Identification and control of flower pests
1. Types of Pests
There are many types of flower pests, which can be divided into the following categories according to the parts and methods of the pests that harm the flowers.
1. Leaf-eating pests: The mouthparts of this type of pests are chewing type. When they harm, they eat the leaves of flowers in big mouthfuls, causing the leaves to be notched and damaged. In severe cases, the leaves can be eaten up completely. Common pests include yellow moths, large bridge-building insects, beetles, etc., as well as harmful animals such as snails, slugs, and woodlice. They bite leaves and
tender shoots. 2. Piercing and sucking pests: The mouthparts of this type of pests are like needles, which can pierce into the tissues of flowers and plants (leaves or tender tips). They suck the nutrients of the tissues of flowers and plants, causing the leaves to dry up and fall off. The affected leaves lose their green color and turn white or brown. This type of pest is small, there are many types, and it is sometimes difficult to find. Common ones include aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, etc. Some of these pests can secrete honeydew, and some can secrete wax. Not only will it pollute the leaves and branches of flowers, but it will also easily lead to sooty mold, which looks like a thick layer of coal dust on the leaves and branches. Mites in this category can spin silk to make webs, and in severe cases the webs can stick to leaves and branches, which is very easy to find at this time, and this is also a period of severe insect pests.
3. Boring pests: This category of pests bore into the branches and stems of flowers and cause harm. They bore into the stems and branches and cause them to die. Such as chrysanthemum longhorn beetles, dahlia borers, rose stem bees, etc. Some bore into the leaves to cause harm, and the bored tunnels can be seen on the leaves, causing the leaves to dry up and die.
4. Soil-cultured pests: This category of pests lives in the shallow and surface layers of the soil throughout their lives. The damaged parts of flowers often cause the plants to wilt or die, such as cutworms, wireworms, mole crickets, etc.
2. Inspection and identification
1. Check for insect feces: Check for insect feces around the ground and branches where flowers and trees are placed. For pests that have drilled into branches and trunks, check whether there are feces and sawdust scattered on the ground in the excrement holes. The feces and sawdust excreted by the shrews are mostly in the form of threads; the wood borers excrete in the form of granules and stick together in strings.
2. Check excrement and secretions: Check the branches and leaves of flowers and trees for oil stains. These substances are generally produced by pests that can secrete honeydew and wax, mainly aphids, scale insects, and whiteflies with piercing and sucking mouthparts.
3. Check insect eggs: large eggs and egg masses are visible to the naked eye. Tiny eggs can be checked with a magnifying glass. Generally, eggs are laid on branches, leaves, bud axils, etc. For example, red spider eggs are mostly hidden on the back of leaves; tent caterpillar eggs are on branches; aphid eggs are in bud axils, and locust eggs are in the soil. Because various pests have different living habits and different egg-laying locations, they can be found in their egg-laying locations to further identify the pest species and hazards, so as to prevent and control them as early as possible.
4. Patting branches for inspection: For some pests that can fly when disturbed, patting or shaking branches and leaves can reveal them. Red spiders are small and difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. You can choose several representative places of flowers, put white paper, and then pat them to make them fall on the white paper to find out whether red spiders occur.
5. Check the damage: Check whether there are places on the leaves and branches of flowers and trees that are bitten, such as holes, notches, sieves, etc. Or there are curled leaves, or there are foreign objects growing on the branches, dead tips or dead branches.
6. Check for pests in the soil: Check whether there are any abnormalities on the soil surface. For example, if mole crickets walk on the surface soil, there will be protruding marks on the soil surface. Some adult beetles lurk under the surface soil of the roots and stems of flowers, and they can be found by digging up the surface soil.
III. Prevention and control methods
1. Strict quarantine: Quarantine is a measure by which a country or an administrative agency uses legal measures to prohibit or restrict the artificial introduction or export of dangerous pests from the outside to limit their spread. This ensures that we can avoid pests when we introduce ornamental flower seeds, seedlings, and potted flowers.
