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How to get rid of bugs on plants


How to Get Rid of Bugs on Indoor Plants

Sometimes even the word pest is enough to disturb the zen of our indoor garden. It’s easier to tolerate them outside (after all, bugs are part of the landscape), but when they invade the comfort of our own living room—that thought alone can keep us up at night. Fortunately, it’s often easy to manage pests on indoor plants with little more than some water, a cotton swab, and a soap solution. Here’s a guide to get rid of bugs you may encounter:   

Often, successful treatment is as simple as washing away the insects with water or dislodging them with a cotton swab.

 

Aphids


These are the tiny pear-shaped insects that you’ve probably seen outside in the vegetable plot. They can find their way onto indoor plants, too, and like to cluster around new leaves and flower buds. They suck the sap from the plant and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew.

How to get rid of these bugs: Remove any heavily infested parts of the plant. Wipe off insects elsewhere with a damp rag or spray them off with water in the bathtub. You can also dislodge them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or vegetable oil, or spray them with insecticidal soap. Keep removing them weekly until they’re gone.  

 

 

Fungus Gnats


They are small, dark-bodied flies that resemble fruit flies. They lay eggs in the top layers of soil and feed on decaying plant material. In their larval stage, they also feed on your plant’s roots. As an adult fly, they are harmless to you and the plant but can become a nuisance as they buzz around your room. 

How to get rid of these bugs: Dry out their habitat by letting the top two inches of soil desiccate completely in between waterings. Water your plant from the saucer and remove the water after an hour or so. Spray the soil lightly with insecticidal soap if you spot a resurgence.   

 

Mealybugs


They are slow-moving bugs about the size of a dill seed that look like they’re covered in flour. Their eggs look like tufts of cotton and form on leaves and stems. Like an aphid, they suck the sap out of your hottest houseplants and secrete honeydew that attracts a sooty black fungus. 

How to get rid of these bugs: Dip a cotton swab in vegetable oil or rubbing alcohol and remove the bugs and eggs from your plant.   

 

 

Scale


Another sap-sucker, these bugs appear as tan or brown oval bumps on leaves or stems. Sometimes they look like part of the plant itself. If it’s indeed a scale bug, you should be able to scrape it off. 

How to get rid of these bugs: A cotton swab comes to the rescue here once again. Dip it in vegetable oil or rubbing alcohol and remove the bugs from the plant. The eggs are invisible to the human eye, so observe the plant closely for the following weeks and remove other scale bugs that you see. For bad infestations, neem oil or insecticidal soap may be necessary.     

 

 

Spider Mites


These tiny red spiders are nearly invisible to the naked eye but leave telltale webs between leaves and stems. They also feed on plants’ sap. Infected leaves may show tiny dots of yellow or become dry and limp while remaining green. 

How to get rid of these bugs: it’s important to isolate the infected plant so the mites don’t spread. You can spray the plant with water in your bathtub to remove the webbing and mites. Wipe away any remaining bugs with a cloth. Repeat the process every few days until the infestation disappears. If they persist, you may opt to use an insecticidal soap.      

 

Springtails


The presence of these tiny jumping insects is often a sign of overwatering. They inhabit the soil, feeding on decaying plant matter, and do not actually harm the plant or us. However, they can become a nuisance in large numbers. 

How to get rid of these bugs: let the top two inches of soil dry out completely in between waterings, and water from the saucer, removing the water after about one hour. Clean any dead plant material off the soil surface.    

 

 

Whiteflies


They look more like tiny white moths than flies. They often hang out on the underside of leaves and fly up when you touch or water the plant. They suck sap from the plant in their nymph stage and then lay more eggs on the underside of leaves when they turn into adults. Infected leaves may become yellow or stunted. 

How to get rid of these bugs: isolate your infected plant away from other houseplants. Remove infested leaves, and spray them off the plant with water before spraying with insecticidal soap. Repeat the process once per week until they disappear. 

 

 

To avoid bugs spreading in the first place, make a habit of looking for pests when you water your indoor plants. If you discover any, it’s always important to quarantine the plant away from the other indoor plants, if possible, while treating the infection. Often, successful treatment is as simple as washing away the insects with water or dislodging them with a cotton swab. The key is to be persistent and quell their numbers before they multiply. As a last resort, you always have the option to use an insecticidal spray. 

