How midges appear at home. An interesting question: where do midges on fruit come from? Why are midges flying around me?

Midges are arthropod insects that belong to the order Diptera, suborder Long-whiskered, family midges (lat. Simuliidae).

Midges - description, structure and characteristics

The body length of midges varies from 1.2 to 6 mm. The most small species live in the tropics, the largest are common in the northern temperate and polar latitudes.

There are 3 main sections in the structure of midges: head, chest and abdomen. The rounded head of females has a wide forehead; in males it is narrower. The antennae of midges consist of 11 (sometimes 9 or 10) segments; they are very thin, rope-like and covered with short hairs. The color of the antennae varies from dark yellow and brownish to dark gray and black. The antennae of females are thicker and shorter than those of males, and also have a slight flattening and taper towards the end.

The eyes of the midge are faceted, in males they usually touch along the frontal seam, in females they are separated by the forehead. Horizontally, the eyes of males are divided into a larger one top part, where the large facets are located, and the smaller lower part, where the small facets are located. In females, all facets are the same size, and their number exceeds the number of facets in males. Additional simple eyes are not developed in midges.

The chest of insects is strongly convex. Hairs grow on the back, and there may also be various spots of dark or silver color. The color and shape of the spots vary among different species of midges.

The abdomen of midges is oval in shape, slightly pointed towards the end and consists of 11 segments. The dorsal part of the first segment protrudes upward and backward, forming a kind of collar covered with a brush of long hairs.

Midges have well-developed halteres, which are club-shaped. The halteres are paired appendages of the thoracic segments of insects; in midges they are located on the metathorax and are modified wings. During flight, they help the insect maintain balance, vibrate and make a characteristic sound. That's why insects buzz. The stalk of the haltere in midges is of medium length, at the end of the club there is a slight impression. The color of the halteres varies from white-yellow, yellowish and ocher to brown and black. The club is usually lighter than the stalk. In addition, males have darker and brighter halteres than females.

The wings of midges are wide, round-oval, transparent, with longitudinal venation, length from 1.4 to 6 mm. The surface of the wings is covered with small tubercles. When at rest, the wings fold horizontally, covering one another.

The oral appendages of midges consist of palps and a complex proboscis of the piercing-sucking type. The proboscis is short and thick, it consists of an upper lip and epipharynx, hypopharynx, 2 mandibles (upper jaws), 2 maxillae (lower jaws) and a lower lip. The upper lip, mandibles and maxillae of blood-sucking females have teeth of the tearing-cutting type. In males and females that do not drink blood (for example, Prosimulium alpestre), the teeth are replaced by hairs. The maxillary palps consist of 4-5 segments; on the third segment a special sensory organ is developed that performs sensory functions. The palps are used by midges to orient themselves on the body of a person or animal when choosing a place for an injection. The upper lip also has the same functions, but first of all it serves to pierce the skin of the victim. After the bite, the wound is sawed off at the ends of the mandibles, which move from top to bottom. Maxillae, when immersed in the wound, tear the tissues and walls of the victim’s blood vessels. Next, the midge immerses the upper lip, epipharynx and hypopharynx into the wound and drinks blood. In the hypopharynx there is a channel through which saliva enters the wound, preventing blood clotting. The lower lip has a sensitive function and is used for licking. Like other bloodsuckers, midges pass water and liquid carbohydrate food through the esophagus into the crop, and blood flows directly into the midgut.

Midges have 3 pairs of fairly powerful limbs, each consisting of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and a five-segmented tarsus. The paws of midges are equipped with claws: in males, at their base there is a wide cup-shaped tooth; in females, the claws can be simple (short or long) or also have a tooth (large or small). Most often, the limbs of midges are black, although in some varieties individual segments of the legs may have a yellowish or brown color or be covered with silver spots. The coloring, pubescence and shape of the limbs depend on the type of midge.

How long do midges live?

The lifespan of a midge depends on the species, weather conditions and nutrition. Herbivorous species live very short lives - only a few days (less than a week). The average lifespan of blood-sucking species is 3-4 weeks, although some females individual species can live up to 3 months.

Where do midges live?

Midges live on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. These small insects live in Northern and South America, in Australia, the Mediterranean countries, in Russia, Central and Central Asia, in Japan, Indochina, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Taiwan, in Far East and the Caucasus, the Baltic states and North Africa.

Particularly many midges are found in taiga regions, in deciduous forests with high humidity, as well as near bodies of water. The presence of nearby water is a necessary condition for the habitat of midges, because three of the four life stages of development (egg, larva, pupa) of these insects take place in water bodies or in the immediate vicinity of them. Only adult imagoes live on land.

What do midges eat?

The nutrition of these insects depends on gender. The females of most species of midges are a large component of midges (in addition to mosquitoes and midges) and prefer to drink blood, attacking people, animals or birds. With their painful bites, they cause a lot of unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, local redness, swelling of the skin and even serious allergic reactions. Cows, horses, sheep, goats, roe deer, deer, buffalo, ducks, chickens, turkeys, and geese become victims of annoying midges. But dogs and cats practically do not suffer from midge bites.

Male midges are avid vegetarians and feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices. Among midges there are also completely non-blood-sucking species.

Types of midges, names and photos.

Today, approximately 1,800 species of midges are known. Below is a description of several varieties.