2. Horticultural control: (1) Cultivation measures: This is a basic measure for plant protection. According to the occurrence and damage of some diseases and insects, certain requirements are put forward for external environmental conditions, parasitic conditions, etc., and a series of technical measures such as improving cultivation, maintenance and management are taken to avoid the creation of an environment that is conducive to the breeding of pests. (2) Soil disinfection: Regardless of the type of planting soil, its characteristics must be understood, and the soil required by the plants should be selected as much as possible. The piled culture soil should be fully fermented, the fields should be cleaned regularly, weeds should be removed, and the intermediate hosts and overwintering and summering places of pests should be eliminated.
3. Biological control: Use natural enemies to restrain pests. The natural enemies of flower pests are very rich. There are ladybugs, lacewings, aphid flies, parasitic wasps, etc. They should be fully protected, propagated and utilized to eliminate pests. Try to avoid harming natural enemies when using chemical control. Pest control with bacteria is to use fungi, bacteria, viruses or their metabolites that can cause pests to cause disease to control pests. Using mites to control mites is to use predatory mites to control red spiders on flowers in the greenhouse.
4. Physical and mechanical control: Use light and color to lure and kill. Use black light to lure phototactic pests. Use yellow board glue to lure and kill winged aphids in flower cultivation areas. Heat treatment can expose potting soil in summer to eliminate soil nematodes.
There are many types of flower pests, which can be divided into the following categories according to the parts and methods of the pests that harm the flowers.
1. Leaf-eating pests: The mouthparts of this type of pests are chewing type. When they harm, they eat the leaves of flowers in big mouthfuls, causing the leaves to be notched and damaged. In severe cases, the leaves can be eaten up completely. Common pests include yellow moths, large bridge-building insects, beetles, etc., as well as harmful animals such as snails, slugs, and woodlice. They bite leaves and
tender shoots. 2. Piercing and sucking pests: The mouthparts of this type of pests are like needles, which can pierce into the tissues of flowers and plants (leaves or tender tips). They suck the nutrients of the tissues of flowers and plants, causing the leaves to dry up and fall off. The affected leaves lose their green color and turn white or brown. This type of pest is small, there are many types, and it is sometimes difficult to find. Common ones include aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, etc. Some of these pests can secrete honeydew, and some can secrete wax. Not only will it pollute the leaves and branches of flowers, but it will also easily lead to sooty mold, which looks like a thick layer of coal dust on the leaves and branches. Mites in this category can spin silk to make webs, and in severe cases the webs can stick to leaves and branches, which is very easy to find at this time, and this is also a period of severe insect pests.
3. Boring pests: This category of pests bore into the branches and stems of flowers and cause harm. They bore into the stems and branches and cause them to die. Such as chrysanthemum longhorn beetles, dahlia borers, rose stem bees, etc. Some bore into the leaves to cause harm, and the bored tunnels can be seen on the leaves, causing the leaves to dry up and die.
4. Soil-cultured pests: This category of pests lives in the shallow and surface layers of the soil throughout their lives. The damaged parts of flowers often cause the plants to wilt or die, such as cutworms, wireworms, mole crickets, etc.
2. Inspection and identification
1. Check for insect feces: Check for insect feces around the ground and branches where flowers and trees are placed. For pests that have drilled into branches and trunks, check whether there are feces and sawdust scattered on the ground in the excrement holes. The feces and sawdust excreted by the shrews are mostly in the form of threads; the wood borers excrete in the form of granules and stick together in strings.
2. Check excrement and secretions: Check the branches and leaves of flowers and trees for oil stains. These substances are generally produced by pests that can secrete honeydew and wax, mainly aphids, scale insects, and whiteflies with piercing and sucking mouthparts.
3. Check insect eggs: large eggs and egg masses are visible to the naked eye. Tiny eggs can be checked with a magnifying glass. Generally, eggs are laid on branches, leaves, bud axils, etc. For example, red spider eggs are mostly hidden on the back of leaves; tent caterpillar eggs are on branches; aphid eggs are in bud axils, and locust eggs are in the soil. Because various pests have different living habits and different egg-laying locations, they can be found in their egg-laying locations to further identify the pest species and hazards, so as to prevent and control them as early as possible.
4. Patting branches for inspection: For some pests that can fly when disturbed, patting or shaking branches and leaves can reveal them. Red spiders are small and difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. You can choose several representative places of flowers, put white paper, and then pat them to make them fall on the white paper to find out whether red spiders occur.
