The bell vine is really hardy. Nevertheless, pests - especially snails and spider mites - can give you a hard time.
There are plants that nothing can harm so quickly. This includes without exception the bell vine. It is very robust and is therefore often planted. It is one of the most popular climbing plants, because it produces a real splendor of flowers.
And although it is so hardy, slugs can infest the plant in a very short time and eat it completely empty. Rapid intervention is required here. During the winter months it is the spider mites that can cause problems for the plant. Here, too, quick action is important to protect the plant.
Infestation by snails
The bell vine is high on the snail menu. Fortunately, the substance structure of the mostly annual cultivated plants is enormous. They reach heights of 400 centimeters and more in just one growth period. The feeding damage caused by one or even a few snails is hardly significant. Simply collect the snails from the bell vine and clear the uninvited guests from your property.
However, if the number of crawling garden dwellers gets out of hand, you will have to take more decisive measures. You can achieve a very good defense against snails by erecting snail fences, which are available ready-to-use in garden shops or here. You probably already have another natural repellent in the house: ordinary ground coffee acts like poison on the organism of a snail. You can even use coffee grounds. Runner ducks also do a very good job, but not everyone has the opportunity to switch them in their garden. Runner ducks love to eat snails.
Infestation by spider mites
Unfortunately, the widespread spider mites don't stop at bell vines either. Check the undersides of the leaves regularly, because this is where the green, orange or brown pests prefer to stay. The spider mites, which are a maximum of one millimeter long, feed on the plant sap. At first the sucked leaves take on a parchment-like dry and weakshiny appearance, then quickly yellow.
Try to get rid of the pests with ordinary water. However, this will take some time and effort on a mature bell vine, as you should be able to get hold of every leaf and section of stem. The best way to achieve surface moistening is with a spray bottle. Since the bell vine is ideally in a sunny location, the water can evaporate quickly. These short periods of wetness are unbearable for the spider mites if you diligently repeat the procedure every day.
➜ Use beneficial insects for control
Using beneficial insects for pest control outside of closed rooms usually does not make sense. The animals spread out too quickly in the garden to have any appreciable effect. However, if your bell vine is still relatively small, it can easily be surrounded with a thin-meshed net. Lacewings, ladybirds and parasitic wasps, which you keep in place with the help of a net, are very good for controlling spider mites and aphids.