Armadillos are 0.5-7 mm long insects. Their body is covered by a thin chitin shell and an armor or shield of wax separations of various types and densities.
Females lay unfertilized eggs or give birth to live larvae under the carapace. 3 - 5 generations develop per year for Latvian armadillos. One generation is fully developed in 60 days. One female leaves 70-100 offspring!!!
Males and caterpillars suck sap from the surface parts of plants, some species also from the roots, so the plants also begin to wither, lose their natural color and die. They are also carriers of plant virus diseases.
The armadillo is a rather nasty insect, and in order to combat it, it will be necessary to systematically repeat the combating methods several times.
The first way is to clean each leaf (both top and bottom) with vodka with a brush or cotton buds. Special attention should be paid to the places of the outbreak. This procedure should be repeated every third day for at least a month to ensure that all pests are destroyed. !! You should also clean the shelf, windowsill, window, everything that was near the place where the infected plant was with vodka!!
If the plant has thin leaves, the vodka can be diluted a little with water and then cleaned. Others recommend adding green soap to the vodka. I haven't tried such a connection myself, so I can't comment on how effective it is. Usually, I also transplant the infected plants after treatment with vodka, to make sure that there is no insect left in the ground.
One of the recommended ways is to use hand sanitizer instead of vodka. The effect is said to be better than vodka.
Another way is to spray the plants with Neemazal. It is an insecticide that can be purchased in farm and construction stores, next to plant pest control products. Spraying with this preparation should also be done regularly once a week.
The third way is to spray the plants with Cobra universal (with the black cap) and put the plant in a bag and overnight. I have read that this method helps some, others mentioned that the plants died after this method. I have not tried this option myself.
The fourth way is to use beneficial insects such as Cryptobug. These are predatory beetles that eat all kinds of insects. These beneficial insects can be ordered from Koppert representatives in Latvia.
If you have any other questions about plant care, apply for a consultation and I will gladly help you with advice so that you can take care of your houseplants like a professional in the future. https://augi-plants.lv/products/attalinata-konsultacija
