabbard from the stiff branches of the ficus tree. Affected leaves and shoots - cut and destroy.

Chemical

The use of chemical insecticides is the fastest and most effective way to combat any plant pests, including scale insects. But pesticides are often powerless against females, reliably protected by a wax shell. The larvae die in one treatment, but soon new ones will appear from the eggs. This explains the need for preliminary collection of scabbards and repeated procedures.

1. "Aktara" is a systemic insecticide that has won the trust of flower growers. It is a powerful tool that kills almost all indoor plant pests. It is used for 2-4 sprays and soil spills.
2. "Actellik", which is called the best drug in the fight against scabies. It is allowed to use it no more than 3 times. Due to the toxicity of Actellik, all work is carried out only in the open air.
3. "Vermitic" with neurotoxin effects. In order not to harm the plant, you can process the ficus 1 - 2 times, and then apply another insecticide.
4. "Confidor" of contact and intestinal effects.
5. "Fitoverm" with the active ingredient "aversectin C", which is not addictive to pests. It is a powder that dissolves well in water. The ficus is treated with the resulting liquid 4–6 times in 7–10 days.

Work with chemical insecticides is carried out in a well-ventilated area. A person must use protective equipment, avoiding contact of substances on the skin and mucous membranes.

Treatments are carried out 3–6 times until the scabs are completely destroyed. 7-10 days should pass between the procedures: during this time, new individuals will appear.

Biological

The use of biological preparations is harmless to plants and humans. The scale insects are destroyed by other insects such as blastotrix and spspaltella. The parasites of the pest are fungi and some types of nematodes. To "add" them to ficus, you can purchase the drugs "Avertin", "Aversectin" and "Nemabakt".

Folk remedies

A good result is shown by using a composition of soap and machine oil diluted in water. Ficus is thoroughly treated with this solution, covering the soil with polyethylene, and left for 12 hours. You will need 3 procedures, carried out in 7-10 days. For cooking, you need a glass of water, 10 g of grated laundry soap and 30 g of oil.

Infusions are also effective:

• garlic (5 cloves per glass);
• onions (1 piece per glass);
• hot pepper (50 g per 0.5 l);

They are left under a tightly closed lid in a dark place for 12-24 hours so that the water takes on a rich smell that repels insects. Spraying procedures are carried out 4-6 times at weekly intervals.

What does a spider mite look like?

Many people find it difficult to believe that the wilting of their favorite ficus is directly related to parasite damage. Spider mites are small in size, their body length does not exceed 0.3-0.6 mm. Insects are usually oblong-oval in shape. Their whole body is covered with small, but quite noticeable hairs that help to cling to the plant, the juices of which they feed. It is impossible to see these insects with the naked eye. You should use an ordinary magnifying glass through which they can be clearly seen.

Female spider mites are slightly larger than males. All adult ticks have 4 pairs of tenacious legs. Adults lay eggs in large numbers. When conditions are favorable, they mature in just 3 days. In unfavorable conditions, eggs can be stored in the soil for about 5 years. It is because of their survivability that the fight against spider mites is quite protracted.

These insects are brownish or green in color. They move slowly, so it is almost impossible to notice them. Both adults and larvae have a special proboscis, with which they pierce the leaves and drink the juices of the plant. It is important to know the main symptoms of plant damage by these parasites.

Prophylaxis

Even following all the recommendations for prevention, it is impossible to completely protect the ficus from the scale insect. But to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence, simple measures will help:

• keeping the plant in good condition: thinning the crown, removing dry or yellowed leaves and shoots;
• water and feed the ficus in time, because weakened plants become easy prey for pests;
• carry out regular inspections of the plant;
• use a grid on open windows;
• carefully examine new plants and bouquets of flowers brought into the house.