For more houseplant tips, check out our Advanced Houseplant Care blog, and feel free to visit our garden centers in Carpentersville and Bloomingdale. Don’t forget to download our Winter Garden Guide to explore all of your indoor gardening opportunities this season! 

Platt Hill Nursery is Chicago’s premier garden center and nursery.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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How To Get Rid Of Bugs On Houseplants

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Figuring out how to get rid of indoor plant bugs is extremely frustrating, and it can be very difficult to control houseplant pests. In this post, I’ll show you how to identify the most common pests. Then you’ll learn how to get rid of bugs on houseplants naturally, and get tons of tips for how to keep bugs off indoor plants, for good.

One of the biggest frustrations an indoor gardener can face is finding bugs on a beloved houseplant.

Not only is it frustrating, but indoor plant bugs can quickly kill the plant too. Ugh!

You may have already had issues with a houseplant pest infestation before, and never realized it.

Maybe your indoor plant seemed perfectly healthy one day, then the next it started to die and you couldn’t figure out how to save it.

Or maybe you had one that you knew was infested, but you didn’t know what to do – so you just threw it out (how you like me now bugs!?).

 

Don’t despair my friends! There are many ways to control houseplant pests. We can win the battle, and get rid of bugs on houseplants for good!

In this detailed guide, I will show you exactly how to get rid of houseplant bugs naturally, and prevent them from ever coming back.

Table of Contents

What Are Houseplant Pests?

Houseplant pests are tiny bugs or mites that feed on the leaves, stems and/or roots. There are many different types of bugs that can infest indoor plants.

Some will crawl around on the leaves or in the soil, and some can fly. Others don’t appear to move at all, and look more like a fungus or disease.

Regardless of how they move around (or don’t move), they are all extremely annoying!

Wait, What? My Houseplants Have Bugs!?

I know, it seems really weird that a plant growing indoors can get infested with bugs, but it’s a very common problem.

Trust me, I’ve been growing houseplants most of my life, so I’ve dealt with my fair share of infestations.

It’s no fun. But, if you have houseplants, at some point you will probably have to deal with plant pests. It just goes with the territory.

Why Does My Indoor Plant Have Bugs?

Infestations are worse in the house than they are outside because there are no natural predators to control houseplant pests.

Though houseplants can be infested with bugs any time during the year, they are most vulnerable in the winter. Here’s why…

  • Houseplants go into a state of dormancy during the winter, which can make them more prone to attacks from pests.
  • Winter growth on a many houseplants is weaker than it is in the summer, making it more vulnerable to infestation.
  • Humidity levels are much lower in the house during the winter, which is the perfect breeding ground for some types of plant bugs. Plus, your plants don’t get any fresh air.

Where Did These Plant Bugs Come From?

In order to get rid of bugs on houseplants, and keep them from coming back, it’s important to know where they came from in the first place.

Houseplant bugs are tiny and can seem to appear from nowhere. Below I will list a few common ways a houseplant can become infested with bugs, but you can read all about where houseplant pests come from here.

  • bags of potting soil
  • new plants
  • open windows and doors
  • a plant that was outside
  • fresh flowers or produce
Scale insects on houseplants

How To Identify Common Houseplant Pests

If you suspect that you have indoor plant bugs, below is a quick list to help you with plant pest identification. You can learn more about how to identify each one here.

Click on the links below to read detailed information about each of these common houseplant bugs, and learn exactly how to kill them…

Spider webs or tiny spiders on houseplants – If you see spider webs on the leaves or stems of your plant, that is a sure sign of spider mites. If you look closely you may even see microscopic bugs crawling around on the webbing. Yuck! Learn exactly how to get rid of spider mites here.

Tiny white flying insects on indoor plants leaves – If there are small white bugs that look like tiny flies that flutter around the plant every time it’s disturbed (cough, cough), that means your houseplant has whiteflies. Here’s how to get rid of whiteflies.

