Most household plants are kept inside the home, this offers them some protection from insects and other bugs. However, it doesn’t mean they’re immune to these problems. In fact, household plants tend to have weaker defenses to bugs and other issues.
The problem this creates is that your plants will quickly succumb to insects and diseases, that’s why it is so important to discover the most common insects on your household plants and what to do with them. You can find out more through your local pest control expert.
Aphids
Aphids remove sap from plants, this reduces their ability to grow as their nutrients are reduced. Aphids cling to the underside of the leaves and are a similar color to the leaves. If your plant is becoming sticky you’ve probably got an aphid issue, introducing ladybugs to your plants can help resolve this issue.
Spider Mites
These tiny mites are best seen with the aid of a microscope. They also live on the underside of the leaves and cover the plant with webbing, which protects them.
You’ll need to isolate the plant before using water mixed with a little dish soap, sponge this onto the plant and wipe the spider mites off, as well as the webbing.
Mealy Bugs
If you see a white cotton-like fluff on your leaves then you’ve probably got mealy bugs. This substance actually helps to prevent the bugs from being washed off the leaves.
The best way to get rid of mealybugs is to spray the plant with water and then coat it with neem oil, this will eliminate the bugs and prevent them from returning.
White Fly
These flies are white and feed on the plant. However, if you spray the plant with anything they’ll take off, and then land again as soon as you’ve finished.
Instead of worrying about the adults you need to break the cycle, you can do this by targeting the baby whiteflies.
Simply dip the leaves in insecticidal soap, this will kill off the baby whiteflies, solving the issue for good.
Thrips
Despite being dark-colored these bugs are small, making them surprisingly difficult to see. They also have wings so can easily fly to the next plant.
They extract the juices from the plant, leaving scar marks, which are more visible than the bugs. Because they take off when you start spraying and land somewhere else, it is best to isolate the plant first before trying to eliminate the whitefly.
Scale Insects
These insects are just 3mm long, making it very difficult to spot them until the plant is covered. They also have a hard brown outer shell that makes pesticides ineffective against them.
The best way to deal with these is to soak a cotton bud in alcohol and run it across the leaves of the plant, specifically where the scale insects are.
As with any insect issue, the real secret to resolving the issue successfully is being vigilant, this will allow you to identify insects early and eliminate them.