Methods for preventing and controlling scale insects on succulents
This article summarizes the introduction to succulents from the Flower Clinic, methods for preventing and controlling scale insects on succulents, and the editor will introduce them next.
Although this method of preventing and controlling scale insects on succulents is aimed at greenhouse environments, the experience is also very valuable for succulent enthusiasts to refer to. First, it is difficult to completely eliminate the insects in the greenhouse, and it is even impossible to clean them up completely. Without control, they will have a major outbreak every few months (for the eggs, they will only die when directly sprayed with the medicine, and they do not all hatch at once), so do not place the newly purchased plants with the existing ones at home, at least isolate them for half a year to a year, especially in spring and autumn when succulents grow fast and insects grow even faster, and autumn is more suitable for their breeding.
It seems that everyone likes to use Nippon Daisy, which can kill most pests and also the larvae of scale insects, but it is powerless against the adult insects protected by wax and their eggs, and the medicine is not cheap, so I don't use it.
I have used several types of medicine in the past few years, and I rarely use just one. It is more common to mix two types. A bucket of medicine water within 10 yuan is acceptable, and only 2-3 buckets are needed per mu for spraying in spring and autumn, and other times depending on the situation. The main ones include chlorpyrifos, abamectin emulsion, omethoate, thiazine, cypermethrin, and diazinon. For controlling scale insects, diazinon is undoubtedly the best medicine, there are none better. It can be absorbed by plants, and after the scale insects absorb the plant sap, they will die from poisoning. In addition to killing scale insects, it can also kill many other insects, with excellent control effects. Omethoate is more suitable for early spring and late autumn when the temperature is low, and it is not effective in high temperatures. These are all for controlling multiple pests and are very suitable for greenhouses. Since these are mostly organophosphorus insecticides with high toxicity, they are not very suitable for home use, but can be used on non-enclosed balconies and rooftops.
Let's talk about the medicine used for sowing:
Metiram is only for prevention. If mold outbreaks cannot be prevented, the soil must be removed and metiram powder sprinkled. Never use metiram dissolved in water to spray, as if this type of fungus cannot be killed, it will spread, and eventually, the whole pot will be covered with mold spots. Greenhouses do not use this.
Potassium permanganate is used, but generally not for dipping soil, but for soaking seeds. Soak large seeds like cacti for half an hour before sowing, then soak in clean water to reduce the concentration of the medicine before sowing. This can prevent seed mold. Large seeds like Queen Aloe and Turtle Back Agave can also be treated this way. These seeds take a long time to germinate and are prone to mold (I recently saw someone on the forum scrape the Queen Aloe seed coat to help germination, which is a good idea, and you can search for related posts).
The fungicides commonly used for greenhouse sowing are metalaxyl, and streptomycin is also used in the seedling stage. I have never used soil insecticides like dimethoate. The greenhouse uses furan, and cutting propagation can use thiophanate-methyl to increase survival rate. Various leaf and flower spot diseases can be solved with it (the nematode disease nemesis).
The above medicines used in greenhouses are all inexpensive and effective, but the only downside may be the high toxicity, so masks need to be worn when using them.
In conclusion, prevention is the primary measure, followed by killing. You can use the medicine once when the temperature is above 10 degrees in March-April each year, and after the high temperature has passed and the temperature drops below 35 degrees in August-September. The best time for spraying is just after the sun sets on a sunny day, which is most beneficial for plant absorption. Once a month during the growing period, if you miss the timing and the insects爆发, use it again after one week.
The above is a detailed introduction to the methods for preventing and controlling scale insects on succulents (greenhouse edition). Did you get it?