Small, slender black, brown, or green bugs with pointy tails – Are there tiny, long and skinny bugs scatter about on the leaves of your houseplants? Ack, those are thrips. Learn how to get rid of thrips here.

Clusters of fat, juicy brown, red, or green bugs on plants, flower buds or new growth. You may also notice tiny white flakes or specks on and around the plant. Gross, those are aphids. Learn how to get rid of aphids here.

Green aphids on houseplants

Hard crusty bumps or brown spots on houseplants leaves or stems – Spots or bumps on the stems and leaf joints that can easily be flaked off with a fingernail is houseplant scale. You may also notice a sticky substance on indoor plants leaves, or around the area where the plant is sitting. Ewe! Read all about how to get rid of scale here.

Tiny bugs in houseplant soil – Do you see tiny black or white bugs in plant soil, or gnats that look like fruit flies flying around your houseplants? Yep, those are fungus gnats. Find the details for how to get rid of fungus gnats here.

White fluffy stuff on houseplant stems and leaf joints – If there’s white stuff on plants that looks like cotton or mildew, then it has mealybugs. You may also notice sticky leaves on houseplants, or the area around the plant may be covered in a sticky residue. Ick! Learn exactly how to get rid of mealybugs here.

Mealybugs on houseplants stem and leaves

Why You Should Use Natural Pesticides On Houseplants

I never recommend using synthetic chemical pesticides on plants. Not only are those toxic chemicals bad for our health, they don’t always work to kill plant bugs.

Over time, houseplant bugs can build up immunity to chemicals and become resistant to them. That’s why it’s important to use all-natural pest control methods.

It’s always best to know which pest your dealing with before you begin treating your plant so that you are sure to get rid of them as fast as possible.

But below are some general tips for getting rid of any kind of indoor plant insect, whether they are on the leaves, flying around the plant, or in the plants soil.

To learn more, read about my natural homemade pest control remedies for houseplants here.

How To Get Rid Of Bugs In Houseplants Naturally

If you find any pests on houseplants, it’s important to act fast and begin treatment immediately!

You want to control houseplant pests as quickly as possible to prevent them from spreading to your other plants.

When it comes to pesticides, it’s always best to stick with natural methods and products.

All of the methods I recommend for controlling houseplant pests are all-natural products or home remedies, and they work great!

Home remedies to kill bugs on indoor plants

How To Get Rid Of Bugs On Indoor Plants Leaves

Most common houseplant bugs feed on plants, and will be found on the leaves, flower buds and/or the stems. Here are some tips for getting rid of bugs on indoor plants naturally…

1. Isolate the plant – The first thing to do is immediately isolate the plant to prevent the infestation from spreading to your other houseplants. Also be sure to monitor the surrounding plants closely for signs of indoor plant pests for several weeks.

2. Clean surrounding area – Some bugs can leave the plant and hide for a long time. So be sure to thoroughly clean the area where the plant was sitting using soapy water. You can also sterilize the area with rubbing alcohol if you want.

3. Wash plant leaves – Wash the infested plant with insecticidal soap, or use a mild liquid soap. Soap kills houseplant bugs on contact. Be careful with the type you use though. Some contain degreasers and detergents that can harm sensitive plants. Always spot-test any type of soap on your plants before washing all of the leaves.

4. Clean the pot – Wash the pot and plant tray with soapy water too. Houseplant pests can easily hid under the rim of the pot or tray, or even on the bottoms of them.

5. Remove the bugs – Use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol and dab it on the bugs to kill and remove them from the plant.

6. Treat the plant – Treat the plant with neem oil for long-term indoor plant pest control and prevention. Neem oil is a natural insecticide for indoor plants that works to kill and repel bugs. You can learn all about how to use neem oil insecticide here. Alternatively, you could use horticultural oil or try using a hot pepper spray.

Using natural houseplant bug spray to kill plant bugs

How To Get Rid Of Tiny Flying Bugs On Houseplants

Most indoor plant insects fly at some point in their lifecycle, which makes them even more difficult to control.

But killing the flying bugs alone isn’t going to be enough to eliminate a houseplant pest infestation. You need to kill the eggs and nymphs in order to get rid of insects on indoor plants all together.

