How to get rid of pests on hydrangeas
Created: 08/11/2022, 06:30
By: Janine Napirca
Have you noticed a pest infestation on your hydrangeas?
Some pests are easy to control.
Basically, hydrangeas are very easy-care plants that bloom in many different color variations in many gardens in this country.
But when the beloved, colorful splendor is infested by pests, it is time to act.
Read below what kind of pest infestation the hydrangeas in your garden might be and how best to get rid of them.
How to get rid of spider mites on your hydrangeas in the garden
Pest: | spider mites |
|---|---|
Distinguishing feature: | small silvery-white spots on the upper sides of the leaves, fine webs on the undersides of the leaves |
Combat: | Water, sprays containing rapeseed oil |
According to
Plantopedia.de
, spider mites are among the most common pests in hydrangeas.
According to the report, they can first be recognized by the small silvery-white dots on the upper sides of the leaves and later by the typical fine webs on the undersides of the leaves, and the leaves of the plant usually curl up.
Hydrangeas that have to struggle with dry soil and direct sunlight are particularly at risk of being attacked by spider mites.
Those who take care of their hydrangeas in the garden regularly and properly - and fight pests - will enjoy the colorful plants for a long time.
© Jürgen Pfeiffer/imageBROKER/Imago
Plantopedia recommends thoroughly rinsing hydrangeas in the garden that are infested with spider mites with water.
If this is not enough, you can also combat the pest infestation with sprays containing rapeseed oil.
So that your plant is not attacked by spider mites again, you should move the hydrangeas to a semi-shady location with evenly moist soil.
Fighting mealybugs on hydrangeas in the garden: This is how it works
Pest: | Mealybugs/mealbugs |
|---|---|
Distinguishing feature: | 1-12mm in size, encased in a small, white wad of cotton |
Combat: | Lacewings/ladybugs/parasitic wasps, alcohol & water |
According to Plantura.garden
, natural enemies of mealybugs that may cause problems for your hydrangeas in the garden can be acquired
from breeding or you can transform your garden into a beneficial insect-friendly place.
How to make your garden a bug-friendly place:
Lay out dry stone walls, beneficial insect hotels or small biotopes in your garden to offer the little helpers a nice living space, "wild corners" made of piles of leaves or a small watercourse also make your garden a more insect-friendly place.
You should also cultivate insect-friendly flowers in your garden, such as spring crocus, wallflowers, coneflower, snowdrop, star hyacinth, winterling, knapweed, bellflower, cornflower, vanilla flower, violet, zinnia, heather, autumn aster or autumn anemone.
Girl's eye and purple coneflower are also suitable and at the same time only need a little water.
Equally beneficial are dandelions, lavender and daisies.
Do without chemical fertilizers and sprays and prefer to use household remedies such as nettle manure.
Uninvited guests such as mosquitoes should also be driven away with lemon balm, rosemary or walnut and not chemicals.
Also, do without permanent garden lighting at night.
Source: Plantura.garden
It is not easy to get rid of an infestation of mealybugs or mealybugs, because the wax layer protects the pests.
You can destroy the wax layer with a mixture of spirit and water and thus fight the pests on your hydrangeas in the garden.
If your hydrangea bushes are only selectively affected by mealybugs, you can cut back the affected areas to prevent the pests from spreading.
If you have cultivated your hydrangeas in a pot, you should definitely shield the infested bushes from other plants so that the mealybugs do not spread further.
Aphid infestation: This trick helps against the pests on your hydrangeas in the garden
Pest: | aphids |
|---|---|
Distinguishing feature: | sticky, coated with honeydew |
Combat: | water, nettle manure |
Aphids can also affect your hydrangeas, although this is not very common.
The pests leave sticky honeydew on the leaf surfaces and are most common in the warm, dry spring.
Gartentipps.com
suggests hosing down hydrangeas infested with aphids with a hard jet of water and, if necessary, using nettle manure to combat the pest infestation on the hydrangeas in your garden.
How to get rid of vine weevil on your hydrangeas in the garden
Pest: | vine weevil |
|---|---|
Distinguishing feature: | brownish, 1 cm large and flightless beetles |
Combat: | special nematodes from specialist shops |
Vine weevils are brownish, about one centimeter long, flightless and nocturnal beetles that leave indentations on the leaf edges of hydrangea.
The larvae of the vine weevil tamper with the hair roots and ensure that the hydrangea dries up, as reported
by Mein-schoener-garten.de
.
Place excelsior in flower pots to control the pests.
Even if the larvae of the beetle in the soil are safe from sprays, special nematodes from specialist shops will help to save your hydrangea.
Here you can find out what you need to consider when pruning hydrangeas.
These ten mistakes can ruin your garden
View photo gallery
Snails on your hydrangeas in the garden?
How to fight the pests
Pest: | snails |
Distinguishing feature: | large holes in the middle of the sheet, traces of slime |
Combat: | Snail fence, pebbles, coffee powder or collect |
According to
Gartenjournal.net
, large holes in the center of your hydrangea's leaves and skeletal foliage indicate a slug infestation.
In addition, the nocturnal animals leave slime trails on the infested plants.
According to the report, a finely crumbly, loose soil helps against pest infestation, as do snail fences, scattered pebbles, coffee powder or wood shavings.
You can also simply search the hydrangeas and collect the snails.
You should avoid slug pellets, as they also kill useful snails.