Basically, pest infestation by plant lice, especially aphids or scale insects, is very rare on chives. Nevertheless, these pests sometimes choose the actually unloved chives - be it because the other food supply is not available or the infected plant was already weakened in advance.
What helps against lice infestation on chives?
Chives are rarely attacked by lice, but aphids, mealybugs and mealybugs can occasionally occur. If infested, you should shower the plant with a hard jet of water and possibly treat it with diluted nettle broth.
Aphids
The aphids, which are approximately two millimeters in size, are among the most common pests and can be found on almost all plants. They feed on the plant sap and therefore live mainly on the leaves. An infestation is usually only noticed when the affected plant is already covered with a sticky layer - the excretions of the aphids are very sugary, which primarily attracts sooty mold fungi and ants. It is best to shower an infected plant with a hard jet so that the annoying animals are washed away. For this purpose, it is best to pack the pot in a plastic bag. You can then water the chives with diluted nettle stock.
mealybugs and mealybugs
The mealybugs, which also feed on the plant sap, also leave behind sticky excretions. These plant lice are very rarely found on chives and usually attack chives kept indoors. You can recognize an infestation by the sticky sap, which - just like with aphids - often appears covered in black. The little animals, which are between two and five millimeters in size, like to hide behind a kind of white cotton ball that protects them from external damage. Shower the infected plant with a hard jet of water, although if the infestation is severe you probably won't be able to avoid cutting down the chives radically anyway. Mealybugs are very difficult to get rid of.
Tips & Tricks
An infestation with pests is rather unlikely if you cultivate your chives in the garden or on the balcony - mealybugs in particular almost exclusively attack houseplants. However, an aphid infestation of chives is very unlikely if you have other plants on the balcony.
