Common Pests On Your Snake Plants
Mealybugs
These pink, soft-bodied insects are covered with a white, waxy, almost cottony-like material. The cottony fluff helps protect them from moisture loss and excess heat. Mealybugs are usually found in colonies in somewhat protected areas of the Snake Plant such as on the leaves close to the soil surface.
Mealybugs are similar to their relatives the soft scales but they lack the scale covering and retain legs throughout their life cycle allowing them to move around. The citrus mealybug is the most common species found on succulent plants like the Snake Plant. They lay microscopic eggs within a mass of white cottony threads and then perish within 5 – 10 days.
Stunted or deformed leaf growth, especially on new foliage as mealybugs inject a toxin into leaves when they feed on the plant’s fluid. Mealybugs also excrete honeydew a sugar-rich, sticky liquid as they feed, encouraging the growth of sooty mold. Healthy plants may be able to handle a slight infestation if the plant is in good health overall. If left untreated, leaves will yellow, curl, and drop.
The most effective way to treat a Snake Plant for mealybugs is to manually pick the adults and egg masses off by hand or wiping them with a cloth or cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Before attempting rubbing alcohol, spot test an inconspicuous area on your plant to ensure it won’t damage foliage; the waxy succulent leaves on a Snake Plant are typically strong enough to withstand a little bit of rubbing alcohol, but it’s best to double check before treating your plant.
Carefully inspect all new plants when you bring them into your home since mealybugs easily crawl from one plant to a neighboring one. Quarantine infected plants from healthy ones to prevent the spread.
Spider Mites
These tiny sucking parasites wreak havoc on indoor houseplants by feeding on the undersides of leaves. Spider mites feed on the fluids present inside Snake Plant leaves by penetrating the waxy covering and gaining access to the interior fluids.
One of the most difficult aspects of spider mites is their prolific nature; a large infestation may frequently go undiscovered before plants begin to show outward signs of harm.
The leaves may be stippled with discolouration or have become yellow in general. A thin, spider-like webbing may appear between the leaves or at the base of the plant.
Mist your plant with water or insecticidal soap, then gently wipe the spider mites off the leaves using a clean, soft cloth. Turn the plant upside down and rinse the leaves with tepid water in the shower, washbasin, or kitchen sink. A severe infection necessitates the removal of the infected leaves.
Do not keep your Snake Plant’s leaves dusty to prevent spider mites from nesting and laying eggs. Spider mites thrive in dry environments, so keep the humidity up around your plants.
Essential Oils To Protect Your Snake Plants
Neem Oil
Over 100 pesticide products contain neem oil or refined components of neem oil. For insect control, they are used on a wide range of crops and ornamental plants. Granules, dust, wettable powders, and emulsifiable concentrates can all be made from neem oil.
Follow the directions on the label and take precautions to avoid exposure. If any exposures occur, be sure to carefully follow the product label’s First Aid instructions.
How Does Neem Oil Work?
Neem oil is made up of a variety of ingredients. The most active is azadirachtin. It works as an insect repellant and lowers insect feeding. It also disrupts insect hormone systems, making it more difficult for insects to reproduce and deposit eggs. Azadirachtin can also repel nematodes and inhibit their feeding. Other ingredients in neem oil kill insects by preventing them from feeding. However, the precise function of each component is unknown.
Neem Oil Insecticide
When sprayed as a soil drench, neem oil pesticide acts as a systemic in many plants. This implies the plant absorbs it and distributes it throughout the tissue. Insects consume the product once it has entered the plant’s vascular system. The substance causes insects to stop feeding, prevents larvae from growing, lowers or disrupts mating behavior, and, in some cases, clogs the insects’ breathing openings and kills them.
According to the product description, it’s an effective mite repellent that’s also used to control over 200 other eating or sucking insects, including Whiteflies are scaled by Mealybugs.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil, scientifically known as Lavandula angustifolia, is an essential oil produced from, you guessed it, the lavender flower. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, and Russia, however it is currently grown all over the world.
The oil is extracted using a steam distillation method, which involves steaming the petals, capturing the steam, and separating the oil from the water. Lavender oil is frequently found among the other essential oils at health food stores or even drugstores.
Eucalyptus Oil
Many insects, such as ants and gnats, avoid strong, harsh odors because they can be dangerous. Eucalyptus not only has a strong odor, but it is also unknown in most parts of the nation, making it viewed as potentially harmful. According to Pest Guidance, make a repellent spray by mixing 1/4 teaspoon eucalyptus oil with one cup of water in a spray container. Shake thoroughly to combine ingredients, then spray on plants or other areas of the garden where insects have been spotted. Before each application, shake the oil to separate it from the water. Every three days, you should reapply the spray. This dilution can also be used to repel insects on humans and pets.
Sum Up!
Have you heard about these three essential oils for your snake plant before? What do you use to get rid of pests on your plant? Share us your moments with the snake plants on the comment section below
