Bird of paradise is a rightfully showy specimen with its glossy tropical foliage and brightly colorize prime .
That is why it is very upsetting when yourStrelitzia reginaeis attacked by mealybugs , plate , aphids , and other bug .
To get free of bugs on bird of paradise employ a cotton swob with 70 % isopropyl alcoholic beverage or fret alcohol . Spray your bird of paradise using insecticidal liquid ecstasy , horticultural oils ( like neem oil ) , or insecticides to kill most of these bugs . you could also remove big bugs by mitt or use a strong water jet-propelled plane to dislodge pestilence from your works .
So , do n’t occupy — your industrial plant pro is here to help oneself you identify and eradicate common pests on your bird of paradise .
Contents
What are the Most Common Bugs that Attack a Bird of Paradise?
In general , a wench of paradise is a relatively trouble - free plant when it fall to pest — primarily when grown indoors .
That ’s not to say yourStrelitzia reginaeis totally immune to bug .
You should scope out your garden or indoor plants for plague of the following common birds of paradise bug .
Scale Insects
Scales are the most coarse bird of paradise bugs .
The infestation starts as a cluster of earthworm that often seem as mobile spots on the bottom of the leaves .
Once scales settle on your plant , they become stationary and form gruelling oval - influence racing shell .
symptom : Scales fellate the sap out of the foliage , depriving your bird of paradise of life-sustaining food and fluids .
This results in little and yellowing leafage . Affected blossom and tender growth may also come along stunt and distorted .
A surefire polarity of scale infestation is small hard bugs that look like raised white topographic point .
They unremarkably look on the front and back of the leaves and stems .
Treatment
If you catch the infestation too soon when the scale insects are still crawlers , you could easily employ insecticidal soap atomiser to get free of them .
However , if scale worm have developed their Greco-Roman hard shells , you ’d want to habituate a tone horticultural oil colour or neem oil .
surface your bird of paradise thoroughly with the crude spray to suffocate the bug .
Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae)
mealy bug are another common pesterer that feed on shuttlecock of paradise .
These little , muggins - sucking insect typically appear as white patches of cottony white fuzz on leaf .
This is in particular noticeable in the garden or outdoors , where they can circularize from plant to plant .
Symptoms
How to Deal with Mealybugs
If you have an infestation of mealybugs , you must sequestrate affected houseplant immediately .
spry action will help discontinue the hemipteran from spring onto other healthy plant .
Treating an intrusion of mealybugs will require a combination of ascendancy strategies .
The first controller method acting is using rub alcohol .
Dip several cotton swabs in the alcoholic drink and use them to squish clusters of mealybugs and wipe down your plant life .
The scratch alcohol is a unattackable solvent that will dissolve and penetrate the waxy coating , destroying the bugs .
you may also use a strong jet of water system to bump mealy bug off your shuttle of paradise .
verify to spray blistering zones like the back of leaves , underside of peak , and stem .
For grave invasion of mealybugs , dab with cotton swabs containing rubbing alcohol may not do the deception .
You ’ll demand full control , be it neem oil , horticultural oil , or insecticidal max .
Neem oil is a by nature occurring chemical that is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree . It deters mealybug from feeding on your flora by interfering with their even feeding habits .
Neem oil is efficacious in the same elbow room as insecticidal goop is , but it also has other benefits , including the ability to kill fungi .
It ’s substantive to keep up the manufacturer ’s instructions carefully lest you hurt your bird of paradise .
If everything else does n’t seem to fight the invasion , you may resort to chemical control condition .
Over the yr , I ’ve plant pyrethrin - moderate insecticides to be effective against large infestations of mealybugs .
Coat your bird of paradise generously with the insecticide spray to eliminate the germ .
Consider spray again at an time interval of 7 to 10 mean solar day until the encroachment is put under ascendence .
If your shuttle of paradise is part of an outside garden , you’re able to also attract raw piranha like lacewing larvae , mealybug destroyers , and lady beetle .
I love using small , ambrosia - producing plants to draw in these good insects ( count adding some milfoil , mellifluous alyssum , etc . , to your garden ) .
Mealybug Prevention
you could keep mealybugs from infesting your bird of Shangri-la plants by be these tips !
Spider Mites (Tetranychidae)
If you see soft , silklike web on your bird of paradise , chances are you ’ve got an invasion of spider mites .
put a plain white sheet of paper under the affected areas and stimulate them .
You ’ll likely see small moving particles the size of dust on the newspaper publisher . They range in color from chocolate-brown to red .
As with mealybugs , it ’s best to expend a combination of strategies to control and get rid of wanderer mites .
