Way of life of the lice
Almost all lice species overwinter in the egg on the host plants and hatch when it starts to get warm in spring. The first generations of insect pests reproduce asexually and can thus produce a large number of offspring in a very short time. It usually takes less than a week for a new, sexually mature generation of lice to grow. Later in the year there are offspring capable of flying, which reproduce sexually and can also attack plants that are further away.
also read
- Lice on the pear tree - what helps against the pests?
- Pests on the hydrangea - what helps?
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The look
Lice are one of the most common plant pests. Most representatives of the species are only a few millimeters in size and are colored green, red-brown or black-brown, depending on the species. Mealybugs, also known as mealybugs, reach a body length of one to twelve millimeters and are easy to identify thanks to their thick hair.
How to recognize the infestation
Because aphids are not as small as, for example
Spider mites you can see the animals mostly with bare eye discover. Another sign that suggests aphid infestation is the sticky, shiny honeydew coating on the leaves and leaf deformations on the young shoots.remedy
If only individual plants are infested, it is often enough to just that hydrangea sprayed off with a sharp jet of water on several consecutive days. the Pests are washed off the leaves. The flightless lice are unable to crawl back onto the host plant and perish.
Nettle broth: Environmentally friendly and effective
Undiluted nettle broth is very effective against aphids. You can easily make these yourself:
- Cut one kilo of fresh nettles into pieces.
- Put plant material in a plastic bucket. Metal vessels are not suitable.
- Pour ten liters of water over the green.
- Let the broth steep for a day or two.
The nettle poison, which reliably kills the lice, is effective in this environmentally friendly spray.
Biological sprays
Potash lye and spraying with tea tree oil have also proven their worth. If you prefer commercial insecticides, you should only choose products that protect beneficial insects. Aphids have many natural enemies such as ladybirds, hoverfly larvae, Predatory bugs or spiders to help control the number of pests on the hydrangea.
Tips & Tricks
Mealybugs with their protective wax shell are a little more difficult to control and can be very stubborn. If the hydrangea is attacked by these pests, only special insecticides usually help.
