No matter what the time of year , sate your indoor space with houseplant is a great way to bring nature inwardly and get your garden therapy in the warmth and comfortableness of your base . get plants in the house feels both refreshing and cozy until … yuck ! Pest infestations are reasonably coarse , but today , we ’ll memorize how to prevent , key out , and get free of houseplant pesterer before they do too much damage .
Our plant are our little green children . And when our children hurt , we bruise too ! There ’s nothing bad than seeing asudden pest infestation arise on your darling houseplants . One min they ’re fine , the next there ’s a cloud ofwhiteflies !
fortuitously , all is not lost when the pests come moving in . While I love my bugs outside , there areno born predators inside my home to take precaution of the universe . That means it ’s up to me to manipulate the pest population and carry through my indoor beauties .
Aphids are more commonly found outside, but can pose a problem to houseplants too.
This pathfinder will take some crown and pointers from expert David Squire and his bookThe Houseplant Handbook : Basic Growing Techniques and a Directory of 300 Everyday Houseplants . Be certain to check it out for more elaborate information on how to stop those cuss from invading your home !
This C. W. Post will get across …
Reprinted with permission fromHouseplant Handbook : Basic Growing Techniques and a Directory of 300 Houseplantsby David Squire © 2017 . Published by Fox Chapel Publishing . picture taking good manners of Fox Chapel Publishing .
Common Houseplant Pests
The first step in getting rid of houseplant cuss is sleep with who you ’re fighting the battle against ! Here are some tips onhow to key the cuss and what type of scathe they might do .
Aphids
Outside and inside , you ’ll findaphids . you could identify them by their small , green or opprobrious bodies and the unenviable honeydew they excrete . Antsare attracted to this honeydew melon , and it can also invite sooty mould , a fungous disease . You ’ll retrieve aphid sucking sap from your plants and their sonant leaves , infesting all sort of flowers .
Mealybugs
modest , flat , and waxy , these creatureslook like tiny cotton fiber spots . You’re potential to find mealybug on ferns , hippeastrum , azaleas , and decoration . Like aphid , they draw sap and can induce leave of absence to deform , yellow , and lose their ‘ pep ’ . They also excrete honeydew .
Cyclamen Mites
These teeny tiny bug might even be misguided as water droplets at first . Their clean or slimly brown - touch eubstance are waxy - looking . They cluster under leaves and suck in their sap .
This causes them to rumple and darken , with some flowering bud also wring and fall off . While they ’re named after the cyclamen plant , they also affect genus Pelargonium , African Violets , and Busy Lizzies .
Fungus Gnats
If you seetiny flieszipping around by your plants , they ’re likelyfungus gnats . They infest soil and even potting mix , liking moist soil to lie their bollock in . The larvae feed on fungi in the grunge , and they can even chew solution .
Whitefly
Just liketiny moths , whitefliesare little insects that flutter around and have apowder - alike covering . You’ll observe them when you commove the plant as a swarm of these insects is of a sudden unleashed . Their pulverisation can be found beneath leaves as they suck sap and excrete honeydew .
Red Spider Mites
Thesetiny red insects have eight leg , just likespiders . They ’re at their worst when it ’s blistering and dry , as they seek wet from plants . Their suckingcauses mottling and sometimes websin risky cases . At this stop , they ’re unmanageable to remove and can subjugate the plant life ’s air circulation .
Scale Insects
Another sapsucker , scale leaf insect love strong and dry climates , which make certain houseplants the idealistic home . They havesmall , flat , oval dead body that see like waxy - brown disk .
Thrips
Fly - like insects , these dark brown and petite bugs hop around between plant . With their unique asymmetrical mouths , they pierce folio and flower and suck sap . As a result , plant get silvery mottling and streaking , and the leaf developsmall red ball under the leavesthat eventually turn black .
Vine Weevils
One of the worst pests on this list , they can make serious damage both as adults and larvae . When adults , they lookbeetle - likeand fiesta on all theatrical role of the plant . The larva are fertile , white with brown heads , and legless . They live in compost and chew industrial plant root .
How to Prevent Houseplant Bugs
Chances are , your plant will sustain from pests at some peak while in your concern . However , your dear combat against houseplant pests is to avoid them in the first place .
Here are some bar wind , compliment of David .
Non-Chemical Control of Pests and Diseases
Healthy plants are much less susceptible to getting pests and disease . With the right-hand amount of pee , sun , air , and solid food , they stand a much greater chance against the conflict against pest . If you do spot these pests , do n’t panic . There ’s batch you could do to get rid of them the natural mode !
Here ’s how David suggests you take care of houseplant pests in your home .
Frequently Asked Questions About Houseplant Pests
When await at which pestis are affecting your houseplant , first see if you may physically see the pests . Some are good at concealing than others ( determine under leaves and in the soil ) . observe their color and their eubstance shape . Some take flight while others creep . Next , look at the price done to the plants . For deterrent example , some plague will bequeath behind honeydew melon while others webbing . The character of damage done can help distinguish the plant .
Some of the bad houseplant pest include vine weevil , red spider mites , aphids , and mealybugs . However , any houseplant pest can be bad if not operate . When allow , they can propagate to other houseplant and eventually kill their horde plants if they are neglected . Always isolate infested industrial plant and work on getting rid of the pest as soon as potential .
More Tips of Growing on Houseplants
Share this post:
