Fruit midge in indoor flowers. Midges in indoor flowers - how to get rid of? Black midges on indoor flowers

Indoor flowers are the joy of every housewife in the house. Thanks to them, comfort and harmony reign in the rooms. And the air is significantly enriched with oxygen. Even regular care of "green friends" does not guarantee that pests will not start in them. Almost every amateur grower in his life met with such a harmful insect as a flower midge - a small black bug with wings that always catches the eye and irritates with its obsession. If you have midges in indoor flowers, you will learn how to get rid of them and what means to use better from this article.

Varieties of midges in flowers and flower pots

Flower midges can be attributed to insects of the Diptera family. They number about 2000 subspecies. We list the most common ones.

White midges on flowers - whiteflies, scale insects

White midges called whiteflies or scale insects outwardly very similar to aphids. From houseplants in pots, soft fuchsia or begonia leaves are preferred.

White midges on house flowers are whiteflies, also called "scale insects"

Black midges in flowers - sciarids

Black midges on house flowers are called sciarids or mushroom mosquitoes.

Earthen fleas in flower pots - fools

White insects that are found in the soil of home flowers - podura or springtails

Why did small midges start up in indoor flowers?

It is important not to forget that overly moistened land is the best place for the existence and reproduction of midges. So, if you do not want to breed white bugs in the ground of indoor plants, then you should not neglect the attention to the soil in pots.

The secondary causes of the appearance of harmful insects include:

Ways to get rid of midges in house plants

First of all, when flower midges are found, it is necessary to remove the affected flower away from other plants.

Flower soil, in which insects have already settled, should be thrown away. The flower is removed from the pot, the root system is washed and the already treated plant is transplanted into disinfected soil. There is an option to replace the top layer of soil.

If it is not possible to change the affected soil, then it is recommended to treat it with an insecticide. More effective preparations for flower flies include Fitoverm, Aktara, tanrec. Insecticide flyeater, which is available in granules, is also effective in the fight against annoying earth midges.

If there are not too many pests yet, then flypaper from flies, hung next to flower pots, will help in catching them.

If there are already a lot of insects, then it is recommended to use aerosol preparations for destruction, such as raptor. Lightly spraying the product, window sills, shelves, walls near house plants are processed. Plus, and the soil in the flower pot, and its bottom. The result of processing will be the death of adults and their eggs laid in the ground.

Yet in the best possible way in the fight against midges, it remains to comply with all the rules for the care and maintenance of domestic plants.

Folk remedies for midges in flowers

Midges appeared in flowers - the problem arises of what means to use to rid your favorite plants of them without harm. One way to self-remove irritable insects is to use various folk remedies.

An effective folk remedy against flies - garlic. The smell of garlic has a detrimental effect on some insects, including flower midges. Only two procedures - and black midges completely perish. To prepare the desired solution, three heads of garlic are taken and crushed with the help of a garlic maker. The resulting mass is poured with one liter of boiled water. After 4 hours it is filtered. Leaves of plants are sprayed with this solution and the soil in a pot is cultivated.

When soil flies are found, it will help potassium permanganate solution. The soil is cultivated in a pot. Watering the damaged flower is recommended to be repeated after 2 days. In order not to harm the roots of the plant, the solution must be weak.

To destroy the flower fly in the soil of a houseplant, you can use soap. To do this, laundry soap (20g) must be grated and poured with 1 liter of water. The resulting soap solution processes the leaves and waters the soil in a pot.

You can also get rid of flower midges with the help of ordinary matches. In a pot with a flower, about five matches of sulfur should be deepened into the soil and lightly watered. Matches in flowers are replaced every day, as sulfur dissolves in the soil. A certain number of such procedures will save the plant from both midges and their larvae.

wood ash- no less effective folk remedy in the fight against insects on indoor flowers. The soil in the pot is simply covered with such ash and the midges will forever leave the flower they have chosen alone. Plus, wood ash is considered an excellent fertilizer that gives the plant strength.