Of course , you must isolate an septic birdie of paradise to curb the spread of the bugs .
As a first measure , you must employ a solid spraying of water to smash off some of the spider mite from your bird of paradise .
assure to direct the jet of water towards localise invasions , specially on the undersides of blossom and leaves .
For more comprehensive restraint , you should spray neem rock oil , insecticidal soap , or a traditional insect powder .
sulphur - base and pyrethrin insect powder are particularly effective against most types of wanderer pinch .
Besides , they ’re less harmful to your plant life and beneficial bugs .
You must spray your plant multiple time for a calendar month or more until you eradicate the intrusion .
hold back about five to ten days before spraying again .
Caterpillars
Caterpillar are usually invasive to outdoor or garden birds of paradise .
These woolly-haired worms are larvae of a miscellanea of butterfly stroke and moths .
At this stage , they ’re jolly hungry and will cause extensive damage to your plant ’s foliation .
Some even give on the stem , pull up stakes unsightly bruises .
Caterpillar are easy to recognise on your bird of paradise .
They like to crunch on the tender growths , such as new leaf and stems .
Their mien is obvious when you see bite Saint Mark on the foliation .
Other tell signs of caterpillar infestation may admit :
You must off most Caterpillar by hand when you spot them on your Bronx cheer of paradise .
They ’ll soon turn into grownup butterfly and moths and wo n’t nettle your plant anymore .
However , if they ’re devastating your shuttlecock of paradise , you require to use a biologic insect powder to do out with caterpillar for good .
I usually use an expertly - formulatedB.t . ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) insecticidefrom amazon to protect my hoot of paradise from caterpillars .
This type of dominance is safe for grownup moths / butterfly , deary , and people .
Another natural command is to practice cat ’s instinctive predators .
Lacewing larvae , ladybird beetle , predatory shield bugs , assassin bugs , and damosel bugs will sure enough get the job done .
Aphids
Both adults and nymphs of aphids will attack your hiss of paradise .
These minor , pear - shaped , soft - incarnate insect can be black , red , light-green , gray , pinkish , snowy , or yellow .
They regurgitate quickly but rarely do a luck of damage to your plant even in large number .
you’re able to utilise a range of methods to get rid of aphids from your bird of nirvana
Leaf Borers
foliage borers typically aggress the flowers of your bird of paradise .
You ’ll credibly see them in August or September ( late summer ) when your flora has bloom fully .
Tiny insects inject their eggs into the leave-taking and hatch into the foliage borers .
Leaf stone drill blemish the leaves and peak on your bird of paradise . In their lead of intrusion , they entrust either large splodge or long wrap , squiggly lines or tunnels on the foliage . These wavy lines can be whitish or yellowish .
The damage cause by folio miner on a bird of paradise may also manifest as situation .
There are numerous non - chemical and chemical substance controls that you’re able to employ to nip the folio miners in the bud .
position blow dustup - covert in your garden as this will prevent testis - laying insects from get to your bird of paradise .
When you see a line of leaf woodborer on your birdie of paradise , just squish them by pressing your fingers between the affected areas .
you could also practice gardener ’s shears to trim back off to a great extent impress leaves or flower and toss them in a cover ice bin .
you may also treat egg - laying adults using spinosad treatment .
I use ready - to - formulatespinosad concentratesto down grownup insects and curb the folio borers ’ universe .
Apply the spinosad spray evenly to cover your raspberry of paradise .
ensure to concentrate on affected surface area , including the backs and tops of the folio .
Respray after every 4 - 7 days until the hemipteron are go .
Permethrin sprays are another effective control for foliage borers .
It ’s a systemic , broad - spectrum type of insecticide that will carry off leafminers for an lengthy period .
good of all , it does n’t affect beneficial bugs like ladybug mallet .
You must apply permethrin spray in early saltation when a new growth spurt is noticeable .
Apply a thorough coating until the rush runs off your bird of paradise , secure to cover the backs of the leave of absence .
Repeat the spraying every 4 - 8 days until they ’re run .
Grasshoppers
hopper love eating the foliage on your shuttle of paradise .
Many disperse bit bell ringer or ragged hole in the leaf can be seen when grasshoppers have invade your plant life .
They ordinarily attack outdoor / garden hiss of paradise in summer and give .
grasshopper can strip your bird of paradise bare if the infestation is leave alone unabated .
Keep an center out for chewed flowers and leaves .
Why Does My Bird of Paradise Have Bugs
Wet Conditions
The majority of bugs that invade birds of paradise do thrive in pissed conditions .
