The hobby of raising flowers is a beautiful choice for many people to cultivate their bodies and minds, and watching the process of flowers and plants growing vigorously day by day can indeed make people feel happy. However, once a plant is attacked by pests and diseases, all efforts can be in vain. There are many kinds of common plant pests, and the damage caused to flowers cannot be ignored.
Today we will introduce you to 10 of the most terrible plant and flower insect pests, including scale insects, whiteflies, small black flies, red spiders, aphids, thrips, spotted submarine flies and so on. These pests can bring varying degrees of damage to flowers, resulting in stunted growth and even stunted growth. Therefore, timely identification and effective response to these pests are essential to protect the growth and health of flowers.
1. Scale insects (the first of the "five small pests"/difficult to control)
Which flower pest is the most harmful? The scale insect that is listed as the first of the "five small pests" in the garden is undoubtedly one of them. This insect has a wide variety of species, and it is extremely destructive to flowers and trees, and it is the number one pest among flower pests, causing a lot of trouble to gardening enthusiasts. Plants that are susceptible to scale insects include camellia, fortune tree, flamingo flower, cranberry velvet, pothos, rhododendron, hibiscus, cherry blossom, plum, peach, begonia, evergreen, monstera and other plants, and even various succulents.
This pest mainly gathers on the young stems and leaves of plants, and uses stinging and suction mouthparts to suck plant sap, causing wounds to be susceptible to disease and possibly coal stain disease. The honeydew secreted by scale insects will also attract ants and other insects to symbiosis, increasing the damage caused by pests. Due to the waxy protective layer on the body surface of scale insects, the traditional spraying drug control effect is limited, and it is usually necessary to use professional insecticides for targeted treatment.
2. White whitefly (strong fecundity/easy to infect)
Whitefly is a common pest and disease in horticultural plants, widely parasitic on all kinds of plants, with more than 600 hosts, including all kinds of flowers, vegetables, special crops, pastures and woody plants. Adults and nymphs usually gather on the back of the leaves of the host plant and use the stinging mouthparts to suck the sap of the plant, causing the leaves to turn green and yellow, shrivel and even die;
In addition to invading plants in protected environments such as greenhouses, whiteflies also cause serious damage to plants cultivated in the open field. This pest has a strong ability to reproduce, reproduces quickly, has a large number of colonies, and is more devastating due to its social pest. Once a plant is infected, it should be immediately isolated to another area, or preferably sprayed with the whole plant to curb the spread of pests and diseases and further damage.
3. Little Black Fly (fast reproduction/infective fungi)
The small black fly, that is, the sharp-eyed mushroom mosquito, the adult wings are gray-black, and it is a small black mosquito that is good at flying. These insects prefer to grow in moist soils and host plants such as succulents, orchids, and junzi orchids. They feed on fungi and algae, and the larvae multiply rapidly in the soil, causing fungal transmission by gnawing on the roots, endangering the growth and health of the plant.
Adult insects not only fly indoors and cause problems to people, but they may also eat plant leaves, affecting the health of flowers. Adult females can even bite. These pests are difficult to eradicate because they quickly escape when pesticides are sprayed and reappear after the effects have worn off. However, keeping potting soils moderately dry can effectively curb their growth. In severe cases, root irrigation drugs may be considered to kill the larvae.
4. Red spider (strong fecundity/strong adaptability/wide transmission mode)
Spider mites, listed as one of the top ten pests of plants and flowers, belong to the class of mites, and the insect body is so small that it is almost difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. This pest has strong fecundity, can produce multiple generations in a year, has a fast growth and development rate, and has a short reproductive cycle, whether it is a male or a female, can reproduce independently, has strong adaptability, and has a wide range of transmission methods. There are many plants that are susceptible to its damage, including moonflowers, roses, peaches, cherry blossoms, rhododendrons, Milanese, kumquats, jasmine, etc.
Spider mites often form clusters on the dorsal sides of plant leaves, sucking plant sap, initially causing the leaves to lose their green color, which may eventually lead to leaf shedding and the death of new shoots. Due to its small size, it is difficult to detect, and when found, it is often a sign that the plant has been severely damaged. And even after eradication, it is easy to recur, especially when the air humidity is insufficient, it is more likely to erupt in a large area. Therefore, spider mites often need to be controlled with specialized insecticides.