So be sure to follow the steps above for getting rid of bugs on plant leaves in addition to these steps. Here are a few additional tips for getting rid of flying houseplant pests…

Use yellow sticky traps or houseplant sticky stakes to capture and kill little flying bugs in houseplants. This will help to control them, is non-toxic, and can prevent them from flying to nearby plants too.

Suck the flying bugs up with the vacuum cleaner. This works well to get a large population of flying indoor plant pests under control quickly. Just be careful not to suck up the plant leaves in the process.

Using sticky traps to kill flying insects in houseplants

How To Get Rid Of Bugs In Houseplants Soil

Many types of houseplant pests can be found in potting soil, especially fungus gnats. So any time you find bugs on your houseplants, be sure to check the soil too, and treat it if necessary.

Here are a few tips for how to get rid of bugs in the soil of houseplants…

1. Replace top layer of soil – Remove the top inch of soil and throw it out. Then replace it with fresh potting soil or a soil cover. Using a soil cover like fine sand or a natural top dressing can help prevent a future infestation.

2. Use a soil drench – Drench the soil with an organic pesticide for houseplants. You could use an organic insecticidal soap (I make my own using 1 tsp mild liquid soap to 1 liter of water). Or try a neem oil solution (which can work for systemic houseplant insect control). Be careful not to overwater your plant in the process though.

3. Water properly – Ensure you’re watering your houseplants properly, the soil should never be soggy. Wet soil is not only bad for houseplants, it’s a breeding ground for pests like fungus gnats. If you struggle with watering, I recommend getting an inexpensive soil water meter to help you get it right.

4. Properly store unused soil – Store your unused potting soil in a bug-proof container, houseplant pests can’t live without air. I use a 5 gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid (this airtight seal lid is perfect).

Using a soil cover to get rid of bugs in houseplants soil

How To Keep Bugs Out Of Indoor Plants For Good!

In order to get rid of houseplant pests, you must be vigilant in fighting them. You can’t just treat the plant one time and expect to kill all of the indoor plant insects, nymphs and eggs.

It can take several treatments to eliminate them for good. So once you start treating a plant, inspect it daily and continue treatment until all signs of the infestation are gone.

Most common houseplant pests multiply very quickly, and it takes several treatments to control them, and eventually get rid of them completely.

How To Prevent Bugs In Houseplants

Once you get rid of bugs on houseplants, you don’t want them to come back, right!? The best long-term defense against any houseplant infestation is preventive pest control.

So here are a few more tips for how to keep indoor plants pest free and healthy for the long run.

1. Never use dirty pots – Always clean and disinfect pots and plant trays before reusing them. You can wash them with soapy water or, if they are sturdy enough, run them through the dishwasher.

2. Monitor your plants – Check your plants on a regular basis for signs of indoor plant pests. I usually do this each time I water my plants.

3. Do not repot an infested plant – Never repot a plant just because it has a bug problem. Repotting can further stress an unhealthy houseplant, which could end up killing the plant.

4. Use sterile potting soil – Always use fresh, sterile commercial potting soil to repot plants – and never, never use garden soil! If you’re repotting a houseplant that doesn’t have any bugs, it’s fine to reuse the soil in the new container for the same plant. But you should never reuse potting soil from one houseplant to repot another plant.

5. Inspect all new plants – Whenever you bring home a new plant, make sure that you inspect it closely for any signs of bugs. It’s also good to isolate new houseplants for a few weeks to make sure no bugs show up.

6. Keep your tools clean – Sterilize your pruning shears and other tools every time you use them. You can wash them with soap and water, or dip them in rubbing alcohol between uses.

7. Wash your hands – Always wash your hands after handling an infested plant.

8. Debug outdoor plants – If you put any houseplants outside for the summer, be sure to debug them before bringing them back inside in the fall. Learn how to debug plants before bringing them indoors here.

Healthy, pest free indoor plants

FAQs About Controlling Houseplant Pests

Below you will find answers to some of the most common questions I get about controlling houseplant pests. If you can’t find the answer to your question after reading through this post and the FAQs, then please ask it in the comments section below and I’ll answer it ASAP.

Do houseplants attract bugs?

Yes! And some types of houseplants are more attractive to bugs than others are.

What is eating my indoor plants?

Most houseplant bugs feed on plants by sucking the sap out of the leaves. So, if you’re finding holes in the leaves, or parts of the leaves are being eaten, then there’s some other bug to blame. Inspect the leaves closely to see if you can find the culprit.

What can I spray on my houseplants to kill bugs?

I recommend using organic insecticidal soap or a mild liquid soap for washing the leaves. Then spraying the plant with neem oil (a natural insecticide for houseplants) for long-term organic pest control.

Just be sure to always use a natural pest control spray because indoor plant pests can build up resistance to synthetic pesticides.

How do you kill bugs in potting soil?

If you have a bag of potting soil that’s infested with bugs, there are a few ways to kill them. If you live in a cold climate, simply put the bag of soil outside, and allow it to freeze completely.

Otherwise, store your unused potting soil in an airtight container. A basic 5 gallon bucket with an airtight seal lid works great.

Is it normal to have bugs in houseplants?

No, it is not normal to have bugs in your houseplants. Don’t feel bad about it though, because it is a very common problem. But you don’t have to just live with it. You can eliminate them, and have bug-free indoor plants!

It can be very difficult to control houseplant pests, and recurring infestations are no fun. But now that you know how to get rid of houseplant bugs and keep them from coming back, you can win the battle!

If you’re tired of constantly fighting houseplant pests, and you’re ready to get rid of them for good, then my Houseplant Pest Control eBook is for you! It’s has everything you need to know so that you can debug your houseplants, and keep them bug free! Download your copy today!

More Posts About Houseplant Pest Control

  • How To Keep Cats Out Of Houseplants
  • Fungus Gnats vs Fruit Flies: What’s The Difference?

How do you control houseplant pests? Leave a comment below and share your tips for how to get rid of plant bugs.

How to get rid of bugs in flower pots

If you think that midges swarming around a flower and bugs crawling in the soil mean that a flower can be thrown away, then you are mistaken. There are a lot of methods for dealing with unpleasant insects, you can choose the most suitable for you.

If there are too many larvae in the soil, and the plant can be transplanted, then transplanting into clean soil will be the best solution. When transplanting a plant, be sure to throw out all the infected soil in a tightly tied bag. nine0003

Before transplanting the flower into a new soil, carefully clean the roots with a brush and rinse in a solution of potassium permanganate. The new earth will also need to be prepared, for this you can put it in the oven for one hour at a temperature of 120 degrees. After such calcination, do not forget to restore the soil with some kind of fertilizer.

Contents

  • Solutions according to popular recipes
  • Dipping the plant in water
  • Orange peels

Traditional solutions

Stop watering your plant and wait for the potting soil to dry out.

Get rid of all adult insects. You can set traps made of bright yellow paper smeared with sweet honey. Or use a vacuum cleaner.

Now loosen the potting soil and water it with one of the following recipes:

    • Grind one head of garlic into a pulp and dilute the resulting mass in 600 ml of boiling water. Leave the solution to cool and infuse for three hours. After that, pour the plant with the resulting product, also spray some of the product on the leaves. And the gruel remaining at the bottom can be mixed into the soil of the plant. Small pieces of garlic can also be stuffed into the flower pots of plants adjacent to the infected flower. nine0013
    • Dilute the potassium permanganate until the solution is almost colorless. Water and spray the flower with this solution every month.
    • You can water and spray the plant with a solution of laundry soap. To do this, grate a small amount of soap on a fine grater and dissolve it in warm water.
    • Sulfuric water: use the most common matches. You just need to stick a few matches in the pot with their heads down and water the plant. For one week, you need to change matches every two days. nine0013
    • Once a week, water the diseased plant with a solution of deworming agent for cats and dogs. This can be found in any veterinary pharmacy. Use dosage for puppies and kittens.