Fighting insects helps to use tobacco. To prepare the tincture, 50 g of dried tobacco is taken and poured with one liter of water. Infused for 2 days. The resulting tincture is sprayed on the leaves of the flower. The disadvantage is that tobacco tincture has a detrimental effect only on adult insects, the larvae do not die from it.

Earth flies do not like the smell mint. The edge of the pot can be smeared with the well-known "Asterisk". This will help get rid of harmful insects.

Tincture from celandine(100 g of celandine per 1 liter of boiled water) also eliminates annoying insects. Treated by spraying the leaves of plants.

You can also destroy insects in house plants with the help of ammonia . In addition, it improves plant growth. The solution can be prepared by taking 50 ml of ammonia and diluting it in 4 liters of water.

orange peel also help to get rid of harmful insects attacking indoor flowers. The citrus smell is annoying. It is recommended to impose flower pot such crusts or deepen them directly into the soil. Pests will be blown away by the wind.

Or maybe just dry the soil. Same great way control of flower midges. Until the soil is completely dry, it is not advisable to water the “green friend”. Then fill the ground with roasted sand from above and spill it with weak potassium permanganate.

Treatment of infected plants folk remedies considered the most in a safe way compared to the use of chemicals.

Effective insecticides to control midges

It is best to opt for safe drugs. When processing plants, be sure to use personal protective equipment.

The liquid and safest insecticides include " Agravertin», « Fitoverm», « Fufanon», « Aktara», « Inta-vir". These chemicals are allowed to be used at home. The course of treatment is carried out within two weeks. Watering the plant is done once a week. After the plant has been watered with an insecticide, it is not advisable to water it for 5 days. clean water.

Hazardous liquid insecticides include " Actellik”, which has a very high toxicity. Its use is prohibited in residential areas.

Granular insecticides include " Bazudin», « Thunder-2», « flyeater". The main thing is to mix the granules with the topsoil, and not just scatter them on top of the ground. These insecticides will not work as quickly, but they are as effective as liquid ones.

Remember, absolutely all chemicals are toxic. When processing plants, it is necessary to wear gloves, goggles and a respirator. After work, be sure to ventilate the room.

No less effective are aerosol insecticides ( Bona Forte), which in an instant can paralyze flying pests. The aerosol consists of substances that are harmless to humans and environment.

Prevention of the appearance of midges in indoor flowers

So that midges never disturb your houseplants, it is recommended to perform the most simple rules flower care:

Holding on to the most basic preventive measures care products will help protect your favorite flowers from the likelihood of flower midges appearing on them.

Flies in flower pots are often confused with the classic objects of studying the inheritance of traits - Drosophila (fruit, "wine" flies). Many flower growers are well acquainted with both those and other representatives of the Diptera order.

Flower flies (fruit gnats) also prefer rotting plant debris. Their larvae live in the earthen substrate, which harm the root system and seedlings.

Small dark-colored sciarids seem harmless at first glance. Adult flying individuals of notable harm ground units plants do not bring, but can be carriers of diseases. In the presence of pieces of rotting organic matter and high humidity there is a rapid reproduction of flower flies. They lay their eggs in the soil where the larvae develop. The colony switches to eating the roots, which weakens the development of the ground organs of indoor plants, leading to their death. Flower flies can appear on violets, maidenhair, achimenes, koleria, and many other houseplants.

Signs by which you can determine the presence of fruit mosquitoes:

• The elongated body of adult flower flies is 1.5–4 mm in size, the length of young individuals is 1.5–2 mm.
• Usually black or dark gray body color. Juveniles are light gray in color.
• Developed pair of front wings, reduced back. Sucking mouthparts.
• One adult flower fly lays up to 300 eggs. Translucent masonry is in an earthy coma among the roots.
• Worm-like, almost transparent, legless larvae, with a black head region. The mouth apparatus of the larva is gnawing, the body length is 3–5 mm.

Is it easy to get rid of sciarids

The ubiquity and longevity of origin is not yet a reason to assert that everything is known about the Sciarid family (Sciaridae), and the fight against flower flies will be easy. This least studied group of Diptera contains more than 30 genera, more than 1700 systematized species. Researchers suggest that 20,000 species are not yet known to science. The insect world of Europe has more than 600 species of flower flies.