5. Check the damage: Check whether there are places on the leaves and branches of flowers and trees that are bitten, such as holes, notches, sieves, etc. Or there are curled leaves, or there are foreign objects growing on the branches, dead tips or dead branches.
6. Check for pests in the soil: Check whether there are any abnormalities on the soil surface. For example, if mole crickets walk on the surface soil, there will be protruding marks on the soil surface. Some adult beetles lurk under the surface soil of the roots and stems of flowers, and they can be found by digging up the surface soil.
III. Prevention and control methods
1. Strict quarantine: Quarantine is a measure by which a country or an administrative agency uses legal measures to prohibit or restrict the artificial introduction or export of dangerous pests from the outside to limit their spread. This ensures that we can avoid pests when we introduce ornamental flower seeds, seedlings, and potted flowers.
2. Horticultural control: (1) Cultivation measures: This is a basic measure for plant protection. According to the occurrence and damage of some diseases and insects, certain requirements are put forward for external environmental conditions, parasitic conditions, etc., and a series of technical measures such as improving cultivation, maintenance and management are taken to avoid the creation of an environment that is conducive to the breeding of pests. (2) Soil disinfection: Regardless of the type of planting soil, its characteristics must be understood, and the soil required by the plants should be selected as much as possible. The piled culture soil should be fully fermented, the fields should be cleaned regularly, weeds should be removed, and the intermediate hosts and overwintering and summering places of pests should be eliminated.
3. Biological control: Use natural enemies to restrain pests. The natural enemies of flower pests are very rich. There are ladybugs, lacewings, aphid flies, parasitic wasps, etc. They should be fully protected, propagated and utilized to eliminate pests. Try to avoid harming natural enemies when using chemical control. Pest control with bacteria is to use fungi, bacteria, viruses or their metabolites that can cause pests to cause disease to control pests. Using mites to control mites is to use predatory mites to control red spiders on flowers in the greenhouse.
4. Physical and mechanical control: Use light and color to lure and kill. Use black light to lure phototactic pests. Use yellow board glue to lure and kill winged aphids in flower cultivation areas. Heat treatment can expose potting soil in summer to eliminate soil nematodes.
Ten essentials for reducing pests and diseases
The basic principles of plant pest control, or pest management, are very important. If you forget these basic principles, you will have to spend more time and effort to get it back to normal, and this approach is like throwing a lot of money and time into a raging fire. Therefore, if you want to solve the problem of pests and diseases at the root, there are several principles that need to be grasped. By using these principles, we will be able to effectively prevent and control the occurrence of pests and diseases and reduce the chance of using fungicides.
1. We must choose sterile seeds and seedlings at the beginning: Therefore, when we purchase, we must make sure that the seedlings come from a trusted seedling breeder, because this can ensure that these seedlings are free of potential risks of pests and diseases.
2. Develop pest-resistant plants: In the field of cut flowers, this research is lagging behind other crops. However, we still have to try to accurately select flower seedlings that are resistant to pests and diseases, especially when your flower seedlings are infected with long-term pests and diseases, such as powdery mildew or other common molds.
3. Isolate imported seedlings: When seedlings come from different places or different seedling growers, you must isolate these seedlings from other original seedlings until you are sure that these seedlings are safe. If possible, you can divide a corner of the nursery as an isolated observation area, use yellow sticky insect boards and monitors to observe day and night, and the observation time should last at least 1 week or until you think these isolated seedlings are completely fine. However, the space and planting time of the greenhouse will affect the space and observation time of the seedling isolation area.
4. Maintain good hygiene: The cleaner the greenhouse, the less pests and diseases will occur. Therefore, there should be no weeds or algae on the ground and surrounding environment of the greenhouse, because weeds can easily harbor insects and pathogens. Water pipes should not be left on the ground or near the pool. They should be rolled up and packed. Bins containing waste should be tightly sealed with suitable lids. Withered and dead plant tissues, such as leaves or flowers, should be removed. These withered and rotten leaves should be placed in leaf bins instead of being thrown on the ground. As for diseased plants (pet plants), they must be kept away from the greenhouse, or at least away from the nursery. The last point to note is that before planting, it is necessary to make sure that the benches and floors in the nursery have been disinfected.
