Which insects can be found in the flower pot?
From the large number of crawling and flying insects that occur, only two very common pests should be mentioned here. A comprehensive list would go beyond the scope:
- Sciarid gnats
- Springtails
also read
- Seal a hole in the flower pot
- Plant the flower pot for spring
- A drainage for the flower pot
Sciarid gnats in a flower pot
They look like small flies (3-4 mm in size) and often appear in winter. The mosquitoes are not dangerous for the plant in the pot, they are simply a nuisance for humans because they fly around en masse.
The maggot-shaped larvae of the sciarid gnats, which live in the Potting soil Life. They eat seedlings and young plants and are Carrier of fungi and other plant diseases. An infestation can be recognized by the fact that the plant is growing poorly, buds do not develop or leaves dry up.
Fighting fungus gnats
One way to control fungus gnats is to avoid keeping the potting soil too moist. It is best to cover the earth with a layer of bird sand. Another home remedy are cloves of garlic, which you stick in the ground.
20 drops of tea tree oil in 1 liter of water dispel the fungus gnats, cinnamon powder on the surface of the earth prevents the females from laying eggs.
In fact, one should try these home remedies first before using an insecticide.
Springtails in a flower pot
These are tiny white or gray animals that pop up from the potting soil when it is watered. They nest in the root ball of the plant and love moist potting soil and high humidity. They eat dead organic material, sometimes also the young plant germs. But first and foremost, they show that the flower is being cared for incorrectly. As always, there is too much moisture involved. If the potting soil is too wet, the roots will rot and the springtails will have a richly laid table.
You can fight the springtails by repotting the flower as quickly as possible. The old earth should best be disposed of in the residual waste. If the watering behavior is changed (always only a little water, let the surface of the earth dry out), the springtails should disappear.
