There are primarily three pest species that make plant life difficult for clematis. You can find out here what pests we are talking about and how they can be combated using environmentally friendly means.
What pests affect clematis and how do you fight them?
Clematis can be attacked by aphids, weevils and thrips. Fight aphids with home remedies such as water, soap and baking soda; For black weevils, collecting or baiting traps with nematodes helps; Environmentally friendly insecticides such as neem oil and curd soap are suitable for thrips.
How to combat lice on clematis
Just in time for the start of the beautiful season, they are there and suck the lifeblood out of a clematis. To get rid of aphids, the following three home remedies have proven to be very effective:
- In the early infestation stage, spray the clematis with as strong a jet of water as possible
- Spray every 2-3 days with a mix of 1 liter of water and 15 ml each of curd soap and spirit
- Treat infected clematis repeatedly with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, dissolved in 1 liter of water with 1 splash of dish soap
Where there is a risk of clematis wilt and other diseases, fight the lice with rock dust or algae lime instead of liquid agents. Applied every few days with a powder syringe, the plague will soon be history.
Stopping thick-mouthed weevils – this is how it works
The shiny black weevils, up to 10 mm long, gnaw flowers and leaves mercilessly. Since the beetles are easily visible, the nocturnal pests can be collected. If you don't want to spend the night hunting beetles, lay out bait traps.
These are special constructions with nematodes and an attractant. If the beetles come into contact with the nematodes, they expire within 24 to 48 hours.
Identify and combat thrips - this is how it works
If silvery dots appear on the leaves of a clematis, thrips are usually behind them. The tiny fringed wings act as sucking pests and multiply explosively. Insecticides based on neem oil and curd soap, such as Celaflor Pest Free Neem, have proven to be effective in environmentally conscious control.
Tips & Tricks
When earwigs scurry around the garden, they only cause damage to the plants when they appear in large numbers. Occasionally the insects are among the beneficial insects that hunt aphids and other real pests. To remove earwigs in the garden, fill an old flower pot with wood shavings or straw and hang it upside down. Once the animals have gathered there, they can easily be relocated.