Our plants are harmed mainly by representatives of three genera of this large family:

• genus Sciara (Sciara) - flies of sciara;
• genus Lycoriella (Lycoriella) - mushroom mosquitoes;
• genus Bradysia.

Distinctive features between the genera of the sciarid family can only be seen when magnified. Measures to combat different types very similar. One of the most important requirements is to avoid waterlogging of the root system. Soil with excess moisture and rotting residue attracts flower flies. It will be difficult to get rid of them as long as there are favorable conditions for reproduction and nutrition.

Black flies can get into the house, apartment from the environment, with new plants. Indoor flower collection can be infected with non-disinfected soil from the store, from the garden. First of all, plants in old mossy pots suffer, with abundant watering, a poor drainage layer. Dangerously severe infection of the substrate with large larvae that damage tender young roots.

Prevention measures and control of flower flies

When sciarids appear, you need to reduce the amount of watering. Heavily infected plants are best transplanted by removing the rotten parts of the root system. Can be changed upper layer earth in pots without damaging the roots. Simple preventive measures will help reduce the number, prevent infection of the entire indoor collection with flower flies.

Main preventive measures:

• Ensuring air access to the roots, removing water from the pans with each watering. One of the most rational advice is to water only when the earthen coma dries up.
• Do not pour tea with tea leaves into containers with indoor flowers, coffee grounds, "green" water from the aquarium, do not overdo it with organic matter (manure, compost, water after washing the meat).
• Do not use land with decaying plant residues for planting (transplanting).
• Flower pots should be washed hot water, disinfect with a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). The roots and new soil also need to be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Some flower growers steam or freeze the soil.
• Good drainage for indoor flowers from expanded clay, fragments of old ceramics, gravel, coarse sand. It is advisable to pour a layer of coarse sand calcined in the oven on the surface or sprinkle with wood ash.
• Timely collection and destruction of dead plant residues in flower pots.

Folk remedies used from flower flies:

• fresh peels of citrus fruits;
• pieces of garlic;
• sprigs of dill, which are laid out in pots;
• repeated spraying with infusion of dry tobacco (20 g infused in 0.5 l of water for 2 days, filtered and diluted with another 1 l of water);
• treatment with a soap solution (10–20 g of soap chips per 0.5 l of water).

Hanging sticky tapes and vacuuming will help to destroy adult black flies. Also, flying individuals are exterminated with aerosols (Neo-dichlorvos and similar drugs), observing precautionary measures.

From chemicals against the larvae, the drug Bazudin is used, which is sprinkled with soil in pots. Insecticides Aktara, Aktellik, Inta-vir, Fitoverm (one of the products) are dissolved in accordance with the instructions and the soil is watered several times at intervals of 5-7 days. Practically safe for plants in open field, sciarids have become a real disaster for lovers of indoor plants. Often, the green decoration of a home suffers from an excess of attention from flower growers. Abundant watering and excessive use of organic fertilizers attracts flower flies. "Spartan conditions" can be useful for our blooming pets.

Many people breed plants at home that serve as a kind of oasis of wildlife indoors and decorate it, regardless of the interior. Indoor flowers, like all representatives of the flora, need regular care, but even with all the rules of cultivation, certain problems may appear in the form of small insects and other pests.

Today, there are several ways to get rid of insects and prevent plant death.

Causes

The most common causes of pests:

• overflow of plants, as a result of an excess of moisture appears favorable climate for breeding insects;
• an open window - mushroom mosquitoes can enter the apartment and fly into the flower pot;
• non-disinfected soil - soil with humus residues is considered an excellent environment for the life of the larvae.

Varieties of midges on flowers

Unlike other pests, midges are visible to the naked eye, they are all divided into two main varieties: white (springtails, rocks) and black (sciarids). The former are considered the most common, they can be seen at the foot of a vase or on the ground surface. The rocks are different small size, have a white or yellowish-brown hue, their larvae cause the greatest damage to the roots.

White midges appear in early spring or in winter time when the evaporation of moisture from the ground is still not strong enough.

