How to save maidenhair from the scale insect?
Of all the pests, the greatest harm to the maidenhair is the scale insect - small but stubborn pests. It is very difficult to get rid of them on any plants, but saving ferns is perhaps one of the difficult tasks, since they have small leaves and can be damaged by mechanical processing. But it is still necessary to take measures, and urgently, since the scale insect has the ability to move from plant to plant, and soon it can infect all indoor pets.
Signs of pest damage
The fact that a scale insect attacked the maidenhair can be understood by the following signs:
- the tips of the leaves begin to take on a rusty color and dry out;
- the bush gradually dries out completely;
- adhered pests are clearly visible on the stems.
The scabbard is firmly attached to the leaves and twigs and begins to draw juice from the flower. At the same time, it also secretes a certain sticky substance that contributes to the development of fungal diseases.
How to deal with a scabbard?
If the pest was noticed on time and has not yet had time to multiply throughout the plant, you can try to collect it by hand. Unfortunately, the leaves of the maidenhair are very small, and the shoots are thin, which creates certain difficulties with this method. The twigs break easily, and if there are a lot of scale insects, and even the bush is thick and lush, the task becomes simply impossible.
Get rid of a small amount scabbards on the maidenhair, you can try by "soaking" the bush in soapy water. Cover the soil with foil, fix it well, turn the fern upside down and completely immerse its green mass in the solution. You must first install a support so that the flowerpot does not fall completely into the solution. Withstand the maidenhair in this position for 30-40 minutes - during this time, the shield will swell and fall off.
In this way it is necessary to "soak" the bush 3-4 times, until all pests disappear.
A radical method of dealing with the scabbard
With a massive defeat of an adult bush, they will have to be sacrificed for the general salvation of the plant. To do this, use scissors to cut off all especially abundantly glued branches, leaving only the least affected young shoots. From them, you can already collect the shield with your hands, tearing off the leaves on which it sits.
In addition, pests can remain in the soil. So that they do not appear on the bush again, it is necessary to remove the top layer of the earth, and the remaining one should be disinfected using the Aktara preparation. Then you can add fresh substrate to the pot.