Keeping Plants Bug-Free in Honor of National Houseplant Appreciation Day
In honor of National Houseplant Appreciation Day, we’ve decided to treat our readers to a few tips on how to keep your plants bug-free. After all, it’s not easy being green when you’re at the mercy of common houseplant bugs like aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. And houseplants do so much to enhance the quality of our homes and overall health, it’s worthwhile to learn a few ways to protect them from creepy-crawlies like mealybugs and fungus gnats.
Take a look at the most common culprits threatening your houseplants, along with some tried-and-true tips for getting rid of them, once and for all.
Houseplants and Your Health
When it comes to optimizing your health and the health of your home, it’s a great idea to invest in a few houseplants for good reason. Although there are more than 5 Benefits of Houseplants, the prime perks of having plants in your home include possible:
- Improved respiratory function, thanks to oxygen-producing houseplants like succulents and orchids
- Purified and hydrated air in spaces where houseplants sit
- Increased attentiveness and focus observed in those working near houseplants
- Overall health boost (decreased fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and even flu-like symptoms)
Of course, in order to reap these benefits, you need to ensure that you’re starting with healthy houseplants and taking some precautions to keep them that way.
Common Houseplant Bugs
Of all the houseplant bug varieties, the most common types you’re likely to observe on your houseplants include aphids, fungus gnats, mealybugs, scales, spider mites, and whiteflies. These bugs might have hitched a ride on your plants when you purchased them from the garden center, or could have already laid claim to some leafy landscape if you inherited them from a friend, family member or neighbor.
But no matter where they came from, you’ll want to get rid of these bugs at the first sign so that your houseplants stay healthy. Depending on the type of bug you’re dealing with, here are some hints on how to get rid of common houseplant bugs. No matter the specific type of bug, the following three strategies take care of most. So, if you’re having a hard time identifying the particular pest in question, try one of these suggestions.
Help Your Houseplants with Three Common Solutions
One of the first steps you’ll want to take in order to remove any houseplant bugs, larvae, or eggs from the foliage and soil is to spray and wipe down the leaves with water. This will clear the plant of any bugs you can, and even those that are too small, to see.
Secondly, once clean, it’s a good idea to wipe the leaves with neem oil, which keeps pests at bay and makes it harder to lay eggs on the leaf surface. If the infestation was particularly bad, try repotting the plant and routinely spray a mixture of water and neem oil on the leaves and stems.
Finally, you can always call in some reinforcements in the form of natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings, especially if you’re attempting to get rid of aphids or mealybugs.
Routine care is key to keeping your plants bug-free. Show your houseplants some appreciation by making sure you’re not over-watering them as extra moisture provides a perfect breeding ground for pests like fungus gnats. Taking the time to dust the leaves of your houseplants on a regular basis will also keep them clear of bugs and eggs.
If you think your pest problem has blossomed beyond houseplants, contact our pest control professionals today.
