How to deal with aphids on orchids at home?

In order for home orchids to be healthy and strong, you need to take good care of them and do not forget that this plant can be attacked by a variety of parasites. They are able to undermine his health and even destroy the orchid. Aphids are the most dangerous pest, as they can destroy a flower in the shortest possible time. Therefore, you should be aware of why it appears and how to deal with it, if suddenly it attacked.

Most often, this parasite appears if the conditions of detention are unfavorable. This can be facilitated by a dry climate, as well as an excess or lack of various micronutrients. Also, the insect can be on the orchid initially in the store, in the ground, or be transferred to it from other plants that are nearby. Therefore, before buying an orchid, it is better to carefully examine each leaf and other areas, as well as examine the soil.

There are several signs by which one can understand that aphids have settled on the plant:

• peduncles become lethargic and soon fall to the ground;
• the leaves of the plant lose their original shape, begin to curl and become ugly;
• dark spots are visible on the stem;
• on all parts of the flower there is a sticky secretory fluid.

If a flower is exposed to pests for a long time, you can see white, yellow, gray, brown, black, red or green aphids on it. There can be different types of insects on it. If the orchid is covered with insects, then it is heavily infected.

First, the parasite is located on the leaf plates of the orchid, then moves on to the stems, flowers and buds, since these areas are the most juicy. Aphids feed on useful microelements that the plant needs in order for it to grow normally. Pests multiply extremely quickly, form many colonies, which will be located where new leaf plates should grow.

When an insect feeds, it releases poisonous substances into the orchid, which contribute to the disruption of the process of distribution of nutrients and photosynthesis. Areas affected by aphids become softer and may then die. If you do not fight the insect, the whole plant can die.

When a grower finds aphids, he must remove the infected plant away from other flowers, since the insect multiplies extremely quickly on the orchid and is transferred to others. After that, you can start treating the orchid. It is better to use folk methods, since such products contain natural ingredients that will not harm pets or the person himself. But if you cannot get rid of aphids in this way, it is better to treat the flower with chemicals.

Mechanical removal is a rather difficult option, which involves removing insects with your fingers or washing them off the orchid with a stream of not too cold water. For this, a shower is used.The substrate is also thoroughly washed, disinfected well with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried thoroughly.

Biopreparations are products that have appeared recently. They are quite effective and help growers to remove insects and cure the plant. As a result of the use of these drugs, the aphid becomes infected with a variety of bacteria and fungi, which poison it with poisons. Parasites begin to develop and multiply more slowly. In the first week of use, you can see a good result. The most popular and demanded products are Fitoverm, Strela, Jaguar, Confidor and Entobacterin.

There are many options for dealing with insects using folk methods.

1. Soap solution is an antiseptic and disinfectant that destroys aphids in the shortest possible time. To process the plant, you should purchase a piece of laundry soap, grate it and place it in a container. After that, pour warm liquid and spray the leaf plates and the orchid trunk with this solution. The soap can be replaced with dishwashing detergent.
2. Citrus water - an effective product that is extremely easy to prepare. A small amount of citrus peels (you can take lemon, tangerine, orange or grapefruit peels) is poured into a glass of hot water and infused for several days. After that, the orchid is sprayed with this agent every 5-6 hours. To make the effect more vivid, it is better to put the previously soaked crusts on the soil around the stem.
3. Another remedy that will definitely help rid the plant of parasites is onion water. For cooking, you need to take one large onion, chop it in such a way as to make a gruel. Pour the resulting mass with hot water and leave for 6 hours. When the product has cooled down, you need to strain it with gauze, and then spray the plant with it. The procedure should be carried out 2-3 times a day for several days.
4. Essential oils will also be an excellent option for those who wish to expel unwanted guests. Take 10-16 drops of tea tree oil (you can use peppermint ether) and put them in a large glass of liquid (300 grams). The resulting solution is used to process the leaf plates and the stem of the plant. The tool is applied once every few weeks. It is important to remember that you cannot use this product if the humidity is high. It is also better not to use it if the temperature is above 25 degrees.

If the plant is seriously infected, you cannot do without chemistry. If the infection is at an early stage, it is better to try to get rid of the insect using other methods. But if a chemical is already used, it is important to correctly calculate the dosage of the drugs. To do this, you must carefully read the instructions that are in the package with the product. There are several groups of insecticides that can help get rid of pests.

1. Contact drugs will affect the skin of insects. Of these, we can recommend "Spruzit-Af", "Permethrin", "Neoron" and "Roxion-D". With their help, you can save the flower.
2. Intestinal preparations will enter the body of aphids through their intestines. The most popular are Aktara, Inta-Vir, Fitoverm, Aktellik and Arriva.
3. System Tools ("Methylmercaptophos", "Fosfomite", "Bi-58" and others) will act instantly, immediately destroying both adult insects and their larvae. Pest eggs are also affected. These remedies are an excellent option for those looking to heal re-injury. Insecticides enter the leaf plates and trunk through the root system and make the plant sap poisonous to insects.

It is much better to prevent infection than trying to get rid of aphids, therefore, it is worth knowing a few useful rules that will help keep the plant strong and healthy.

• When buying a plant in a specialty store, you need to carefully check that it is healthy. It is necessary to examine the roots of the plant, as well as look at the leaves (if there are any insects there).
• Before transplanting a "store" flower into a home pot, you need to disinfect the substrate. The larvae of the insect will be destroyed if you hold it in the freezer or in the oven. Hot water can also be applied to the soil - this is also an extremely effective method.
• Dry air is an insect provocateur. To get rid of the possibility of infection, you should maintain an air humidity of about sixty percent.
• Watering correctly is important as it is also an important part of maintenance. If there is a lot of excess moisture on the buds and leaf plates of a flower, this can attract pests. Spray the orchid occasionally with a spray bottle. It is necessary to use not too cold, but not warm water either. Root watering is carried out a little less often.
• It is necessary to feed the orchid correctly and on time, since thanks to fertilizers it will gain strength and be able to resist insects.
• Aphids do not like too harsh aromas, so you can put geranium next to the orchid, lay several bunches of wormwood or chopped garlic.