Preventive actions

The main prerequisite for the appearance of true spider mites is dry air and low air humidity, therefore high air humidity and regular spraying of the outer part of the plant is a good prevention of the emergence and reproduction of the pest. However, high air humidity only helps with lesions with a true spider mite, while the false spider mite, on the contrary, loves it very much. Nevertheless, practice shows that orchids are most often attacked by true spider mites rather than false ones.

When spraying a plant, you must be very careful so that water does not remain for a long time in the core of the plant and the grooves of the leaves, as this can very easily lead to decay. You need to be especially careful in the winter, as in low light and low temperatures, water evaporates rather slowly.

It is also necessary to pick up old fallen leaves, remove faded flowers, periodically gently remove dust with a soft brush.

The oil of the Neem tree has proven itself very well as a prophylaxis for the emergence of spider mites. It works reliably and is well tolerated by plants. This product contains many medicinal substances against which ticks do not develop immunity.

Scabbard on ficus: signs of infection

The scabbard can get on the ficus in different ways. Given the microscopic size of the insect, it can simply be carried by the wind through an open window. There are several more known ways to spread the pest:

• entering along with a bouquet of flowers from the store;
• buying an already infected plant;
• transfer from other indoor flowers;
• infection in the garden or on the veranda (balcony), where the ficus is transferred in the summer.

Sign of ficus infection with a scabbard photo

Scabbard epidemics in flower shops are not uncommon, as sellers try to quickly sell perishable goods, and not waste time on pest control. Therefore, when buying bouquets or plants in pots, you should know what the scale insect and the plants affected by it look like.

Types of scale insects and their differences

According to the scientific classification, scale insects belong to hemiptera insects. The family includes more than 2000 species, united by a characteristic feature - the body of an adult insect is covered with a dense shield formed from larval skins and wax secretion.

In most species, females lay eggs, the Californian scale insect is a viviparous one. Larvae hatched from eggs move actively at first. Having found a convenient place, they stick to the plant and remain motionless. The larvae grow rapidly and periodically molt, shedding the old cover. It dries up and forms a kind of umbrella over the insect, protecting the scabbard itself and the eggs that it lays. The scutellum of brown, brown or white color has a rounded or oblong shape.

Females lack eyes, wings, legs, but the piercing-sucking type of mouth apparatus is well developed. Body length - 1.5–2 mm. After the female scale insect stops moving, she is continuously engaged only in feeding and laying eggs. Males are more like ordinary insects and are able to move around. They also have a small flap on their backs.

It is interesting! Very few males hatch from the clutch, and at the end of the fertilization process, they die. Therefore, among females there is a phenomenon of parthenogenesis, in which new individuals grow from unfertilized eggs.

In structure, scabbards are similar to false scabbards. The scutellum of the latter is larger, up to 7 mm in diameter, domed, has no wax secretion and consists only of the skin that has died out during molting.

Despite the fact that the family of scale insects is extensive, only a few of their species are common in gardens and greenhouses. Among them:

• purple,
• comma,
• yellow and red pear;
• mulberry,
• rose-colored.

As can be seen from their names, each type of pest has taken a fancy to its own species of plants - fruit trees, berry bushes or garden flowers.

Signs of a scabbard infection

The first sign that a scabbard has settled on a ficus is the appearance of a sticky bloom on the leaves. This is the so-called honeydew - the secretions of sucking insects. Plant sap contains a large amount of sugar, which is why various pests love it. Insects cannot digest part of the juice and secrete it on the surface of the leaves. In the future, a sooty fungus rapidly develops on the sweet bloom, causing great damage to the plantings.

The second sign by which the scab lesion is unmistakably determined is the appearance on the trunk and leaves of a brown, brown or white-gray growth. On close examination, it can be seen that it consists of individual plaques. These are the shields of young or adult females, under which the pests themselves hide.

The third sign is the curvature of the leaf plate and the appearance of tubercles on its surface. Thus, the plant tries to grow new tissue at the site of the lesion.

In advanced cases, the leaves of the ficus turn yellow and die off, and in the future, without treatment, the plant dies.

