Mushroom mosquitoes in orchids how to get rid of. Getting rid of midges on orchids

Causes of the appearance of midges

Often, as soon as midges are in the orchid, what to do with this, each grower begins to think in panic. However, sometimes it is necessary to find out the reason, where did they penetrate into the plant and what is the root cause of their appearance. Very often, their larvae are kept in poor-quality soil. After planting the plant in such soil, midges begin to multiply rapidly. At the same time, there is also such a negative side that if insects appear in one of the pots, then they will certainly settle in the neighboring ones, if there are favorable conditions there.

A favorable factor for the habitat of midges is the humidity they need. Therefore, if midges are in the orchid, what can you do, you do not know and you do not yet have the necessary preparations for their destruction, the first thing to do is to stop excessive watering. After that, you should start figuring out what kind of midges is in your plants and what methods of struggle are most effective for him.

White pest control

If midges appear in the flower pot, it is necessary to determine the type of pest, since each species of midges corresponds to a specific approach to destruction.

So for the destruction of fruit midges, you can do without the use of pesticides:

• you just need to clear the soil of fallen leaves and tea leaves;
• the frequency and volume of watering should be reduced.

Having deprived insects of favorable conditions for their residence in this way, very soon it will be possible to get rid of the fruit flies in the apartment completely.

It is much more difficult to deal with midges, the so-called sciarids. For transplanting plants, it is preferable to use a special sterilized soil. To prepare the soil composition at home, it is necessary to thoroughly irrigate it with water.

Means for fighting midges

They are used to spray window sills, window frames, as well as furniture shelves on which these room "beauties" are displayed.

Insecticidal preparations such as Bazudin or Thunder-2 will help to detoxify the soil.

You can remove whiteflies using insecticidal preparations such as Aktara, Bazudin, Fury or Sherpa. The agent is sprayed on orchids damaged by insects.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with bedbug vinegar how to get rid of bedbugs with vinegar

It is not difficult to rid the plant of the pest with the help of a vacuum cleaner. It is enough to lightly swing the orchid for the insects to take off. At such a moment, you should use a vacuum cleaner, quickly collecting winged pests.

Treatment of plants from pests

Fighting thrips

Urgent isolation of an orchid should be undertaken if it shows signs of thrips. You can destroy a significant number of pests if you rinse the plant with warm water. After that, it is imperative to remove the damaged leaves.

You can get rid of adults using insecticides Bazudin, Sherpa or Fury. Adhesive tape is also used for this purpose.

You can also fight midges at home with the help of garlic. It is enough to combine 3 chopped garlic cloves with 0.5 liters of boiling water, then leave to infuse for at least 4 hours.

Oil spraying is no less effective. For 500 g of water, dilute 1 tbsp. l. grape or olive oils.

If you make such recommendations for the rule of care, then the question of why midges have got into the orchids will not arise.

What to do if white pests are introduced on orchids, and how to get rid of them with the help of folk, chemical and biological means?

How to remove white pests from orchids using folk remedies?

• 
  Soap based solution. Dissolve 20 grams of liquid soap in 200 ml of pure water (try to choose a soap with the most natural composition possible).

• Garlic tincture. Chop a medium-sized head of garlic and cover with boiling water. (You can also place one garlic clove directly in the soil.)

With these products, you need to wipe the entire surface of the flower for five to seven days. Then pause for several days and repeat the course two or three times. 30 days after the disappearance of all attackers, you can treat the plant with the listed folk remedies to prevent a new infection.

Chemical

Such means as "Aktellik", "Aktaru", "Bazudin", "Fury", "Fitoverm" will help well. It is necessary to spray the affected orchid every five days. Such treatments need to be carried out from three to five. In some preparations, the instructions indicate that it is necessary to process it three times in a row with an interval of ten days. Therefore, you need to carefully study the instructions for each drug before use.

Biological

You can use a vacuum cleaner. Scare off all midges, and when they fly over the phalaenopsis, collect them all with a vacuum cleaner. This way you can get rid of 60% of all pests. And if you do this manipulation several times, then it is possible to completely destroy all insects.

If flower growers have a negative attitude to the use of chemicals, then in this case, you can use the following recipes:

• chop and pour a few cloves of garlic with boiling water. Insist five hours and process the leaves and soil in a pot with an orchid;
• bury the peeled clove of garlic in a pot;
• add a spoonful (tablespoon) of vegetable oil to a half liter jar and spray the plant with this solution;
• use sticky tape yellow traps;
• sprinkle wood ash on top of the soil. It will help get rid of pests, lower the acidity of the soil, feed the plant;
• prepare a solution of liquid soap (a teaspoon) and 200 g of water and wipe the orchid leaves on both sides.

Types of gnats that can live in orchids

From midges, most likely, you will learn only after you decide which of their varieties has settled with you. Most often, flower midges, also called sciarids, live in pots with orchids. Outwardly, they are a small insect, the body length of which reaches three to five millimeters, and have a black color. In fact, this pest is a mushroom or fruit gnat. This pest can lay its eggs in the ground, after which small white worms appear there.

Sciarids are not dangerous for the plant, but their larvae can not only damage seedlings, but also destroy small roots of seedlings or weakened plants. As a result, rot may appear or a fungal disease may develop.

If midges are in the orchid, what to do with them, you will not immediately orient yourself. Especially if they look like tiny butterflies and fly very quickly and briskly, and also perfectly hide. To detect this pest, you just need to touch the ground or leaves, and they will immediately take off. These midges usually neglect varieties with hard leaves, and prefer thin-leaved plants with very delicate skin, since they feed on their sap, which they suck just from the leaves.This can lead to the fact that the plant begins to gradually wither, and the affected leaves will curl up and dry out. The eggs of this pest are yellowish in color and, as a rule, are located on the surface of the leaves or under them.

Types and names, what they look like

For effective control of midges, it is necessary to determine their type. Midges in orchids may not do them significant harm, or they can destroy the plant.

Mushroom gnats

Sometimes flocks of midges very similar to small mosquitoes begin to fly near orchids. Their length is about 4 mm, the color is black or dark gray, they have two transparent wings. Insects, also called sciarids, appear in the fall or spring, when there is no heating and the room is humid and cool.

The mushroom mosquitoes themselves do not pose any danger for orchids. But the larvae, which are in the ground and reach a length of up to 1 cm, harm the roots of orchids. In places of damage to the root system, rot forms, and the plant dies.

Whiteflies

If you touched an orchid and a swarm of white midges flew up, then these are whiteflies. The midges are very

small size (1–2 mm long). Whitefly larvae are located on the stems and the underside of leaves, leaving yellow streaks. Whiteflies are located on the inside of the leaves. During the period of development, its larva infects up to 50% of young stems and leaves of an orchid. The stems are deformed, the leaves dry and the plant dies.

Fruit flies

If small yellow dipterans with red eyes fly near the pot with orchids, then these are Drosophila (fruit midges). There are about a thousand different types of them. One adult fruit fly can lay 400 eggs.

A day later, larvae appear from them, and on the sixth day, adults up to 5 mm in size are formed. The nutrient medium for Drosophila is rotting plant residues, fruits and vegetables. Midges appear on the surface of the substrate when the process of decay of plant residues begins as a result of abundant watering. Drosophila does not do much harm to orchids.

Thrips

These are midges with a striped elongated body and wings pressed against it. They can be in the ground. And most often they live on leaves, the juice of which they feed on. If a lot of dark dots (bite spots) appear on the leaves of plants, and sometimes a silvery film, then thrips have appeared in the orchids.