Decorated midge ( Odagmia ornata)

The length of the insect is from 3 to 4.5 mm. A silver-colored border is visible on the back. The coloring of the legs, antennae and abdomen depends on the subspecies. The body length of the larva is 6-11 mm (depending on the subspecies), the size of the pupa is 3-5 mm. Different subspecies of the ornate midge live throughout the Palearctic, north to Greenland, Novaya Zemlya and the outskirts of Europe and Asia, south to the Mediterranean and southern India, and is also found in North America.

Horse midge (W ilhelmia equina)

Presented in several varieties. The length of the midge reaches 2.5-4 mm. The back and abdomen are covered with silvery-golden hairs; males have silver spots on the shoulder fields. The body length of the larvae is 5-7 mm. In its posterior sucker there are 80-100 rows of hooks with 17-24 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa varies from 2.6 to 4 mm depending on the subspecies of the midge; the cocoon has a shoe-shaped shape. The habitat of the horse midge extends from the Kola Peninsula and Karelia to Kamchatka. The southern boundaries of the range have not been determined. Larvae and pupae are distributed in different rivers and can even live in heavily polluted water bodies. Preference is given to bodies of water with vegetation. Females are bloodsuckers and attack people and animals. In horses, accumulations of midges can be seen in the ears. During the year, one (in the northern regions) or several (in the south) generations of horse midges develop.

Boophthora sericata

The body length of the midge is 3-3.5 mm. A pattern in the form of silver stripes is noticeable on the back of males. Females have a yellow color on their legs. The size of the larva is 6-7 mm, its color is whitish-yellow. The length of the pupa is 3-4 mm, the cocoon is simple, opaque. This type of midge lives in the European part of Russia and countries Eastern Europe. Midges develop in rivers and channels of large rivers that are silted and overgrown with vegetation.

Taken from: science.mnhn.fr, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Tundra midge ( Schoenbaueria pusilla)

The length of males is from 2.5 to 3 mm. The tentacles are short and thin. The back is velvety black, has a silvery tint on the sides and back, and is covered with sparse golden hairs. The abdomen is brownish-black on top, with dark hairs. The legs are black, the halteres are brown, darker at the base.

Female tundra midges are about 3 mm long and have black-brown tentacles and antennae. The forehead and crown are grayish, covered in dense hairs. There are no silvery spots on the back of females; the back itself is black and gray, covered with silvery hairs. The halteres are light yellow. The front veins of the wings are white and yellow. The legs of the female midge are brown-black. The claw is small, with a thickening at the base. The abdomen is black above, dark yellow below, covered with sparse hairs.

The dimensions of the larva are 4.5-6 mm, its color is yellow-white, the dorsal side has transverse brown stripes. In the posterior sucker of the larva there are 70-72 rows of hooks, 11-13 hooks in each row. The length of the light yellow pupa is from 2.5 to 3 mm, the cocoon is simple, with loose weaving, without windows on the sides. Tundra midges are common in the northern regions, from the Kola Peninsula to the Yenisei River basin. Mass pupation occurs in June-July. The flight of adult individuals is observed from July to the first half of September. The tundra midge is a vicious bloodsucker that attacks people and animals.

Short-palmed midge ( Simulium morsitans)

The length of the adult is approximately 3 mm. The body is black, but there are silver spots on the back. The length of the larva is from 5.5 to 6 mm, the pupa is from 2.8 to 3.6 mm. This species of midges lives en masse from Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region up to the Moscow region and the territory of Transbaikalia. The habitat depends on the subspecies.

Taken from: www.boldsystems.org

Silver midge ( Simulium argyreatum)

The length of an adult insect is from 3.5 to 3.8 mm. Narrow silvery spots are visible on the back of males; these spots are dark on females. The antennae and palps are black, although in females the antennae may have a brownish tint. The limbs of males are mostly black, although there is a silver spot on the middle tibia, and the hind tibia has a yellowish tint. The legs of females are brownish-black, with silvery spots on the outer side of the fore and middle tibia, and also with a light yellowish tint at the base of the hind tibia. The halteres of females are yellowish-white. The length of the larva is from 7 to 8.5 mm, the size of the pupa is approximately 4 mm. The cocoon is simple, with an edging along the front edge. Silver midges live in Russia, North America and Western Europe. They inhabit small, overgrown, silted rivers in the forest zone, and in the tundra in the north. Adults are found from early June to September, depending on latitude. Silver midges are vicious bloodsuckers that attack people in the taiga and tundra zones.

Light-fronted midge ( Simulium noelleri)

The length of the midge is about 4 mm. The antennae of males are black, the limbs are also black with a lighter shade at the junction of the femur with the tibia, as well as on the first segment of the hind tarsus. The antennae of females are light yellow at the base. The female mandibles are evenly sloping and serrated on both sides. A bright silver pattern is visible on the back. The limbs of females are brown-black, with a lighter shade in some places. The size of the light-fronted midge larva varies from 7 to 9 mm, its color can be red or gray-yellow. The large fan of the larva contains 47-57 setae. The rear sucker has 68-80 rows of hooks with 10-15 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa is 4 mm, the cocoon has loose weaving, with numerous holes on the sides and top. Light-fronted midges live over a vast territory that extends from the countries of northeastern Europe east through Russia to Transbaikalia. In the south, the range reaches the middle of the European part of Russia.

Taken from: www.biodiversity.ubc.ca

Reproduction of midges

The life cycle of midges consists of 4 phases:

Larva
Doll
Imago (adult)

After fertilization by the male normal height and the maturation of eggs, the female simply needs blood. With adequate nutrition and favorable weather conditions After just 5-7 days, the eggs are fully ripe; otherwise, the laying process may be delayed for up to three weeks. The female midge lays eggs in one layer in rows or groups of 50-100 pieces each, gluing the eggs together with a special secretion. Sometimes several females of the same or even different species lay eggs in one place. Midge eggs are laid on a constantly wet substrate next to a body of water, on stones, snags or vegetation protruding above the surface or completely submerged in water. The development of eggs, and then larvae and pupa, occurs in running water.