Types of scale insects and their differences

Almost 2.5 thousand species of scale insects are known in the world. Because of this, the list of scale insects that can infect both indoor plants and greenhouse plants, and those that grow in open ground, is extensive and varied.

What does a scale insect look like on a ficus leaf close-up

Consider the most popular types of scale insects:

Name of the type of scale insects	Habitat	Appearance	Features of the
California	Ubiquitous	Body size is about 2 mm. Females are lemon-colored with a brown shield, males are light orange.	Up to 4 generations of insects of this species develop per year. The development cycle is a month.
Mulberry	Very widespread.	The scutellum of the females is light gray or white, and the body is light orange or yellow. Males are bright yellow with a white shield.	Representatives of this species are polyphages (polyphagous), therefore they can be found on ornamental and fruit crops, vegetable plants.
Purple	Tropical and subtropical climate (Asia, South of Ukraine and Russia)	They belong to the small species - their size is about 1 mm. The body of females is pinkish-yellow or yellowish-brown, while males are whitish-yellow.	They can give annually up to 4 generations. For the winter in nature, females lay up to hundreds of eggs.
Brown	Lives in areas where there is no frost in winter.	The size is about 2 mm. Females are light brown and males are brown	It settles mainly on the upper side of the leaves.

In addition, there are other types of scale insects: cactus, olive, palm, pear, rose and others. They are very similar to each other with the exception of color and size. Most often found on a certain type of plants (hence the name), but they can also settle on other plants.

Treatment of scale insects on ficus

The methods of dealing with the scale insect on the ficus are various. To get rid of the pest as soon as possible, use several methods at the same time or alternate them. The difficulty lies in the fact that insects in different stages of growth are simultaneously on the plant, and their colony may well do without males.

Immediately after the detection of the scale insect, the ficus must be isolated from other indoor flowers. They should also be examined carefully.

Mechanical method

This is the easiest and safest way to deal with the scabbard. On adults, chemical agents practically do not work, the shield prevents the penetration of poisons. But they are easy to remove mechanically.

To do this, take a cotton pad or sponge for young leaves and a tougher tissue for hardened ones. An old soft-bristled toothbrush will also work. Moisten in soapy water and rub each sheet thoroughly on both sides. You should try to process the whole plant, even if some leaves seem to be completely healthy. If you miss at least one larva, after a while the insects will multiply again.

Ficus should be wiped with a wet cloth

To prepare a soap solution, take any detergent - dish gel, laundry, green or tar soap. The whole plant is coated with a thick foam and left for 20-30 minutes. Then they are washed off with a stream of hot water from the shower.

Advice! To prevent soap from getting into the ground, the pot is placed in a plastic bag and tied at the bottom of the barrel. If scale insects are seen along the entire length of the stem, the ground near it should be slightly raked and the bag should be tied on a healthy underground part.

A weekly hot shower is good for getting rid of scale insects, but young plants with delicate leaves may not tolerate this. Then you have to apply insecticides.

By chemical means

The use of chemicals immediately after treatment with soapy water will destroy the scale insect larvae, which are easy to miss due to their microscopic size. Until the insect has acquired a shield, you can get by with a contact agent. These include:

• organophosphorus preparations - Antiklesch, Actellik, Karbofos, Alatar, Fufanon, Iskra;
• neonicotinoids - Colorado, Mospilan, Tanrek;
• hormonal insecticides with the active ingredient pyriproxyfen - Admiral.

Errors when fighting a scabbard

The most important of them is to allow severe infection: the fewer pests, the easier it is to destroy them. In addition, as long as the flower is not heavily infected, it can withstand the use of chemicals, while with a strong infection, the plant is weakened and it is not always possible to predict how it will survive the use of chemicals.

Another mistake is non-observance of instructions when using strong bio- or chemical preparations: a concentration of a substance that is stronger than indicated can lead to the destruction of the plant and severe poisoning of the person working with the product.