Affected leaves dry up and orchids die. Thrips are difficult to spot during the day, they hide in the soil. They are active at night. Insect larvae mainly affect the leaves, which darken and fall off. Flowers and roots are also affected by pests. Thrips multiply rapidly, so urgent measures should be taken to destroy them.

Signs of attack by midges can be different. All parts of the phalaenopsis, without exception, can succumb to the attack. So, the external signs of the presence of pests on a flower are as follows:

1. 
   fine brown pigmentation on leaf plates;

2. in the same place, a white bloom with the smallest pores may appear;
3. the leaves partially whiten, and black dots form on this whitewashed background;
4. in rare cases, the entire surface of the leaf turns white;
5. a large number of black and white midges are observed on the buds;
6. insects can also be seen in the contaminated soil.

Depending on the type of attacking midges, the orchid itself looks different. Absolutely all parts of the plant can be affected. External signs of the presence of midges in a flower can be:

• brown small spots on the leaves;
• white porous plaque in the same place;
• black small dots on the background of the whitened part of the leaf plate;
• complete whitening of the leaves;
• on the inflorescences themselves, you can clearly see small midges, both white and dark;
• in the affected soil, it is also easy to see small insects.

Thrips danger

If midges are in the orchid, what to do with them, you need to decide as soon as possible, until they cause significant harm and destroy the plant. In particular, it can be thrips - small insects up to two and a half millimeters long, but causing enormous damage. They look like black-brown or black sticks with two pairs of wings folded neatly on the back.

They are excellent at hiding in the ground, which makes them very difficult to detect. They feed on leaf tissue, as a result of which the plant literally dies out before our eyes.

Pests - what are they

Before you start fighting pests, you need to determine if there are flies on the flower or some other parasites. So, some individuals can live on a plant for a long time and do not do any harm, while others will destroy the orchid.

The most common are:

• mushroom gnats;
• whitefly;
• fruit flies;
• thrips.

Mushroom gnats

No wonder the pest got such a name. The midges flying around the flower resemble small mosquitoes, which are no more than half a centimeter in size. Sometimes insects are called sciarids. Most often, "uninvited guests" can be found in the cool season - in spring or autumn. During the period when the heating either had not yet been turned on, or had already been turned off. Mosquitoes are not dangerous for the flower, which cannot be said about the larvae. The latter, being in the ground, destroy the root system, which begins to rot.

Whiteflies

White midges living on orchids are whiteflies. They are only a couple of millimeters long. It is not difficult to notice pests, they leave yellow stains on the leaves. The larvae attack very quickly young stems and leaf plates. This leads to the death of the flower.

Fruit flies

Yellow midges with red eyes are fruit lobes or fruit flies, as they are also called. This pest has more than 1000 species. It is difficult to imagine that an adult lays over 400 eggs. The larvae appear the next day after that, and in less than a week, adult pests can be observed. Despite the fact that these midges do not do much harm, it is not very pleasant when such insects fly next to the flower.

Thrips

Thrips, which are elongated individuals with stripes on the back, can also grow in orchids. Often, pests settle on leaf plates, less often in the ground. The appearance of thrips is evidenced by a silvery film and many dark dots on the leaves. The plates that were affected dry very quickly, and the flower itself dies. Taking into account the fact that thrips are active at night, it is very difficult to spot them during the day. The pest affects not only leaves, but also flowers and roots.

Important! Thrips, although small, but they multiply very quickly, so measures to destroy them should be taken urgently.

How to deal with gnats in orchids?

If midges are in the orchid, what to do with them and what drugs to treat, you need to navigate as quickly as possible. After you have decided on the type of pest, you need to choose the right method of dealing with it. For example, for fruit flies, it will be enough to remove the top mulch layer from the soil, and also to slightly reduce watering. You should also make sure that there are no rotten vegetables and fruits in the room. This will contribute to the fact that the insects completely lose food and disappear.

Against sciarids, drugs designed to combat flying insects can effectively help. The most common of these is Neodichlorvos. You can fight butterflies by periodically spraying with insecticidal preparations. Leaves can be washed with a solution of water and laundry soap.

In the fight against thrips, drugs such as Fitoverm or Actellik effectively help. They should be processed a couple of times a month.

Orchids are the most unusual indoor flowers, which, moreover, are very unpretentious to care for.That is why growers more and more often choose this exotic plant for their home.

But with improper care of orchids, you can often face such a problem as midges, which can cause serious harm to flowers.

What if there are midges in orchids? How to get rid of these insects and what steps should be taken to protect the plant?

Orchids can be damaged by various types of insects, the larvae of which are usually brought along with the soil. And after the appearance of favorable conditions, midges can begin to actively appear and multiply.

Before you start pest control, you need to determine their type. Let's get acquainted with the main types of insects that harm orchids.

• Sciarids. The main insects - pests on orchid flowers are sciarids, or, as they are also called, mushroom mosquitoes.

These very small insects are black in color, their length is 3 - 4 mm. The larvae of mushroom mosquitoes, which appear from eggs laid on the soil surface by adult insects, are harmful. The larvae are white in color, their length is 6 - 9 mm, outwardly they look like worms.

Sciarid larvae, despite the fact that they feed mainly on overheated plant debris, while in the soil, damage young weak roots of orchids and their shoots. Over time, such damage becomes foci for the development of rot and fungal diseases.

Fungus gnats are often confused with fruit flies. Therefore, before starting the fight with them, you need to make sure that it is Sciarids in front of you. Mosquitoes are more graceful insects than Drosophila.

• Drosophila is a small fly, about 3 mm long, its abdomen is thicker than that of sciarids.

She feeds on plant residues. Usually appears when mulching a plant, or fertilizing it with sleeping tea. As for other midges, excessive watering of the plant creates favorable conditions for their reproduction.

• Butterflies are whiteflies. Florists sometimes meet on orchids, well-hidden, very small butterflies - whiteflies, which are considered white midges.

They can be found by touching plant leaves or soil. When their dormancy is disturbed, whiteflies immediately take off.

Whiteflies harm orchids with thin leaves and delicate flowers, because they feed on orchid juice, sucking it out of plants. The flower, on which these pests have settled, withers, weakens, the leaves on it begin to turn yellow and curl.

• Thrips are another type of orchid pest similar to midges.

The length of these insects is not more than 2.5 mm. They can inhabit any of these beautiful flowers. Unlike sciarids, their adult flying individuals hide themselves in the ground. These insects, outwardly similar to small black "sticks" and are nocturnal.

You can determine the appearance of thrips on a plant by its appearance. When infected, dark spots and a silvery film appear on the leaves of plants. This change is due to the fact that insects lay eggs in the leaves themselves, from which, subsequently, larvae appear. They are very small and almost undetectable.

After a while, the leaves become covered with dark spots and holes appear on them, after which they completely die off. In addition to the damage to the leaves, adult insects, being in the soil, damage the young roots of the plant.

In order to detect the appearance of thrips on orchids as early as possible, some growers examine the plants at night with a flashlight.

How to remove pests from orchids

At home, you need to start fighting insects that fly over a tropical flower immediately after pests are detected. For this, time-tested folk remedies or modern developments of the chemical industry are used.

Before treating the plant with the selected agent, mechanical destruction of insects is carried out. First, we get rid of damaged leaves. The rest are thoroughly washed with heated water. After the aboveground part is processed, they go to the root system. For this, the phalaenopsis is taken out of the pot and the root system is cleaned of pieces of the substrate. Then the roots are washed carefully with running warm water. Epiphytes are transplanted only into fresh disinfected soil. Further, for the final disposal of insects, the plant is treated with preparations.

How to remove insects without chemicals

Methods for destroying pests are chosen depending on the species and how many of them appear on the plant. To eliminate fruit flies and a small number of whiteflies, it is enough to use folk methods. But if thrips have appeared, they can only be removed with potent chemicals.

To destroy whiteflies, it is enough to rinse the orchid leaf plates daily under running water for a week. So, the laid eggs will be washed off and insects will not get an opportunity for reproduction. For the same purpose, you can wipe the plant with soapy water.

Some types of pests cannot tolerate the strong smells of essential oils from fruits and vegetables. This feature can be used to repel insects. But the plant itself suffers from such smells. For example, thrips don't like citrus scent. Therefore, we deduce them by dropping zest from oranges, lemons or grapefruits into the substrate. They also do not tolerate the aroma of garlic if you rub the leaves of a flower with it.

Important!

The proposed methods are suitable only as a prophylaxis or for the destruction of single insects. With severe pest infestation, they do not give a good effect.

Insecticide treatment

To eliminate sciaris, leaves and stems of a tropical flower are treated with Raptor. Instead, you can use the spray "Raid" or "Neo Dichlorvos". Be sure to pickle the soil with "Bazudin" or "Thunder 2". Additionally, a window sill or a shelf on which a pot with a plant stands is disinfected.

To cope with whiteflies, the entire aerial part of plants is treated with the preparations "Sherpa", "Aktara", "Fury". Adult insects and larvae will die if 3-4 treatments are done every 5 days. The leaves are additionally washed with soapy water.

Fruit midges are eliminated with aerosol preparations. Usually spray "Hexochloran" or regular "Dichlorvos" works well on them. You can use other drugs with a similar effect. Processing is carried out indoors. Half an hour after spraying, windows and doors are opened for ventilation. This time is enough for the fruit flies to die.

It is very difficult to fight thrips. It will take a long time and several treatments to completely eliminate this pest. You can eliminate them with Fitoverm or Actellik. The treatment is carried out every 10 days until all parasites are destroyed. Additionally, every 30 days, the root system of the plant is washed and the soil is replaced with fresh soil.

How to protect plants and get rid of midges

If midges appeared in orchids, how to get rid of them? The first thing to do is to decide on the type of pests that have appeared.

If the orchid is affected by fruit flies, then it will be enough to remove the top mulching layer and dry the soil. In this case, no chemicals are required.

From chemical agents, as insecticides to combat midges, it is recommended to use Inta-Vir, Aktelliek, Karbofos. The drug is diluted in accordance with the instructions, and the soil is thoroughly watered with it, at weekly intervals. After each treatment, the plants are not watered for 4 days, so as not to weaken the concentration of the drug.

To get rid of butterflies - whiteflies, you can use the preparations of Aktar, Sherpa.

If midges appear on the orchid, the shelves and window sills should be treated with Raptor or Neodichlorvos.

To enhance measures to combat harmful flying insects, it is advisable to hang up flypaper - flycatchers.

Flower treatment with insecticides

Some growers believe that since they have learned how to get rid of midges in orchids, they can immediately buy any product and start processing.

Important! These or those insecticides are designed to control specific pests.

If the belonging of the midges to a specific group has not been determined, then manipulation cannot be performed. This can damage the flower.

Knowing which pests have settled in the orchid pot, it is worth acting.

Processing in this case is divided as follows:

• Sciarids. If these insects were seen, then the stems and leaves are treated with Raptor, Reid, Neo Dichlorvos. As for the soil, it is etched with "Bazudin" or "Thunder-2". We should not forget about disinfection of window sills or other surface where a flowerpot with a flower stood.
• Whiteflies. To combat these midges use means: "Fury", "Sherpa" and "Aktara". Only stems and leaf plates are processed.
• Drosophila. Not knowing how to get rid of midges in orchids, which are called fruit flies, you should resort to the help of "Hexachloran", "Dichlorvos" or "Combat". It is necessary to use funds strictly according to the instructions.
• Thrips. It is quite difficult and long-term to deal with these pests. It is best to use "Actellik" and "Fitoverm", which are processed once every 10 days. The manipulation is performed until all thrips are destroyed.

How to prevent the occurrence

Since the larvae of insect pests are in the soil, it should be disinfected before planting the plants.

For this, the soil intended for planting is spilled with water and frozen. Or you can use a special sterile primer.

One of the main reasons for provoking the appearance of insects is too wet soil. Excessive moisture is the result of improper, very frequent watering, heavy grain size distribution of the soil or poor drainage system.

The main way to prevent gnats on already growing orchids is to adjust the watering. It should be carried out only as the topsoil dries up.

If the substrate is wet for a long time, mushroom mosquitoes will immediately react to the favorable conditions created and will certainly lay eggs on its surface, from which larvae will subsequently appear. In dry soil, the egg clutch will not take place at all or will die.

Therefore, regular drying of the soil is the most effective method of getting rid of sciarids.

You should not feed the plants in unconventional ways, for example, or with an infusion of eggshells.

Protect windows with mosquito nets to prevent insects from flying in from the street.

Having appeared on one plant, insects quickly migrate to neighboring orchids, if favorable conditions for them are also created there. Therefore, it is very important to take timely measures to destroy them and control watering.

For several years now, the orchid has been a favorite plant of flower growers. It is not uncommon for midges to appear in orchids that harm the plant. Therefore, it is natural that it is necessary to get rid of insects quickly.

Prevention of pest infestation

To prevent the appearance of pests on the orchid, irrigation must be carried out correctly. Before the next watering, the soil should dry well for 2-3 days. Moreover, the level of air humidity must be maintained at an optimal level of 65-80%.

To scare off pests, a plate of citrus fruits is placed next to the flowerpot where the phalaenopsis grows. You can just put an orange peel. A sprig of lavender has the same deterrent effect.If a pot of epiphyte is in the kitchen, you need to destroy food leftovers and take out the trash in time so that fruit flies do not spread.

When transplanting orchids, it is important to use only disinfected soil. Any substrate is subjected to this procedure, even if it is purchased in a store. For disinfection, it is placed in a freezer for several hours or heated in an oven for half an hour. Wet moss is best removed from the surface of the substrate. It is an excellent breeding ground for midges.

Every week, it is useful to bathe the orchid in the shower or wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. To protect against insects, all open windows should be protected with mosquito nets.

Important!

At the first signs of the presence of pests on an orchid, you need to immediately start a fight with them. So you can quickly deal with the problem and prevent the death of the plant.

Where do midges in orchids come from?

• If there are small midges in the soil of the orchid, you can place sticky tape near the pot. To further attract midges, water tinted with yellow paint is placed next to it. The tape must be changed regularly until the midges are completely removed.
• Without figuring out why midges have gotten into the orchids, you can simply transplant the houseplant into a new, safe soil. Rinse the roots under running water. Inspect the plant itself carefully, removing damaged parts. The land must undergo special processing.
• If midges appear in the orchid, you can use a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. Water with this product until the insects are completely eliminated.
• To remove insects, rinse the plant under the shower. The water will kill the insects. This must be done every 3-4 days.
• Sprinkle dry mustard over the soil. The "powder" should be renewed every week until the signs of insect habitation disappear completely.
• Use river sand, which is calcined in the oven. It is poured over the ground. If after a few days the insects still remain, the procedure should be repeated.

Now that you know what to do if midges are in the orchids. It will not be difficult for you to rid your pet of small pests.

If you see some kind of midges in orchids, this is a reason to think. Such pests can cause a slow growth of a flower and even provoke its death.

Therefore, it is imperative to take preventive measures to protect the plant from all insects, and after they appear, orchids must be treated with special compounds.

Traditional methods

Some growers say that folk methods will tell you how to get rid of midges on orchids.

These include:

1. Garlic infusion. To do this, you need to finely chop a few cloves of garlic and pour boiling water over. After settling for 5 hours, the leaf plates of the flower and the soil should be treated with the infusion.
2. A slice of garlic. One slice should be buried in the substrate. After a while, it will be possible to notice that the midges in the orchids disappeared as suddenly as they appeared.
3. Decoy traps. Sticky tapes are available on the market today and should be placed next to the flower. It must be said that this method does not affect the larvae, therefore it is ineffective.
4. Wood ash. Ash poured over the substrate will allow you to forget about midges forever, significantly reduce the acidity of the soil mixture, and also fertilize the flower well.
5. Soap solution. It is necessary to take a teaspoon of liquid soap and dilute it in a glass of water, and then rinse the flower leaves well from all sides with this solution.

Chemicals

If less radical methods do not work, use special drugs against midges. They contain chemical compounds that are dangerous to these pests.

In the fight against sciaris, it is best to use drugs such as Raptor, Reid, Neodichlorvos. The first of the means can be in the form:

• aerosol. It must be periodically applied to the plant until all insects are removed;
• a special device with liquid, which only needs to be connected to the network. Plates can be used instead of mortar;
• aquafumigator. The active substance is distributed by steam, which is formed after a chemical reaction with water.

Reid and Neodichlorvos is applied to leaves and flowers with an aerosol. It is best to use Thunder-2 or Bazudin against larvae. They must be dissolved in water and applied to the soil surface according to the instructions.

Against the whitefly butterfly, the orchid must be treated with drugs such as Fury, Sherpa, Aktara or Aktellik. To get rid of thrips, you can use the same agents that have a wide range of effects. You need to process the flower 2-3 times every 10 days.

How to get rid of pests at home

Experienced growers say that we get rid of midges as soon as we notice their appearance. You should not hesitate with this. Today, both folk remedies and special chemicals of a wide spectrum of action are used for these purposes.

True, whichever method is chosen, one should start with mechanical processing. In the event that pests have started on the orchid, the damaged leaves should be removed. Those that remain should be rinsed well with warm water. Having dealt with the leaf plates, you need to tackle the roots. To do this, the plant is taken out of the flowerpot and the roots are carefully washed under the shower. The substrate is also subject to replacement.

After that, it will not be superfluous to treat the orchid with special preparations.

Dampness and mold

Fungus insects are not the most common pest of indoor plants. They are often confused with fruit flies (Drosophila), although our mosquitoes darker color

... While fruit flies fly near fruits and rotten foods, sciarids appear near wet soil, sewers and drains.

Fungus mosquitoes are attracted to CO2 (carbon dioxide), which is why they fly right in the face.

The adults of these midges are 1-2 millimeters long, thin and look like very small mosquitoes. These tiny black insects seem harmless, because they just fly around the plant.

Mold in the substrate

But, while adult insects sit on the leaves of the Orchid, without harming it, their larvae feed on juices from thin root hairs of a flower

... This leads to yellowing of the leaves and weakening of the plant. They can also damage the fragile roots or stems of the plant, making it vulnerable to rot and infection.

The easiest way to avoid these midges

- water the Orchid correctly. It is excessive watering and poor drainage that contribute to the appearance of fungi, mold spores and rotting, which attracts fungus midges.

Thrips

Thrips are often found in a pot with an orchid. Small (up to 2.5 mm) insects are the most dangerous enemies of the plant, as they damage the leaves of the planting. There they also lay their eggs, from which larvae appear over time.

Thrips have a rod-shaped body on which a pair of wings is located. It is not easy to find pests, as they prefer to be nocturnal, hiding in the ground during the day. The presence of thrips is evidenced by dark blotches and a silvery film on the leaves of the flower.

Eliminate the cause of midges

1. When flying insects appear, check for sciaris
   on Orchids. You may notice adults: look for them on flowers, leaves, as well as the rim of the pot and in the substrate. You can watch these pests hover around the plant. At the moment when you find adult mushroom mosquitoes, eggs or larvae may already be laid in the substrate.
2. therefore transplant the Orchid into a new, well-drained potting mix
   ... Please note: it must decompose slowly. The best substrates are composed of slowly decomposing organic materials such as coconut shells or fibers, as well as charcoal.Of the inorganic ingredients, perlite is the best option. Fungal larvae feed on fungal spores that grow in warm, fertile, and overly moist soil. They also eat decaying organic matter, such as rotting substrate or plant roots. So the older your flower substrate is, the more likely it is to be infested by these midges.
3. Try to reduce watering
   and let the top layers of the substrate dry between waterings (about 2-3 centimeters of the top layer). Water your Orchid only when needed and do not allow water to accumulate in the pan under the pot. Fungus larvae need moist soil, so they will quickly disappear.
4. Fertilize the Orchid
   a weak solution of fertilizers once a month. Most importantly, do not overdo it, use half the concentration indicated on the package.
5. Cut off dying or drying parts
   Orchids at once. This will save you from the appearance of adult mushroom mosquitoes. Pay particular attention to areas of the plant near the soil line. Remove fallen plant material and debris from the surface of the soil as soon as you notice it.

Why do insects appear on plants?

1. Sciarids. For the processing of leaves and stems, "Raptor", "Neo Dichlorvos" or "Raid" are used, and the soil is treated with the chemicals "Thunder-2" or "Bazudin". It is also necessary to disinfect the surface on which the plants are located.
2. Whiteflies. The outer part of the orchid - leaves and stems - is etched using the preparations "Aktara", "Sherpa", "Fury".
3. Drosophila. Various aerosols are used to eliminate midges of this species. The most popular are: "Dichlorvos", "Hexachloran" and "Combat". You can buy other drugs as well. They must be used strictly according to the instructions. The flower is sprayed with the drug, and after 30 minutes the room is ventilated. This time is enough for the destruction of Drosophila.
4. Thrips. These pests are difficult to eliminate. It takes a long time to get rid of them. To combat them, you can use "Fitoverm" and "Actellik". Plants are treated with these preparations once every 10 days until the parasites completely disappear. And also every month you will have to wash the soil under the shower.

The first reason for the reproduction of insects in plants can be the soil mixture itself. Initially, there may already be pests in it that you do not even know about. The danger is that midges can jump from one flowerpot to another, thereby affecting neighboring orchids.

Let's list a few more factors that contribute to the appearance of midges on the surface of a plant or in the soil itself:

• abundant or irregular watering (it is necessary to let the soil stand completely dry for at least two to three days);
• the presence of decorative moss on the surface of the earth (it does not allow the soil to breathe);
• fertilization with folk remedies such as tea leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells;
• moistening with water infused with bread or other yeast products.

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We take out midges

Vinegar - good remedy

not only from mushroom gnats, but also from fruit flies. Fill a jar of baby food with apple cider vinegar and add 1 or 2 drops of liquid dish soap (to relieve surface tension).

Vinegar trap

After that, close the lid and make a few holes in it, enough for the midges to fly in. Place these trap jars next to the problematic Orchids and use them until the bugs that have started up in the flower disappear.

How to protect an orchid

In fact, making sure that nothing in the flower does not start is not so difficult. To do this, water the flower from time to time and do not irrigate until the bark is completely dry. In the summer, use mosquito nets to prevent insects from outside.

When buying a new substrate, it will not be superfluous to send it to the freezer for a couple of days in order to exclude the appearance of midges. The larvae cannot stand the cold, so they die. From time to time, it is recommended to wipe the sheet plates with soapy water.