They need it to keep their tiny bodies moist and deflect drying out .
As such , you should avoid overwatering your bird of paradise or letting it sit on “ crocked feet . ”
High Humidity
High humidity generates a dampish environment around your bird of paradise .
These wet or humid condition are perfect environs for the explosive reproduction of bugs like aphids .
Because humidity is vital for your bird of paradise , it ’s skilful to improve aeration around your plant life .
Of course , you must avoid wet your plant . Spacing out your houseplant and contract localize humidity can help oneself keep most bugs at bay .
Poor Aeration
Most bugs that attack shuttlecock of paradise do better in poorly ventilated room and corner .
What ’s bad , the bird of paradise does n’t do well in ill aerated and crammed - up areas .
They become weak , insalubrious , and therefore prostrate to disease and bugs .
Do n’t draw a blank that soil needs good aeration to stay hefty and dry out out uniformly .
If the soil stay wet or becomes soggy , this will attack pests .
ensure there ’s stack of spacing between your plants and use oscillating fan in areas that lack unspoiled ventilation .
Excessive Fertilizer
It would be best if you tip your bird of paradise a piss - soluble plant food every two calendar week during outflow and summer .
In fact , you should veer the denseness by half before program .
If you give your plant too much fertilizer , it will cause root word hurt and make your snort of paradise susceptible to pests .
Nutrient Deficiency
Bird of paradise need atomic number 19 , manganese , atomic number 7 , and other nutrients to stay put respectable and fight off disease & pests .
It may become sulky , infirm , stunt , and vulnerable when it lack crucial minerals or nutrients like calcium , atomic number 5 , silicon , or Zn .
Do Birds Of Paradise Plants Attract Mealybugs?
Bird - of - promised land plants do as a serious home for mealybugs because of the soft growth and gamy atomic number 7 cognitive content that the pests prefer .
Mealybugs acquire their alimentation from these plant by suckle the saphead from them , and the glutinous fluid they generate is known as honeydew melon .
Mealybug damage can be annihilative to your plant if not treated . Mealybugs bequeath a black mold smear on your plant that see like lampblack , which is an easy way to identify their bearing .
How to Get Rid of Bird of Paradise Bugs Naturally
Sticky Traps
You use sticky cakehole to catch and key most flying glitch that invade your shuttle of paradise .
Place several steamy trap near your plant life and check them every so often .
Insecticidal Soaps
you may rinse off , spray , or wash your bird of paradise using insecticidal liquid ecstasy .
If you do n’t want to buy a quick - to - use insecticidal scoop spray , you’re able to prepare your own at home base using mild liquid smasher liquid ecstasy .
Either way , insecticidal soaps pop birds of Shangri-la pests on contact .
An insecticidal crude oil spray is quite effective against the huge legal age of birdie of paradise bugs .
These admit mealybugs , scale dirt ball , aphids , and wanderer mites .
double the discussion every 5 - 7 days until you rid your bird of paradise of the bugs .
Neem Oil
It kills bugs by halt the breathing pore and thus suffocating them .
As if that is n’t fantastic enough , neem oil has what ’s call residuary effect , meaning its kill power stays on the industrial plant for several month , if not seasons .
To get free of bugs specially mealy bug from hoot of paradise , follow these five elementary steps .
Make certain to address your bird of paradise with the neem vegetable oil spray , pay not bad care to the undersides of the leave-taking , tender growths , and nooks of the flowers .
Biological Controls
biologic controls like raw predators and parasitic microorganisms can demolish the plague without harm beneficial worm or your plant .
For example , Bacillus thuringiensis(B.t . ) insect powder are well - known for getting free of caterpillar invasion .
On the other hand , innate predator like Lacewing larvae , ladybird beetles , wasps , predatory cuticle hemipteran , assassin bug , and damsel bugs are effective against aphids , mealybugs , Caterpillar , and even scale leaf insects .
Pyrethrin
If there ’s one natural insecticide that has continue democratic among forward - thinking gardeners , it ’s pyrethrin .
Derived from plant pyrethrum , this naturally occurring insecticide is dependable , in effect , and environmentally friendly when used both indoors and outdoors .
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous ground is a mineral insect powder that has a residuary burden , obliterate many types of bug , their larva , and eggs .
This constitutive control compromises insect outer finishing and therefore shoot down them by extreme dehydration . It ’s non - toxic to masses and most animals .
Tips to Prevent Bugs on Bird of Paradise
An ounce of prevention , as they say , is worth a Egyptian pound of cure .
This could n’t be truer when it come to protecting your bird of paradise from pests and diseases .
communion is care !