What does a ficus affected by a scabbard look like?

For the same reason, biological and chemical agents cannot be used to enhance the effect at the same time.

Advice: in case of damage to flowers and ornamental plants with a scabbard, you should prepare for a long and difficult struggle. But, if everything is done in a timely manner and correctly, it will certainly turn out to be effective and victorious.

Scabbard on ficus benjamin how to fight?

Ficus Benjamin is distinguished by its fast growth and strong foliage. When growing it, an interesting design solution is popular, when several young shoots are planted next to each other and as they grow, they intertwine the trunks with a pigtail. The tree looks great and undoubtedly decorates any interior, but the fight against the shield becomes noticeably more complicated. A sprawling plant in a large tub is sometimes impossible to put on the balcony or transfer to the bath, and spraying such a bush with pesticides is dangerous to your own health, even with the use of protective equipment.

The solution can be a plastic bag of sufficient size, put on the crown and tied under the pot. A small hole is made in the bag and a spray bottle with aphid, cockroach or housefly repellent is threaded into it. The insecticide is sprayed for a minute, turning the tip in the bag in different directions, then the hole is closed and the ficus is left in the bag for several hours. After removing the shelter, the room is thoroughly ventilated.

Important! The convenience of using the aerosol is that it forms a thick fog that can enter all hard-to-reach places.

Like other contact insecticides, it is effective only against larvae and juveniles. Therefore, this procedure should be repeated three times with a weekly break. Before processing, food, liquids in an open container are taken out of the room, pets are removed. After airing, wipe the floor with water and detergent.

Prevention: how to protect the ficus from the scabbard

Even the most stringent preventive measures will not help completely protect the ficus from settling with scabbards. But following them will significantly reduce the likelihood of a pest appearing. Prevention measures include simple but very effective techniques:

• regular inspection of the plant;
• thinning the crown and removing dry and yellowed leaves;
• the use of mosquito nets on the windows;
• a thorough examination of all flowers and plants brought home.

Do not forget about timely watering and feeding the ficus. A weak, stunted plant is not able to resist the invasion of pests and quickly dies.

Fighting a scabbard on a ficus tree is not an easy task. To achieve a good result, it is important to use a set of measures designed to destroy all stages of the insect. A properly selected product in the right dosage, combined with preventive procedures, is guaranteed to destroy all pests and return a healthy look to the ficus.

The scale insect is a dangerous insect that is difficult to get rid of. Rapid reproduction and the release of sweet juice are the main hazards for a plant such as ficus. Infection leads to the fact that the leaves become covered with dark spots, deform, turn yellow and die off. If the problem is not detected in time, this can lead to the fact that the pest will destroy not only the ficus, but also move to other indoor plants.

To prevent this, you should carefully consider all the rules for maintaining and caring for the plant. It is also equally important to pay attention to the external signs of the disease. Finding them is not difficult at all.

Rubric: "Questions and Answers" about the shield

1. Is the scabbard a disease or a pest?

The scabbard is a shield aphid. This is not a disease, but a sucking pest that belongs to the Homoptera family.With the scabbard, it is necessary to begin the fight as soon as it was discovered, then it will be possible to save the plant.

1. Is it possible to get rid of the scale insect without the use of chemical poisons?

If the stage of the lesion is sufficiently advanced, then unfortunately, it will not be possible to eliminate the shield without the use of special poisons, chemical ones. Therefore, it is better not to delay the situation and start fertilizing the plant at the first sign.

1. Is it possible to increase the dose of the poison to get rid of the scabbard faster?

In no case, in this case, you can kill the plant. The dosage must exactly match the directions in the instructions. With an increase in the dose, the scabbard will not die faster, but the plant can be very seriously damaged.