Sciarids fly in flocks over flowers, they are absolutely safe for humans, but can cause great discomfort. For flowers, they also pose a great danger, the larvae damage the root system, compact the soil and make it more airtight.

Basic methods of struggle

There are several ways to rid flowers of pests and prevent their spread. When choosing a method, it is necessary to take into account intensity of infection, as well as the number of individuals and larvae. On early stages folk recipes show effectiveness, with severe damage, it is recommended to use more drastic measures. At the first suspicion of infection, it is necessary to examine the flowers and rearrange the affected plant to a safe place.

Chemical methods:

• dichlorvos - Raid, Raptor, Neo - means that instantly destroys both varieties of insects;
• solutions - Kinmiks, Agravertin, Aktara, Bazudin, Fitoverm, Aktellik, Karbofos.
• Each preparation has its own characteristics, ranging from the temperature level to the concentration of the mixture; after the procedure, the plant is not recommended to be watered for 3 days.
• The use of chemicals requires compliance with security measures, processing is carried out in a respirator, rubber gloves and protective clothing.

Folk remedies

In the presence of a large number insects on the stems and under the leaves, the following folk recipes are used:

1. The most popular is a weak solution of manganese, it was also used by our grandmothers. The procedure must be repeated several times over several days, the dominant role in this case is played by systematicity, concentration fades into the background.
2. The method is widespread among German flower growers; for the procedure, you need to take 3 chopped heads of garlic and mix them with 1 liter. boiling water. The mixture must be infused for 4 hours, the infusion must be used for spraying the plant and watering. The main advantage of the method is that 2 procedures are enough to completely get rid of insects.
   Divide the citrus zest into pieces and put on the ground every 5-6 cm.
   6. Place the garlic cloves cut lengthwise over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ground with the cut side down.
   7. Place dill on the surface of the soil, change every 2 days.
   8.20 gr. tobacco, infused in 0.5 liters of water, insist for 2 days, add another liter of water, treat the upper part of the plants with the mixture.

Prevention

The following measures will help prevent the occurrence of pests:

Despite the safety of the midge for health, it is still a source of problems, so the spread of pests is necessary. stop in a timely manner.

After detecting insects, it is necessary to identify the cause of their occurrence, if the matter is in the soil, the plant must be transplanted or cultivated as quickly as possible by special means. With waterlogged soil, it is necessary to wait a little with watering, while all indoor plants should be treated, the fight should be carried out not only with adult insects, but also with their embryos.

In this material we will tell you how to get rid of midges in indoor flowers with folk and special means, namely from the following 3 types:

• Drosophila, which are also called fruit or fruit midges. They look more like little flies.
• Sciarid, other names - flower midges or fungus gnats, and they really look a lot like small black gnats.
• Whitefly or Aleroidid, which look like small white or light gray little aphids. They nest mainly under the leaves.

We will consider ways to deal with fruit and flower flies in the first chapter, but if white flies have settled in your plants, then you can find out how to get rid of them in the second part of the material.

How to get rid of fruit and flower midges (drosophila and sciarid)

Midges in flowers are not only flying small flies, but also their larvae that live in the ground. In one pot, several generations of insects can simultaneously develop - from eggs to adults. Also, keep in mind that fungus gnats can spread fairly quickly from one plant to another. Therefore, in order to remove insects forever, you need to deal with them comprehensively and often repeatedly.

Because of what midges appear in indoor flowers: a common reason is that they could appear when the plant was transplanted into purchased land that was already infested with eggs and larvae. In addition, midges could simply fly into the summer or autumn period out the window and settle in your flowers. One way or another, the main factor in the emergence and reproduction of sciarids and fruit flies is moist, overflowing soil, which attracts midges and creates favorable conditions for the transformation of sleeping eggs into larvae. By the way, fruit flies could get into your apartment along with purchased vegetables, fruits, or fly to the smell of a stale product, and after that they take a fancy to your flower pots.

Damage inflicted: adults are harmless in themselves, but their larvae, feeding on the juice of the roots, destroy the plant. Flower midges are especially dangerous for seedlings and young plants.

Prevention: watering plants as 2 cm of the top layer of the earth dries, as well as periodic loosening and timely removal of diseased leaves. Moderate watering will make the soil less attractive for egg-laying adult midges and less fertile for the development of larvae.

Fighting methods

Instruction 1. Using folk remedies

Step 1. Let the soil dry after the last watering so that at least 2 cm of the top layer is dry.

Step 2. Catch all adults. You can do this with:

• Traps: special (eg, a regular fly-catching tape will do) or homemade ones. To make your own bug traps, you will need yellow cardboard (or yellow-painted cardboard) and honey. Yellow cards should be smeared with a thin layer of honey and hung (arranged) near the pots. Don't forget to change traps as needed.

• Vacuum cleaner: remove the nozzle or put a small nozzle without a brush on the hose and simply work it on the ground and window sill. The vacuum cleaner will easily suck in insects even in flight. After that, the bag must be thrown away (if it is disposable) or emptied outside the apartment, and then treated with dichlorvos.

Step 3. So, we got rid of the adult egg-laying midges, now we need to cultivate the land to get rid of the larvae. To do this, loosen the dried soil and water the plant with one of the following folk remedies:

• Garlic infusion: make garlic infusion at the rate of: 1 grated head of garlic + 600 ml of boiling water for 1 flower pot. Let the product brew for 2-4 hours, then water and spray the plant with it, and deepen the remaining pulp into the ground. You can also stick 1 cut into three parts head into the soil of each infected plant. Do not worry, the smell of garlic in the apartment will not appear.

Instruction 2. Using insecticides and creating a "toxic greenhouse"

This method is efficient, economical and, if done correctly, safe for humans and plants. With it, you can kill both larvae and adults.

Step 1. Wait until the soil is dry after the last watering.

Step 2 Gently loosen the ground.

Step 3. Put the plant pot in an ordinary bag, spray a little Dichlorvos into the soil and tie the bag tightly so that only the pot is completely covered. After 4-5 hours, the midges in the ground should die.

• If the midges wound up not only in the ground, but also settled under or above the leaves, then you need to do all the same steps, but pick up a bag of such a size that the whole plant fits in it. full height", and spray Dichlorvos not only into the soil, but also onto the bag (!). In order not to damage the plant, it is important that the product does not get on the leaves, and so that they do not get crushed, you should fix the package with tape at the right height to the furniture, door or floor lamp. Another way to create a "greenhouse" is shown in the picture on the right. The tool will destroy insects both in the ground and on the leaves in 7-10 hours.
• Dichlorvos can replace Raptor, Neo or Raid. In addition, instead of sprays, you can use solutions from special insecticides for plants, for example, Groma-2, Aktara, Bazudin, Aktellik and Karbofos. In this case, before wrapping the plant in polyethylene, it must be watered and sprayed with a product.

Step 4. Hang special or homemade traps so that the remaining midges that did not fall under the package sit on them.

Step 5. Repeat the procedure after 8 days to eliminate the possibility reappearance midges.

If there are a lot of larvae in the soil, and you are sure that the plant will survive the transplant, then it is best to do this by transplanting the flower into new, previously cultivated soil. To do this: loosen the soil and carefully pull it out, then manually or with a small brush, clean the roots of the infected soil, then quickly rinse the roots with water or one of the above home remedies, and finally, transplant the plant into a clean pot with uninfected soil. To prepare the land, it must be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 100-120 degrees for 1 hour, and then restore the microflora with some kind of fertilizer.

How to get rid of whiteflies

To get rid of the whitefly, you also need to carry out comprehensive measures for the destruction of adult insects and larvae 3-4 times with an interval of one week.

Damage inflicted: whiteflies themselves do not harm the plant, but because of their feces on lower leaves soot fungi may appear, which can severely damage the flower. In addition, white midges can infect the plant with a viral infection. On the right is a photo of a leaf affected by white-winged.

