Southern Style Cooking: Week 6: Getting Rid of Houseplant Pests

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Week 6: Getting Rid of Houseplant Pests

Welcome to Week 6!

Allison Bean, Editorial Director

You may think being inside keeps houseplants safe from pests, but it actually makes them a prime target. Without any natural predators indoors, once pests make their way inside and find your plants, they can multiply quickly and do serious damage. While the method of treatment varies based on the pest, the key to pest control for your indoor plants is early detection. And note, you'll only need to choose from the supplies listed below based on the pest infestation your plant has.

Supplies You'll Need

	Insecticidal soap
	Sticky traps
	Dryer sheets
	Pruning shears
	Cotton swabs
	Rubbing alcohol
	A soft brush

How to Get Rid of Common Houseplant Pests

Aphids

	Aphids look like small green, white, yellow, or black spots that can appear on all parts of a plant. They weaken plants by sucking on the stems and leaves.

	Aphids can reproduce so quickly that an infestation will cover the plant in days.

	Aphids are soft-bodied insects and can be killed quite easily by a strong blast of water in the shower or repeated sprays of insecticidal soap. They are persistent and you will need to remain diligent to rid your houseplants of these pests.

Fungus Gnats

	Fungus gnats are tiny flies that hover around indoor plants and fly up in a cloud when disturbed.

	Adults do not do much damage, but the larval stage feeds on feeder roots along with organic debris and fungus in the potting soil.

	They favor damp soil and are a bigger problem with seedlings than with established houseplants.

	You can catch the adults with yellow sticky traps, which will cut down on the population. Allow the soil to dry completely for several days, to kill any existing eggs and larvae.

	To deter the insects, try using dryer sheets.

Mealybugs

	Mealybugs look like small cottony white blobs, usually attached to the plant at the stem joints, but they may also be found along the stems.

	They slowly feed off the plants by sucking. Plants infested with mealybugs often look like they are drying out, even when they've been watered.

	Mealybugs are very hard to get rid of. If you catch the problem early, cut out the infested branches. You can also dab the mealybugs with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol.

	If your plant becomes severely infested, unfortunately it's best to get rid of them. The mealybugs are only going to spread and could move to other plants.

Scale

	Scales are small insects that attach themselves to the stem of a plant then cover themselves with a hard, oval-shaped shell. Like mealybugs, they slowly suck the sap from plants, leaving the plants too weak to sustain themselves.

	A scale infestation is very hard to get rid of. Pesticides often don't penetrate their hard shells. You may have some luck rubbing the scales off with your nail or a soft brush.

	Young scales have to crawl unprotected to a new location to set up shop and can be sprayed at this crawler stage with insecticidal soap. The soap has minimal effect on protected adults.

	If your plant becomes severely infested, unfortunately it's best to get rid of them. The mealybugs are only going to spread and could move to other plants.

Spider Mites

	Spider mites leave telltale webbing, especially on the inner joints of plants and in plants with lush foliage.

	These tiny mites are about the size of a pinhead and injure plants by sucking their juices. Attacked leaves will have yellow stippling.

	As the infestation gets worse, the leaves will turn totally yellow and brittle and quickly die.

	To get rid of spider mites, thoroughly spray the affected plants with insecticidal soap. Repeat as recommended on the label.

Whiteflies

	These tiny whiteflies tend to hide out on the underside of leaves and fly up in a puff when disturbed. They suck on leaves and stems, weakening plants and causing distortions and discolorations.

	Whiteflies reproduce very quickly, so catching them early will make eliminating them easier.

	You can catch them with yellow sticky traps and spray them with either insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. The spray must make contact with the insect to work.