Midge eggs can have a rounded-triangular or rounded-rectangular shape, resembling an oval. The egg shell is very thin, sometimes translucent, and absolutely smooth. The length of the eggs varies from 0.15 to 0.4 mm. The color of the newly laid clutch is light ocher, then the eggs begin to darken and their color becomes dark brown.

Taken from: www.researchgate.net

The midge larva is worm-shaped and consists of 11 segments. The color of the larva is light yellow or ocher, interspersed with greenish, brown or brown spots. The thoracic region of the body is noticeably thickened and equipped with a kind of “leg” for movement. The posterior end of the body has a strong swelling and a special organ (the so-called sucker) with numerous hooks, with the help of which the larva fixes its position. The ventral part of the body is often flattened.

The head of the larva is large, separated from the body by a clear bridge, and is most often darker in color than the body, often black. On the head of the larva there are developed long antennae, a mouthparts with a pair of powerful mandibles, as well as special chitinous formations - fans, which help the larva to filter food consisting of plankton and algae. In addition, the larvae have well-developed arachnoid glands that secrete a secretion with which they can move. But basically their lifestyle is semi-sedentary.

The midge pupa is completely, or sometimes only partially, covered with a cocoon, which has a round exit hole through which the process of respiration occurs, carried out with the help of respiratory filaments. The cocoon is woven from spider threads secreted by the larva and can be of different shapes: hut-shaped, shoe-shaped, boot-shaped or goblet-shaped. The body of the pupa is sometimes covered with hairs, short bristles, various growths resembling plaques, tubercles, tiny cones, spines or cylinders.

During its development, the midge pupa does not move or feed: it only cares comfortable temperature water and oxygen supply. After one to two weeks, an adult is born.

Depending on the species and temperature conditions in the reservoir, the rate of development of midges varies significantly. The overwhelming number of midges wait out the cold season in the egg stage. This method of wintering is especially typical for species living in latitudes with harsh climates where water bodies freeze. It is very rare that midges survive the winter months in the larval phase, and this is most likely the exception to the rule.

In places with a warm climate, where water bodies are not covered with a layer of ice, midges overwinter in the larval stage, although their development may slow down during this period. Over the course of a year, different species of midges can develop from 1 to 3 generations.

House flies

Often in a flower pot or in a greenhouse you can notice very small insects that flutter above the surface of the ground or cling to the leaves of plants. This is the so-called flower midge. Surprisingly, these insects do not belong to the midge family at all:

dark gray or black midges, as well as flower midges - usually these are leaf gnats (sciarids, also known as soil gnats or fruit gnats);
green midges - these can be lacewings or winged species of aphids;
white midges – most often these are whiteflies (also known as aleurodids);
fruit flies or fruit flies, house flies or house flies, are fruit flies that can often be seen circling over overripe or rotting vegetables and fruits. They are also representatives of a completely different family.

Photo top left: John Tann, CC BY 2.0. Photo top right: Melissa McMasters, CC BY 2.0

Midge bite: photo and why it’s dangerous

In addition to the fact that midge bites are accompanied by pain, swelling, severe redness and unbearable itching of the skin, and an increase in body temperature, midges also carry numerous diseases. Among them, the most dangerous are onchocerciasis, myxomatosis, anthrax, tularemia, plague and others. A midge bite is really dangerous, especially for allergy sufferers, because insect saliva contains substances belonging to the group of strong hemolytic poisons. Massive midge attacks on grazing herds of farm animals can sometimes cause livestock deaths. All these factors force people to fight against midges, although a 100% effective remedy has not yet been created.

Taken from: www.someoneelseskitchen.com

Midges and protection against it

To reduce midge populations in their natural habitat, streams and swamps are drained, forests are carefully cleared, and banks along water bodies are cleared. To protect livestock from midge bites, livestock complexes or summer grazing pens are located away from wetlands and low-lying areas. During periods of excessively high activity of midge flights, it is advisable to keep animals indoors by installing mosquito nets on windows and doors. The walls of the room can be treated insecticidal preparations such as “Bytex”, “Aktellik”, “Metathion”, “Diphos”. Ear tags for animals impregnated with Alletethrin, Resmethrin and similar drugs have a good effect.

To protect themselves from midge bites, people have to look for more and more new solutions. It is quite possible to protect yourself from the attacks of these annoying and sometimes dangerous blood-sucking insects if you take into account some nuances:

do not rest near bodies of water, the banks of which are overgrown with lush vegetation;
during the period when midges are activated, try to wear clothes that are not too light in color and cover the body as much as possible;
avoid long stays in swampy lowlands and damp, shady forests;
Staying near livestock farms usually risks being attacked by a swarm of midges - exclude such places from your list of stops for a picnic or a country walk.

In order to protect yourself from attacking midges, you should use protective measures such as repellents or fumigants.

Repellents are midge repellent substances in the form of sprays, ointments and various strong-smelling lotions made industrially or homemade (based on folk recipes). They are applied to exposed areas of the body, blocking the olfactory receptors of midges.
Fumigants have a completely different principle of action: they contain toxic substances, causing the death of midges.

