Solutions for dealing with succulent scale insects
Today's sharing: Introduction to the flower clinic for succulents, solutions for dealing with succulent scale insects, detailed content to follow.
Raising succulents, the most feared are scale insects. Many flower enthusiasts have put in a lot of effort to find solutions for dealing with succulent scale insects. Let's see how flower enthusiasts deal with succulent scale insects in summer dormancy. First, I have to admit my obsession. All my succulents are grown outdoors, but there is an insect net. However, after discovering two scale insects, I always feel itchy... I used potassium permanganate once, but after searching online, I found it to be highly toxic, so I abandoned it... Unable to coexist with insects, I have been searching for effective prevention and control methods. Interestingly, whether it's a succulent seller on a certain platform or a forum, the insecticides mentioned are just a few: Nufa, Jiebis杀, Supu杀, all kinds of Dan, Xiaolü药... The effective ones are highly toxic and the smell is strong... Are there no other drugs suitable for succulents? Not necessarily. Looking at the ones mentioned before, none of them are specifically made for succulents. So I looked up and compiled some insecticides and folk remedies that we might have overlooked, just for scale insects! If you have used them, you can share your experience, or if you haven't, you can use it for reference!
Thiamethoxam (Ulede, Methylthiazole, Pupaphos) - highly effective, safe, and non-harmful. Use a 25% wettable powder at a dilution of 1500-2000 times for spraying, and spray again after 15 days to control scale insects, leafhoppers, and planthoppers.
Aimeile is a broad-spectrum, highly effective, systemic, and low-toxic insecticide, mainly controlling aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, psyllids, stink bugs, thrips, whiteflies, and scale insects. Use a 70% water-dispersible granule formulation diluted 20000-30000 times for use. Because Aimeile is a compound with a completely new chemical structure, its mechanism of action is completely different from that of traditional insecticides, including commonly used organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, making it less prone to cross-resistance in resistant pests, which is beneficial for controlling pests that have developed resistance to conventional pesticides.
Lifunong (Baichongdan) is a caterpillar-toxin class insecticide. It is a compound preparation of monosultap and imidacloprid, highly effective, low-toxic, and non-harmful. It has strong contact killing, stomach poison, systemic properties, and a certain fumigation effect, with a long duration of action. Different from the mechanism of action of other insecticides produced in our country, it has unique efficacy. Use a 50% wettable powder formulation diluted 2000-2500 times, mainly controlling apple leaf miner, silver leaf miner, yellow aphids, small leaf rollers, and also controlling scale insects, with an effective control period of over 20 days.
Mobilon (Acetamiprid) - a new pyridine class insecticide, broader spectrum than imidacloprid, can kill eggs, fast-acting, long-lasting. Good control effect on resistant aphids and pear psyllids, also effective on difficult-to-kill scale insects, stink bugs, and golden beetles. Use a 2000-fold to 3000-fold dilution for spraying.
Haoniandong is a low-toxic derivative of carbaryl. Its toxicity to humans and animals is only 1/18 of carbaryl, relatively safe for humans when used, but highly toxic to pests. It is ineffective against mites. It has contact and stomach poison effects, use a 3000-4000-fold dilution for spraying, has a broad insecticidal spectrum, long duration of action, and is safe for fruit products.
Kuxin cyanide is a low-toxic plant-source insecticide and acaricide. Once pests come into contact, it paralyzes the central nervous system, with stomach poison and contact killing effects, effective on Lepidopteran pests, aphids, pear psyllids, red spiders, and also killing盲蝽象, golden beetles, scale insects, etc. Due to its compound with cypermethrin, it has faster and higher efficacy. Dilute 1000-1500 times for spraying.
Huakang Number One is a concentrate of the advantages of Chinese and foreign insecticides, using a combination of insecticides with stomach poison, contact killing, and systemic effects, carefully selected over the years. It can not only kill green caterpillars, aphids, red spiders, scale insects, and other pests but is also safe to use, convenient to carry, and has a long shelf life.
(Note) When treating scale insects, it is best to scrape the scale adults off the leaves first, then spray this medicine evenly on both sides of the leaves several times to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Here are some folk methods, you can also share your experience if you have used them:
Mosquito coil insect control method. Light a mosquito coil and place it under the flower pot of the infested plant, then cover the pot with a plastic film bag for about 1 hour to kill aphids, red spiders, whiteflies, etc.
Eucalyptus oil insect control method. Spray with a 400-500-fold dilution of eucalyptus oil, which has a fumigation effect and penetrates into the insect's body, causing death. Especially effective against waxy scale insects.
Neem: Can control more than 100 kinds of insects and several kinds of leafhoppers and nematodes, such as corn borers, leafhoppers, tussock moths, fruit flies, root-knot nematodes, striped leaf miners, two-spotted leafhoppers, aphids, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, etc. Its active ingredient is neem oil, which can be used directly by crushing and soaking neem seeds, but a higher concentration is needed for effectiveness, or the juice of neem leaves can also be used. Begin spraying at the initial stage of pest infestation when the pest population is low, spray every 7 days for three times or more, dilute 1000 times, mix well with water, and add a spreading agent, spray where the pests are.
Tobacco ash water. Tobacco contains (Y-J), which is highly toxic to pests and effective against aphids, thrips,盲椿象, leafhoppers, etc. To prepare tobacco ash water, use 50 to 100 cigarette butts and ash, add 200 to 300 ml of water, soak overnight, then crush and filter out the residue before spraying. You can also add a little lime, stir after emulsifying, and spray for better effect. The active ingredient is (Y-J), and lime accelerates and enhances the efficacy.
Spraying laundry detergent solution on flowers is a simple method for controlling pest infestations at home. Use 1 gram of laundry detergent per kilogram of water to make a solution, spray on flowers to control scale insects, butterfly caterpillars, green caterpillars, ground beetles (H), and many other pests. Using water extracts of cigarette butts, orange peels, ginger, garlic, etc., with a little laundry detergent can enhance pest control effectiveness and range. Laundry detergent can kill pests because of the alkyl benzene sodium in it. This substance comes into contact with floral pests, quickly removing the waxy layer on the pest's body, entering the insect's body, and causing asphyxiation and death. For some pests like weevils, it may not kill them directly but can cause poisoning and paralysis, stopping their damage to flowers.
When using laundry detergent solution, note the following:
1. Since the ingredients of various laundry detergents on the market are not the same, it is best to do a small test on a few flowers first to master the dosage before using it widely.
2. Excessive use of laundry detergent solution can alkalinize the soil and is not conducive to leaf respiration. It is best to spray the leaves with water or 0.1% vinegar water 24 to 48 hours after using the solution, and water the flowers with硫酸亚铁 water and rice washing water to neutralize the alkali and enhance leaf photosynthesis, benefiting the growth of flowers.
3. Make sure to fully dissolve the laundry detergent solution to avoid burning the leaves.
This article shares all the content on solutions for dealing with succulent scale insects, providing you with a comprehensive understanding and reference!