5. Aphids (strong fecundity/transmission of viral diseases)
Aphids are common flower pests that like to attack plants such as peaches, yueji, plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, peonies, rhododendrons, begonias, ivy, and white crane taro. They can reproduce for 20 to 30 generations per year, giving birth to a new generation in just 5 days, and can even spread to other plants by wind. Aphids often appear in locations such as tender shoots, peduncles and leaf backs, causing the stems and leaves of plants to curl, wilt, and even die of the whole plant. They excrete large quantities of honeydew, which can contaminate leaves and fruits, promote the occurrence of soot disease, and interfere with the photosynthesis of plants. In addition, aphids can transmit a variety of viruses, causing widespread viral outbreaks. Although aphids are less resistant to drugs, their spread can be effectively contained as long as they are detected and administered in time.
6. Thrips (complex diet/parthenogenesis)
Thrips is a garden plant pest widely distributed around the world, and its feeding habits are complex, including herbivorous, fungivorous and predatory, of which herbivorous species account for more than half. As one of the main economic hazards, thrips often use their file-sucking mouthparts to destroy plant epidermal tissue and feed on sap. They mainly damage the bud parts of plants, and the affected leaves will appear faded and eaten marks, initially appearing as white spots, and then gradually spreading into patches, and in severe cases, the leaves will become smaller, shrivelled, and even yellow, dry and withered. Affected flowers show discoloration and food marks on the petals, while the flowers may appear white spots or turn brown. Thrips have a particular preference for flowers such as lilies, moonflowers, chrysanthemums, etc., as their host plants.
7. Spotted submarine fly (difficult to control/strong drug resistance)
The spotted submarine fly, commonly known as the ghost drawing charm, is a frequent occurrence on the list of pests of green plants, and it is known to attack a variety of hosts, including more than 100 species of plants. Cucurbitaceae and leguminous crops are often targeted because of their reputation for wriggling graffiti-like inside the leaves. Named the "ghost drawing", the female chooses to lay eggs in the leaf tissue of the host plant, and after hatching, the larvae begin to eat the mesophyll under the leaf epidermis. Adults mostly suck sap at the injured part of the plant leaves, resulting in stunted plant growth, leaf litter, and in severe cases, damage to flower buds and fruits, and even cause seedling destruction. Since the larvae hide inside the leaves and are difficult to handle effectively, and they are highly resistant to drugs, the first measure should be to replace or disinfect the soil.
8. Nematodes (not easy to detect, only prevention)
Nematodes are common pests of green plants, they can also attack orchids, carnations, daffodils, peonies and other flowers, mainly destroying the roots and other underground organs of the host plant, and sometimes occasionally invading the aboveground parts such as stems and fruits. Minor insect infestations are often undetectable, and the infected tissues will turn black-brown and appear water-immersed, with visible scars on the surface, short files and rot in the roots, and growth restriction, wilting and even death in the aboveground parts. Since there are many species of nematodes present in the soil, and these nematodes are so young that they are almost imperceptible to the naked eye, only prevention can be focused. One way to do this is to add 20 to 30 3% furan granules per kilogram of planting soil, which dissolve in the soil and release them slowly to eliminate nematodes.
9. Matchworm (destroys chlorophyll/hinders photosynthesis)
The military insect is one of the famous pests in flowers, especially to the azalea caused serious damage, but also affected the hibiscus, papaya, gardenia, wisteria, yueji, plum blossom, cherry blossom, smile, cherry blossom, camellia, jasmine, four seasons begonia, sticky stem begonia, weeping silk begonia, plum, poplar and other garden plants. Adults and nymphs gather on the leaves to suck the sap, resulting in yellowish-white spots on the leaves, chlorophyll is destroyed, and photosynthesis is severely hindered. A large amount of black-brown insect droppings and peeling shells are often seen on the leaves, and the back of the leaves is yellow-brown rusty spots, resulting in pale or even early shedding of the leaves.
10. Grubs (harm the young stems and roots of flowers)
Grubs and nematodes are both subterranean pests that are larvae of beetles or beetle shells. They can be divided into three categories: herbivorous, fecal-eating and scavenging according to different feeding habits. Herbivorous grubs are known for their wide range of feeding habits, covering a wide range of crops, cash crops and flower seedlings. These pests prefer to eat freshly sown seeds, roots, tubers and seedlings and are global underground pests. Because they live in the soil, they often harm the young stems, roots, and tubers of some plants, causing the rhizomes to rot and eventually the plant to die. In terms of control, catching these pests is not easy and often requires fumigation and watering of the soil with pesticides for control.
It is worth mentioning that there are some grubs that have been found to have medicinal value and are beneficial to humans, as well as high edible value, with a sweet taste and rich protein content.
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