5. Monitor and suppress the growth of pests and diseases: In order to protect plants from diseases, we must minimize the number of pests and diseases. In addition to directly harming plants, pests and diseases can also breed other viruses, the most common of which is Western Flower Thrips (WFT), which spreads viruses such as Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV) and Impatiens Necrotid Spot Virus. The only way to be sure that your greenhouse is not attacked by WFT is to use monitoring materials such as yellow or blue sticky insect paper, which can be used to understand what kind of pests and diseases you have in your greenhouse or the current pest and disease density.
6. Control the environment to suppress plant diseases: If the humidity in the greenhouse is higher, the probability of disease will be higher, because most diseases are bred in an environment with high humidity and high moisture, and the maximum limit of humidity is 85%. That is to say, when the humidity in the air exceeds 85%, it will be difficult to suppress the growth of diseases, even if fungicides are used; therefore, use electric fans in the greenhouse to accelerate the flow of air and install heating devices and vents to reduce its humidity.
In addition, to avoid water droplets remaining on the leaves for a long time, when you must water from above the plants, please do this in the morning, because in the afternoon, the leaves and flowers will be dry and not wet. Next, be sure to avoid giving excessive water, because excessive supply will make the roots of the plants easy to rot.
Use a well-drained medium. Make sure that the soil you use does not have any pathogens. Otherwise, do not easily use this soil as a cultivation medium, because most soils contain elements that cause root rot. If you plant plants in the open field of the greenhouse, make sure that the land is well-drained and not easy to accumulate water.
7. Let the plants relax: The more stress you put on the plants, the more susceptible they are to diseases. But what does "don't stress the plants" mean? It actually means giving the plants the right amount of water, the right fertilizer (salt) ratio, the right pH value, and properly controlled light and temperature, and allowing the plants to grow in a good environment with the right nutrients. Because too much fertilizer will easily injure the roots of the plants, and injured roots will easily rot, so the fertilizer ratio is very important; in addition, if the temperature is too low during growth, the plants will be easily attacked by mold and produce leaf spots. In addition to these two items, there are many other parts that we must pay attention to.
8. Basically, inspect the plants every day: because this way you can grasp every stage of the plant's growth. To inspect the plants, you only need to patrol the greenhouse every day to understand the current growth status of the plants. If you patrol every day, you will not be too surprised when the plants are infected by pests and diseases. Therefore, early prevention depends on good control.
9. Reduce the number of workers to a minimum; this is something that even the best breeders often overlook. Because an inexperienced employee will enter the greenhouse for inspection when it is not necessary, which will bring many diseases. If pests and diseases do occur, it is very important to know which staff member was in which greenhouse when the disease occurred, because this can be used as a reference source for solving pests and diseases in the future.
10. Do not use pesticides unless it is absolutely necessary: When you use the previous 9 points alone or in combination and still find that it is completely ineffective against pests and diseases, pesticides are the last resort. However, if you follow the previous 9 points one by one, the probability of using pesticides will be much lower.
For many growers, the above points may not be achieved due to space, time and money constraints, but it is best to carry out these 9 items simultaneously; however, when there is really no other way, you can also choose to apply 1.2 of the 9 items at the beginning of each growing season. Of course, the effectiveness of pest control cannot be seen immediately, but in the end, we will understand that these 9 basic principles will become our best line of defense for pest control and are also an indispensable procedure when we produce plants or crops.
1. We must choose sterile seeds and seedlings at the beginning: Therefore, when we purchase, we must make sure that the seedlings come from a trusted seedling breeder, because this can ensure that these seedlings are free of potential risks of pests and diseases.
2. Develop pest-resistant plants: In the field of cut flowers, this research is lagging behind other crops. However, we still have to try to accurately select flower seedlings that are resistant to pests and diseases, especially when your flower seedlings are infected with long-term pests and diseases, such as powdery mildew or other common molds.
3. Isolate imported seedlings: When seedlings come from different places or different seedling growers, you must isolate these seedlings from other original seedlings until you are sure that these seedlings are safe. If possible, you can divide a corner of the nursery as an isolated observation area, use yellow sticky insect boards and monitors to observe day and night, and the observation time should last at least 1 week or until you think these isolated seedlings are completely fine. However, the space and planting time of the greenhouse will affect the space and observation time of the seedling isolation area.
