Content
- Fight lice on the dragon tree early
- Recognize lice on the dragon tree early
- Prevent the lice infestation by special care
- How to fight sprawling lice colonies on a dragon tree
- Tips
Lice-infested dragon trees should be isolated from other plants
Fight lice on the dragon tree early
The dragon tree is therefore a very popular houseplant, as it is considered to be fairly easy to maintain. Sometimes, however, an infestation with shield or lice requires a courageous intervention.
Recognize lice on the dragon tree early
In contrast to many other plant pests, lice are often not directly visible to the naked eye in the partially shaded location of a dragon tree. Only with an increasing infestation, more serious damage to the leaves in the form of yellow spots. At this time, the leaves of the dragon tree are often already covered with the unseen, white filaments of the woolly lice. The sooner a lice infestation is detected on a dragon tree, the less it can affect the growth of the plant when thoroughly controlled.
Prevent the lice infestation by special care
It is true that it does not hurt to wipe the leaves of the dragon tree about once a week with a damp, soft cloth. Afterwards, they shine from the dust not only beautiful again, but also attached pests are simply wiped off. Especially lice, however, do not feel well on the leaves and in the leaf axils of the dragon tree until they find relatively warm and dry conditions. It therefore makes sense to prevent these pests with the following measures:
How to fight sprawling lice colonies on a dragon tree
Once it has caught a dragon tree and the tiny, white mealybugs or the brownish scale lice are to be discovered on the leaves in masses, in addition to the chemical club also slightly gentler methods can be taken. First, wash the attached lice with a damp cloth or rinse off the plant. Really intense lice infestation is best dealt with using two sponges and a soft soap solution by pulling individual leaves between the two sponges soaked in it.
Tips
Unfortunately, even after a thorough cleaning of the leaves, a renewed spread of the lice on a dragon tree often occurs. Not infrequently, lice sprouted from the soil in the pot crawl up to the leaves. Use the so-called hydroponic culture to prevent this danger.