It is essential to get rid of mealybugs on indoor plants at the first sign of an infestation. Nothing strikes fear into a plant parent's heart like seeing little bugs swarming around your plant. Usually starts feeding from under the leaves, makes them hard to spot in the early stage. Spray the solution over the soil & pour some on the soil if you find too many mites crawling or just to be extra safe. The first step would be to isolate the infested plants from your other plants. Even though it may seem a quicker option to use chemical pesticides to get rid of houseplant bugs, it always best to use natural products to kill bugs on houseplants. Left picture: spider mites on a lemon plant. Always check for signs of pests or bugs before bringing new plants into your home. If you repot a houseplant or prune off diseased leave, always sterilize equipment and new pots. 5.3 How to get rid of Whiteflies from Houseplants & Soil? This neem oil solution can also help prevent fungal diseases from affecting your plant. Use once a week to get rid of bugs and once every four weeks for prevention. Apart from the nuisance factor—after all, who wants flies in their home—many bugs on plants do a lot of damage. Mealybugs can also hide under the soil, so dig up the top layer of soil and check. Growing environment—Poor light, low or high humidity and certain temperature can create an environment where houseplant bugs thrive. Try to avoid conditions that stress plants out. Getting tired of being bugged by the bug? How to Get Rid of Indoor Plant Bugs familyhandyman.com - Melinda Myers. Home remedy to get rid of these bugs in houseplants: Treat with rubbing alcohol to kill the tiny white pests. At the same time, place Yellow Sticky Traps close to the plant. First cut off any heavily infested branches or stems from the plant. Fungus gnats lay their eggs in organic-rich soil. Watch your plants closely on a regular basis. Keep reading below, this guide will help you identify & get rid of your bug infestation. Then, what should you do to get rid of them? Overdosing can kill your plants. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Large numbers of fungus gnats feed on the roots of houseplants. Method 1: Wash off with Water (physical removal). Some natural remedies for plant bugs can be effective without filling your home with toxic chemicals. However, soap doesn’t have a residual effect, so you’ll have to wash plants regularly to get rid of pests altogether. Outside of your neem oil soak, remember to let the soil dry out between watering. Or, you could try your own remedy at home to kill bugs on houseplant leaves. Spray the neem insecticide onto the soil and also pour some on the soil. 2.1 How to identify Scale in houseplants & soil? Sorry, I just couldn’t resist using that line! Copyright © 2020 — www.justhomegardening.com • All rights reserved. Household Treatment for Houseplants – You can use 1 tbsp Mild liquid soap mixed with 1 liter of water to spray on the parts of the infested plants. However, you can still water the plants from the bottom through the draining hole. Isolate new plants from your other houseplants for a few weeks to ensure they are bug-free. The dampness not only leads to root rot and weak plant growth, but it also attracts various types of bugs such as fungus gnats. So, constant vigilance is essential to make sure that bugs, mites, pests, and flies stay away from your beloved houseplants. Keep an eye on the plants for 2-3 weeks to make sure there are no more of them appearing. You will also find out how to identify some plant pests so that you can use the appropriate natural pest control remedy. Small, slender yellow, black, or brown insects with pointed tails—Thrips are long skinny bugs that crawl and fly. If you see any plants getting sick, quarantine them in a separate place. Tips To Growing Tomatoes From Seeds At Home, Tips For Growing Cherry Tomatoes In Pots (Effective), Best Soil for Tomatoes in Container (Potassium Rich), Best Soil for Carrots in Containers (Nutrients, pH Level, Drainage), 17 Indoor Fairy Garden Container Ideas to Make Your Friends Jealous, Where to Buy Grow Lights & Buying Guide for Beginners (Best), Air Plant Fertilizer: Secret to Raising Healthy Tillandsias, Top Reasons To Use Self Watering Containers, Best Potting Mix For Vegetables: Handy Tips For Beginners, 10 Miniature Plants For Terrarium (Open and Closed ) Plus Practical Tips For Maintenance, Where To Buy Terrarium Container: Best Price Finds, Baby leaves (new growth, very vulnerable), Black insects, look like tiny mosquitoes or flies, Can fly around but stays close to the food source (fungi) in soil, Adult gnats live about few days to a week, Larvae look like long white or gray worms, Fungus Gnats are mainly result of overwatering the plants, Cannot live long without water or moisture, Reproduces quickly, lays egg in moist soil, Lay ~300 eggs in a batch, hatches in 3 days, matures in 3 weeks, Adult gnats are not very harmful to plants, This interrupts and hampers the plants ability to absorb nutrients & slows growth, Tiny round or oval-shaped bugs, looks like small shell or bumps. The simple answer is that they’re just trying to survive. Repeat the treatment once a week, for 2-3 weeks. The key to eradicating bugs from house plants is to know what kinds of pests are affecting your indoor plant. To prepare Neem solution mix 2 tbsp Neem oil, 2-3 tsp mild liquid soap, and 1 gallon of water. Avoid touching the plant leaves with the sticky paper. Brown bumps on stems—It’s easy to think these are bits of plant growth, but the hard bumps are actually scale insects. 4.1 How to identify Aphids in houseplants & soil? 7. Soil mites are tiny creatures that live within the soil. The most destructive plant pests—spider mites, aphids, scale insects, and mealybugs—suck on plant juices. Products you need for Hydrogen peroxide method: BT is a natural occurring, soil-borne bacteria which does not harm human or pets. Mix 2 tbsp Neem oil, 2-3 tsp mild liquid soap, 1 gallon of water to make a natural insecticide. So it destroys any bugs, lacewings, and one-quart ( 1 l ) of cider! 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