Small nematode worms are the most dangerous pests of garden and vegetable crops. There are thousands of species of them, they are extremely tenacious and voracious, they damage everything from stems to roots, and are resistant to traditional pesticides. Is there really no way to combat nematodes?
There are such means. And in order to understand how best to get rid of nematodes in the soil, let’s talk in more detail - what kind of “beast” this pest is, why it is so difficult to protect plants from nematodes, and what methods are still the most effective in combating it.
Potassium permangantsovka
When midges appear, you must first let the soil dry, and then replace the irrigation water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You only need a few grains per liter of water so as not to burn the roots. The plant can also be sprayed with this composition.
Potassium permanganate has a good effect in the fight against fungus in the soil. If you smell mold, dry the soil and water it with a pale pink solution.
It is not recommended to use the product on an ongoing basis. This can disrupt the acid-base balance of the soil and lead to the accumulation of manganese in the soil. As a result, not only pathogenic microorganisms will die, but also beneficial bacteria.
What to do if there are white worms in an indoor flower? :
One day, not yet knowing what to do with them - there were small white, motionless, apparently larvae and nimble little adults - I pulled the flower out of the ground, transplanted it into another, and simply took this one with the worms outside into the cold and specially checked it later. There was no one there anymore, and I used this soil later or not, I don’t remember. Now it’s the same story with another flower, but I just replanted it, so what, should I replant it again?
Three times in the winter I replanted the balsam (wet vanya) and washed it in manganese and still it appeared again, although the ground was frozen.
They say that soaking doesn’t help, you just need heat treatment, steam or something else.
I baked all the soil in the oven, and it didn’t do anything. Mom suggested a recipe for iodine + milk + water, maybe it will help.
Sulfur from matches
Sulfur is part of complex fertilizers. In addition, fungicides based on this microelement are used for treatment at the first signs of a fungal disease.
To rid indoor flowers of pests, experienced flower growers stick matches into the ground with their heads down. After some time, the midges and their larvae will disappear, and the plant will receive almost free feeding.
The disadvantages of this method include the need to frequently change matches: the sulfur on them dissolves in one day. Wooden sticks left in the soil can rot and cause pathogenic flora to multiply.
What are these white worms in an indoor flower?
- Fly larvae;
- Nematodes;
- Enhythrea;
- Fungus gnat larvae (sciarids);
Parasites settle on a houseplant if the plant is weakened or the indoor microclimate is conducive to reproduction. They are usually localized on the lower leaves, in the upper soil layer of the pot, and on the roots of the flower. Both adult plants and larvae feed on the juices of the indoor flower, and the latter begins to get sick, withers and dies.
Fly larvae, sciarids up to 4 mm in length, white. Adult hatchlings have wings. They reproduce equally in moist and dry soil - they are more attracted to the environment in the room where they are comfortable.
Enchytraea are white worms up to 2 mm. They are similar to earthworms, as they are the closest relatives to them. If you are not a fan of fish in the aquarium that are fed with enchytraea, remove the parasites, otherwise they will multiply, each time capturing a deeper layer of the soil mixture. They appear in waterlogged soil and love rotted organic matter.
How to remove white worms from an indoor flower?
Since most of the midges and worms are in indoor flowers, we will dry the soil mixture to kill the pests.
How to remove white worms from an indoor flower:
- Stop watering the plant;
- Fill in expanded clay, dry hydrogel, beads - it prevents stagnation of water and prevents the laying of larvae;
- To catch and poison midges - spread sticky tape over the pot and spray the midges with dichlorvos (attention: ventilate the room before sleeping);
- Mix wood ash + tobacco shavings into the soil;
- Clean the sulfur from the match head;
Garlic
Strong antibacterial agent. Its smell cannot be tolerated by insects. If you are not afraid of a specific aroma, water your indoor flowers with garlic infusion.
Garlic destroys mold spores, prevents plant diseases and repels all insects. It is necessary to chop 7-10 cloves of garlic, pour a liter of boiling water over them and leave for at least a week.
Strain the resulting concentrate, measure out 50 g and stir in 10 liters of water. This solution can be used to both water and spray plants.
A simpler, but less effective way is to put a few cut cloves in a flower pot.
Advantages of using garlic: getting rid of pests, preventing plant diseases and saturating the soil with useful substances. The disadvantages include a pungent odor, the duration of preparation of the infusion and its short shelf life.
Prevention measures
It is easier to prevent insects from infecting plants than to fight them.
Listen to the advice of experts:
- Even if you notice one fly or worm, check all the pots.
- Replace the soil, wash the containers.
- Adjust watering, do not over-moisten the soil.
- Do not use folk remedies for fertilizer - tea leaves, meat juice. These products create favorable conditions for the proliferation of pests.
- Do not place vases with purchased flowers near indoor plants.
Monitor newly acquired plants and soil. Follow the rules of flower care; a healthy plant is less susceptible to pests.
Tobacco infusion
To prepare the product, tobacco dust, shag and dry tobacco leaves are suitable. Approximately 400 g of powder should be poured into 10 liters of water at room temperature and left for a day.
After a day, strain the mixture and spray it on indoor plants. Nicotine, which is part of tobacco, kills all insects.
To better retain the liquid on the leaves, you need to add a little laundry soap to the resulting composition.