We hope our material will help you quickly solve the problem with midges and get rid of unexpected guests.

What actions to take if midges are in the flower

If pests appear, do not panic. Some gardeners begin to take immediate action, which ultimately further aggravates the situation. In order to know what to do, if midges are in the orchids, you need to figure out the reason for their appearance.

Sometimes the blame became:

• Transfer. If, after the manipulation, flies were seen flying over the flower or around it, then there were larvae in the used substrate, from which the pests hatched afterwards.
• Buying a flower in a store. When making an acquisition, you should very carefully examine the roots, since the transparent pot allows you to do this, and the leaf plates. Sometimes in greenhouses where indoor flowers are bred, parasites are born. Of course, they are destroyed, but some of them can still hide on flowers.
• Considering that midges multiply very quickly, it is not surprising that soon a florist will notice them in a flowerpot with an orchid.

In order to eliminate pests, it is necessary to buy a new soil mixture, a pot, bathe the plant well and transplant it.

The picture of the disease

At first glance, this pest looks like a small piece of cotton wool, but under the white bristles, which are threads of wax, an oval-shaped insect, about 0.4-0.5 centimeters in size, is hiding. This is a female mealybug.
The insect feeds on plant juices and, as a result, deprives it of nutrients necessary for normal development. An additional problem is created by the sweet secret (pad), which is intensely secreted by the females. This sticky liquid, remaining on the leaves and stem of the orchid, can cause fungal growth or attract other pests. A particularly large volume of honeydew is produced by female citrus mealybugs, which are more common on orchids.

Symptoms of a mealybug damage to an orchid:

• small white furry bugs are localized on the leaves, flower stalks, buds, orchid core;
• sticky spots or droplets on the surface of the leaves;
• a white coating that looks like powder;
• yellowing (or redness) and leaf fall;
• slowing or stopping growth;
• deformation of buds and flowers.

An unpleasant feature of most species of these pests is the ability of females to reproduce without being fertilized by males. Moreover, each individual can lay 200-400 eggs.

Red spider mite

How to get rid of such a tick on an orchid, what control measures are there? The red spider mite is a small insect up to one millimeter long. Adults have eight legs, and the larvae have six. Their danger lies in very rapid reproduction and too high voracity. In addition, they often spread to neighboring plants, they can hide in the soil and fallen leaves.

Most often, the red spider mite enters a room with newly acquired plants. Therefore, when buying an orchid, you need to examine it as carefully as possible, and after completing it, place the plant separately from others and observe it for several weeks. As a rule, mites are placed on the inside of the leaf, pierce it and begin to actively suck out the juice, the leaves are covered with light spots, and then a thin web.

Also, the appearance of this pest is provoked by high air temperature, low air humidity and excessive feeding. Damaged transplanting soil can contribute to infection, the tick can enter the house through the wind and even be carried on clothes.

If the infection is not yet on a large scale, you can use an ordinary solution of green or laundry soap. Using a soft cloth or cotton wool soaked in liquid, you need to rinse the inside of the leaves, and then spray the entire plant with a spray bottle. After a week, this procedure must be repeated.

With a more severe infection, you can use the following, more effective means:

1. Taking two crushed heads of garlic, place them in a glass container, pour one liter of water and place in a dark place for a week. Then strain the infusion, dilute it halfway with water and spray the orchid.
2. Pour one hundred grams of onion husks with three liters of water and insist for five days, strain and spray the plant.
3. It helps well in the fight against spider mites, rubbing with alcohol or irradiating the inside of the foliage with ultraviolet radiation.
4. To remove eggs, wipe the affected area with essential oils.

If the above methods do not help, you need to apply insecticide spraying (Aktellik, Fitoverm, Neoron, Aktofit, Vermitic and others).

Vanda orchid: home care. You will read about this in our next article.

And here is an article that tells about the Ludisia orchid.

Insect species

Mushroom gnats

The second name is sciarids. An excellent condition for the development of these insects is a cool, damp place.... This usually happens in the fall or spring. Mushroom mosquitoes are easy to spot, as they attack the orchid in whole flocks. Sciarids are up to four millimeters long. Their shade is black, less often - dark brown, there is a pair of wings.

The mushroom mosquitoes themselves are not particularly dangerous for phalaenopsis. However, if their larvae get into the soil, they literally eat up the root system, and then it will not be possible to save the home beauty.

Whitefly

These pests are quite miniature - their size ranges from one to two millimeters. However, don't underestimate these midges. Whiteflies are often located on the back of the leaf plates.as well as along the entire length of the stem.

Another sign of an attack by these insects is yellow streaks all over the green surface of the plant. The infected plant dies very quickly: the leaves lose their shape, dry out and eventually fall off.

We offer you to watch an informative video about the whitefly:

Fruit flies

Another name is fruit midges. Description of appearance: the body is yellow, two wings and the most important difference is the presence of red eyes. The danger of fruit flies lies in their high fertility.... One midge can lay up to half a thousand larvae.

You can notice red-eyed pests from above the ground. These midges appear there due to the very frequent and abundant moisture of the substrate. Their "habitation" on the soil leads to its rotting.

Thrips

You can recognize them by their long striped body... There are wings, but they are almost invisible, because they are tightly pressed to the body. They can be found in the substrate, but this is rare. The main place of "residence" of thrips is the leaves, the sap of which pests feed on.

Such midges can be noticed by small brown dots, and sometimes by a silvery film on orchids. This is easiest to do at night, as they hide in the ground during the daytime. Thrips first destroy the leaves by drying them out.

Reference! Thrips are capable of multiplying very quickly, so if insects are found, you need to immediately begin to destroy them.

We offer you an informative video about thrips for viewing:

What does the affected flower look like?

Basic precautions must be taken. Dry the soil between waterings so that it is completely dry within two or three days. Make sure that there are no food residues left in the kitchen that are prone to rotting. Take it out of the garbage can in time.

When transplanting plants, the substrate (even purchased from a specialized store) should be placed in the freezer for several days. As a result of this procedure, the eggs of the midges will be destroyed.

Sometimes wipe the orchid leaves with soapy water. Install a grid on the windows so that midges do not fly from the street.

Proper care is a guarantee that no gnats in orchids can harm them.

Pest prevention

To avoid contamination of orchids with harmful insects, you should properly care for flowers:

1. Adjust the watering regime: up to 2 times a week - in summer, and no more than 1 time a week - in winter. In this case, it is necessary to moisten the soil after it has dried out.
2. Timely use of specialized fertilizers for orchids. They increase the immunity of the flower and make it resistant to diseases and pests. Tea leaves, eggshells and coffee grounds are not suitable as top dressing, as they provoke rotting.
3. Periodically replace the moss with a new one (if present in the substrate).
4. Use a quality substrate. Before use, ignite it in the oven, microwave, or keep it in the cold or in the freezer.
5. Do not store fruits and vegetables next to orchids.

Lavender, garlic, or citrus fruit peels can be used as a preventive insect repellent. They should be laid out next to the plant and changed as the tart aroma wears off.

You can prevent the appearance of midges from the street if you secure the windows with an anti-mosquito net.

Getting rid of midges in the initial stages of infection with them is not difficult. Therefore, it is important to periodically inspect the orchid for pests, comply with the requirements for caring for the plant and carry out preventive treatments that strengthen its immunity.

Why midges start and their types

The appearance of midges may be due to the use of purchased soil. After planting and watering, black midges and their larvae appear on the foliage. They begin to multiply and infect other nearby plants.

The main reasons for the appearance of midges:

• transfer;
• buying poor quality soil in the store;
• insufficient care.

It is not always possible to avoid the appearance of pests, which means that you need to learn how to get rid of an already accomplished problem.
To know how to breed a particular species, you need to "get acquainted" with the characteristics of pests and understand how to get rid of midges in orchids.

Orchids can start:

• sciarids;
• whitefly;
• thrips;
• fruit flies;
• mushroom gnats;
• fruit midges.

Sciarids are the oldest insect species. More than 20,000 species are known. The most common remain:

The danger is that they cannot be completely removed at home.

Fungus gnats are considered the safest "visitors" on orchid leaves. Signs of defeat:

• the soil does not dry out even after a two-day absence of watering;
• there are no spots and silvery bloom on the leaves;
• flying insects fly straight out of the ground in an orchid pot.

The danger is the larvae that infect the roots of the flower.

Whiteflies - the appearance of this insect is facilitated by high temperatures and excessive humidity in the room where the orchid grows. Whiteflies are located on the underside of the leaf, but they are easy to spot if you lightly touch the leaf with your hand. They got their name due to the possession of white wings. These insects are capable of provoking viral diseases.

• the growth of the flower stops;
• yellow "mosaic" spots appear on the leaves;
• the shape is deformed, the surface is covered with black spots, turns yellow.

During warmer months, the whitefly can be carried by the wind.

To get rid of midges at home, it is recommended to treat phalaenopsis (the process does not depend on the variety) with soapy water, cleaning off plaque with a brush, because the larvae stick to the surface quite strongly.It is advisable to plant nasturtium in pots next to the orchids. these insects cannot stand its pungent smell. Whiteflies fly freely, therefore, in order to combat them, ordinary sticky tape against flies can be used.

Suitable chemicals are:

Other formulations can also be used.

Drosophila is a fruit midge, individuals of which fly in a flock. Outwardly, they resemble small flies of a light brown hue. The eyes are red, the body is 4-5 mm long. It actively reproduces - the female lays up to 400 eggs at a time.

Development lasts one day, and the larvae live for 5 days. On the 6th, the process of reproduction begins again in an already adult individual. They appear on rotten soil, due to excessive watering. They settle on the upper layers of the earth, without causing any particular harm to the flower.

Drosophila is attracted to decay processes, for example, when:

• the use of tea leaves;
• peels of vegetables or fruits;
• excessive dryness of the soil.

If midges of this type appear in the orchid, it is enough to remove products that are prone to oxidation.

How to quickly destroy thrips?

Before applying insecticides, it is recommended to rinse the orchid leaves with warm water to wash off some of the pests. To eliminate thrips, it is recommended to treat the orchid and the soil with Fitoverm or Aktellik. The procedure must be repeated 2-3 times at intervals of 10 days.

Important! Sprays are not recommended for use on plants that have thin leaves. Such products have a sticky structure, therefore, they are able to reduce the rate of photosynthesis.

You can fight thrips using folk recipes. For example, you can use a garlic broth to process the leaves (a clove of garlic is chopped, diluted in 200 ml of boiling water, insisted for 3-4 hours). You can also prepare a solution of 500 ml of water and 1 tablespoon of oil. The composition must be sprayed on the plant.

Important! If you are not using a sterilized substrate, you will need to prepare the soil yourself. To do this, you need to pour plenty of water over the mixture, let it drain. After that, the soil must be placed in the freezer for 4 days.

Ways to fight

What to do if a mealybug has infected an orchid? To fix the problem, you must immediately take the following measures:

• Isolate the infected plant from the rest. Also, you should carefully examine the plants, the pots of which were standing nearby. The examination should be repeated 3-4 times every week.
• Collect the parasites from the stem and leaves and wipe the places where they were with soapy water. Then, using a cotton swab, also dipped in soapy water, remove the eggs of insects.

Some mealybug species parasitize the roots of orchids. This is indicated by the detection of pests on the aerial roots of the orchid or next to the ground.

• If there are areas of the plant heavily damaged by parasites, it is necessary to remove them.
• Treat the surface of the orchid pot with soapy water.
• Treat the plant with insecticides.
• Take care of the destruction of males, if any. Ordinary sticky tapes suspended near light sources will be effective.

Since the main place of accumulation of these pests will be the young parts of the plant, flowers, buds, peduncles will be infected with a high degree of probability. It is difficult to remove parasites from such hard-to-reach areas, so these parts should be cut off immediately. The same applies to scales - the mealybug often hides under them.

Insects can also hide in the core of monopodial orchids. Since only a small part of the individuals will be removed from there, you can place the plant in a place with high temperature (about 30 ° C) and humidity (for example, in the bathroom). Such conditions will force insects to climb onto the leaves.

If white bugs are bred in the soil in which the orchid grows, the plant will have to be transplanted. The roots must be cleaned of an earthen coma and treated with a weak insecticide solution.

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Processing is best done immediately after the emergence of young individuals from the eggs, since at this moment their vulnerability to chemical attack is maximum. But since the clutches can be at different stages of development, accordingly, the appearance of new beetles will also occur in several waves. Therefore, for the complete destruction of the population, treatment should be carried out every 15 days at least 3-4 times.

According to the principle of action, insecticides can be divided into two types:

• External use - solutions that are applied to the aerial parts of the plant. Poison pests when insects eat the treated area or when they come into contact with the body.
• Internal use - means that are introduced into the soil. Getting into the plant sap through the roots, they make it toxic to insects.

In the case of insecticide treatment of orchids, several restrictions and rules apply:

1. The externally treated plant should not be placed in direct sunlight.
2. When processing with a spray, you must strictly maintain the distance indicated in the instructions. Since the contents of the container are under pressure, a spray applied at close range can cause frostbite in parts of the plant.
3. Products containing a high concentration of oils should only be applied to the affected areas, as the oil clogs the pores of the plant.
4. Medication in the form of soil sticks or granules may also contain fertilizer. The roots of many orchids are sensitive and can be damaged by the concentration of the feed.

Traditional methods

Instead of chemicals for spraying a plant, you can use solutions and tinctures prepared yourself.

1. Oil solution. To prepare it, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a liter of water. The oil concentration is low, therefore spraying is allowed.
2. Garlic tincture. 5 medium-sized cloves of garlic, pre-peeled and finely chopped (you can crush), pour 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave for 4-5 hours. The filtered solution is applied to the leaves and stems of the plant with a brush.
3. Infusion of horsetail. 100 grams of dried horsetail is poured with a liter of boiling water and left to cool. When the tincture has cooled to room temperature, you can spray the plant with it.
4. Alcohol and soap solution. In one liter of warm water, you need to dissolve 15 grams of liquid soap or 10 grams of soap shavings, stir until the soap dissolves, and add 10 ml of alcohol or 20 ml of vodka. The product should be applied to the affected areas with a brush, being careful not to let the solution get on the soil and roots. After a day, you need to rinse the treated areas with water.

Solutions containing alcohol should only be used on plants with thick leaves and tough stems.

Spraying with these agents should be carried out every 3-4 days.

Prevention measures

The presence of insects occupying flower pots directly indicates that the plants are in unsatisfactory conditions.

You can pick up the same sciarids together with the soil - often their larvae are already included in the kit. In order to avoid such a nuisance, do not ignore the measures for heat treatment of the soil. It can be both frozen and baked in the oven.

Risk factors

Mealybug affects weakened plants, practically without attacking healthy ones. Infection of orchids occurs in the event of metabolic disorders in the plant. There can be two reasons for this:

• excess fertilization of the plant;
• improper living conditions - lack of light and dry air (which is typical for urban housing in winter).

In both cases, the composition of the sap of the plant changes, which makes it vulnerable to the pest.

The optimum temperature for the reproduction and development of these beetles ranges from 24-25 ° C, so thermophilic orchid species are more likely to become their prey.

Chemicals

Drastic measures have to be applied when larvae are already swarming with might and main in the substrate, it is enough to raise its top layer 1 cm thick to detect them. Unfortunately, many chemicals are toxic and their use in residential premises is undesirable. It is advisable to transfer orchids affected by midges to a glazed balcony or veranda and spray there.

Indoors, treatment with Largon, Micromit, Difluorobenzuron preparations is allowed, which are capable of destroying adults and larvae, Intavir and Carbofuran are considered to be stronger, Teflubenzuron affects the sciarid life cycle and inhibits the process of transformation of larvae into adults, thus preventing an increase in the number of the colony.

Florists respond well to the Grom-2 granular agent, which is scattered on the surface of the substrate and slightly mixed with the top layer. The rate of its consumption per 1 sq. m of area is only 1-1.5 g, and it acts until the granules are completely dissolved within 14 days.

Bayer products are considered harmless to humans, which are used to prevent the appearance of sciarid larvae and to get rid of adult insects. When using the preparations Regent and Regent-800, you should carefully calculate the dosage. If the standard recommended solution is 1 g in 10 liters of water, then for orchids this rate is reduced by at least half. Finally, proven methods of fighting houseflies are used - sprays Dichlorvos, Raptor, and against larvae - Mukhoed.

What are and how dangerous

Insects that have chosen a flower pot are an unpleasant sight. In addition, small living creatures can significantly damage the orchid, deform its parts, and also lead to death. It is always sad to watch as something beautiful die, therefore the “neighbors” noticed in time are subject to immediate eviction.

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However, emergency measures to save the flower will have the desired effect only if the species of the midge is determined.

Sciarids

These pests are known as mushroom gnats. Adults, reaching a size of no more than 0.5 cm, are black in color. They fly around the plant without causing significant harm. However, sciaris should not be considered safe.

The hatched larvae are precisely the main destructive factor. The root system of orchids often acts as food, and its numerous damages, combined with excess moisture, lead to consequences in the form of rotting. In addition, there is a high likelihood of a fungal infection of the plant.

Whiteflies

At first glance, invisible, but rather dangerous insects to start sounding the alarm and arm themselves with insecticides. White-winged little moths are secretive creatures. Usually they are found randomly by touching the plant: disturbed midges immediately fly up.

Butterflies lay their future offspring both on leaves and on stems under a layer of bark. The process of feeding a nesting colony is accompanied by yellowing, drying and death of both individual parts and the entire plant.

Thrips

Unlike the previously mentioned parasites, this species prefers conditions close to drought. Thrips are tiny life forms. The average size of adults ranges from 2.5 mm.

They feed on fabrics of flowers and make masonry in the same place. The first sign of the invasion of these pests is a scattering of dark spots on the leaf plates, as well as the presence of a silvery coating on them.

Fruit flies

The favorite insects of scientific researchers and experimenters are fruit flies, or fruit flies. By themselves, they are not parasites and do not harm indoor plantings. Nevertheless, the appearance of fruit flies should be seen as a signal that a mistake has been made in caring for orchids.

Fruit flies are attracted to rot and fermentation. Often, such processes can provoke high humidity conditions or the use of tea leaves, vegetable and fruit peelings as organic fertilizers.

Each of these insects is dangerous to the orchid. The difference lies only in the speed of the destructive effect. Some species of midges leave no chance of saving the plant; they destroy the orchid literally before our eyes.

Pests: description and appearance

Midges are a type of insect that lives on flowering plants, including orchids, and lead to their gradual death.

Moreover, these are not only small flying flies, but also larvae, which are distinguished by a high level of resistance to processing agents and the same high ability to reproduce.

How do you recognize attackers? These insects can have two types of color: white and black. The main distinguishing features of pests are:

• oblong body;
• striped body color;
• the presence of two wings.

Usually, midges do not reach more than five millimeters in length.

Whiteflies

Many flower growers met with white midges on orchids. We are talking about a whitefly. Outwardly, this pest is very similar to a small white butterfly, which is easy to detect if you touch a house flower. Insects prefer plants with a fine tissue structure. In the same place, the larvae of the pest can be seen with the naked eye. They are more often found under the leaves and bark of the orchid.

On a note!

White midges and their larvae feed on orchid juice, which they suck from the leaves. After that, the damaged plates begin to turn yellow, roll up and fall off. And subsequently the plant gradually withers away.

What kind of midges start in orchids

Content of the article:

• 1 What kind of midges start in orchids? 1.1 Midges in orchids. What to do?
• 1.2 Mushroom mosquito in an orchid
• 1.3 Thrips in orchids

Midges in orchids. What to do?

If you notice that midges fly around the pot with orchids, then you may have questions:

• What kind of midges start in orchids?
• Are midges in orchids dangerous?
• What needs to be done and how to get rid of gnats in orchids?
• Today's article is devoted to the answers to these questions.

The midges that grow in orchids can be “harmless” mushroom mosquitoes, or they can be “harmful” thrips. In order to choose the right means of protection, it is necessary to identify the flying insect.

To get started, analyze your watering regime and make sure you don't flood your orchid and leave two to three dry days between watering. In this case, dry days are not those days when the soil dries out on the surface of the pot, but those days when the soil dries out completely along the entire depth of the pot.

For more information on how to determine if the soil in a pot of orchids is dry, read the article "How often to water an orchid." Further assess whether there is any damage to the leaves of the orchid: multiple dark spots or a silvery film.

Mushroom mosquito in orchidee

If you water the orchid often and do not leave two or three dry days between watering, while the leaves do not have characteristic damages (multiple dark spots or a silvery film), then in your case, the mushroom will soon become a mushroom.

To finally be convinced of this, evaluate the habitat and appearance of the midges.

Where do they live? Mushroom mosquitoes live in the ground. If we talk about orchids, then, as a rule, mushroom mosquitoes settle in those pots in which the soil consists not only of bark, to which moss or peat is added.

Important! In a clean bark, mosquitoes live only if the bark has already decomposed.In particular, mushroom mosquitoes came to our house and lived in plants that grow in the soil, and they were not interested in orchids that grow in the bark.

External view? Adults are similar to small black mosquitoes, in fact, they are most often represented when they talk about "midges".

Are they dangerous? Adult mushroom mosquitoes are not harmful. The damage can be caused by larvae, which in large quantities can damage the roots.

How to treat? The main method of protection is drying: in dry soil, the larvae will not hatch, and the adult individuals live for weeks. Start by cutting back on watering your orchid. In addition, you can buy yellow sticky tape from a flower shop to collect adults.

Or put a yellow saucer with water - mosquitoes fly on a yellow color. In extreme cases, you can replace the soil by washing the orchid roots from mosquito larvae. And in the future, follow the general rules for watering an orchid.

