A white coating on your orchids is an indication of mealybugs and signals immediate action. Simple home remedies can save the plant.
Mealybugs, also known as mealybugs, are a type of scale insect. They are one of the types of pests most commonly found on orchids (Orchidaceae), although this pest can also spread to other plants, especially cacti. Visually, these lice live up to their name. They look like they're being wrapped in cotton. The white web that envelops the lice is an excretory secretion.
The big problem is that these lice suck on the roots, stems or leaves of the plant. This is how they take the juice from the plant. At the same time, mealybugs release a toxin that restricts the growth of the plant. The lice also produce a substance called honeydew. It sticks accordingly and eventually covers the entire orchid. This makes the plant more susceptible to other pests. Mealybugs are problematic for orchids in three ways. Since mealybugs can ultimately mean the death of an orchid, it is all the more important to combat them in good time. But how? We reveal which natural and chemical agents can help!
How do you recognize mealybugs?
If you are not sure whether it really is mealybugs, you can confirm your suspicion based on the following symptoms:
- Mini white cotton balls found under and on the leaves.
- The buds and leaves of the affected orchid grow back stunted.
- White, extremely fine webs in the area of the leaf axils.
- The plant is covered with brown-yellow speckles in the leaf area.
- The flowers and leaves appear wilted.
Don't introduce mealybugs in the first place
If your orchids suddenly get mealybugs, it is quite possible that this pest was brought into the home. Because many plants from the hardware store or garden center are already infested with mealybugs. It is therefore important to make sure when buying that the plantsno white webs can be seen. Stay away from plants that are already infected! Because otherwise there is a good chance that the native orchids will also soon be affected by the mealybug plague.
In addition, warm and dry heating air poses a problem. Because the pests can spread particularly well under these conditions. Accordingly, it is important that there is sufficient ventilation during the cold season and that the orchids are not given a direct stand above or on the heating. This will help minimize the spread of mealybugs. It is also important not to over-fertilize indoor plants with nitrogen.
Orchids infested with mealybugs - what to do?
If an orchid is already infested with mealybugs, the first thing to do is damage control. The first step is to isolate the plant from the other indoor plants so that the mealybugs cannot spread any further. If there is even the slightest suspicion that other plants could also be affected, these should also be separated from the pest-free plants.
In the quarantine room, make sure that the room is as cool as possible. Preferably as cool as the orchids can tolerate. A high level of humidity should also be ensured if possible. This is because mealybugs prefer dry and warm conditions, so the reverse environmental conditions are beneficial when controlling mealybugs.
Fight mealybugs on orchids - without chemicals
Then it's all about getting rid of these pests. However, this is only possible if it is not already too late for the orchid. Unfortunately, when the plant sheds its leaves, the battle is already lost. It is therefore important to get rid of mealybugs at an early stage, i.e. preferably shortly after infestation. Insecticides that can be used to combat mealybugs are also available in specialist shops, but some of the ingredients are harmful to he alth. Therefore, these aids on a purely natural basis are ideal:
- Alcohol
- Soft Soap
- rapeseed oil
- Water
- paraffin oil
- Neem Oil
Fight mealybugs with water and alcohol
Mealbugs hate moisture. Water is thus a potent means of controlling the pests. Therefore, it makes sense to shower the entire plant several times with lukewarm water. Before that, you should put the roots, including all aerial roots, through a bag in front of the waterprotection. After all, the pests should not be able to spread to the roots. Very hard water is also not recommended. It may therefore be better to decalcify the water and apply it to the orchid with a pressure sprayer. Incidentally, the moisture protection should only be removed from the orchids when they are almost dry. Because the roots don't get too much moisture.
Alcohol may have to be used before water treatment can be successful. This is because the adult lice have a "shield" that is coated with wax. They are therefore sometimes difficult to flush from the plant. For this reason, it makes sense to wipe the leaves on both sides with a cloth soaked in alcohol.
A cotton swab that has been soaked in alcohol beforehand is ideal for hard-to-reach areas. The mealybugs can then be rinsed off much more easily. The plant can also be sprayed with lemon balm spirit to specifically kill off the lice. This method may need to be repeated every few days to ensure the plant is truly lice free.
Fight mealybugs with soft soap
A solution of soft soap has been found to be particularly effective against mealybugs. This home remedy can even outperform various ready-made pesticides. To make a soft soap solution, do the following:
- Heat 1 liter of stale water, if necessary decalcify first.
- Add between 20 and 40 grams of pure soft soap or curd soap.
- Dissolve the soap completely in the water.
- Add a few dashes of spirits to the mixture.
- Let the mixture cool.
- Then apply the liquid to the plant with a hand sprayer.
- Repeat the treatment every two to three days.
- The treatment is not complete until the orchid has been completely freed from the pests.
Expert tip:
It takes about one to two weeks for mealybugs to hatch from their eggs. It is therefore advisable to repeat the treatment every two weeks in order to catch the last lice. Because as long as the lice have not yet hatched, they are particularly resistant to the pest control mentioned.
Even if beneficial insects can also attack mealybugs, this approach is not recommended for indoor plants. Whether parasitic wasps, lacewings orLadybugs, since a large number of beneficial insects are required for successful pest control, this solution is not really practical in your own four walls. The situation is different, however, when orchids are in a greenhouse and are infested with lice.
Fight mealybugs on orchids with oil
As mentioned, different types of oil can also be used to control mealybugs on orchids.
❶ rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil is best mixed with water before the oil-water emulsion is applied to the plants. It is important to only spray this mixture very delicately onto the flower. The ratio of water to canola oil should be seven to three. Only hard-leaved orchids tolerate this type of treatment. A little soft soap should also be used as an emulsifier with this solution. The solution is best used in the evening and in the shade. Because it attacks the wax layer of the orchids. Therefore, this potent home remedy should only be used a maximum of two to three times in order not to cause further damage to the plant.
❷ Paraffin oil
These tips also apply to the treatment with paraffin oil. Twelve grams of oil should be mixed with one liter of water. Here, too, it is important to ensure that the water is lime-free.
❸ Neem Oil
Neem oil is also recommended as it stops the development of mealybug larvae. Finished products with neem oil are commercially available on a natural basis. These are recommended, as the right neem oil mixture is difficult to produce on your own. Although this type of oil is non-toxic, skin contact can cause irritation and skin irritation. Better to wear gloves and a long-sleeved top when spraying the plants.
Buy ready-made pest control products
Various means for targeted pest control are also available in garden shops. Various products based on soft soap or the types of oil mentioned are available there with which the fight against mealybugs can be declared on an ecological basis. Some of these remedies also contain orange oil, which dissolves the lice's shell and thus works particularly quickly.
If you prefer to use chemical agents to combat mealybugs, you will also find what you are looking for in specialist shops. There, special plant sticks or granules that are to be sprinkled on the substrate of the orchids are offered. The mealybugs then ingest a deadly agent via the juice of theOrchids grow up and die of it.
Even if the chemical club is used, the treatment should be repeated at intervals of 14 days so that lice that may have just hatched can also be eliminated. However, if this procedure does not ensure the desired success, then unfortunately there is no longer any hope for the plant. In order to protect other orchids and cacti in the apartment from mealybugs, the orchid, which can no longer be saved, must be finally disposed of.