Prevent Houseplant Pests With These Simple Tips!
Here’s how you can prevent houseplant pests from infesting your plants
Taking care of houseplants is a relaxing hobby. But if you really want to strike fear in the hearts of any indoor plant collectors just whisper “pests”! Houseplant pests are incredibly stressful and can be very hard to get rid of. They can tear through an entire collection in a matter of days. We can all agree that taking the steps to prevent houseplant pests is much easier than battling an infestation.
Here are a few simple steps to prevent houseplant pests in your jungle!
1. Inspect Plants Before Bringing Them Home
One of the quickest ways houseplant pests can infiltrate your home is by bringing them home with you from the garden centre, big box store, or online. Check plants thoroughly for signs of pests, particularly under the leaves. You might also catch them crawling around in the soil. Do this before bringing new plants home.
Signs to look out for:
- Tiny yellow spots on the leaves or stems
- Webbing between the stems or under the leaves
- “Dust” under the leaves
- Pests crawling around in the soil
- Pests flying around your plant
- New growth emerging is already yellowing or crispy
- General unhappiness or stress
We will dive deeper into this as we cover the different types of pests and how to spot them!
2. Isolate and continue to monitor new plants at home
Having said that, it’s also important to isolate and monitor new plants even after bringing them home. Continue to monitor for pests because there might be eggs or larva hiding in the soil that your eyes might not detect. Pests are particularly attracted to plants in distress and moving to a new environment can be stressful on any plant which can wake up those pests. This is especially important if you plan on introducing your new houseplant to a larger collection, because of you bring pests in they will spread quickly!
Check out more information on what to do when you bring a houseplant home.
3. Learn Which Type of Pests Your Houseplant is More Susceptible to Getting
Wait…there are different types?
Yes, and we will cover some of the different types of houseplant pests in the coming weeks. Learning which type of pest your plants are more prone to getting is a great line of defence when it comes to preventing them in the first place. For example, calatheas and leafy foliage plants may be more susceptible to spidermites and thrips, whereas you may be more likely to find mealy bugs on your succulents or Hoyas.
4. Continue to Check Your Houseplants Regularly
Check, check, and check some more!
It can mean the difference between spotting one lone mealy bug and treating the plant right away, and finding them all over your favourite plant which might not be salvageable. It sounds very paranoid—but you don’t have to be! As you go around watering your plants, or misting your plants, flip over some leaves and take a peak at them. “Visit” with your houseplants regularly and check for anything amiss. It can be just as meditative as the rest of the plant owning process. Best of all, it is sure to prevent houseplant pests from getting out of control.
5. Keep Your Leaves Clean
Houseplant pests love to hide in dusty leaves. Prevent a houseplant pest outbreak by keeping your leaves sparkling clean! Incorporate some leaf-cleaning into your plant care routine and wipe down the leaves and stems of your plant. Don’t forget the backside of those leaves too!
Apart from preventing houseplant pests, cleaning your leaves actually helps them with more efficient photosynthesis, without the dust blocking the sun. Another added bonus? Your plant looks even more beautiful and bright with those brilliantly clean leaves!
6. Prune Any Yellowing or Dead Leaves
This is another plant care practice that has multiple benefits! Prevent houseplant pests, who like to hide in crispy yellow leaves, by pruning any dead or dying foliage from the plant as you see them. Even though it is natural for houseplants to drop older leaves in favour of new growth, if you notice your plant has an excessive amount of yellowing or crispy leaves, pests might be the cause! Check your plant if it is unhappy for seemingly no other reason.
Even if pests aren’t the cause, your plant will appreciate the haircut as it will redirect its energy into growing new leaves over saving the old ones.
7. Give Your Plants A Shower!
A great way to prevent houseplant pests is by giving your leafy foliage plants specifically a good shower every once and a while. Spray the leaves and stems down, which will knock off any stray pests from the plant.
This of course, may not be suitable for all houseplant types as some are more susceptible to leaf rot or stem rot, so do your research before you go ahead and bring your plants to the shower. Water will also inevitably end up in the soil as well so it helps to time this out when your plants are ready for a drink anyway to avoid overwatering.
8. Apply Pest Preventative Solutions
There are many sprays, solutions, soaps and oils that you can apply to your houseplants as a pest preventative measure. Some plant parents apply neem oil as well to prevent houseplant pests.
A great DIY mixture you can try:
- A few drops of Doctor Bronner’s Castile Soap
- 1-2 drops of peppermint oil
- Diluted in a spray bottle with distilled water
The peppermint oil is a pest deterrent (and smells wonderful!) and the soap will also clean your leaves. First you spray on the solution, then you gently wipe the leaves with a microfibre cloth. You can also spray the solution into a cloth and gently wipe the leaves down.
*Always test any solution on a leaf or two first before applying!
9. Keep Treatment Measures Nearby!
It’s easy to be lulled into a sense of security with your plant hobby. You think, it won’t happen to me. But when it comes to pests—acting quickly is the key to gaining control of the situation. You want to stop an outbreak from becoming an infestation. A few great things to have on hand include:
- 70% Rubbing Alcohol
- Q-Tips or Cotton Balls (or environmentally friendly equivalent)
- Insecticidal or Horticultural Soap
- Neem Oil
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Yellow Sticky Tapes
- Mosquito Dunks
A full blog will be coming soon, but this is a good starting point.
Was This List Helpful?
This list is of course, just scratching the surface when it comes to houseplant pests. I will soon be offering several deep dives into the different types of pests and how to prevent and treat them. In the meantime, here is a list of excellent sources that I have found very useful in my journey to prevent houseplant pests and treat them too!
Be sure to let me know which houseplant pest prevention tactics have worked for you! And follow my plant journey on Instagram @plantyquirkyblogger !
Additional Resources:
One Comment
Pingback: