It would seem that what could threaten your home plantings? You carefully look after them, protect them from drafts, water and feed them. But, despite all your efforts, you suddenly discover yellow, ugly spots on the leaves. Further - more, on the branches a cobweb appears from nowhere. It's time to sound the alarm. You have spider mites on your plants.

So let's roll up our sleeves and get down to the active destruction of the enemy. Unfortunately, this is not an easy matter. Let's start with the fact that spider mites on indoor flowers are not insects; therefore, chemicals designed to kill common insect pests do not work on them. You will have to purchase special acaricides (“Rogon”, “Neorogon”, “Neoron”, “Karate”). Fitoverm and Karbofos show good results. But even here, not everything is smooth; the body of small individuals quickly gets used to the chemistry. The solution is simple: change the drug more often.

Spider mites on indoor flowers can also be destroyed using home methods. This includes the following control methods: treatment with a strong soap solution (use laundry soap), wiping the leaves with medical alcohol (be careful with delicate plants, it is better to leave this procedure for hard-leaved species), spraying with infusions of onion, garlic and pyrethrum.

By the way, about pyrethrum: in addition to spraying five times (the interval between repetitions is seven days), its powder is also used. Pollination with it or colloidal sulfur is carried out after the spider mite has been washed off. Houseplants need to be washed regularly cold water leaves and twigs. And do not think that one procedure is enough to completely exterminate the colony. No, you need to prepare yourself for a long war.

Therefore, we do not weaken our defenses; spider mites on indoor flowers should not have a chance to live. We maintain good air humidity, regularly spray the leaves of our pets with water, remove old, outdated branches, flowers, and dried leaves. Brush off the dust. Irradiation with ultraviolet light (but not longer than one minute, maximum two) is also useful; the lamp must be directed from below. But be extremely careful not to scorch the delicate green creatures.

Houseplants often suffer from attacks from various insects, such as mites. They are so small that it is almost impossible to notice them with the naked eye. When it becomes clear why the plant is suffering, it is already too late. Small monsters feed on their juice, multiply very quickly and instantly adapt to various poisons. In this article we will try to find out how spider mites appear on indoor plants and how to deal with this insidious insect at home.

general information

Characteristics of an insect

The spider mite, photos of which can be seen in various reference books, is almost invisible, since it dimensions are only 0.5 – 1 mm. Its body can be colored brown, green, brown or grey colour. It causes harm to plants during feeding. Adults and their larvae consume cell sap, which they pierce to obtain. sheet plates with your jaws.

The leaves first become covered with small transparent dots, then begin to turn yellow, dry out and fly off. All this leads to cessation normal development indoor plant, deterioration of photosynthesis, and in more advanced cases it dies.

Does a tick form a web?

Since this insect is called a “web insect,” many gardeners are sure that it will definitely entwine plants with a web. In fact, this does not always happen. Many individuals secrete a secretion that freezes in the form of threads, but often in very small quantities. Only when there are quite a lot of insects do they entangle the entire plant in a web.

Where does the pest come from?

Almost every gardener faces such a problem as the appearance spider mite. How does this insect get on indoor plants?

Firstly, this scourge can easily be brought from the store along with a new plant. Therefore, it is recommended to first install the purchased flower on an empty windowsill for quarantine. After two weeks, if nothing strange is found, the plant is placed together with other individuals.

Secondly, spider mites can enter the premises from the street. Quite often this insect is found among residents of lower floors who have trees growing under their windows. It is from them, on their thin webs, that mites fly to indoor plants. If they are on the balcony, then it’s easy for these small individuals to get on them.

But it also happens that spider mites appear in winter, during heating season when the balcony is not opened at all. Where do they come from in this case? This is explained by the fact that when unfavorable factors occur (for example, cold weather), female spider mites hibernate. At this time, they do not feed on anything, do not express themselves in any way, and lie motionless in the thickness of the earth. They can remain in this form for a very long time, but instantly wake up when favorable conditions arise, for example, when it becomes warm and dry. Spider mite eggs can remain dormant for about 5 years.

Insect lifestyle

Before you start fighting insects at home, you need to understand their lifestyle. These pests love warmth, when the temperature reaches +27 degrees, and low humidity. Spider mites live only 1 – 1.5 months, but during this time the female manages to lay several hundred eggs, from which young individuals emerge after 3–5 days. This information is extremely important when baiting ticks, because it is necessary to treat the plant with poisons at the moment when the young generation begins to hatch from the eggs. The eggs themselves are not affected by most modern drugs.

If a spider mite is found on a houseplant, you should follow certain recommendations.

It is necessary to get rid of infected parts: fallen or damaged leaves as quickly as possible. In this case, the insect will not have time to move to neighboring plants. Damaged leaves are put into a bag, wrap it well and throw it away, but it’s best to burn it. If the plant is completely affected, it is advisable to throw it out so that other flowers can survive. It is necessary to pull out all weeds in which spider mites can hide.

How to get rid of it?

You can fight these insects using different means. The easiest way to get rid of pests is natural cleaning, which involves regularly washing and wiping the flowers. To do this, use plain water to which a few drops of mild dishwashing detergent are added. A sponge is moistened in water and individual leaves are wiped with it, after which water is sprayed from a spray bottle throughout the plant, especially trying to get on the lower part of the leaves. The tray, pot and window sill should also be treated.

If the spider mites do not disappear after a week, soap solution is applied again. Not all plants tolerate this product equally well, so it is necessary to test the flower before applying it. To do this, apply a soap solution to a small part of the leaf and monitor the reaction.

Since spider mites do not tolerate high humidity, you can fight them with frequent watering and spraying of the flower. After each moistening, the plant is covered with a transparent bag and left for several days. In conditions high humidity the insect dies. To prevent the greenhouse effect from occurring and the flower not to get sunburned, it should be placed in a shaded place.

Good for ridding the plant of this small pest drugs such as acaricides. But it is necessary to treat flowers with this product very carefully, because it is unsafe for people and animals. Gentle acaricides include:

• "Fitoverm";
• "Vermitek";
• "Aktofit".

Such preparations help destroy sleeping female spider mites and eggs of future larvae, so they are used repeatedly to achieve the desired result. If the room temperature is below +18 degrees, these drugs will be ineffective.

Plant can be sprayed with such chemicals, How:

• diphocol;
• dienochlor;
• azocyclotine;
• phenbutatin.

It is not recommended to use the same product more than four times, as spider mites begin to get used to it and develop immunity.

You can make your own special herbal tea at home, which is used as an acaricide. To do this, take 1 tbsp. l. ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp. l. ground cloves and 2 tbsp. l. Italian seasoning. All ingredients are mixed and poured into 1 liter of water, then brought to a boil, cooled and 2 tbsp added to this mass. l. chopped garlic. Strain, after which liquid soap is added to the tea and poured into a spray bottle. This solution is sprayed on the lower part of the leaves every three days for two weeks.

Against spider mites at home good help essential oils and organic salts. Rosemary oil is used as an organic pesticide. It is necessary to dissolve a small amount of oil in water and spray it on infected flowers. The peculiarity of this product is that it has a detrimental effect on ticks, but leaves other insects alive.

Potassium salts and fatty acids have abrasive properties. They must be used in the evening so that the flowers remain moisturized longer.

The following insects are considered good helpers in destroying spider mites:

• ladybug;
• predatory thrips;
• lacewing larva.

Since pesticides kill all insects in a row, the spider mite population begins to grow because of this. Therefore, it is better to avoid using pesticides such as Imidocloprid, malathion and carbaryl.

Preventive measures

If soil was purchased for planting or replanting indoor plants, it should not be brought into the room with flowers, but poured into containers in another place, for example, in the bathroom. After this, it is fried in a microwave or oven. Do the same with tree bark, pebbles and sand.

Purchased plants must first be bring it into the bathroom and subject to water procedures, and then treat with acaricide. The effect will increase several times if, after such treatment, the plant is placed in plastic bags for three days. It is advisable to repeat this treatment after this, keeping the plants “in quarantine” all this time.

Thus, we have figured out what a spider mite is, photos of which can be seen in numerous reference books. It is necessary to get rid of it as soon as it is discovered and should be dealt with with all seriousness. If you take this carelessly, then the part of the insects that is not destroyed will develop immunity to the poison and it will be much more difficult to fight them.

Spider mites on indoor plants

Spider mites reproduce very quickly and instantly move from one plant to another. Pests feed on the contents of plant cells. The presence of mites can be detected by the appearance of small white dots on the leaves of the plant on the underside of the plate and by the thinnest cobwebs. As a result of the activity of spider mites, some of the plant cells are destroyed, and the intensity of photosynthesis decreases. With severe damage, the leaves turn white from multiple damages, the plant is enveloped in cobwebs, and a mass of mites accumulates on the tips of the leaves and shoots.

In addition, the mite can infect the plant with incurable viral infections and gray rot spores.

At home, in the garden and garden, plants are damaged by several types of spider mites:

• – ordinary (lat. Tetranychus urticae): The length of female common spider mites can be from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, males are usually shorter - from 0.3 to 0.45 mm. At the larval stage of development, mites are transparent, colored different colors: Pale green to greenish brown. Large ones are clearly visible on the sides dark spots- blind sacs of the midgut. Tick ​​larvae have 6 legs, and adults have 8 translucent legs with prehensile claws. Spider mites live everywhere except Antarctica. Life cycle The common tick consists of several stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult, colored red-brown and orange (females), as well as greenish or yellowish (males). The common spider mite is a polyphagous, that is, a polyphagous arthropod;
• – red (lat. Tetranychus cinnabarinus). This pest damages agricultural and ornamental plants. In warm regions it lives in open ground, and in the northern ones - only indoors;
• – Atlantic (lat. Tetranychus atlanticus)– a ubiquitous species of mite that damages cucumbers;
• – Turkestan (lat. Tetranychus turkestani)– a polyphage that feeds on both garden (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers) and ornamental plants.

Common pests from this family also include red-legged and Savzdarga ticks. However, despite such a variety of pest species, measures to combat spider mites are almost the same.

Spider mites: preventive treatment

The main reason for the appearance of spider mites on plants is dry air, so the best preventive measure is spraying plants in dry weather. However, you need to ensure that water does not remain in the grooves and core of the plants for a long time. You need to be especially careful in winter, because in conditions of short daylight hours and low temperatures at which indoor plants remain dormant, water evaporates more slowly. There is no point in immersing the entire plant in water to get rid of pests: when mites come into contact with water, they are protected by air bubbles covering them. To protect against spider mites, spraying indoor plants with undiluted medical alcohol is sometimes used, but care must be taken when doing this.

In dry weather, both indoor and garden plants should be sprayed with water. garden plants. However, this procedure is only effective as a preventive measure, but if spider mites have already settled on the plants, completely different measures must be taken.

Fighting spider mites with folk remedies

To combat spider mites, there is a wide selection of folk remedies - decoctions and infusions of plants that have insecticidal properties and are used for spraying. For example:

• – 1 kg of finely chopped dry leaves and stems of black henbane, pour 10 liters of water, leave for 12 hours, strain and add 20-40 g of liquid soap;
• – 1 kg of dry or 2.5-3 kg of fresh henbane grass, collected during the flowering period, add a small amount of water and boil in enamel dishes 2-3 hours, then cool, strain and add water to a volume of 10 liters;
• – 200-400 g of crushed roots or 500 g of fresh leaves of dandelion, pour a bucket of warm water (about 40 ºC), leave for 2-3 hours, strain and use immediately: the first time when the leaves bloom, the second - after flowering, the third - still in 10-14 days;
• – 1 kg of crushed dry or 2 kg of fresh gray alder leaves is poured with water and left for 24 hours, then boiled for half an hour and filtered after half a day;
• – 1 kg of crushed dry or 3 kg of fresh chamomile, pour 10 liters of water at a temperature of 60-70 ºC, leave for 12 hours, strain, dilute with water 2-3 times and add 10 to 40 g of liquid soap;
• – leave 400 g of dry tobacco or shag in 10 liters of water for a day, then boil for 2 hours, cool, strain, add water to a volume of 10 liters and add 50 g of soap;
• – Chop 500 g of garlic, add 3 liters of water, leave for 5 days in a warm, dark place and strain. To treat plants against ticks, 60 g of infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water and 50 g of soap is added;
• – 1200 g of fresh or 800 g of dried green potato tops are poured into 10 liters of warm water, left for 3-4 hours and filtered;
• – 200 g of onion peels are poured into 10 liters of warm water, left for 4-5 days, filtered and treated with plants three times every 5 days;
• – 4 kg chopped tomato tops pour 10 liters of water, boil for half an hour over low heat and filter. Add 2-3 liters of tops decoction and 40 g of soap to 10 liters of water.

Treatment of plants with decoctions and infusions is carried out in the evening as a preventive measure or when there is a small number of mites. Try to alternate folk remedies for treatment against spider mites. Soap, washing powder(4-5 g per 1 liter of water) or liquid detergent added to the decoction or infusion immediately before the procedure. At home, folk remedies from poisonous plants It's better not to use it. Keep in mind that plant poisons are just as unsafe for humans as chemicals, so when preparing them, try not to exceed the dosage.

Remedies for spider mites (preparations)

Since mites, spiders and scorpions are not insects, insecticides are useless against spider mites. Effective drugs Acaricides (Sanmait, Demitan, Omaita, Flumayt, Floromait, Nisssoran, Biko, Bitoxibacillin, Envidor, Apollo, Borneo (Akarin, Agravertin, Vertimek, Dursbans, Karate, Fiteverm, Actophytte, Actophytte, Neoron, Talste p , Fufanon, Oberon). All these drugs are used in strict accordance with the instructions.

Plant treatment chemicals protection against ticks is carried out several times to ensure that the most persistent individuals and their eggs are destroyed. At a temperature of 20 ºC, at least three treatments must be carried out with an interval of 10 days, and at a temperature of about 30 ºC, 3-4 treatments are necessary every 3-4 days, otherwise the females that emerge from the eggs will have time to lay new eggs.

Unfortunately, among the listed drugs there are no ones that would be absolutely safe for humans, so it is better to prevent the appearance of pests. Make it a rule to regularly inspect your plants and carry out preventive spraying.

How to deal with spider mites in the garden

Spider mites on cucumbers.

The presence of spider mites on cucumbers can be determined by white puncture spots and light, thin webs. With severe damage, the leaves turn white completely. Pests accumulate on the leaves and shoots of the plant. How to treat cucumbers against spider mites? You can start pest control by spraying warm water with laundry soap dissolved in it, but before this, severely damaged leaves must be removed from the cucumbers and burned, preventing the proliferation and spread of spider mites to other plants. It is better to destroy cucumber bushes that are infested with ticks completely.

To create conditions unbearable for mites, on a cloudy day, water the garden bed generously, then immediately cover it with film: under the cover, the air humidity will become very high, and this will greatly harm spider mites.

If the damage is significant, the cucumbers will have to be treated with acaricides. However, the appearance of ticks in a bed of cucumbers can be prevented if you change the area for the crop every year, plant the bushes according to a scheme developed by specialists, without thickening the planting, and in the fall, remove all plant debris from the bed and dig up the soil.

Spider mite on pepper.

The fight against spider mites on peppers is carried out by everyone possible ways: removing the affected leaves, and sometimes the entire plant, spraying with water, insecticidal infusions and decoctions in the evenings, and also, in case of severe occupation, treating the pepper with chemicals. Among the folk remedies, washing plants with a soap solution (bar) is effective. laundry soap per 10 liters of water), spraying with 96% alcohol, a decoction of black henbane, tobacco or garlic infusion. Of the acaricides, the most effective are Kleschevit, Apollo, Akarin, Actellik and Dicofol 20%.

Spider mites on eggplants.

A spider mite that has settled on eggplants can cause colossal losses, since it can destroy the entire crop in two weeks. And if you do not take measures to destroy it, then, after overwintering in the soil, the pest in the spring will take up the destruction of next year’s crop with renewed vigor.

As soon as you notice discolored spots on your eggplant leaves, start dealing with mites immediately. By what means to do this is up to you. If there are few mites, you can start with folk remedies that are less toxic to humans or use biological method: release Amblyseius or Phytoseiulus predatory mites, which can be purchased at garden centers, into the garden bed. But if there are a lot of pests, do not waste time and immediately start treating eggplants with acaricides.

Spider mites on tomatoes.

Having appeared on tomatoes, spider mites bite through the leaf plates, as a result of which they turn yellow and dry out. As a preventative measure, it is necessary to regularly weed the beds and remove damaged leaves and shoots from the bushes. The fight against pests on tomatoes begins with the use of folk remedies, and it is necessary to resort to acaricides only if treating tomatoes with decoctions and infusions does not produce results.

What folk remedies help get rid of mites on tomatoes? Soap solution (1:6), two percent bleach solution, medical alcohol, black henbane infusion. Of the chemical preparations, it is better to use Plant-Pin, Fitoverm, Actellik, Etisso, Apollo, Aktaru, Antiklesch or Fufanon.

Fighting spider mites on flowers

Spider mites on roses.

Spider mites on flowers are as common as on vegetables, but of all garden flowers, roses attract the pest the most. Plants that are depleted primarily become victims of spider mites. improper care: White dots appear on the leaves of roses, and in severe cases, whitish spots. Then the leaves turn yellow and fall off, cobwebs appear, and upon closer examination, small moving dots—spider mites—can be seen on the underside of the leaves.

Because the the best fight With diseases and pests, prevention is key, do not forget to water the roses and carefully examine the back side of the leaves as often as possible, and at the first sign of pests, begin to destroy them. If you miss the moment, then by autumn the number of fertile ticks can increase hundreds of times. Even the arrival of winter will not solve the problem: the mites will safely overwinter in the soil or under leaves and in the spring they will again begin their destructive activities. Therefore, ticks must be destroyed immediately and for sure, using acaricides Neoron, Fitoverm, Actellik and the like. When preparing solutions for treating roses, strictly follow the instructions, since acaricides contain substances that are dangerous to humans and domestic animals.

Fighting spider mites in the garden

Spider mites on currants.

A spider mite that appears on the leaves of black, red or white currants can threaten the complete loss of the berry harvest. If the berries have already set before the mites appear, they are in no danger: the mites will harm the leaves, but will not significantly affect the quantity and quality of the harvest, so you can fight them using folk remedies. Infusions and decoctions of insecticidal plants will do a great job with a small number of spider mites. But if there are a lot of pests and if they appeared before flowering or before the ovary ended, then the ripening of the berries may be at risk.

If you find mites on currants before flowering, feel free to use acaricides to kill the pests. Keep in mind that white and red currants are more vulnerable than black currants. So:

• – first remove from the bush and burn absolutely all the leaves damaged by the mite, then water the bushes abundantly, washing away the remaining insects with a strong stream;
• – be sure to remove cobwebs, otherwise they will turn into a water-repellent barrier;
• – good result spraying the bush with water works if you immediately immediately wrap the plant briefly in a film, creating an eighty percent air humidity under it that is unbearable for ticks;
• – place jars of turpentine or ammonia around the bush and cover the bush with film: turpentine and ammonia will quickly kill ticks;
• – folk remedies will almost certainly cope with a small number of pests, but if the bush is severely affected, then, without wasting time, start treating the currants with acaricides.

If you notice spider mites on gooseberries, use the same means to control them as you would to control pests on currants, since the two crops are closely related.

Spider mites on grapes.

In addition to common spider mites, grapes are damaged by red fruit mites and sometimes hornbeam spider mites. Newly hatched red fruit mite larvae can be seen on the underside of young grape leaves already in early spring. The common spider mite first develops on weeds and appears later on grapes. But these types of mites harm grapes in the same way: with their pointed lower jaw they penetrate the cells and absorb their contents, releasing their poisonous saliva into the leaf tissue.

When grapes are early affected by mites, their leaves practically do not grow and are deformed, often curling, acquiring a light brown color and falling off prematurely. The degree of damage is influenced by the grape variety, nutrition, location of the bush and weather conditions.

Before the buds open, it makes sense to treat mite-affected grapes with Nitrophen or DNOC, after removing diseased leaves and severely damaged bark. After the start of growth, the plants are treated with Neoron, Fozalon, Akrex, Pliktran, Keltan or Rogor. If the drug has a short period of action, you need to repeat the treatment after 10-12 days. You should know that spider mites are capable of developing resistance to drugs, so when processing, alternate acaricides with different active ingredients.

Spider mites on strawberries.

Infection of strawberries with spider mites occurs through seedlings. Pests can enter the area from people's shoes and clothes. Peak population growth occurs in August and September. You can detect mites on strawberries by the following signs:

• – the bushes do not develop, small wrinkled leaves with abnormally curly edges appear on them;
• – a silvery film forms on the underside of the leaves;
• – leaves acquire a yellowish tint;
• – the berries do not develop and dry out;
• – in winter the plantation freezes.

When starting to fight mites on strawberries, you should know that they concentrate in places that are difficult to treat, so it will not be possible to completely destroy them. But in order to curb the development of the population and save the harvest, it is necessary to fight spider mites. The best way To destroy a pest is to release predator mites into the area. Biological enemies of ticks can greatly reduce their numbers. After harvesting, you can cover the bushes with plastic film, preventing air from getting under it. When the temperature under the film rises to 60 ºC, remove it and cut off the affected bushes at the root, then cover the bed with humus. You can also use folk remedies, for example, spraying with onion or garlic infusion: once at the very beginning of the growing season and twice after harvesting, each time after treatment, covering the strawberries with film for several hours.

Spider mite on an apple tree.

If there is a strong invasion of spider mites, the apple tree may lose up to half of its leaves by mid-summer. As a result, its productivity is significantly reduced. Therefore, as soon as you notice the presence of pests on the tree, begin to decisively combat them. Of the folk remedies, the most effective is tobacco solution, which is used to treat the apple tree twice at intervals of a week. In advanced cases, you will have to spray the apple tree with Nitrophen or Decis twice: after the ovaries appear and a month before harvest. In the fall, you need to remove all fallen leaves and fruits from under the tree, cut out old and diseased branches in which ticks can overwinter, and burn all these plant debris.

Spider mites in greenhouses

Spider mites on seedlings.

Spider mites in a greenhouse with cucumbers and other plants can produce up to 20 generations of pests in one year. Spider mites enter the greenhouse and spread throughout it in search of better conditions and the most suitable culture. Most often, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants become their victims, even in the seedling stage. Along the main leaf vein of the leaves, tiny, pinprick-like, yellowish dots appear, which become colorless over time, and then a thin web appears, along which mites can easily move. Pests concentrate in the upper part of the plant, sucking cell sap from the leaves, settling on their underside.

To reduce the risk of spider mites appearing on seedlings in a greenhouse, you should alternate seedlings when planting: cucumber seedlings with tomatoes, cabbage or leafy vegetables. Inspect the seedlings as often as possible, and as soon as you find mites, remove and burn the damaged leaves, and in case of significant damage, treat the seedlings with Bitoxibacillin, Fitoverm or colloidal sulfur, and if these drugs do not help, apply an acaricide solution broad action– Aktellika, for example. The sooner you take action, the greater your chances of saving the seedlings.