Toxic Greenhouse:

  1. Stop watering the plant for a while until the soil is sufficiently dry.
  2. When the soil is dry, carefully loosen it with a small stick.
  3. Place the plant in a heavy polyethylene bag and spray a small amount of Dichlorvos inside, the product should be predominantly in the soil. It is necessary to avoid getting the product on the leaves, because this can lead to the death of the plant. Then close the bag tightly. Make sure that the package does not crush the leaves of the plant. To do this, you can stick a couple of sticks into the ground, on which the "greenhouse" will be stretched. nine0013
  4. Leave the plant in the product bag for 7-10 hours.
  5. While the plant is in the bag, it is necessary to achieve the destruction of all midges that did not fall into the toxic "greenhouse". To do this, you can make special traps.
  6. You can repeat the procedure after a week so that midges and bugs do not appear again.

Lowering the plant into water

This method is one of the simplest and at the same time effective. You just need to draw water into the bath or into any container. Place the plant there so that the water completely covers it. Keep the flower in water for several hours. All bugs, midges and larvae will die and just float up. Then pour out the water and rinse the plant thoroughly. nine0003

Orange peels

In the fight against unwanted bugs and midges, you can use orange peels. Simply crush the orange peels and spread them over the surface of the soil in the pot, digging some inside. This will not only help get rid of insects, but also give the room a fresh citrus scent.

Plants are sometimes endangered when bugs and midges infest them. But, as you can see, getting rid of harmful insects that have settled in your favorite indoor flowers is not so difficult and not at all expensive. You can always choose a tool that will appeal to you. nine0003

6 effective steps to get rid of insects in the garden

When you see insects on your plants, it's tempting to "spray first, ask questions later." But insects can be both enemies and friends in the garden, so it's important to figure out who you're dealing with before you act. Are insects really hurting your plants? If you do have "bad" bugs in your garden that you want to get rid of, then the best way to deal with them is through integrated pest control. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) consists of cultural, physical, biological and chemical tools used in such a way as to target the least toxic options needed to get the job done. Here's how to make this approach work for you. nine0003

You can use the BPI to kill bugs on any of your flowers, trees, bushes, and vegetables. Simply follow these steps with each type of garden bug you encounter, in order, until you reach the control level.

  1. Decide on acceptable pest levels

For example, what is the acceptable level of aphids? Some people can't take a single bug, while others tolerate a small amount because they do little overall damage. At the same time, a severe infection, which clearly causes the plant to die, requires action. However, if the plant is not suffering, just some cosmetic damage, some gardeners prefer to let nature take its course. nine0003

  1. Prevention practice

Crop rotation and attraction of beneficial insects or other predators is a cultural control strategy that can help minimize pest problems. For example, if you have an infestation of cabbage moth (small green caterpillars), you can stop growing plants such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower during the season to kill the moth population.

  1. Watch out for pests.

Inspect your garden at least once a week. In addition to looking for common pests that commonly appear in gardens, such as aphids, look for more specialized pests that you know tend to show up every year, such as cucumber beetles in your vegetable garden or sawflies on your roses. The sooner you catch a problem, the easier it will be to nip it in the bud. nine0003

  1. Physical violence

Small, soft-bodied pests such as aphids can be solved with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. If you find larger pests such as Japanese beetles or Colorado potato beetles in tomatoes, knock them off the plants into a bucket of soapy water. (If you're squeamish, wear gloves.) For some pests that create a localized problem, such as spider worms (caterpillars that build large web-like nests on the leaves of trees and shrubs), you can fix the problem by cutting off the infected branches. nine0003

  1. Biological warfare

Biological control can take many different forms, but in general, if you know that there is a living thing that has a lethal effect on pests, then its use is quite fair and justified. For example, sawflies can be treated with spinosasis, a natural chemical produced by soil bacteria that is toxic to insects but not to humans or pets. Similarly, the larvae of the Japanese beetle in the lawn can be controlled with milk spores, which are a natural fungus that infects the larvae. You can also use predatory "good bugs" against some insects, for example, ladybugs and lacewings eat aphids. nine0003

  1. Use chemical control

When everything else seems to be failing and you want to get rid of insects on your plants, you can try insecticide. There is a wide range of products to choose from, some of which are organic (made from natural sources such as neem) and some contain synthetic chemicals.

Learn more