Caution should be used: use a protective mask and store separately from food. Nicotine is a poison not only for insects, but also for humans.
It can cause dizziness, nausea, and heart rhythm disturbances. This substance is especially toxic to children and pets.
Cold
All insects love a warm and humid atmosphere, and cold has a depressing effect on them. Sometimes it is worth taking flower pots out onto the balcony, especially in early spring and late autumn.
The cold will not only destroy pests in the soil, but also harden the plants. First you need to find out which colors are indicated for such procedures. For example, geranium and fuchsia can easily tolerate temperature drops of up to 10 °C.
However, not all plants are so patient. Even a slight drop in temperature can cause the death of heat-loving tropical crops, in which case complex measures will have to be used to combat insects.
Types of nematodes
For domestic potato growers, along with the Colorado potato beetle, the following types of nematodes pose the greatest danger:
- gall;
- stem;
- leafy;
- golden;
- pale.
These types of roundworms differ in color, lifestyle and habitat. Next, a brief description of each of these nematodes will be given.
Root nematode
The parasite damages the roots and tubers of potatoes, as well as other crops belonging to the Solanaceae family. Sometimes the pest can switch to plants belonging to the Pumpkin family.
Adult worms are initially white in color, which changes to transparent over time. Small white worms attach themselves to roots or tubers and suck the juice. The tubers become lumpy, and swellings appear on the roots - galls, reaching a diameter of 30 mm, in which eggs and hatched larvae are located.
As a result of the activity of this type of nematode, the blood vessels of the roots become clogged, causing the plants to lack nutrition and moisture.
Stem nematode
This is a worm, 1 to 1.5 mm in size, which loves a moist environment. It can be found in the cellar, where it passes from affected tubers to healthy ones, infecting the seed stock. The pest can parasitize not only potatoes; it affects eggplants, tomatoes, garlic and legumes.
Larvae can reside in stolons and tubers. Because of this, the stems, shoots and flowers are deformed, and they swell due to cysts. The skin of a tuber infected with a stem nematode has small black spots. Under them, areas of loose and light pulp are localized.
Leaf nematode
Of all the varieties of nematodes that parasitize potatoes, these worms are the smallest. Their size does not reach 1 mm; they have an elongated transparent body. The pest parasitizes potatoes, strawberries and chrysanthemums, feeding on their juice while inside the leaves.
The leaf blades become thin, pale yellow spots appear on them, then the entire leaf turns brown and falls off. The worms enter the leaves through stomata or mechanical wounds in the leaves.
Golden nematode
Worms belonging to this species squeeze into the roots and drink its juices, clogging the blood vessels. As a result, the bushes dry out prematurely, especially the leaves of the lower tier. The tubers of diseased bushes are small or absent altogether, and the roots of the potato branch excessively.
Males practically do not eat, live for about 10 days and, having fertilized the females, die. Females have a spherical body, which, after mating, is filled with eggs. In autumn, their body darkens and turns golden brown.
Then they die and turn into cysts, which contain about 800 eggs. Over the course of 5 years, larvae are gradually born from the cyst and begin to feed on the juice. This species can parasitize:
- tomatoes;
- potato bushes;
- Physalis crops;
- eggplant;
- pepper
Pallid nematode
These worms are similar to those belonging to the golden nematode, only the color of their cysts is not yellow, but brownish-brown. The body of females, in the process of development, is first painted white, and then it acquires a brown color.
Lemon or lime zest
A cheap way to kill harmful insects is to use citrus peels. They will not only repel pests with volatile phytoncides, but will also become a vitamin supplement for the root system.
You need to break the lemon or lime peels into pieces and put them in a flower pot. This procedure should be carried out several days before the next watering, so that natural waste does not mold on wet soil.
The disadvantages of the method include the short duration of its action: when dried, citrus peel quickly loses its effectiveness.
Mosquito fumigator
The compositions that are filled with purchased fumigators are an excellent means of combating flower midges. They do not kill the larvae in the flower pot, but only repel insects for several hours or days.
In addition, they are used up quite quickly. Therefore, the method, despite its ease of use, is not the most effective.
The room must be ventilated from time to time to avoid dizziness, headaches and allergic reactions, which can be caused by low-quality products at a low price.
Insecticide
The most effective way to combat any harmful insects is the use of professional insecticides. Good results in pest control can be achieved with drugs containing imidacloprid or thiamethoxam. These substances are synthetic analogs of nicotine.
Based on them, many pest control products have been created. When sprayed, the drug penetrates the above-ground parts of the plant and remains there for a long time.
The substance itself does not harm plants, but kills insects that land on them. Worms and larvae living in the soil also die.
Like the use of any chemical pesticides, the use of such products can negatively affect the health of people and animals. Bio Spark is considered the safest drug containing a small dose of imidacloprid. When working with it, you must wear gloves and a respirator, and then thoroughly ventilate the room.
Harm to plants
There are various types of worms living in the ground that can eat strawberries; they pose an even greater threat when there are a lot of them around the plants. Females are capable of producing a huge number of offspring at one time. Here's what damage a worm can do to strawberries:
- Worms in strawberries suck the juice from the leaves and stems;
- They introduce a substance similar to a chemical into plants to soften the stems and leaves;
- The berry becomes wormy and tasteless;
- Strawberries damaged in this way become less resistant to various types of infections.
The pest is a distributor of fungus and other viruses.
