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From changes in texture to spotted leaves, it's important to identity and control indoor plant pests as quickly as possible. Whether you have lush foliage or small potted succulents, knowing what to do is vital to keep your houseplants pest free.
There are several types of houseplant bugs that can infest indoor plants. Some of the most common ones include:
- Mealybugs (they look like cotton or white powder)
- Spider mites (you will spot fine webbing on your houseplants)
- Whiteflies (they lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves)
- Fungus Gnats (also known as soil gnats, which breed in potting soil)
- Aphids (often found in outdoor gardens)
- Scale (which tend to look like brown, tan, greyish bumps on the leaf surface)
- Thrips (they look like small black bugs)
Are you wondering what you can do to get rid of houseplant pests? To help you know what to do, Essential Living have revealed the natural ways to banish them for good...
1. Isolate the houseplant
If your houseplant is infected with pests, it's important to stop the spread — especially if it's in a room with other plants. Make sure you isolate the plant (such as placing it outdoors or in another room) while also monitoring your surrounding plants closely for signs of pests in around three to four weeks.
Essential Living
2. Deep clean your plants
It can be frustrating when pests ruin our beloved plants, but a fuss-free way to restore their health is to simply give them a good clean. You can either use a little soapy water or a damp cloth to wipe away the pests.
Essential Living advise: "Thoroughly clean the area where the plant was sitting using soapy water. For extra precaution, you can also sterilise the area by rubbing it with alcohol. Just be careful not to touch your eyes whilst doing so."
Essential Living
3. Use natural soaps and detergents
Once you have cleaned the glossy leaves using water, now it's time to wash the infested plant with insecticidal soap (or a mild all-natural soap). When choosing your detergent, avoid any which contain degreasers as these can harm sensitive plants. Before applying it onto your plant, try dabbing the soap lightly first to double-check it won't cause any harm.
4. Use alcohol
If you find that live bugs are still living on your houseplants, try soaking a cotton swap in alcohol and dabbing it lightly to remove them from the plant. As well as this, don't forget to wash the pot and plant tray with soapy water as pests can easily hide under the rim.
5. Use long-term plant pest control prevention
"Your plants should be fully disinfested by now, however, to make sure they can restore a healthy condition and avoid an infestation going forward, you can treat the plant with neem oil which worlds as a long-term indoor plant pest control and prevention," the team advise.
"Alternatively, you could use horticultural oil or a hot pepper wax concentrate which can protect up to two weeks per spray."
Essential Living
6. Try all-natural herbal sprays
Keep chemicals out of the home by getting rid of bugs using an all-natural herbal spray. According to research by Smart Garden Guide, herbs such as basil, peppermint, lavender, sage and rosemary can help to banish the pesky creatures (they don't like their strong scent).
In order to make your own spray, crush a handful of herbs before placing them into a container with a lid. Then, add three cups of water, seal and let it sit for at least 24 hours. Afterwards, you can strain the water into a spray bottle, adding a little mild dish soap to the water. Make sure you shake the mix before spraying and then use the spray on your plant once a day.
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