Preventing Houseplant Pest Infestations

Adding live plants to your home can help bring some of the outdoors inside and immediately increase your mood. However, while your favorite plants may help make your room feel a little more “homey”, it could be the source of a variety of annoying pests. In this article, we will look at some common houseplant pests and some of the things you can do to limit infestations that may occur.

What Houseplant Pests Are Common?

In nature, other species of bugs will typically feed on houseplant pests. When a plant is moved indoors the access these other bugs have to pests that could be hiding on the houseplant becomes limited. For instance, parasitic wasps and ladybugs can help limit the number of pests that are regularly feasting and living on your plants, making them excellent additions to a garden.

When outdoors, plants will typically undergo dramatic shifts in temperature throughout the solar cycle. When indoors, a plant receives a much more consistent temperature at all times and allows houseplant pests to thrive and quickly reproduce. Some common houseplant pests you may see include:

• Fungus Gnats
• Whiteflies
• Spider Mites
• Aphids
• Scale Bugs

Of the houseplant pests mentioned, perhaps the most annoying is the fungus gnat. Because they quickly reproduce, you will begin seeing these flying gnats parading around your home in seemingly every room and drowning in water surfaces that may be available, including your fresh cup of drinking water. But what can you do to avoid inviting these houseplant pests inside of your home?

How Can You Avoid Houseplant Bugs?

Before bringing plants inside of your home, it is important to carefully inspect them for evidence of stowaways. Be sure to look at the underside of leaves and around them stems before purchasing a new plant to ensure no pests are present. If possible, observe the topsoil to see if pests are visible as well.

Even if you think a plant doesn’t have visible pests on it, there’s a chance that their eggs could be present in the soil. When you get new plants, place them in a confined room or outdoors to see if any pests emerge. Using a light stream of water from your hose can help dislodge pests that may be attached and make them less likely to thrive inside of your home while creating a potential pest infestation.