Geraniums are part of a genus composed of more than 400 species of different herbaceous plants, sometimes annual, perennial or vivacious, native to Asia and Europe.
Although they are really rustic and resistant, they do not get rid of the attack of certain pests such as the African fly, the mealybugs, the green mosquito, the nematodes, the aphids, the white fly, the caterpillars and the red spider.
Read on to know the 8 plagues of the Geraniums , identify them and fight them.
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1.African fly
It is one of the most important and harmful Geranium pests .
If you perceive that in the stems of your specimens there are holes, that the leaves are musty or that there are leaves with bites, these symptoms are of caterpillars, which are approximately 2cm long and have a greenish color.
Preventively treat the plant once a month so that they do not appear.
However, if it is already too attacked by the Geranium butterfly or African fly, you should discard it because there is no solution. In case it is not very attacked, remove all the affected stems and apply an insecticide.
Read more about the African fly or geranium butterfly .
- mealybugs
They are one of the most common insects that can exist in plants . They are similar to warts and their color is brown. These can appear both on the stems and on the leaves.
These small warts are capsules that have eggs and newborns, the cochineal is small and flat, a straw-like color, pale and translucent.
When he leaves his armor, he looks for a place to feed; Each individual adheres to the stem or leaf, excretes molasses and sucks the juices of the plant.
The mealybugs are difficult to control because eggs and larvae are protected by a shell. However, you can scratch all visible insects with an object and then spray with the Calypso AL multipurpose insecticide.
Read more about the cochineal in the geranium .
- Red spider
The red spider is a difficult insect to locate and perhaps one of the hardest to eliminate.
Small mites are almost invisible to the naked eye and usually lodge in the back of the leaves, biting and breaking the tissue.
When the plague is widespread, you can identify it as straw-colored creatures.
However, the damage that this mite causes to the leaves is very easy to distinguish, because it causes the loss of green pigment and makes them look discolored.
To prevent the appearance of red mites , spray the leaves with a concentrated insecticide-acaricide .
Read more about the Red Spider .
- Aphids
There are yellow, green, pink and black aphids.
One night they can appear a lot of them with or without wings, depending on their maturity.
When the aphids begin to multiply, they can damage the geranium quickly, attacking the new shoots by sticking the thin tube in the young cells and sucking the juice of the plant to feed.
This causes the shoots to bend until they are damaged. They can also excrete molasses and develop a black fungus after a short period. Remove molasses and fungus with the Decis Protech Insecticide .
Read more about the aphid .
- Whitefly
The whitefly is easy to recognize , since it forms a cloud of insects when someone stirred or moved them.
These thrive in hot and dry places, but in winter they can also build a big problem.
It deposits eggs and larvae on the back of the leaves that excrete molasses and can form a black fungus. Spray the plant with the same insecticide that applies to aphids.
Read more about the whitefly .
- Green mosquito
They are tiny insects and suckers that stick their beak to absorb the sap of the leaves .
This causes a discoloration similar to that of the mites and when they abound, the leaves lose their green pigmentation, turn yellow, or become reddish and can even fall.
Combat the plant with the same insecticide used for aphids and whiteflies.
- Caterpillars
There are several species of caterpillars that can get to devour the leaves of the geranium.
As soon as you see them, pick them up with your hand as well as laying eggs that tend to stand out easily on the underside of the leaves during spring.
In much more severe cases, you can effectively get rid of the same insecticide that you use to fight green mosquitoes, whiteflies and aphids, or use the insecticide-acaricide Natria .
Read more about caterpillars in the garden .
- Nematodes
Nematodes are one of the pests of geraniums that enter the roots to feed on their juices.
It is not very easy to know if the plantation attacked by this type of pests, since the symptoms can be confused with excess water, lack of nutrients, and so on.
To recognize the Meloydogine genus, you must extract the roots of the soil and see if some lumps appear on them.
The cones leaves are affected by the nematodes lose their green color and turn yellowish; subsequently wilt. If you suspect or identify this pest, consult the garden center to find out which product they recommend, since there are many brands and products in the market.
