Pest-Free House Plant Tips and Tricks
Every gardener knows that outdoor plants can be affected by pests, but surprisingly, indoor plants aren’t always safe either. Indoor plants can be infested with fungus gnats, scale, whiteflies, and many other types of bugs. Try the tips below to keep your houseplants pest-free!
Inspect New Plants
Before you purchase new plants for your home, inspect them carefully for signs of pest issues. If you bring infested plants home, the bugs could spread to your other houseplants. Check the undersides of the leaves, the stems, and even in the soil for signs of bugs.
Sometimes, plants that look pest-free actually aren’t. They could have pest eggs on them or very young pests that are hard to detect. When you bring new plants home, it’s a good idea to quarantine them for a month or so. That helps protect the rest of your plants.
De-Bug Indoor Plants
Occasionally, take your indoor plants outside and debug them. This can be done by spraying the plants with room-temperature water. The force of the water will help wash away insects before they get a chance to infest your plants.
Use Insecticidal Soap
Despite your best efforts, pests could infest your indoor plants. When this happens, you don’t need to discard your plants; you can control the pests. Before you try any control methods, make sure you identify the specific pest you’re dealing with. Many plant diseases and insect problems can be confused with each other, and the methods that work for one problem may not work for another.
Insecticidal soap products can be used to control various types of bugs. These products are available at garden centers. Some plants can be damaged by insecticidal soaps, so always test a few leaves before applying the products to the entire plant.
Use a Plant-Sitter
Have you ever come back from a trip, only to discover that bugs infested your plants while you were gone? To keep this from happening again, ask a friend to check on your plants while you’re away. If any pest problems develop, they can be treated before you return.
Stay on Top of Routine Pest Control
You don’t need to wait until you have a pest problem to think about pest control. Preventative treatments around your home can help keep away the bugs that could infest your plants.
Many types of bugs want to live in your indoor plants, but you can take precautions to keep them away. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to call the pros!
Apex Pest Control is one of the most trusted Orlando pest removal companies in the state. We’re proud of the work we do to help keep the homes, landscape, and businesses in our community free from harmful plants, insects, and animals, while also striving to maintain a balance with the ecosystem as a whole. Check out our blog or contact us today to learn more about Orlando pest removal!