Folk remedies for midges

ordinary vegetable oil(preferably refined) infuse for 2-3 weeks in a dark and cool place on clove buds, leaves of wormwood, parsley, tobacco, eucalyptus, fir branches, vanilla pods or anise seeds. Then the oil should be filtered and, if necessary, lubricated with it on areas of the body;
You can make an ointment based on baby cream or regular Vaseline, including crushed lavender leaves, bird cherry inflorescences, basil, rosemary, crushed garlic or finely grated lemon zest;
Place walnut shells (about 250 g) in 500 ml of alcohol diluted to 30-35 degrees or in half a liter of vodka, add 10-15 drops of camphor oil or 30-40 drops of peppermint oil. After a couple of days, this tincture can be used by lubricating the skin with a swab dipped in liquid.
you can simply smear the exposed areas of the body with vanillin, which is sold in bags. The smell of vanilla repels midges.

Factory-made midge repellents

Mosquitall ointment– contains vanilla extract and diethyltoluamide, has a repellent effect on midges, the effect lasts 8-9 hours;
Aerosol Help– the product can be applied to both skin and clothing. Valid for 6-8 hours. Not recommended for use by children under 12 years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women;
Aerosol Gardex– a product based on ethyl alcohol and diethyltuolamide. The period of protective action is 4.5-6 hours.

Before using these products, be sure to test for allergic reactions: minimum quantity Apply the drug to your wrist and observe whether the skin in this area turns red or begins to itch.

Fumigators against midges

Fumigators against midges are divided into pyrotechnic and electric. In the first, a spiral smolders and smokes, impregnated with substances toxic to midges. Fumigators of the second type work by heating an element on which a plate impregnated with a substance poisonous to midges is placed. Another option for a fumigator is an element that connects to an outlet, to which a bottle of toxic liquid is attached. Among the most current fumigators are devices from the brands Raid, Mosquitall, Fumitox.

A midge bite is much more painful than a mosquito bite.
In the Khabarovsk Territory there is a village with the unusual name Moshka.
Midges most often try to bite a person on the legs, why is unknown..

No matter what changes happen to this world, psychics and fortune tellers of all stripes will not disappear in it, because from time immemorial people have had a desire to look into their future. Those who couldn’t afford “certified” magicians had to make do on their own. And helpers in identifying the foggy distance were those who were more often nearby - animals, birds and... insects. Don't be surprised! If you believe folk signs, an ordinary flea will give a hundred points ahead to any crystal ball with predictions.

The ‘home oracle’ looks very unpleasant

If an unlucky rival urgently needed to disrupt a wedding, superstition dictated that he should catch a flea, tie its legs (!) and place it on the road in front of the wedding procession. It was believed that the bride and groom would never be able to cross the invisible barrier. Apparently, there were Lefties in every Russian province...

To protect your home and family from biting creatures, signs advised:

Midges dance in front of the heat

A small midge flutters in a column in the air and dances - a sign of warm, dry weather.
If you get it in the eye, you'll cry.
It flew into your mouth - watch your tongue so as not to offend others with a careless word.
If it falls into tea or a glass with another drink - expect large monetary profits and great luck.
If you caught a midge or a fly from a glass of wine, you can count on the interest of the opposite sex. Unless a sign was invented so that the owner of a drink with an exotic “seasoning” would not be too upset.
If there are a lot of midges in the apartment, there are two options. Either you are careless with money, wasting serious sums on nonsense, or you are storing vegetables and fruits incorrectly. And one does not exclude the other.

About the centipede

Despite its repulsive appearance, the centipede is beneficial

Long, fidgety, unpleasant-looking insects often cause heart-rending female squeals and disgust from all family members without exception. Not entirely deserved: centipedes successfully replace sticky tape, catching and eating other multi-legged animals in the apartment. However, housewives did not agree to keep an insect under the rug as a pet even in the old days, so the signs warned: you should not clean the house on the evening before a big church holiday or Sunday, otherwise centipedes and wood lice will appear.

But the oracle from the house flytrap turned out so-so. The maximum that could be counted on when she appeared was a letter or news from somewhere far away. Who else could be a walker if not an insect with so many legs!

About caterpillars

Once upon a time in Japan they worshiped a caterpillar god!

In Russia, England and the countries of the East, there is one common sign: if you see a hairy caterpillar, throw it over your left shoulder behind your back, and happiness will come. For the same reason, you cannot crush or otherwise exterminate an insect. Who wants to interfere with their happiness?
In Japan, such a caterpillar was called the “storm dog” and they claimed that it was protected by the gods. It was believed that hairy insects appeared in abundance on the grass in front of heavy rains with thunder and lightning.
If a person with fever keeps a caterpillar with him, the disease will subside. For whooping cough, they used an equally original remedy, hanging a woven bag with crawling creatures around the neck.

Unexpected belief: it is worth it for a woman during the “ critical days“approach the caterpillar as it dies.

Oh moth

An unwanted guest in any closet

When moths appear in a house, the owners will face unexpected expenses. If you do not have time to take action in time, you will have to update your wardrobe and the omen will come true.
Sometimes the appearance of winged wool eaters was seen as a reproach: one of the household members was behaving incorrectly. Aren't they raging in lately Are there African passions in your apartment?
The unexpected invasion of moths was also regarded as an attempt to influence the family in a witchcraft way. If you are not afraid of damage, fight pests with earthly means, and forget about mysticism - it will not affect you anyway. If you know you have a tendency toward suspiciousness, wash yourself with holy water and go to church. For a believer, these measures are sufficient.
By the way, about methods of struggle. Chests with clothes were supposed to be aired on the Dry Wednesday of Rusal Week - the 25th day after Easter. Doing needlework at this time meant incurring the wrath of the water girls, but the mermaids did not object to putting things in order. It was believed that after such drying, the moth would disappear until next year.
In the minds of many peoples, the white moth embodied the soul of a departed relative who had flown to visit loved ones. They were supposed to open the windows and politely escort her out of the house.

About worms

The worm can predict the weather more accurately than a barometer

If earthworms climb to the surface, the weather will deteriorate.
If you manage to catch a worm in the process of emerging from the ground, pack your bags for a long trip.
If in the fall there are a lot of worms in the puddles after rain, the winter will be snowy and without severe frosts.
If a worm crawls across someone's path, that person will soon learn incredible news.
If you step on a worm, you will have no luck for the rest of the day.
If you kill him purposefully, your luck will run out for a long time. All that remains is to find out whether fishing is considered murder.

Previously, when an English fisherman happened to injure his finger while fishing, he immediately pressed a worm from a jar of bait to the wound, and then threw it into the river. It was believed that the strange healer would draw out all the bad things from the cut, and the wound would not fester. And don’t rush to wince! Nowadays, even in developed countries, there is a method of cleansing wounds from dead tissue using maggots. Of course, it is built on a different principle and requires constant medical supervision, but the possibility of using the worm for medical purposes is an undeniable fact.

About mosquitoes

The little bloodsucker is a renowned meteorologist

Mosquitoes rage and buzz before the rain.
If insects are active in the evening, it will be warm tomorrow.
They curl in clubs high in the air - to good weather, above the ground - to bad weather.
In spring there are a lot of mosquitoes - prepare a lot of boxes. This refers to baskets for mushrooms and berries.
An agricultural sign promises that after a large number mini-vampires will spawn wheat.
Seeing a mosquito in February is a sign of ruin.
In the patient's room, the windows should be opened at dawn. The mosquitoes will fly away and take all the illnesses with them.
A mosquito or midge flies into the ear to gossip.
If they get into the eye, it means tears.
In your mouth - either you should be more careful about what you say, or be more careful: “don’t open your mouth.”

Folk omens are an interesting and, at times, useful thing. However, that is until you begin to build your life around every “mosquito sneeze.” Be carried away by signs of health, but do not forget that the insect may not even be aware of the expectations placed on it. Every small fry has its own business.

In this material we will tell you how to get rid of midges in indoor flowers using folk and special means, namely the following 3 types:

Drosophila, also called fruit flies or fruit flies. They look more like small flies.
Sciarids, other names are flower gnats or fungus gnats, and they really do look a lot like small black gnats.
Whiteflies or Aleroidids, which look like small white or light gray small aphids. They settle mainly under leaves.

We will look at ways to combat fruit and flower flies in the first chapter, but if white flies have settled in your plants, then you can find out how to get rid of them in the second part of the material.

How to get rid of fruit and flower midges (drosophila and sciarid flies)

Midges in flowers are not only small flying flies, but also their larvae that live in the ground. Several generations of insects can simultaneously develop in one pot - from eggs to adults. Also, keep in mind that fungus gnats can spread quite quickly from one plant to another. Therefore, in order to remove insects forever, you need to fight them comprehensively and often repeatedly.

Fighting methods

Instructions 1. Using folk remedies

Step 1. Let the soil dry out after the last watering so that at least 2 cm of the top layer is dry.

Step 2: Catch all adults. You can do this using:

Traps: special (for example, a regular fly catching tape will do) or homemade. Here are two ways to get rid of midges in flowers using homemade traps:

Option 1:

Fill a small jar with something sweet and aromatic (e.g., red wine, apple cider vinegar, fruit juice), or add a piece of overripe fruit (e.g., banana) or some honey.
Close the jar tightly with a tin lid and make tiny holes in it using a nail and a hammer. You can also make a funnel out of a piece of paper or cover the trap with cling film with small holes (see photo below). The idea is that the midges will come to the smell, but will not be able to find a way out of the jar. Therefore the holes must be really small.
Place the jar next to the indoor flower and wait a couple of days. You will see that all the midges are stuck in the trap.

Option 2:

Make flags out of toothpicks and paper, much like the picture below.
Coat the flags with honey.
Insert the resulting flags into all flower pots where fruit flies have appeared.
If necessary, the flags can be changed every day or every other day.

Vacuum Cleaner: To get rid of midges in flowers using a vacuum cleaner, remove the brush attachment and simply “vacuum” the ground and area around the plant. The vacuum cleaner will easily capture insects even in flight. The midges will get into the bag/dust collector, get stuck there and, most likely, will not be able to fly out of there. But it is advisable to immediately after the procedure empty the vacuum cleaner outside the apartment (or throw away the disposable bag) and treat it with dichlorvos.

Step 3. So, we got rid of the adult egg-laying midges, now we need to cultivate the ground to get rid of the larvae. To do this, loosen the dried soil and water the plant with one of the following folk remedies:

Garlic infusion: make a garlic infusion at the rate of: 1 grated head of garlic + 600 ml of boiling water per 1 flower pot. Let the product sit for 2-4 hours, then water and spray the plant with it, and deepen the remaining pulp into the ground. You can also stick 1 head, cut into three pieces, into the soil of each infected plant. Don't worry, the smell of garlic will not appear in the apartment.

Instruction 2. Using insecticides and creating a “toxic greenhouse”

This method is effective, economical and, if done correctly, safe for humans and plants. With its help you can kill both larvae and adults.

Step 1. Wait until the soil becomes dry after the last watering.

Step 2: Gently loosen the soil.

Step 3. Place the pot with the plant in an ordinary bag, spray a little Dichlorvos into the soil and tie the bag tightly so that only the pot is completely covered. After 4-5 hours, the midges in the ground should die.

If the midges are not only in the ground, but also settled under or above the leaves, then you need to do all the same steps, but choose a bag of such a size that the entire plant fits in it. full height", and spray Dichlorvos not only into the soil, but also onto the bag (!). In order not to damage the plant, it is important that the product does not get on the leaves, and to prevent them from becoming crushed, you should secure the bag with tape at the desired height to the furniture, door or floor lamp. Another way to create a “greenhouse” is shown in the picture on the right. The product will destroy insects both in the ground and on leaves in 7-10 hours.
Dichlorvos can replace Raptor, Neo or Raid. In addition, instead of sprays, you can use solutions of special insecticides for plants, for example, Groma-2, Aktary, Bazudin, Actellik and Karbofos. In this case, before wrapping the plant in polyethylene, it must be watered and sprayed with the product.

Step 4. Hang special or homemade traps so that the remaining midges that do not fall under the bag will land on them.

Step 5. Repeat the procedure after 8 days to eliminate the possibility of midges reappearing.

If there are a lot of larvae in the soil, and you are sure that the plant will withstand replanting, then it is best to do this by transplanting the flower into new, pre-treated soil. To do this: loosen the soil and carefully pull it out, then clean the roots from the contaminated soil by hand or using a small brush, then quickly rinse the roots with water or one of the home remedies listed above and finally, replant the plant in a clean pot with uninfected soil. To prepare the soil, you need to bake it in the oven at a temperature of 100-120 degrees for 1 hour, and then restore the microflora with some kind of fertilizer.

How to get rid of whiteflies

To get rid of whiteflies, you also need to carry out comprehensive measures to destroy adult insects and larvae 3-4 times with an interval of one week.

Damage caused: Whiteflies themselves do not harm the plant, but due to their excrement, sooty fungi may appear on the lower leaves, which can seriously damage the flower. In addition, white midges can infect the plant with a viral infection. On the right is a photo of a leaf affected by whitewing.

Fighting methods

Step 1. First you need to catch all the adult flies. You can do this in the following ways:

Place special or homemade traps described in the first instructions.
Catch all the midges with a vacuum cleaner.
Pour jam into a saucer, place it next to the pot and wait until the whiteflies fly to the bait and get stuck in it.
In the morning, create a slight coolness in the room where the flowers are located, for example, by turning off the radiators or opening a window. The lower temperature will prevent the flies from taking off. Next, follow the procedure described below.

Step 2: Once most of the adult whiteflies have been caught, take the plant to the bathroom and wash the leaves of any remaining insects, eggs and nymphs.

Step 3. Now treat the plant by watering and spraying with solutions from systemic insecticides(“Aktellik”, “Confidor”, “Mospilan” or “Fufanon”), and then create a “toxic greenhouse” by closing the plant in a plastic bag for 4-5 hours.

If there are not so many whiteflies, then instead of special products you can use the garlic infusion described in the first instructions.

Step 4: If desired, replant the plant in uninfected soil and discard the contaminated soil.

There is another way to destroy whiteflies in indoor flowers. If the infected plant can tolerate temperatures below 14 degrees, then simply leave it in such a cool place for a week or a little more. Unable to withstand the low temperature, the whitefly and its larvae will die.

Question-Answer

What causes midges to appear in indoor plants?

A common reason is that they could appear when transplanting a plant into purchased soil that was already contaminated with eggs and larvae. In addition, midges could simply fly in during the summer or autumn period from the window and settle in your flowers. One way or another, the main factor in the emergence and reproduction of sciarids and fruit flies is moist, overwatered soil, which attracts midges and creates favorable conditions to transform dormant eggs into larvae. By the way, fruit flies could get into your apartment along with purchased vegetables, fruits, or fly to the smell of a stale product, and only then take a fancy to your flower pots.

To create comfortable conditions for green pets, adherents of home floriculture are ready to go to great lengths: buy expensive fertilizers, special fertilizers, regularly turn the pots around their axis and let water sit for days for irrigation. But even the most careful care does not always guarantee protection against the appearance of midges in indoor flowers.

Why do midges appear in indoor flowers?

Traditionally, the appearance of foreign animals in flower pots is recorded during the off-season, when flower growers do not have time to readjust and switch to a new regime of watering their pets. As a result, the soil becomes waterlogged, thereby creating ideal conditions for the reproduction of various midges. It should be noted that in most cases, insects interfere with the life of not only the plants themselves, but also their owners, spoiling the appearance of the home and getting into cups and plates.

So, a problem has been discovered - midges have appeared in indoor flowers, what to do and how to get rid of uninvited guests? The fight against them will require a systematic approach, perseverance and an integrated approach from the grower, because even treating the above-ground part of the plant cannot guarantee that no pest larvae remain in the soil. Home preventive measure against midges in indoor flowers is strict adherence to the drinking regime of plants and avoidance of stagnation of water in pots.

Small white midges on indoor flowers

Outwardly resembling a moth, but many times smaller, small white midges on indoor flowers are nothing more than. Adults lay eggs on the succulent leaves of domestic plants so that the larvae that hatch from them can feast on the nutritious cell sap without interference. As a result, discolored spots appear on the leaves, the leaves dry out and fall off. Large colonies of whiteflies can devastate an entire home greenhouse in a short time.