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Causes of the appearance of scale insects

Ficus Benjamin is considered one of the most popular indoor plants, since it does not require special care and becomes a beautiful miniature tree in a few years. But if you do not adhere to the elementary rules for its content, the plant grows weak, and this is the main reason for the infection with the scabbard.

For the rapid reproduction of the pest, the following factors will be favorable:

• correct watering is not observed;
• insufficient amount of light;
• the air in the room is too cold or hot;
• excess nitrogen content in the soil;
• diseases of other indoor plants.

The most dangerous period for infection of a ficus with a scabbard is winter. The air is dry due to heating, the daylight hours are too short. All this affects the fact that the sap of the plant undergoes changes in its structure, which attracts insects.

Danger to ficus

The black bloom that covers the leaves during infection interferes with the normal respiration of the plant. The leaves begin to deform, turn yellow and fall off. Ultimately, if treatment is not taken in time, the ficus will die. Also, the disease is easily transmitted to other indoor plants.

Infection routes

Some novice flower growers are sure that it is impossible to infect a healthy plant with a scale insect. But the scale insect can penetrate the ficus in various ways. There are several ways to get infected.

• with the help of the wind, through an open window;
• other indoor plants can serve as a source of infection;
• flowers from the street often contain pests on their leaves.

Also, often the acquired plant may already be infected. And it doesn't matter where it was sold - in a special flower shop or at the grandmother's in the market. At an early stage of development, insects are microscopic in size, and it is simply impossible to detect them.

Signs of infection

In order to detect the disease in time, you need to be attentive to the plant. To do this, it is enough to inspect the leaves for signs of infection during watering. With growth and development, the scabbard begins to secrete a special substance, which is called honeydew or honeydew. Such discharge serves as a good basis for the development of a sooty fungus.

Signs by which you can recognize a scabbard infection:

1. A sticky bloom appears on the foliage. The thing is that the scale insect is a gluttonous insect, and often draws out more liquid from the ficus than its body can absorb. Excess pest excretes outward.
2. If you carefully examine the plant using a magnifying glass, you can see not only an adult insect, but also its larvae.
3. Damaged leaves are deformed. This is due to the fact that the areas affected by the scabbard begin to regenerate and overgrow with new tissues. As a result, tuberosity appears.
4. Over time, without treatment, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off.
5. In the most advanced cases, shoots die off, the growth of the ficus stops.

Often the pest colony grows so large that it can be confused with a black growth on the plant.

Pest control: what are the most effective measures?

Scabbards multiply very quickly, so it is not very easy to deal with them.Complicating the fight is the fact that a durable and reliable shell protects pests from pesticides. But it is difficult, that does not mean at all that it is impossible. There are several ways to deal with the scabbard

View	What represents	Efficiency
Mechanical	Removing infected branches and leaves by hand, removing insects from the plant with soapy sponges	Success can be achieved in the early stages of infection.
Biological	The use of entomophages, fungicides and other biological preparations	Helps to heal plants at any stage of infection
Chemical	Use of pesticides	Helps to remove only larvae, and adults are protected by a shell, so even potent insecticides can be powerless if used at the wrong time
People's	He foresees the use of various means that are in any home - tinctures of hot peppers, garlic, onions.	Effectively removes juveniles.

What does the scale insect look like from different angles, on different plants
To understand which of the methods and how to use, you should consider each of them in more detail.

Advice: before starting treatment and regardless of the chosen method, the infected plant must be isolated from others. There is a chance that they have not yet been infected, so they will not have to be taken drastic measures against them.

How to treat the plant?

A ficus scale shield is an unpleasant phenomenon for every indoor plant lover. The insect multiplies very quickly, so you need to act immediately. There are several ways to deal with this pest.

Chemicals

One of the fastest and most effective ways is to use chemical insecticides. But it is worth considering that poisons are sometimes powerless against female scale insects, since they are protected by a durable shell. In this case, a preliminary collection of insects and repeated processing of a houseplant will be required.