4. Maintain good hygiene: The cleaner the greenhouse, the less pests and diseases will occur. Therefore, there should be no weeds or algae on the ground and surrounding environment of the greenhouse, because weeds can easily harbor insects and pathogens. Water pipes should not be left on the ground or near the pool. They should be rolled up and packed. Bins containing waste should be tightly sealed with suitable lids. Withered and dead plant tissues, such as leaves or flowers, should be removed. These withered and rotten leaves should be placed in leaf bins instead of being thrown on the ground. As for diseased plants (pet plants), they must be kept away from the greenhouse, or at least away from the nursery. The last point to note is that before planting, it is necessary to make sure that the benches and floors in the nursery have been disinfected.
5. Monitor and suppress the growth of pests and diseases: In order to protect plants from diseases, we must minimize the number of pests and diseases. In addition to directly harming plants, pests and diseases can also breed other viruses, the most common of which is Western Flower Thrips (WFT), which spreads viruses such as Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV) and Impatiens Necrotid Spot Virus. The only way to be sure that your greenhouse is not attacked by WFT is to use monitoring materials such as yellow or blue sticky insect paper, which can be used to understand what kind of pests and diseases you have in your greenhouse or the current pest and disease density.
6. Control the environment to suppress plant diseases: If the humidity in the greenhouse is higher, the probability of disease will be higher, because most diseases are bred in an environment with high humidity and high moisture, and the maximum limit of humidity is 85%. That is to say, when the humidity in the air exceeds 85%, it will be difficult to suppress the growth of diseases, even if fungicides are used; therefore, use electric fans in the greenhouse to accelerate the flow of air and install heating devices and vents to reduce its humidity.
In addition, to avoid water droplets remaining on the leaves for a long time, when you must water from above the plants, please do this in the morning, because in the afternoon, the leaves and flowers will be dry and not wet. Next, be sure to avoid giving excessive water, because excessive supply will make the roots of the plants easy to rot.
Use a well-drained medium. Make sure that the soil you use does not have any pathogens. Otherwise, do not easily use this soil as a cultivation medium, because most soils contain elements that cause root rot. If you plant plants in the open field of the greenhouse, make sure that the land is well-drained and not easy to accumulate water.
7. Let the plants relax: The more stress you put on the plants, the more susceptible they are to diseases. But what does "don't stress the plants" mean? It actually means giving the plants the right amount of water, the right fertilizer (salt) ratio, the right pH value, and properly controlled light and temperature, and allowing the plants to grow in a good environment with the right nutrients. Because too much fertilizer will easily injure the roots of the plants, and injured roots will easily rot, so the fertilizer ratio is very important; in addition, if the temperature is too low during growth, the plants will be easily attacked by mold and produce leaf spots. In addition to these two items, there are many other parts that we must pay attention to.
8. Basically, inspect the plants every day: because this way you can grasp every stage of the plant's growth. To inspect the plants, you only need to patrol the greenhouse every day to understand the current growth status of the plants. If you patrol every day, you will not be too surprised when the plants are infected by pests and diseases. Therefore, early prevention depends on good control.
9. Reduce the number of workers to a minimum; this is something that even the best breeders often overlook. Because an inexperienced employee will enter the greenhouse for inspection when it is not necessary, which will bring many diseases. If pests and diseases do occur, it is very important to know which staff member was in which greenhouse when the disease occurred, because this can be used as a reference source for solving pests and diseases in the future.
10. Do not use pesticides unless it is absolutely necessary: When you use the previous 9 points alone or in combination and still find that it is completely ineffective against pests and diseases, pesticides are the last resort. However, if you follow the previous 9 points one by one, the probability of using pesticides will be much lower.
For many growers, the above points may not be achieved due to space, time and money constraints, but it is best to carry out these 9 items simultaneously; however, when there is really no other way, you can also choose to apply 1.2 of the 9 items at the beginning of each growing season. Of course, the effectiveness of pest control cannot be seen immediately, but in the end, we will understand that these 9 basic principles will become our best line of defense for pest control and are also an indispensable procedure when we produce plants or crops.