What to Do If Asparagus Fern Has Pests? Detailed Guide to Pest Control Methods

Scale Insects

Overview: This is a very common pest, with more than 6,000 species already recorded worldwide. In China, more than 650 species have been documented, of which 160 are agricultural pests. Its peak period is in spring.

Main damage: They often live in groups on branches, leaves, or fruit, sucking plant sap to sustain themselves. If their numbers are very large, they may cause all the leaves to wither and the fruit to shrivel, and in severe cases can even lead to the death of the whole plant.

Control methods: First, manual control can be used. This method is for situations where there are not many pests and not many affected branches and leaves. You can directly brush the pests off with a soft brush, or cut off the branches with pests. If the numbers are very large, we can spray pesticide for control, such as 40 percent omethoate at 1,000 times dilution, once about every week, for a total of two to three times.

Aphids

Overview: They are also called "honey bugs" and live in groups on the leaves, stems, flower buds, terminal buds, and other parts of the plant. Their peak period is also in spring.

Damage: Like the previous pest, they also suck sap, causing the plant to become wrinkled and deformed. In severe cases, they can also cause the branches and leaves to completely wither and the plant to die. In addition, the substance secreted by this insect can also induce other diseases.

Control methods: To deal with this pest, we generally use spraying liquid, such as imidacloprid at 1,500 to 2,000 times dilution, which works well.