Fighting methods

Step 1. First you need to catch all adult flies. You can do this in the following ways:

• Set up special or homemade traps described in the first instruction.
• Catch all midges with a vacuum cleaner.
• Pour jam into a saucer, place it next to the pot and wait until the whiteflies flock to the bait and get stuck in it.
• In the morning, create a slight coolness in the room where the flowers are located, for example, by turning off the batteries or opening the window. The lower temperature will prevent the flies from taking off. Then follow the procedure below.

Step 2. Once most of the adult whiteflies have been caught, take the plant to the bathroom and wash the leaves of the remaining insects, eggs and nymphs.

The fight against midges on indoor plants should be comprehensive - this will help to destroy both flying individuals and larvae in the ground

Causes of pests

Every florist knows that growing indoor plants is a rather time-consuming task. And just love for flowers is not enough. Scrupulousness and attentiveness are important here, as taking care of ornamental plants necessary carefully and constantly.

Advice! Soil for indoor plants should be purchased at garden stores. If you take it from the street, then before using it, be sure to disinfect it!

On indoor flowers, you can find both white and black midges. Adults can be seen with the naked eye - they begin to fly over the plant, some jump on green leaves. The larvae live in the substrate and eat the root system. As a result of their vital activity, the plant weakens and gradually fades.

On a note! At the same time, both of them will show the same effectiveness against all types of flower midges!

Folk remedies

So, how to get rid of midges in flowers with folk remedies.

1. At the first sign of infection, spill the substrate with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. But just be extremely careful: if the solution turns out to be too concentrated, then you can burn the root system of the plant.
2. Spread citrus peels or cut garlic cloves on the surface of the soil - they perfectly repel both flying adults and their larvae.
3. Pour the substrate several times with a mild soapy solution.
4. Use a garlic solution to spray infected plants. To prepare it, you need to chop a couple of heads of garlic and pour the resulting mass with a liter of water. After 4 days, the drug is filtered and used from midges.
5. The tree zone shows very good results. It should be sprinkled with soil and flower pests are guaranteed to disappear.

On a note! Wood ash not only perfectly disinfects, but is also an excellent fertilizer!

Chemicals

If you have tried all the sparing options, but have not received a positive result, then in this case it is advisable to use chemical preparations. You can buy them at any hardware store, where they will be presented in a fairly wide range.

Effective aerosols:

• "Dichlorvos";
• "Raptor";
• "Raid".

Each of them represents universal remedy from midges in indoor flowers and destroys all pests in record time.

You can also use insecticidal solutions:

• "Agraventin";
• "Thunder-2";
• "Aktara";
• "Fitoverm";
• "Karbofos";
• "Inta-vir";
• "Actellik".

Before starting treatment with chemicals, be sure to read the instructions, as each solution will have its own application features. And do not forget about safety measures - it is advisable to carry out any manipulations with the chemical with rubber gloves and a mask.

Orchid treatment

A separate chapter would like to highlight the methods of pest control of orchids. These plants are especially tender, and therefore they should be treated with care.

So, what to do if midges are wound up in an orchid?

• If mushroom mosquitoes are found, the soil in which the orchid grows must be dried. If the earth is dry, then the larvae will not be able to develop in it. Therefore, treatment should begin with a reduction in watering. Yellow adhesive tape will help collect adult flying individuals. If the infection is too large, then in such a situation the substrate must be replaced with a clean one, and the roots of the plant should be carefully washed from the larvae.
• If the orchid is infected with thrips, then first of all the plant must be bought under the shower - this technique will allow you to wash off a significant part of the pests. The next step is the treatment with Fitoverm or any other drug for thrips. It is desirable to work strictly according to the instructions, having carried out at least three treatments.

Preventive measures

And in order not to wonder in the future how to get rid of midges in flowers, you should follow the simplest rules:

• Analyze the frequency of watering and their volume depending on the time of year. Remember that in the summer it is really necessary to water indoor plants a little more often, but it is important not to overdo it here - always check the soil moisture before watering a flower.
• Provide good drainage. Thanks to him, home plants will be able to get enough water, but the soil will not turn sour, and organic residues will not rot.
• Loosen the soil periodically. This will enrich the root system with oxygen and will be another measure against rotting of the substrate.