What to Do When Pests Appear on Guzmania? Common Pests and Control Methods

Guzmania has an auspicious feng shui meaning and is deeply loved by many people, who often bring it home to grow, decorate their homes, and hope it will bring good luck. However, it is not only people who like it; bugs like it too, and the flowers and leaves are often eaten into a mess by pests, yet people do not know what to do. Below, the editor brings you the common pests of Guzmania and their control methods.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars are mainly the larvae of moths. They mainly gnaw on leaves and petals, chewing the leaves and petals into incomplete or broken pieces, causing great damage.

Control method: Spraying organophosphorus or pyrethroid insecticides can eliminate caterpillars.

Snails

Snails are relatively common in our daily lives. There are mainly two types: one with a flat spherical shell and a larger body, and one with a flat round shell and a smaller body. The one generally harmful to Guzmania is the latter, which gnaws on the flowers. In home cultivation, snails are relatively rare and their damage is also relatively minor.

Control method: Snail control is relatively simple; they can be caught by hand. But in rainy weather, snails move at night, and hand-catching becomes somewhat troublesome. After all, we still need to rest at night. At this time, we only need to scatter some quicklime powder around the flowerpot, and the snails will not come near.

Scale insects

Scale insects are one of the common pest types harmful to Guzmania. They are relatively small and mainly suck leaf sap, causing green spots on the leaves, resulting in poor plant growth. The feeding sites also have their sticky secretions, which can easily cause fungal infections in the plant, causing great damage.

Control method: When there are relatively few scale insects, they can be scraped off or the damaged leaves can be directly cut off. When there are many, agents such as omethoate or acephate can be selected for spraying to eliminate the pests.

Red spider mites

Red spider mites are relatively small and hard to spot. They reproduce extremely quickly and mainly feed by sucking sap. Brown spots will appear on the plant leaves, and the entire plant will be covered with webs and silk threads. This pest damage is relatively common.

Control method: Buy commonly available acaricides on the market and spray them to eliminate the pests.

Bagworms

Bagworms gnaw on leaves and often eat the leaf mesophyll completely clean, leaving only a layer of dried epidermis. When the epidermis dries or falls off, it forms holes one after another in the leaves. In severe cases, the leaves will break apart.

Control method: Use common pesticides for spraying and killing, such as dichlorvos and trichlorfon. Pay attention to safety when using them.

Spodoptera litura

Spodoptera litura mainly moves at night, so it is also called the tobacco cutworm. It mainly harms Guzmania flowers, gnawing on petals and stamens.

Control method: Spraying organophosphorus or pyrethroid insecticides can eliminate caterpillars.

The above are the pests often encountered when growing Guzmania, and the editor has also given control methods. Have you learned them? The editor reminds everyone that the insecticides purchased for pest control should be placed in a high, concealed place to prevent children at home from accidentally eating them.