Black midges on indoor flowers

Drosophila-like, black small midges in indoor flowers they are called fungus gnats. Their appearance in the apartment is a sure sign that a source of dampness has formed somewhere. Adult sciarids do not harm plants, but their larvae pose a serious threat to flooded and rotting roots. Infection of plants with sciarids can occur either by air or through poorly treated soil.

Flying midges in indoor flowers

It also happens that flower pots become habitats for fruit flies or fruit flies. This is the most harmless type of midge that does not harm either plants or people, causing the latter only psychological discomfort. If in indoor flower started, it is necessary to deprive them of all possible sources of food (rotting vegetables, fruits, tea leaves, coffee, etc.), and then destroy all adult individuals using traps or a regular vacuum cleaner.

Soil midge in indoor flowers

Ground flies in indoor flowers are called springtails or springtails. Their body length ranges from 0.2 to 1 mm, and any energizer would envy their activity - most of the day they busily jump from leaf to leaf, scurry along the surface of the soil, populating it with their larvae. If you look closely on the surface of the soil in a pot, you will notice clusters of these small insects.

Adult healthy plants are not afraid of soil midges in indoor flowers. They even play an important role, participating in the process of decomposition of organic matter and saturating the soil with oxygen. Pord larvae living in flower pots, carrying fungi that cause diseases and eating up rotten roots, are dangerous only for flooded or diseased flowers.

Folk remedies for midges in indoor flowers

The gardener must understand that if midges appear in indoor flowers, and especially flying midges, there is a high probability that the attack will soon spread throughout the home flower garden. And although adults do not chew leaves or drink plant sap, they lay eggs, from which very voracious larvae hatch. Having noticed midges hovering around your green pet, it is necessary to take comprehensive measures: remove excess moisture, treat with insecticides and replant in uninfected soil.

Let's take a closer look at how to remove midges from indoor flowers:

Step 1 – adjust the humidity. It makes sense to start fighting midges only after the top layer of soil in the pot dries out at least 2 cm.
Step 2 – we start hunting for adult insects. To do this, we use purchased or homemade (made from yellow paper coated with a layer of honey) Velcro tapes or a regular vacuum cleaner.
Step 3 – destroy the larvae in the soil. The simplest way, but at the same time requiring money and time, is to transplant the plant into new pot with clean land. But with a small scale of damage, to combat the larvae, it makes sense to use one of the means at hand: ammonia, match sulfur, garlic, potassium permanganate, vinegar, tobacco, etc.

Ammonia for midges on indoor flowers

An excellent option for treating indoor flowers against midges - available in any medicine cabinet ammonia. Dissolve 50 grams of ammonia in 4 liters of water and get an excellent 2-in-1 remedy - a midge repeller for indoor flowers and nitrogen fertilizer. It can be used to treat the aerial parts of flowers from a spray bottle and destroy adult individuals, as well as for root feeding and the simultaneous destruction of pest larvae and eggs. Spraying can be repeated at intervals of 7-10 days until a sustainable effect is achieved.

Potassium permanganate against midges in flowers

Another remedy that helps not only get rid of unpleasant flying tenants, but also significantly strengthen green pets is potassium permanganate. To prevent the product from harming the delicate root system of plants, potassium permanganate is used against midges in flowers, the solution of which has a soft pink color. This concentration is sufficient to slow down putrefactive processes and leave pests without food. To achieve the effect, water the plant with it at least twice, each time allowing the soil in the pot to dry thoroughly.

Acetic acid from midges on house flowers

Regular vinegar will help to permanently ward off midges that have bred in indoor flowers from your home. Dilute 1 teaspoon or apple cider vinegar in 1 liter of clean, settled water and we get effective remedy How to poison midges in flowers. In addition to the insecticidal effect, the vinegar solution has another beneficial effect - the leaves of plants after such treatment acquire a healthy shine and luster. The vinegar solution can be used for protective spraying or as a preventative wipe on the leaves of indoor flowers.

Tobacco against midges in flowers

An effective and inexpensive remedy against midges in flowers is tobacco. Its pungent odor repels insects and prevents them from laying eggs. There are two ways to use tobacco. In the first case, the soil in the pot is carefully loosened, and then a layer of tobacco is laid on its surface. In the second, an infusion is prepared from it by pouring 40 grams of raw material with 1 liter of boiling water and, after cooling, watering the soil in the affected pots. This product has a strong odor, so it is not suitable for all gardeners.

Cinnamon against midges in indoor flowers

As you know, midges in indoor flowers feed on rotting organic matter. Ordinary cinnamon will help to leave them without food, slowing down the putrefactive processes. Like tobacco, it can be used to sprinkle the surface of the soil and as a solution. If you are looking for something to water indoor flowers against midges, and at the same time significantly improve the overall atmosphere in your home, then there is nothing better than cinnamon, which has a pleasant aroma and stimulating effect.

Medicine for midges in indoor flowers

In the case when not a single home remedy allows you to achieve the desired result and despite all the watering, traps and spraying, the midges in indoor flowers do not go away, it is time to use the “heavy artillery” - purchased insecticides. Disinfect flowers with maximum effect and a toxic greenhouse will help minimize harm to everyone living in the house. Processing must be carried out in the following sequence:

Allow the top layer of soil in the pot to dry thoroughly and gently loosen it.
Place the flower pot in a strong plastic bag of such a size that, after tying, there remains between the walls of the bag and the leaves of the plant. airbag. To commit a package to correct position You can use strips and tape.
Spray the selected midge repellent in indoor flowers onto the surface of the soil and the inner walls of the bag: “Dichlorvos”, “Raptor”, “Neo”, “Raid”, “Karbafos” or others.
Carefully tie the bag and leave for 6-8 hours, then remove the pot from the toxic greenhouse and water the plant.