You can use the following drugs:

1. Vermitic. Has neurotoxic effects. It is enough to process a couple of times, after which you need to change the insecticide so as not to harm the ficus.
2. Aktara. A powerful systemic drug. It is able to rid the plant of many species of insects that are harmful. Use it to spray foliage and water contaminated soil. 3-4 procedures are enough.
3. Actellic. It is considered one of the best chemicals in the fight against the scabbard. Due to its toxicity, spraying should only be done outdoors. Often 3-4 procedures are enough, with a break of 7 days.
4. Fitoverm. The active substance of this drug is aversectin C. It does not cause addiction in the scale insect, therefore it is possible to fight the parasite longer than other drugs. The powder must be diluted in water according to the instructions and the leaves must be processed 5-7 times with a break of 7 days.

Each drug has a toxic effect on the human respiratory system. Therefore, in order not to harm yourself and your family, the treatment should be carried out in the open air, while it is recommended to use rubber gloves in order to prevent the product from getting on the skin.

Mechanical methods

Since chemical preparations do not work on adults due to the presence of a wax shield, they can be removed from the leaves mechanically, which is not only effective, but also safe.

How to properly deal with a scabbard on Benjamin's ficus? In fact, it is not difficult. A hard cloth (cotton pad for delicate young leaves) and a soap solution are taken. You need to wipe each leaf on both sides. The whole plant must be treated this way, without exception. If at least one larva or adult is omitted and not removed, time can be considered wasted. Within a few days, it will be possible to observe the continuation of the death of the plant.

To prepare a soap solution you will need:

• slightly warm water (preferably purified) - 500 ml;
• soap (household or tar), crushed on a grater - 10-20 g;
• convenient capacity.

Stir until the soap is completely dissolved and foam forms. Apply the solution to the leaves and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off under running warm water from the shower. In order not to wet the soil, the flowerpot should be placed in a bag and tied where the trunk begins.

Traditional methods

The folk methods are controversial. Some consider them ineffective and harmful to the plant, others - effective and absolutely not dangerous.

The most popular means are:

• weak vinegar solution (vinegar is diluted with water 1: 2);
• red pepper tincture (25 g per cup of water);
• onion tincture (one onion per glass of water);
• tincture of garlic (5-6 cloves per cup of water)
• a mixture of machine oil (25 g) and soap (7-10 g) with water (200 ml);
• green potash soap (available online or at your flower shop)

To prepare the infusion, you need to mix the products and leave the container in a dark place for one day. During this time, the solution will acquire a deterrent smell. Any of the proposed remedies for the scale insect on the infected ficus should be sprayed on the foliage at weekly intervals. Enough 5-7 procedures.

Prophylaxis

Preventive measures are taken in order to reduce the likelihood of contracting the scabbard. In cases where the moment has already been missed and the plant withers, these recommendations will help speed up recovery.

What rules do flower growers need to adhere to:

• regularly inspect and treat all indoor plants on time;
• monitor the humidity and temperature conditions in the room;
• remove dry foliage and shoots that appear on the ficus in time;
• observe proper watering and top dressing of the soil;
• use grids on windows.

Fighting a scabbard on a ficus tree is not so easy. To do this, you need to be patient and not stop after the first procedure. Compliance with all recommendations will help save the plant and return it to a healthy look.

Houseplants most susceptible to spider mite infestation

At the initial stage, tick damage can be noticed with periodic careful examination of the plants for discoloration of the leaves and the appearance of white and yellow spots. If timely measures are not taken to destroy the parasites, they quickly grow into a large colony. In this case, the affected plant will be visible with the naked eye, along a cobweb and a bloom that looks like dust.
To get rid of a spider mite with the help of acaricides, you need to know the main active ingredient of the drugs and change them periodically. For processing, you also need to know the toxicity class. Preparations with 3-4 class of toxicity can be used in the bathroom, and 1-2 classes only outdoors.

