Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-01-01
HOUSE PLANT PESTS.
INSECTS WHICH DESTROY YOUR
INDOOR GARDEN.
Three Enemies that Attack Them and
Spoil Their Beauty: Aph 9, Scale and
Red spiders-Some Effectual Means
for Their Destruction.

The arch enemy of the window gar
den is the insect pest They spoil q
plants good looks and lower its vital
ity until it either dies outright or ceases
to bloom or make active growth. Prob
ably not one woman in twenty takes
her plants through a winter without
having them attacked sooner or later
by insects. Once on the spot and un-
molested, they Increase like the nordes
Of Egypt, eating the leaves and suck
ing the sap until they quite ruin the
little garden.
The reason insects are worse on
house plants than in the garden is be-
cause the first are grown under high
ly artificial conditions. Living-rooms
are unhealthfully hot; the potted plants
are cramped in root and subject to
water gorge or thirst starvation il the
watering pot is in careless hands.
Moreover, the atmosphere Is sur.
charged with dust and coal smoke
And as insects always attack first
weak or dirty foliage there is special
attraction to them in every struggling
house plant.
The common house insects are aphis,
or green plant louse, the scale and the
red spider. The aphis is the most COM
mon. The usual recommended kero-
sene emulsion will kill them readily
enough, but the trouble is that at the
first sprinkle they drop of and fall to
the earth. Here they hide, ready as
soon as the furry is over to climb up
the stems and 60 sucking the plants
juices again. To avoid this lift the
plant from the shelf with great care.
so as not to jar or dislodge them. Wrap
9 cloth around the top Of the pot and
close to the plants stems, SO the earth
In the pot can neither tumble out nor
the insects tumble in. Then quickly
invert the plants top into pan of
water, and II the water is quite warm
20 much the better. Lift the plant out
and shake vigorously. Dip again in the
water, then again shake and so con-
tinue until every tiny leuse has been
dislodged. Rinse the top well in clean
water and return to the window. If q
thorough job has been done there will
be no more trouble, but the plant
should be examined again in a couple
of-days and, II need be, the treatment
repeated.
Scale insects stick to the bark OF
leaves as though they were glued there.
Dislodge them with a wooden tooth
pick, keeping close lookout for them
and finish by washing the plant well
In soapy water. This must be repeated
every few days until no more scale can
be found. They are not over common,
but peculiarly stubborn pest.
Red spider is almost as common as
aphis, but so tiny that few know tina,
this Is what is the matter with thei1
plants. When without any apparent
reason leaves turn a sickly color Soi
| show little yellow specks all over them.
or begin to curl at the edges, we may
suspect Mr.. Red Spider, no bigger thar
grain of red pepper and camping with
his wife and babies, hisparents, grand
parents, aunts, uncles and cousins or
the under side of the plants leaves
Too hot and too dusty air is the cause
of the red spider. There is one surs
and simple remedy for him and his. Il
Is water. Have 1t warm and plenty OF
it, and see that the under side of the
leaves get as much wetting as the
upper, and this foe Is soon yanauished
A plant can be- dipped in water as hot
as the hand can be borne in. and 1t viii
not hurt 1t In the least, If not kep,
longer at time beneath the water thar
two or three seconds. That degree OF
heat kills the red spider quickly. DiI
half dozen times In the hot water il
quick succession and the work is done
Wash all plant leaves often. A clea1
plant is not inviting to insects. Kill tn,
first foe that makes his appearance ant
you have solved the secret of keepin.
house plants free from insect pests O
all kinds.--Washfngton Star.
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