Fruit midges are annoying tiny creatures, whose presence in the house itself irritates all its inhabitants. When these little creatures, not limited to annoying flickering, begin to actively spoil food, and in addition also try to bite, the patience of the residents comes to an end, and they urgently begin to look for means to combat the annoying aliens.

Where do house flies come from and how to get rid of them?

The small black flies that so annoy housewives are extraordinary insects. The unique ability of these malicious flying creatures to appear as if out of nowhere gives them a certain mystical aura. However, the secret of the appearance of swarms of midges in hermetically sealed apartments has nothing to do with magic. Drosophila flies, of course, do not have the phenomenal gift of seeping through walls. In fact, midges end up in tightly sealed rooms along with food brought from outside, and the larvae and eggs of fruit flies can hide not only in vegetables and fruits, but also in mushrooms, cereals and garden flowers.

Each fly individual does not live long. Having appeared into the world at dawn, it dies in the evening of the same day, but if the apartment has food supply for it, namely a supply of spoiled vegetables and fruits, the wine fly manages to lay a huge number of eggs on them within a day. Thus, the number of midges begins to increase in geometric progression However, in fairness, it should be noted that in winter, fruit flies do not reproduce so actively, but if you do not fight them, even in cold weather they can fill the entire house in a few days.

In addition to rotten fruits, midges love indoor flowers, or rather, the moist soil in which they grow. In addition, the proliferation of midges that have entered the house is facilitated by stagnant water in the aquarium, dampness in plumbing areas, dirt in pet cages, leaking sewer pipes, dishes that have not been washed for several days, and garbage forgotten in the kitchen.

Therefore, if you have fruit or flower flies in your home, before you start poisoning uninvited guests, try to eliminate their “tavern” first. To do this, first of all, remove all food from the table and wash dirty dishes, then inspect the refrigerator and conduct an audit kitchen cabinets. If you find any rotten fruits or moldy cereals there, immediately take them to the trash bin, and at the same time take with you the garbage that was left in the bucket.

When you have finished cleaning up the kitchen, to eliminate dampness, ventilate the apartment, clean the aquarium, loosen the soil in the flowerpots and drain the water from their trays.

At the end of the cleaning, vacuum the floors throughout the house and at the same time check if there is an apple core lying around in some secluded place.

The three most effective ways to deal with annoying midges

1 way. Industrial insecticides

In the event that general cleaning does not give the expected result, and harmful flies continue to scurry around the apartment, you, of course, can poison them with some kind of insecticidal aerosol, but the same dichlorvos, for example, is allowed to be used only in the toilet and living rooms, It is unacceptable to use such a toxic pesticide in the kitchen.

In areas where food is stored or prepared, it is better to use factory-made adhesive tapes to combat midges. Unfold and hang a couple of Velcro strips under the kitchen ceiling, and the very next day you will see that the number of small “saboteurs” secretly sneaking into your home has decreased significantly.

A fumigator can also become in a great way solving the problem of fly infestation. Fill this device with a special plate that acts on flies, or attach a reservoir with anti-fly liquid to it, turn on the unit all night, and in the morning you will not find a single fruit fly in your house.

Method 2. Homemade traps

Fruit flyers can be combated not only with chemicals, but also with safer, but no less effective folk remedies, which include the homemade traps described below.

Drunk trap. Flies love beer and dessert wine. Place an open, unwashed beer or liquor bottle on the kitchen counter. After a couple of hours, a large number of fruit flies will gather in it, flocking to an unexpected feast, all you have to do is plug the cap of the vessel full of midges and take it to the trash heap.

apple trap. No less sweet alcoholic drinks, fruit flies love apples. Taking advantage of this weakness, you can build a very effective trap, in which natural apple cider vinegar will play the role of bait. To make such a trap, take a half-liter jar and fill it a quarter full warm water, pour a spoonful of natural apple cider vinegar into the water, the smell of which has a mesmerizing effect on midges, and add a couple of drops of shampoo or dishwashing liquid. Attracted by the aroma of your favorite fruit, the midge will fall into the water, and the “sticky” soap film formed on the surface of the liquid will not allow it to fly back up.

3 way. Repellents

If you don't have time to build traps, try scaring away unwanted guests with some kind of unpleasant smell. As such “horror stories” you can use:

camphor, the smell of which all flies and mosquitoes really dislike. Throw a pinch of this substance into a heated dry frying pan and, as soon as its crystals begin to emit a characteristic wormwood aroma, immediately remove the vessel from the stove and walk with it throughout the apartment. Having smelled the smell of camphor, the flies will be forced to retreat.
garlic- garden midges are afraid of the smell of this plant, so they can repel flies that have chosen flowerpots with indoor plants. Cut a few cloves of garlic into slices, place them on the surface of the substrate in flower pots, and the midges will soon leave their homes.
cloves, rich aroma which throws the midges into panic. Place a dessert spoon of clove buds in a small ladle, fill them with a glass of water, and place an impromptu aroma lamp on the stove. When the liquid in the ladle begins to boil, a thick spicy spirit will spread throughout the apartment, which will disperse the “stray” guests.