How to prevent and control small flying insects in household potted flower pots?
Some flower growers don't know what to do when there are small flying insects in their flower pots. We first need to know the reason why the small flying insects appear, so we can solve the problem at its root. Generally speaking, for potted plants with small flying insects, the potting soil contains humus material, such as rotting leaves and the like, and it also stays moist for a long time, and the ventilation is not ideal either.
Now that we know the reason, let's talk about what to do.
Method 1: Change the soil, then sterilize the soil again. The advantage of this method is that it is relatively thorough, and the disadvantage is that it is rather troublesome.
Method 2: Set up several yellow sticky insect traps around the flower pot. They are not expensive either. The advantage of this method is that it is relatively simple, and the disadvantage is that it is not very attractive.
Method 3: Spread a layer of sand or other medium on the surface of the potting soil. This can isolate the original potting soil from contact with the air, and then there will be no small flying insects.
There are other methods, such as dipping a cotton swab in dichlorvos and inserting it into the flower pot. Nowadays it is not easy for flower growers to find such chemicals at home, so they are not mentioned here.
Actually, as for small flying insects in flower pots, we only need to remember to sterilize and disinfect the medium we usually use, not keep things too stuffy, and pay attention to cleanliness, tidiness and ventilation, and there will be no small flying insects. For example, if there are fruit peels in the household trash basket, in summer they won't last even a day and will breed small flying insects, so the cleanliness of the potting soil is very important.
What to do when small flying insects run wild in potted plants
Almost every flower grower has encountered this problem. When summer comes, when flowers and plants are growing vigorously, it is very easy for some small black flying insects to appear. Although these small flying insects do not bite people, flying around the house is quite annoying. Here I recommend a few small insect-killing methods to everyone, very practical.
Small flying insects run wild in potted plants. How to take down this “fortress”
Small flying insects appearing in flower pots where flowers are grown have the following causes:
1. When planting flowers and plants, the soil has not been sterilized and disinfected. Generally there are insect eggs in soil. Before planting flowers and plants, you should sun the soil and add insecticide.
2. It is related to the soil quality. Generally speaking, peat soil is more prone to pests than piled soil, because piled soil is decomposed soil, and the probability of pests appearing is low.
3. It is related to the type of flowers and plants grown and the care environment.
If the number of small flying insects is especially large, the recommended control method is to spray with “Keji” emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, which treats both insects and eggs and has a long duration; “70% imidacloprid” wettable powder, “20% acetamiprid”, 2% abamectin. Use them alternately at intervals of about one week.
Under normal circumstances, what is commonly sold in flower markets is mostly flower pest clear, omethoate and so on.
Folk tips for getting rid of small flying insects
1. Use 5 grams of cigarette butts mixed with 70 or 80 grams of water, soak for 24 hours, rub a little, filter out the residue with gauze, then water the flowers with the water, and the small flying insects will soon be removed. Generally speaking, about ten cigarette butts configured with one mineral water bottle of water is enough.
2. Use 1:200 laundry detergent water (soapy water). To improve the effect, add a few drops of rapeseed oil, stir thoroughly, and spray with a sprayer when no oil film is visible on the surface.
3. You can also soak fresh orange peel in water and pour it into the flower pot (soak and use on the same day). After a few days, the small flying insects will be gone.
4. Soaking Sichuan pepper in water and watering the flowers can also remove insects.
Chemical methods to control small flying insects
Chemical agents are nothing other than pesticides and insecticides. They are generally sold on the market, but at the same time they are also harmful to people, and insects may also develop resistance. Unless the insects are rampant, it is not recommended to use them many times. (Chemical agents are harmful to the human body, so try making your own pesticide for pest control on flowers. Recommended for you: Homemade flower pesticides to control pests)
Take advantage of the chemical tropism of insects and use sugar-vinegar liquid to trap and kill them.
The specific method is: add sugar-vinegar liquid to a small basin, spray a little insecticide into it, and place it next to the plant. After about half an hour, you will find many dead small insects. But this method is not easy to “wipe out” the small flying insects completely.
If none of the above methods work, then prune the plants that attract the insects, and the branches must be discarded or destroyed. Otherwise, it is almost impossible to cut off the source of the insects.
The possibility of these small insects appearing must be cut off from the source.
Generally, the appearance of small flying insects occurs because of the application of animal-based fertilizers such as milk water and eggshells, and it happens when the potting soil is moist. Therefore, usually try not to use fertilizers that have not been fully decomposed.
How to eliminate different insects?
That is the larva of a small insect that looks a bit like a small flying ant and also a bit like a small mosquito. Generally, when there are such small white worms, there will be many small flying insects around the flower pot. You can try the following methods:
1. Dichlorvos: When small flying insects appear in the flower pot, you can use three or four cotton swabs (cotton sticks), dip them fully in dichlorvos, to the extent that it does not drip, then insert the handle end into the potting soil around the plant, and the flying insects can be eliminated.
2. Laundry detergent: Dissolve one tablespoon of laundry detergent in 4 liters of water, and spray the flower leaves every two weeks, which can thoroughly eliminate whiteflies and bacteria.
3. Milk: Mix 4 cups of flour and half a cup of milk into 20 liters of water, stir, filter with gauze, and spray on the flower leaves. It can kill mites and their eggs.
4. Beer: Pour beer into a shallow basin placed under the flower pot soil. Snails will drown after crawling in.
5. Garlic: Mash one garlic bulb, mix it with one tablespoon of pepper powder into half a liter of water. After one hour, spray it on the flower leaves. It can prevent attacks by rats.