Spider mites on mature plants.

It is impossible to expel spider mites from a greenhouse with ultraviolet rays, infusions and decoctions of plants, or spraying with water. To save the crop, you will have to use acaricides, treating the plants with their solutions every two weeks until the pest is completely defeated. If there are a small number of spider mites in the greenhouse, you can try to cope with them with the help of their biological enemies - predator mites. Vegetable plants there will be no harm from phytoseiulus: as soon as there are no spider mites left in the greenhouse, it will die of starvation. If you have to use acaricides, strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions and safety rules for working with toxic drugs in enclosed spaces.

As a preventive measure, at the beginning of winter it is advisable to fumigate the greenhouse with sulfur in order to destroy ticks that have gathered to spend the winter in the greenhouse. Instead of sulfur, you can spray the greenhouse with a solution of slaked lime, and heat the supporting metal risers gas burner. During the period of planting vegetables, maintain in the greenhouse high humidity air due to timely watering and frequent spraying of plants with water. Weekly two-minute treatment of the greenhouse with ultraviolet rays increases resistance to pests and diseases.

Spider mites on indoor plants

Spider mite on an orchid.

To protect orchids from spider mites, you need to create conditions for them that are as close to natural as possible. And even if you succeed, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the flowers, because the sooner you can detect pests, the easier and faster you will get rid of them. Optimal conditions For ticks to live, air humidity is 30-40% at a temperature of about 27 ºC.

The red mite most often settles on the orchid, which is called false mite because it does not weave a web. This makes it more difficult to detect. He can enter the room with a new plant or a bouquet of flowers. After a tick bites, a silvery sheen appears on the orchid leaf, then the leaf turns yellow and falls off. You can find out whether there are mites on an orchid by placing a piece of apple on the substrate: after a while, all the pests will gather on it.

Every new flower It must be inspected before you bring it home. To prevent the spread of mites, wash your orchids regularly in a (relatively) hot shower. Orchids with tough leaves, such as cattleyas, can be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, but test the alcohol on a small area of ​​an old leaf first.

Since folk remedies are not always effective, and you don’t have to eat orchids, it makes sense to treat mite-infested plants with acaricides without wasting time.

Spider mites on lemon.

Determine what's on yours indoor lemon spider mites have infested, you can tell by the appearance of yellow dots on its leaves and yellowing of their tips. If put in a pot White list and shake the plant, and then examine the leaf under a magnifying glass, you can see mites. At a later stage, a thin web may appear on the lemon. Danger to lemon tree The tick represents not only itself, but also as a carrier of viral diseases, for which, alas, no cure has yet been invented. That is why, at the first sign of the presence of spider mites, you need to take immediate action.

Protecting the soil in the pot plastic bag, wash the crown of the tree with soapy fifty-degree water. As a result water procedure There will be significantly fewer ticks on the lemon. You can protect lemon and other indoor plants from spider mites by placing a pot of geraniums nearby to repel these pests. Rosemary oil, the aroma of which pests cannot tolerate, helps protect lemons from ticks: dilute a few drops of oil in warm water and sprinkle the lemon. Repels ticks and strengthens plant immunity; frequent but short-term exposure ultraviolet rays. To do this, you need to turn on the lamp for a couple of minutes every day.

But if, as a result of all these attempts, you have not been able to get rid of mites completely, treat the plant with an acaricidal preparation: Fitoverm, Actellik or Demitan. The last drug, which has an action period of 45-60 days, is especially effective against ticks on lemon. However, Demitan is toxic to fish, so you need to treat lemon as far as possible from the room with the aquarium. In addition, the drug is addictive and can only be used once. For subsequent treatments, which are carried out several times every 7-10 days, you will have to purchase other acaricides.

Causes

Plants grown in dry and warm air are at risk of mite damage. Naturally, the air itself cannot provoke the appearance of arthropods, but it is a favorable environment for the development of individuals that have landed on the flower.

Where do mites come from in a flower pot? There are several options:

The hostess brings them along with soil collected from the garden. Arthropods fall onto plants along with the wind through an open window or during sunbathing on the balcony. Guests bring them to the birthday boy with a freshly cut bouquet. Moreover, ticks will happily move into the room on the clothes of a summer resident who has come from field work. It turns out that there are plenty of reasons for the appearance of mites on indoor plants.

How to detect spider mites on indoor flowers?

Yellow dots appear on the surface of the leaf, gradually merging into spots. Novice gardeners mistakenly take these signs for waterlogging or, conversely, drying out of the soil. And only with the appearance of an abundant web everything falls into place. The flower is affected by spider mites.

