It is somewhat curious that these curious plants, which so many people have captivated, can also be victims of pests, since after all, they feed on insects. But unfortunately it is not a few times that these uncomfortable or annoying parasites end up being the »predators» of vegetables.
So today I’m going to tell you what are the pests of carnivorous plantsand how we should act to eliminate them.
But before getting into the matter, it is important that we know that, in most cases, and especially when we talk about this type of plants, pests will only appear when there is an error in the cultivationsuch as improper watering or placement. Our carnivores can also be attacked if we have reused the blonde peat without prior disinfection. Once we discover the origin of the appearance of the plague, we can treat the underlying problem, preventing it from happening again.
The most common pests are cochineal y aphid. We will see both during the summer season, which is when the environment is usually drier, and the carnivorous plants are enjoying the high temperatures, growing at ease; as long as we have their plate full of water, which will be distilled, osmosis or rain. Otherwise, the defense system will weakenmaking any intruder want to take advantage of the situation. And that’s when one day, without further ado, we begin to see mealybugs and aphids on the leaves (traps) or flowers of carnivores.
Pests
The most common type of mealybug is known as San Jose louse. They are tiny parasites, less than 0cm in length, dark gray in color. It has an oval shape, and they are found mainly in the traps, or on the underside of the leaves.
The aphidsHowever, they are more in the flowers, preventing them from opening. Depending on the habitat, they are of one color or another. For example, in the Mediterranean they are green, but there are some that are yellow.
Transmission
Carnivorous plants are very special. Therefore, when you see an insect that should not be there, I recommend that, with a swab from your ears, moisten the cotton with distilled waterand take it away with him. If the pest is very advanced, use a gauze moistened with water, or in extreme cases, with chlorpyrifosfollowing the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If you have doubts, get in contact with us.