6. Soaking tobacco shreds in water: When ants appear in the flower pot, soak cigarette butts and tobacco shreds in hot water for one or two days. When the water turns dark brown, sprinkle part of the water on the flower stems and leaves, and after diluting the rest, pour it into the flower pot, and the ants can be eliminated.
Six ways to water flowers
① Watering flowers with leftover tea. Using leftover tea to water flowers can both maintain soil moisture and add nutrients such as nitrogen to the plants. But it should be watered regularly and in moderation according to the moisture condition of the flower pot, and you cannot just pour leftover tea and water at the same time.
② Watering flowers with spoiled milk
After milk spoils, add water and use it to water flowers, which is beneficial to the growth of the flowers. But there should be more water, so that it is relatively diluted. Unfermented milk is not suitable for watering flowers, because it produces a large amount of heat during fermentation, which will “burn” the roots (cause root rot).
③ Watering flowers with cooled boiled water. Using cooled boiled water to water flowers can make the foliage lush and the flowers bright, and can promote earlier blooming. If used to water asparagus fern, it can make its branches and leaves develop horizontally, and grow short and dense.
④ Watering flowers with warm water. In winter, when the weather is cold and the water is cold, it is better to water flowers with warm water. It is best to place the water indoors and wait until it is close to room temperature before watering. If the water temperature can reach 35°C before watering, then even better.
⑤ Watering flowers with rice-washing water. Often using rice-washing water to water flowers such as Aglaia odorata can make their branches and leaves lush and their flower colors vivid.
⑥ Watering flowers when no one is at home
For people who love growing flowers, if they are away from home for ten days or half a month because of visiting relatives or going out to do things, there is no one to water the flowers. At this time, you can fill a plastic bag with water, prick a small hole in the bottom of the bag with a needle, and place it in the flower pot with the small hole against the soil. The water will slowly seep out and moisten the soil. The size of the hole needs to be controlled well, so that the water does not seep out too quickly. Or place a container full of cool water next to the flower pot, find a wide cloth strip with good water absorption, put one end into the water in the container, and bury the other end in the flower pot soil. In this way, the soil can stay moist for at least about half a month, and the flowers will not die.
Soy milk is rich in nutrition, contains a large amount of protein and amino acids, and is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium and other elements as well as other trace elements. Human growth and development need it, and plants also need it. For plants, soy milk is a very good organic fertilizer.
Household flower growing does not require a large amount of soy milk; just a little left over from what a person drinks is enough. Wash the cup used for drinking soy milk clean with clear water, then pour the water used to wash the cup into the flower pot. It does not need to be fermented. Whether it is expired soy milk or fresh soy milk, both can be used to water flowers. But note that soy milk powder must never be poured into the flower pot, and soy milk must not be poured directly into the flower pot either. It must be diluted first, with a concentration of about 3%. During the growing season, water once a week, while during dormancy, watering once a month is enough. But note that the concentration must not be too high, and the frequency should not be too many.
The free water from washing milk bottles or expired soy milk turns waste into treasure, is environmentally friendly and energy-saving, can improve the soil, and has no toxic side effects on plants. It really kills several birds with one stone.
Those little tips for taking good care of household plants
A clever way to solve water accumulation in potted flowers
Spread dried pine needles on the bottom of the pot like a layer of sponge, with strong permeability and drainage capacity.
The pine needles will not dissolve and block the drainage holes due to water seepage.
When it is time to repot, the used pine needles can be mixed into the new culture soil again, so that they play a certain fertilizing effect and enhance the looseness of the potting soil.
Fruit peel can neutralize alkaline potting soil
Some flowers from the south are not easy to survive or bloom when potted in the north. This is because the potting soil is too alkaline. There are many ways to neutralize alkaline soil. You can soak the peeled apple skins and apple cores in cold water, and often use this water to water the flowers, which can gradually reduce the alkalinity of the potting soil and help the growth of certain plants.
Eliminating insects and ants in flower pots
When small flying insects appear in the flower pot, you can use three or four cotton sticks, dip them fully in dichlorvos (hard to buy now), to the extent that it does not drip, then insert the handle end into the potting soil around the plant, and the flying insects can be eliminated.
Dissolve one tablespoon of laundry detergent in 4 liters of water, and spray the flower leaves every two weeks, which can thoroughly eliminate whiteflies and bacteria.
Mash 200 grams of scallions or garlic and extract the juice, put it into 100 liters of water and soak overnight, then use the water to spray pest-affected plants several times a day for five consecutive days, which can effectively remove the pests.
When ants appear in the flower pot, soak cigarette butts and tobacco shreds in hot water for one or two days . When the water turns dark brown, sprinkle part of the water on the flower stems and leaves, and after diluting the rest, pour it into the flower pot, and the ants can be eliminated.
How to water flowers when no one is at home
You can fill a plastic bag with water, prick a small hole in the bottom of the bag with a needle, and place it in the flower pot with the small hole against the soil. The water will slowly seep out and moisten the soil. The size of the hole needs to be controlled well, so that the water does not seep out too quickly.
Place a container full of cool water next to the flower pot, find a wide cloth strip with good water absorption, put one end into the water in the container, and bury the other end in the flower pot soil. In this way, the soil can stay moist for at least about half a month, and the flowers will not die.
Fertilizer deodorizing method
If fermented solution is used as fertilizer for indoor flowers, it will give off an unpleasant odor. If orange peel is put into the fertilizer liquid, the odor will disappear. At the same time, the orange peel itself is also an excellent fertilizer.
Method for cleaning dust off plants
When many families clean up, they generally put potted flowers under the faucet and rinse them, which often affects the growth of the plants due to sudden temperature changes. If they are foliage plants, you can dip water and clean them leaf by leaf along the veins of the branches and leaves. Other plants can be rinsed with a watering can.