The main types of pests

If you notice small insects on orchids, then it may be such midges:

• Sciarids. They are small black flies, the size of which does not exceed 5 mm. Such insects are usually found in the soil of the orchid, where they lay their eggs. The danger to the plant is not the adults, but the larvae that damage the roots, causing putrefactive processes. If they are present, black dots and a silvery bloom appear on the leaves of the plant. Usually, these pests are introduced with new soil, which is rich in peat or moss;

• Whiteflies. These are white midges drinking juice from the soft foliage of orchids. This leads to the slow death of the plant. Yellowish insect larvae can be found on leaves, stems, and in the soil. Infection with these pests occurs from other plants. Insects lead to deformation and leaf fall;

• Thrips. They are midges that have an elongated body and a pair of wings. Pests damage orchid leaves, leading to the formation of small holes. Insects are usually found on top of the plant, but can hide in the soil. Such pests are dangerous to all plants, so the affected flower must be separated from the others. When affected by thrips, the plant changes the color of the leaves, leading to their death;

• Drosophila. These are small midges that usually fly around the orchid. They do not pose a danger to the plant, but appear when the rules of care are violated (excessive watering).

Orchid pests and methods of dealing with them, additional prevention of healthy plants

Often the larvae of the pest are brought in together with the soil. After flowers are planted in it, midges appear, which multiply rapidly. If insects start in one of the pots with indoor plants, they will also inhabit the neighboring ones, if there are suitable conditions. One of the main conditions is sufficient soil moisture.

If you notice damage, but did not find pests, delay using chemicals - this may be the result of sunburn or other troubles

Most often, sciarids settle in the soil where orchids grow - small insects 3-5 mm long, black in color, popularly called flower midges. In fact, these are mushroom or fruit gnats, similar to small flies. These insects lay eggs in the ground, where larvae, similar to worms, 6-7 mm long, white, develop.

Sciarids themselves do not harm plants, but their larvae damage seedlings, thin roots of weakened plants and seedlings. These injuries can become foci of rot and places of infection with fungal diseases. Therefore, small black "midges" that have settled in orchids are capable of causing significant harm to plants.

Florists often mistake tiny whiteflies for white small midges. These miniature insects fly fast and hide well.It is not difficult to find these insects, you just have to touch the leaves or the ground, and they immediately take off. Butterflies are usually not interested in plants with dense leathery leaves, but settle on thin-leaved orchids with delicate skin.

Another type of insect that infects orchids and looks like midges is thrips. Insects are very small, only 2–2.5 mm long. They are capable of causing serious damage to any type of orchid. Thrips look like small dark brown or black "sticks", equipped with two pairs of wings, which are folded on their back.

They run fast and instantly hide in the ground. Unlike sciarids, thrips, having flown to the plant, try to hide in the substrate as quickly as possible. These pests are nocturnal, and it is extremely rare to see them during the day. Therefore, to make sure that thrips are bred on the orchid, some growers are guarding near the flowerpot with a flashlight.

One of the signs indicating that plants are affected by this pest is the appearance of many dark specks and a silvery film on the surface of the leaves. Thrips eggs are laid in leaf tissue. The larvae that emerged from them (tiny worms of yellow or green color), which are almost impossible to see with the naked eye, live inside the leaves, feeding on their tissues.

Sometimes fruit flies (fruit flies) settle in pots where orchids grow. It is a small insect about 3 mm long. They feed on fermented fruits and vegetables, as well as plant residues. In the substrate, these midges settle if the plants are watered with tea leaves or sprinkled with the remains of tea from a teapot as fertilizer, which is undesirable.

Sometimes they are attracted by semi-rotten moss or peat. But fruit flies can choose a flower pot as a breeding ground if the soil in it is constantly over-watered. For plants, the insects themselves and their larvae are completely harmless, but flower growers should be alerted by the fact of their settlement in the ground - there is definitely excessive watering, which may not be harmless to the root system.

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Keep a close eye on watering the orchid - excessive moisture in the soil can cause midges to appear

Orchid pests are one of the most common growing problems. Often, parasites enter the plant while still in the store. An inexperienced or inattentive florist, purchasing such an orchid, gives them access to other plants from the home collection.

There are quite a few types of insect parasites. Some of them are very rare, and some are ubiquitous. The article below describes in detail the most common ones.

Shield

The scabbard on the orchid starts up quite often. Most often, this is facilitated by high air temperatures. Finding it is quite simple, you just need to carefully examine the plant. Their body is protected from above by a kind of shield, so outwardly they look like small bumps of a dark color.

Scabbards are the most common pests of phalaenopsis orchids. The main damage to the plant is caused by the larvae of this pest. Moving through the leaves, they feed on sap, thereby significantly slowing down the normal development of the orchid.

The fight against the scale insect on orchids is carried out as follows:

1. The infected plant is isolated from others. To speed up the rehabilitation process, special greenhouse conditions are created around it. For example, high humidity has a positive effect.
   To create it, you can simply put a plastic bag on the plant pot. Once a day, such an impromptu greenhouse must be ventilated.
2. The fight itself begins with the removal of adults.
   To do this, the orchid is thoroughly washed under running water, and the surface of its leaves with a toothbrush is cleaned of adult insects, their larvae and the plaque formed after them.
3. After manual removal of the scabbards, they begin to treat with insecticides.
   For example, Aktellik shows good results. All parts of the plant are thoroughly sprayed with its solution. After 10 days, the treatment must be repeated.

In the absence of insecticides, the fight can be carried out using folk remedies. Ordinary medical alcohol saves well from scabbards. They moisten a cotton swab with it and wipe the places where insects accumulate. Prevention of the reproduction of scale insects consists in periodically wiping the orchid leaves with a damp cloth. And you should also periodically rinse the soil with running water.

Shield

Aphids on orchids are widespread enough. It not only causes direct harm to plants, but can also carry a wide variety of diseases. It is very easy to find it, aphids form colonies that are clearly visible to the naked eye.

In the process of feeding, these orchid parasites, sucking the juices from the leaves of the plant, form deformed areas covered with a sticky substance.

You can destroy aphids on orchids with the help of insecticides or folk remedies. For example, for spraying, solutions of drugs such as Aktara, Fitoverm or Commander are used. From folk remedies, onion infusion helps very well.

It prepares as follows:

1. The onion together with the peel is passed through a meat grinder.
2. The resulting onion mass is poured with boiling water.
3. The solution is infused for 8 hours.
4. After insisting, the solution is filtered.

The resulting infusion is sprayed with infected orchids twice a day for 3 days.

From folk remedies, a solution of ordinary laundry soap is highly effective. All parts of the plant are thoroughly washed with it. Prevention of the appearance of aphids consists in strict adherence to the rules of care.

Leopard or podura are common pests of orchids and other flower crops. These small brown insects live in the substrate. If their colony is small, then the insects have enough nutrients from the soil. With a large number of podura, young shoots and leaves begin to be used as food.

The first reason for the reproduction of insects in plants can be the soil mixture itself. Initially, there may already be pests in it that you do not even know about. The danger is that midges can jump from one flowerpot to another, thereby affecting neighboring orchids.

Let's list a few more factors that contribute to the appearance of midges on the surface of a plant or in the soil itself:

• abundant or irregular watering (it is necessary to let the soil stand completely dry for at least two to three days);
• the presence of decorative moss on the surface of the earth (it does not allow the soil to breathe);
• fertilization with folk remedies such as tea leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells;
• moistening with water infused with bread or other yeast products.

Step-by-step instruction

To choose the right way to destroy pests, you need to determine their variety. However, there are general rules for dealing with midges. Instructions on what to do if midges appear:

1. Isolate the flowerpot with the affected flower for at least thirty days.
2. Wash off the midges with a gentle stream of warm water, or you can wipe the entire surface of the flower with a damp cloth. Such manipulation will help get rid of most orchid pests.
3. Remove all infested areas of the orchid. At the same time, do not forget to treat the cuts with charcoal or ash.

Now we will describe the methods of struggle with folk, chemical and biological means for each type of insect.

Attention! Experienced florists recommend resorting to using chemicals only in extreme cases.