Common Pest Critters

Now comes the dreaded but most anticipated blog post yet. Pests: what are they and how can I rid my ravishing regalia of them. Well never fear, Captain Li is here! I've had my run in with pests and I quickly get them up out of there. My plants are quite literally my loves, my pride and joys, my investments. Most pest we see in or around our homes do damage to the foliage of the plant and can ultimately lead to death. When we begin to see damage is normally when a colony has begun to take hold. To help prevent infestations, I suggest regularly inspecting and cleaning the leaves and stalks of your plant. Please refer to the Plant Cleaning blog for more information on the solution I use and my maintenance routine. As I've stated before and I don't think I can emphasize enough, plants are my life. I love them and make sure I take care of them.

The dreaded Mealy Bug

These are one of the most common household pests next to the fungus gnat, but that's another section. These babies are cute little white fuzzy looking sap suckers. Coincidentally mealy bugs are directly related to scale. Unlike scale these critters have legs, tails, and can  move around from plant to plant searching for a food source. Mealy bugs especially care for soft stemmed plants. The softer the stem, the easier it is for it to feast. The most common physical symptoms of a mealy bug infestation is seeing them, a powder mildew film on leaves, yellowing leaves, wilting, and overall stunted growth. Mealies suck on the sap so when they do so to your leaf, they are essentially stealing all the plants nutrients it uses to stay strong. The common mealies we see are considered ground mealies. Female mealies can lay up to 600 eggs in white cottonlike masses. When they hatch from their eggs in the soil, they migrate up the stems to the leaves when conditions are right. If you see a mealy with a long tail, that one produces live critter babies and doesn't lay eggs. The best way to find a mealy is to inspect your plant. When you see a mealy, wash the entire plant in a leaf cleaning solution and water. After washing the leaves and stems, I suggest repotting the plant and getting as much soil off the roots as possible. If your plant has a lot of crevasses, get in there as best you can. A small soft bristled brush could help clear tight spaces as well. After your plant is clean and repot, spray 70% isopropyl alcohol on the leaves and stem, then wipe. Cleansing and treatment may need to go on for several weeks. I suggest treating the plant at least twice a week for three weeks even if you no longer see the mealies with your eyes. These pests are extremely good at hiding. If you have one or two plants with this issue, you can very well tackle the task. If there is a serious infestation, you may need to begin again. The larger the plant, the easier it is to treat contrary to popular belief. The toughest part of this battle is knowing they can hide out in the little spaces on your plant baby. This allows them to continue to proliferate and multiply. It is imperative you isolate this plant when an infestation is realized. Predatory mites could be used to help mitigate infestations. A lot of people aren't too keen on using bugs in their home, but think about what happens in nature. The plant gets an infestation, alerts predatory bugs by secreting juices to lure in the helpers, and then the helpers take care of the problem. Predatory bugs that have been used to treat mealy bugs are Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri aka lady beetles, green lacewings, and spiders. I've personally used lady beetles but have been looking into experimenting with green lacewings. Every home has a few spiders but there's normally not enough to mitigate an infestation.

Thrips, thrip it good...?

Thrips are tiny slender black insects with wings. Yes, you heard that right wings. They can fly and they are a nightmare for your plant. Thrips are also a sap sucker and can wreak havoc among your pride and joys. The most common physical symptoms of thrips on your plant is black flecks left on leaves, pale or silver spotting on leaves, and stunted leaf growth. Thrips can be seen with the naked eye even though they are very small. Thrips hatch from eggs that were laid directly on the leaves. A thrip can go from an egg to an adult in as little as two weeks. Thrips are fairly easy to get rid of. A nice good rinse can dislodge many of the critters you see with your eyes. You may find a few in crevasses but that is not where they reside primarily when they are infecting your plant. When cleansing, focus on the leaves and stems of your plants. Be sure to check those tight and enclosed places anyway. Isolate your plant from others to prevent the spread throughout your home. Use the same cleaning solution you use to clean your leaves and treat twice a week for a minimum of three weeks. I will continue to reiterate the importance of continuing treatments even when you don't see pests. Protecting your plant from being infested can prevent you from spending more money down the line. I am not saying you will never get a pest, but it's better to keep up with maintenance so your babies can live their best green lives and be stronger for if they do encounter one.

The Ever mighty Spider Mite

Have your ever ventured into your local plant store and noticed a fine silky web on the leaves on some of our green counterparts? Well more than likely it is a colony of spider mites. To be honest spider mites aren't even insects and are in fact more closely related to spiders. Makes sense when you consider their name has spider in it. These tiny arachnids only have 4 legs but they still produce silk webbing like their larger cousins. There are many species of spider mites but the prevention and control of these pest critters is generally the same. When you have an infestation the first sign is that silk webbing I told you about. If you squint hard enough you can see their tiny little bodies traversing their tiny web highways. Physical damage to the plant can look like yellowing of the leaves, yellow or white specks on the leaves, pre-mature dropping of leaves, and stunted growth. The females can lay hundreds of eggs directly on the plant. The babies will wait until conditions are optimal before emergence. The earlier you detect a spider mite infestation, the easier it is to prevent damage and stress to your plant. If your plant has a minor to mild infestation, a good leaf cleaning and systemic treatment should do the trick. If you're experiencing a more severe case, clipping or pruning may be needed. Predatory mites and other beneficial bugs can be used as well for milder take overs. Other forms of treatment are pesticides and miticides.

Fungus Gnats...

The ever annoying fungus gnat. Ever been sitting in your plantroom, minding your business, then out of nowhere a gnat comes right up to your eyeball or your nose? More than likely it was one of these buggers. Fungus gnats come when you have dark moist environments. People who don't have plants also get gnats so don't feel too bad. The easiest thing someone could say would be to let your plant dry out more, but that isn't realistic for certain species of plant. This also doesn't work very well if you are growing your plants semi hydroponically or hydroponically. Contrary to popular belief fungus gnats aren't completely harmless to your plants when they get up in numbers. In small numbers they are more annoying then damaging. Fungus gnat damage would look similar to root rot. You will see yellowing or pre-mature dropping of leaves, the plants growth may be stunted or even stop altogether. The larvae of fungus gnats feed on the root systems of your babies. The best way to take care of fungus gnats is to use a systemic in your soil when you are watering. Diatomaceous earth works but it is temporarily rendered inert when it gets wet. Physical barriers can be used to prevent egg laying like sand or rocks. Sticky traps are a popular tool to use for the adults.

An Aversion to Aphids

Aphids are adorable little heathens. In my opinion they have the cutest most adorable face I have ever seen on a bug. They come in several colors but the best way to id these critters is their shape. They just so happen to be shaped like little pears and wouldn't you know some of them are green. The most common aphid in this hobby are garden and oleander aphids. The best way to identify an aphid is to look for two little tail pipes. All aphids have tail pipes. Females mostly do not need a male to reproduce (asexual reproduction). They also give birth to live babies and can complete as many as 15 generations before they kick the bucket. What damage can you expect when you have an infestation? You can expect to see curled leaves, leaf yellowing, stunted growth, or death. These insects can also cause secondary infections of mold due to their saliva containing sugar that they secrete as they feast. Aphids can also carry viruses which can show up as mottling on your leaves. The easiest way to protect your plants is to keep your leaves clean and use a systemic pesticide. They are small and not very strong so a nice strong spray will dislodge them. That spray will also rid your plant of that mold we talked about.

Are you experiencing a specific case or have a pest not discussed in this blog pots? Feel free to start a chat. I am always happy to help?