Active substance	Toxicity class
	4	3	2
Benzylates	"Neoron"
Sulfonic acid derivatives and the tetronic acid group	"Nissoran"	"Oberon"
Propargite	"Omite 30 and 57"
Pyridazipones	Sunmight
Ketoenols	"Envidor"
Quinosolines	"Demitan KS"
Pyrazoles	"Ortus"
Tetrazines	Apollo, Flumite
Based on organophosphates	Dursban, Karbofos	"Actellik"
Derivatives of the synthesis of the fungus Streptomyces avermitilis	Akarin, Kleschevit, Aktofit, Fitoverm	"Vertimek"

Treatment of a plant with chemicals is carried out in 3 stages with a difference of 5-8 days. The hotter the air in the room, the faster the spider mite larvae are removed from the eggs and the less the difference between treatments should be.

When using the drug for the first time, its effect must be checked on one sheet. If after a day of observation the plant has not reacted negatively, then the treatment is carried out on all plants of this species.

The treatment is carried out at an ambient temperature of about 26-28 degrees, sprinkling abundantly on a dry plant. Small specimens can be completely immersed in a 50% solution of the drug.To enhance the effect, soap is added to the solution.

Spraying is carried out up to 12 hours on a sunny day and up to 14 in cloudy weather. Until completely dry, the plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Spider mites feed on the contents of plant cells, after which some of the cells are destroyed, the area and intensity of photosynthesis decrease, the plant weakens, becomes more susceptible to any infections. The presence of this parasite is indicated by the presence of small white dots on the leaves (mainly on the lower side) and the presence of a thin cobweb that braids the plants (or parts of them).

The spider mite, in addition to feeding on plants, also carries a number of infections. The literature mentions that this parasite carries gray mold spores and viral infections of ornamental and agricultural crops.

A spider mite on Benjamin's ficus manifests itself as follows:

• Initially, the lesion extends to the trunk, this can be seen due to the thin whitish cobweb. After finding the web, it is worth examining the entire ficus completely. The pest itself is quite small, you can see it thanks to a magnifying glass, you can also see a tick on a ficus in the photo when you zoom in on the screen of a phone or camera.
• The second symptom is the defeat of the leaves, they acquire a marbled color due to the spots that have appeared. After depleted by the pest, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
• It will also be noticeable that the growth of the plant has slowed down significantly, a healthy look is lost. This will ultimately lead to the death of the green pet.

Before you start fighting the pest, it is worth making the air in the room more humid. How to deal with a spider mite on a ficus tree, there are several tips.

Folk remedies:

• Medical alcohol - the leaves of the ficus will not suffer from the fact that they are rubbed with alcohol-treated cotton wool, but the insect will die (it is worth remembering that this does not work on the eggs of the pest).
• Soap - it is better to put the flower in a bath or a bowl, lather the sponge with soap and foam, wipe the branches and leaves, a pot and a stand with high quality, and also spray the ground with soapy water. After 3-4 hours, wash off the soap film and cover the flower with a bag for a day.
• Onion peel - pour 100 grams of 5 liters of water and leave for 4-5 days, then strain and spray the flower.
• Garlic - for tincture, you need to chop 2 heads of garlic, pour a liter of water, leave for 5 days in a dark place, then dilute the resulting infusion 1 to 1 with water and spray the plant.
• Chamomile - infusion from pharmacy chamomile should be abundantly sprayed with ficus. An infusion of pharmacy chamomile is prepared as follows: 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of boiled water, insist and cool.

Chemicals:

• Actellik is an excellent option for mass infestation of flowers; treatment should be done outdoors or in a ventilated area.
• Fitoverm - you can carry out the treatment in a closed room, but then thoroughly wash the open areas of the body, rinse the mouth, change clothes.
• Neoron - helps to destroy the pest and its eggs, while two treatments are enough.
• Others - Apollo, Aktofit Fufanon, Vermiyek, etc.

