When watering plants, you happen to see smallmidges in potted flowers ? Small, flying insects near the pots are a problem that probably all of us have struggled with. They can be both white andblack flies in potted flowersSee where these flies come from, whether they are harmful to our plants and learn howhow to get rid of midges in potted flowers
Black flies in potted flowers are usually earthy.
You can catch them on yellow sticky plates
Fig. depositphotos.com
Black midges in potted flowers
MinorBlack flies flying around the potare earthy. They are insects from the fly family. Earth cells have a black color of the body. Within a week, an adult insect lays eggs to the ground. 4 weeks pass from the laying of eggs to the development of the pupa. Then, after a few days, the pupa transforms into an adult insect, which lays eggs back to the ground. They look like fruit flies, which is why they are often neglected by us.
The reason for the appearance ofblack flies in potted flowersis too moist and dense substrate in the pot. Earth cells prefer moist places where their larvae can properly develop and take up nutrients from the ground. Desiccation of the soil makes matters worse, as young larvae attack wet plant roots in search of food. Damaged plant roots lead to its dieback.
How to get rid of black flies from potted flowers?The above-mentioned drying of the substrate does not guarantee the removal of the larvae from the ground. The best method forfighting black flies in flowersis to use chemicals. We water the soil attacked with potato plants every 2 weeks with insecticides, eg Deltam. This agent is diluted in an amount of 7.5 ml per 10 liters of water. You can also put into the ground soil sticks for Sanium Pin pests. We use them in the amount of 1 stick per 0.5 liter of soil in a pot.If we do not want to use chemicals, we can use yellow sticky boards, which we stick into the substrate. Adult midges will stick to them, preventing them from laying eggs. Another method recommended by our forum users is watering the ground with a decoction of nettle and horsetail. We will get rid of stubborn flies and additionally strengthen our plants.
Natural and safe to use solution is also a very good and practical solutionNeemAzal T / S, designed to combat earthworms .
The natural ingredient of NeemAzal T / S are compounds from the limonoid group, which are very effective in repelling insects. These are compounds of plant origin (phytosterols) found mainly in citrus fruits.
You can water or spray plants with this agent . It is suitable for the cultivation of ornamental potted plants, but also vegetables and herbs, which are very often attacked by black flies. It can be used in organic farming.
For treating earthworms, use NeemAzal T / Sin the amount of 5 ml of the preparation per 1 liter of water. Both water and spray the plants with this solution.
Homemade black bow tie trap
In a fairly simple way, we can also use our home methodmake a trap for black flies by ourselvesTo do this, fill a yellow cup or glass in about 2/3 with water with the addition of 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or wine and 1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid.The water can also be colored yellow by adding, for example, turmeric. The yellow color and the smell of vinegar attract adult specimens, which melt easily in the liquid.
Although quite a lot of flies will fall into the trap , after changing the liquid, it should still be standing next to flowers, even for several weeks. During this period, more larvae will hatch from eggs laid in the ground, and adult flies will hatch from them. We need to catch all the adults before they can lay more eggs. For this reason, the effectiveness of such a trap is limited and often after several weeks of setting the trap, it is necessary to apply soil-based agents that will destroy all the larvae.
White midges in potted flowers
Nevertheless,white flies in potted flowersThe name of white flies is most often described as a small insect - the greenhouse whitefly. It is a white, winged insect 2 mm long. Apart from potted flowers, it often attacks plants grown under cover.The whitefly larvae feed on the lower part of the leaves, sucking the sap from them. As a result, they cause yellowing (most often in the form of yellow spots) and leaf fall.
White midges in potted flowers are the greenhouse whitefly,
a common pest of potted and greenhouse plants
Fig. depositphotos.com
How to get rid of white midges in potted flowers?
In the fight against the greenhouse whitefly on potted flowers, insecticides available in a ready-to-use form, in a container with a sprayer, are helpful. Thanks to this, we do not have to dissolve the agent in water and have a sprayer. Examples of such ready-made preparations are: Krate Spray 750 ml and Sanium AL. Plants should be sprayed 2 - 3 times, repeating spraying every 7 - 10 days.
As in the case offighting black flies , you can also put into the ground soil sticks for Sanium pests Pin.Their effectiveness is very high and, according to the instructions for their use, they are intended, among others. to combat the greenhouse whitefly.
If you do not want to use chemicals, you can spray with natural Agrocover Spray or tansy decoction. The pest, like earthlings, can also be caught on yellow sticky plates.
As you can see, both white andblack flies in potted flowerscan do a lot of damage, and fighting them is necessary. Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of them. However, remember to avoid spraying with chemicals in living quarters. In this case, our potted flowers should be placed outside for the duration of the spraying.
Eng. landscape architect Piotr Moliński
