Detailed Explanation of Control Techniques for the Three Major Flower Pests

Aphids, red spiders (spider mites), and scale insects are the most common piercing-sucking pests harming flowers and trees.

I. Aphids

Aphids, also known as sticky insects, can be controlled by the following methods: (1) Take 50 g of fresh hot peppers or dried red chili peppers, add 30 to 50 g of water, boil for about half an hour, and spray the filtrate on the affected plants for a remarkable effect. (2) Take 3 to 4 g of laundry detergent, add 100 g of water, stir into a solution, and spray continuously 2 to 3 times, achieving a control effect of 100%. (3) Take essential balm and add water to make a 600 to 800 times solution, spray it on the pests with a sprayer so that the insect bodies are covered with the liquid; the effect of killing aphids, scale insects, and other pests is above 95%, while it causes no phytotoxicity to the plants. (4) Mix laundry detergent, urea, and water in a ratio of 1:4:100, stir into a mixed solution, and spray it on the plants; this achieves the dual benefit of killing pests and fertilizing.

II. Red Spiders (Spider Mites)

Red spiders, also called short-whisker mites, are pests that specifically harm the leaves and flowers of ornamental plants; wild elms, Sageretia thea, and five-needle pines in bonsai are also susceptible to red spider damage. Control methods include: (1) Soak citrus peel in about 10 times its amount of water for a day and a night, filter, and spray on the plants to control red spiders and aphids; if used to water flowers, it can control nematodes in the soil. (2) Mix 15 g of laundry detergent, 15 mL of 20% caustic soda, and 7.5 kg of water, spray evenly; after one or two days, check and the mortality rate of adult and nymph red spiders is 94% to 98%. (3) Take 50 g of plant ash, add 2500 g of water, stir thoroughly, soak for two days and nights, filter, then add 3 g of laundry detergent, mix well, and spray once a day for 3 consecutive days, then spray again for 3 days after a one-week interval; this can control piercing-sucking pests such as aphids, red spiders, and scale insects, and when placed in the soil it can control maggots. (4) Place one lit mosquito coil in the pot of the diseased plant, then tie the pot tightly inside a plastic bag; after about one hour of fumigation, both adults and eggs can be killed. This is a good method that is both economical and fast-acting.

III. Scale Insects

The body of the scale insect is wrapped in a keratinous shell, so direct spraying with chemicals will not be effective. Control methods: (1) Mix white liquor with water in a ratio of 1:2, and when treating the pests, pour it thoroughly over the surface layer of the potting soil. Scale insects begin their activity in spring; pour once in mid-April, then once about every half month thereafter, for 4 consecutive times to see results. (2) Take 50 mL of edible vinegar (rice vinegar), dip a small cotton ball into the vinegar until wet, and gently wipe the stems and leaves of the affected flowers and trees with the wet cotton ball to wipe away and kill the scale insects. This method is convenient and safe; it not only achieves the goal of pest removal but also makes the damaged leaves turn green and glossy again. (3) Gently and repeatedly wipe the diseased branches with alcohol to remove the scale insects; even larvae invisible to the naked eye can be thoroughly killed. In the second year, there will rarely be any further scale insect damage.