These are alternative methods. Amblyseius and phytoseiulus are also mites, but predatory, i.e. their food is plant pests. You can buy them online or at flower shops. They do not harm humans and pets. These insects eat 5 spider pests or 10 eggs per day. However, they cannot be stored, since without food they die.

Usually, parasite colonies are kept on the back of the leaves, so it is quite difficult to see the first signs of plant damage. Ficuses are distinguished by fleshy leaves and thick stems, which provide all parts of the plant with the necessary amount of water. Throughout the year, they delight the eye with bright greens.

However, the picture changes completely if the ficus is infected with a spider mite. Usually insects settle on the trunk first.Thin skin is not an obstacle for them. The main sign of insect damage to this part of the plant is the barely noticeable cobweb that envelops the plant. It allows the existing colony to move effectively, getting to the feeding places, and serves as protection from possible predators.

Next, you should pay attention to the leaves of the ficus. The appearance of the marble pattern indicates the spread of the tick and an increase in its population. A small cobweb enveloping the leaves from the back of the groan is a fairly indicative sign of a problem. In case of severe damage to the plant by spider mites, the leaves along the edges begin to gradually die off.

This is due to the fact that the damaged vessels, through which water moves, do not transfer it to the cells. The parasites draw juices from the leaves, so they quickly curl up and die off. The spider mite becomes the cause of the depletion of the plant, the growth of which is significantly slowed down. Young leaves due to lack of nutrition can die off, and the buds can dry out.

Various pests can cause significant damage to potted plants on windowsills. Few people want to see the death of their favorite ficus as a result of infection with a spider mite. There are no preventive measures that could 100% prevent damage to this plant. But not everything is as sad as it might seem at first glance.

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To reduce the risk of parasite infestation, watering must be strictly controlled. Constantly moist soil in a ficus pot, combined with warm, humid indoor air, leads to the fact that insects can reproduce quickly in a favorable environment for them. To prevent ficus from becoming infected with a spider mite, their leaves should be periodically cleaned with a mild soapy solution. This will not harm the plant, but will destroy single ticks that accidentally hit it.

It is advisable to treat the plant with insecticidal or folk remedies at least once a month. The place where the pot of ficus is located should be washed from time to time. In order to destroy possible mites and their eggs, all surfaces should be treated with an aqueous solution of any cleaning agent.

For preventive purposes, it is necessary to periodically inspect the plants, paying special attention to the places on the stem where the branches branch off and the back of the leaves. A thorough examination of the ficus allows you to detect an infestation with a spider mite at an early stage and to start treatment of the plant in a timely manner.

How to deal with a spider mite on a ficus

A characteristic sign that your favorite flowers have been attacked by this pest are light and yellowish spots all over the leaf plate. If a whole colony of ticks has appeared on your windowsill, a thin cobweb is often observed on the underside of the leaflet. The plant covered with it dries up very quickly.

The mite is a threat due to its feeding on plant juices. Adults pierce the stems with their proboscis and inject special enzymes that destroy the chloroplasts of the cells.

Due to the tiny size of the spider mite, it is almost impossible to see without glasses or a magnifying glass. Insects hide well on the back of leaf plates or just earthy clumps. Adults have mimicry - they merge with greens, having color shades similar to it. Hibernating females are easier to recognize, they have a reddish tint.

The main signs of ticks are:

• Light single punctures on the sheet plates, which can be seen in the light. At first, there are few of them, but the number is gradually increasing. Over time, the foci grow and merge into large brown, pronounced spots.
• Greens lose their natural color: they become yellow, gray, bronze or red shades.
• Leaves change: curls, deformations occur. The same applies to buds.
• Growth and development stops.Photosynthesis is impaired, cells cease to function properly and assimilate nutrients.
• In the later stages, a network of thin, barely visible to the eye, cobwebs. Sometimes, it is possible to see them only when there is a large accumulation of pests or on a completely dried plant.