If you suspect something is wrong, you need to examine the plant in good daylight. Except yellow spots, pallor, the appearance of silvery or golden stripes, as well as small holes, is noted on the leaves.

At the last stage of the lesion, the following is observed:

• leaf shape deformation
• wilting and discoloration of the plant
• abnormal dying and falling of leaves.

Methods to combat spider mites using home/folk remedies

The procedure for getting rid of spider mites is always a multiple-use event. It is good if the lesion is detected at the initial stage and it is possible to carefully cut off the diseased stem (branch) and burn it. However, it should be taken into account that when the flower moves, the mites may fall onto healthy leaves, neighboring flowers or the windowsill. Therefore, it is better to prune affected areas away from healthy plants.

Sometimes it is better to completely isolate a sick flower from the rest of the greenery. Ticks are able to move independently and explore new territories.

In practice, housewives use the following methods against ticks:

• treating the affected areas with a concentrated soap solution. In this case, the plant is not just sprayed, but literally washed out with a sponge. The foam is left for 3-4 hours, after which it is washed off with clean water. Be sure to process flower pot. At the end of the procedure, the plant is covered with a plastic bag to maintain high humidity.

• treating affected areas with water and sulfur-tar soap or dishwashing detergent. The flower is sprayed with a concentrated solution daily until the mites are completely destroyed.
• treating the affected areas with garlic water. Two heads (not cloves) of garlic are crushed on a grater or passed through a press, pour in 1 liter of water. After 2-3 days, the resulting tincture is generously sprayed on both sick and healthy plants.
• treating ticks with tobacco. The principle of preparing the tincture is similar to the recipe with garlic. The cheapest tobacco is filled with water and infused for up to 3-4 days.
• spraying pests with dandelion infusion. To prepare poison against ticks, plant roots and water (30 g x 1 liter of water) are used. Infusion time is 5-6 hours.

Methods of controlling spider mites using chemicals

All chemical products are harmful to human body. When using them, be sure to follow the safety measures and regulations specified in the instructions.

• The most gentle means for use in enclosed spaces are considered to be drugs of the avermectin group (Actofit, Vermitek, Fitoverm). They are effective against adults, but are powerless against eggs, larvae and females in the diapause stage.
• If you want to immediately deal with the eggs, it is better to use the Apollo drug. However, it is designed to combat red fruit mites or common spider mites. Its effect does not apply to other types of pests.
• If we take into account that Gesneria plant varieties are more often attacked by the clearhouse mite, cyclamen mite, strawberry mite or flat mite, then Apollo preparations will not be able to protect the affected flowers. The gardener will only waste time.
• Actellik is strictly contraindicated for use indoors. Evaporating, it saturates the air in the room with poisons and is dangerous to health.

The treatment of indoor flowers is repeated several times according to the instructions. If the result is not visible after the first use, this is normal. As already mentioned, the procedure for getting rid of spider mites is long-term and multifaceted.

By the way, most anti-tick medications lose effectiveness when room temperature below +18˚ C. Diluted solutions cannot be stored for more than a day.

Preventive measures

Of course, preventing disaster is much cheaper than dealing with the consequences. TO preventive measures against spider mites it is worth including:

• daily inspection of indoor flowers
• quarantine for new shoots, seedlings with complete isolation from domestic plants
• regular ventilation of rooms and artificial air humidification
• systematic spraying of flowers
• periodic illumination of greenery with an ultraviolet lamp (once a week for 1 minute).

Remember! Ticks are resistant to aggressive external influences, but are not immortal. Victory in the fight will still be yours!

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Every gardener at least once in his life has encountered such a tenacious and prolific pest as the spider mite. An attack by an arthropod can be a real disaster, because spider mites on indoor plants quickly deprive the flower of vitality and actively reproduce. To successfully combat it, you need to know the following: characteristics of the mite, signs of plant damage, prevention and treatment methods.

Spider mite - what is known about it?

There are several varieties of spider mites, all of which are arachnids. The most common and dangerous look- Common spider mite. The animal is distinguished by a soft body of a reddish, brown or whitish color. Its size is very small - about 0.4 mm, females are slightly larger, but difficult to recognize with the naked eye. The larvae are transparent or greenish-whitish, the females turn bright red or red in the fall.

The average lifespan of a pest at an air temperature of +28 °C is 8-10 days, which indicates their rapid development in favorable conditions. The life cycle at lower temperatures increases to 30–36 days.

How to recognize spider mites on indoor plants, and why are they dangerous?

It can be difficult to detect ticks on indoor plants because they are afraid of ultraviolet radiation and hide under the leaves of the plant, on the underside. There he feels comfortable, feeding on the juice of the leaves. Most often it becomes active in early April or May. The first alarm is the detection of small gray or yellow spots on the leaves. As the tick spreads, the affected area increases, a silvery coating of cobwebs appears, and upon closer examination a moving mass of tiny dots is visible.

