Aphids
Aphids are not particularly picky about food choices; they take what they can get. The small, black, green or yellow animals, depending on the species, colonize almost every leafy plant, including the oleander, of course. Feel here especially the yellow aphids very well. The insect pests can be found on all soft parts of the plant, i. H. especially on the fresh shoots and inflorescences. Since the older leaves of the oleander are quite hard, they cannot be pierced by the proboscis of the animals. Aphids by themselves do not cause too much damage; their sticky-sweet excretions are particularly harmful. The so-called honeydew serves both ants and various fungi (especially the sooty mildew) as a food basis. But by the time you can identify an aphid infestation thanks to migrating ant colonies and black leaf coverings, the annoying little beasts have already proliferated. It is therefore important to regularly check the oleander for lice infestation.
also read
- Does your oleander have lice? First aid with tried and tested home remedies
- What pests are common on oleanders and what you can do about them
- The fruit tree has lice - what should be done now?
What you can do
Fortunately, aphids can be found fight quite easily. First of all, shower your infected oleander with a powerful jet of water, this will effectively drive away the animals. However, make sure that the shrub can dry off quickly and well afterwards - otherwise there will be a fungal infection afterwards. A spray treatment with self-made nettle manure is also very effective against aphids. This also has the advantage of strengthening the plant's own defenses. If none of that helps, you will find very effective anti-aphid remedies in specialist shops.
Scale insects
Scale insects can also be very common on oleanders and like the aphids, they target the nutritious sap. There are different types, but they all have the protective shield in common. This can be white, brown or also humped and black-brown. Due to their protective shield, scale insects are much more difficult to control than aphids, but they can also be effectively eliminated with simple means. You will find the animals mainly on the underside of the leaves and on the older shoots.
What you can do
Simple preparations such as Soft soap(€ 38.84 at Amazon *) or rapeseed oil are particularly effective. Both means ensure that the animals suffocate and are thus rendered harmless. Spray the infected areas with a mixture of water, a dash of washing-up liquid (or a little soft soap) and a dash of rapeseed oil.
Mealybug
Mealybugs are rarely found on oleander plants, but are mentioned here for the sake of completeness. You can recognize a mealybug infestation through the cotton-like, white coating, which mainly appears on the leaves and soft shoots.
What you can do
The control of mealybugs takes place in the same way as with scale insects, whereby products based on neem oil are also very effective here.
Tips
If there is a strong shield or It is advisable to cut back the oleander. The plant then offers less surface to attack and you are already rid of a large part of the difficult-to-remove, annoying creatures.