Mites on indoor plants pierce their tissues and disrupt their integrity; they can damage both leaves and stems. As a result, the shell of the stems and leaves cracks, the flower begins to wither, and its growth stops. In addition to the negative impact on the process of photosynthesis, the pest can be a carrier of certain diseases, for example, gray mold or viral infections.

Basic ways to combat spider mites

Spider mites on indoor plants are a frequent guest, dangerous and well adapted to conditions environment, therefore, treatment with chemicals must be carried out in combination with other control methods.

Exposure to ultraviolet light

It is known that ticks do not tolerate ultraviolet radiation, so for its destruction and prevention, you can purchase a special lamp. Procedures for irradiating a flower for only 2 minutes every week will significantly reduce the reproduction of the pest, in addition, ultraviolet radiation will strengthen the immunity of the “green pet”.

Important! When irradiated with a lamp, you need Special attention focus on the inside of the leaves, where the pest lives.

Fresh air

IN summer time If the weather permits, the affected plant can be taken out to an open balcony or veranda. In nature there are many insects that feed on spider mites. For example, a predatory mite perfectly destroys both adults and larvae, while it itself is not a pest of indoor flowers.

Alcohol treatment of plants

Pure medical alcohol (96% solution) has proven itself well in the fight against spider mites on indoor plants. You can wipe the leaves with a cotton swab soaked generously in alcohol or spray the flower with a spray bottle. However, it should be borne in mind that this method is very effective, but is not suitable for all plants. Recommended for specimens with hard, dense leaves: monstera, ficus, rose, palm. Plants with a waxy coating on stems and leaves can be treated with caution: cacti, succulent species. At the same time, do not act on the entire flower, but only where the largest concentration of pests is detected. It is strictly forbidden to treat indoor flowers with villi or “fuzz” on the stems or leaves with alcohol. Alcohol evaporates more slowly from such plants and can cause burns.

Advice! Before completely spraying the plant with alcohol, it is recommended to test on several leaves.

Folk remedies

Exterminating mites on indoor plants , you can start with more gentle methods.

• Tobacco infusion . You need to take 500 g of dry tobacco, pour it into a container and fill it with 10 liters of clean water. After two days, mix the contents of the container well and strain. This solution is effective not only against ticks, but also against many other pests. Before spraying, it is recommended to dilute it 1.5–2 times with clean water and add 40 g of soap; this is necessary so that the tobacco infusion adheres to the surface of the leaves.
• Garlic infusion. To prepare the infusion, you will need 500 g of peeled young garlic cloves, 3 liters of clean water and a few drops of liquid soap. The cloves need to be ground well and filled with water, after which the container should be placed in a shaded place. After 5 days, the infusion will be ready. Before spraying, it should be diluted with water at the rate of: 60 g of infusion - 10 liters of clean water. IN ready solution need to add soap.
• Soap solution. Perhaps this is the most accessible remedy for beginning flower growers, when there are no chemicals in the “first aid kit”, and control measures should be taken immediately. The flower pot should be placed in the bathtub or sink, then take a soft sponge and generously soap it with laundry or any other soap. Apply foam to the stems and leaves, treat the pot and lightly moisten the top layer of soil with the solution. Leave the flower in this state for 4 hours, then rinse off the soap with clean water.

These methods of combating spider mites on indoor plants are good, but do not completely destroy them, and can only act as a short-term measure to prevent the proliferation of pests. For complete destruction it is necessary to carry out a course of spraying with chemicals.

Attention! Tobacco infusion is poisonous to humans, so you should wear gloves when working with it.

Chemicals (insectoacaricides)

The most popular: “Aktelik”, “Vertimek”, “Kleschevit”, “Nurell-D” and many others. The drug “Fitoverm”, developed on the basis of natural ingredients, has proven itself, it is less toxic and is optimal solution in pest control indoors. Spider mites quickly get used to chemicals, so it is recommended to buy several types and alternate them.

Prevention of spider mites on indoor plants

This small animal does not tolerate humid air, dampness and low temperatures air. In order to encounter the pest less often, it is recommended to spray the plants more often with a spray bottle, at least 3-4 times a week. This is especially true on hot summer days and winter period, if the flower is located close heating devices. However, spraying should be carried out carefully, avoiding the accumulation of water droplets on the leaves, otherwise the plant may become a victim of fungal diseases, for which dampness is a favorable habitat.

Regular inspection of indoor plants and proper care- the key to health, endurance and good immunity, because strong plant much less susceptible to diseases and attacks from pests.

Video of treating a plant for spider mites