5 Common indoor plant pests

You’ll be surely surprised to know that you’re not the only one who’s in love with your indoor plants – because sneaky bugs and pests love them too! Now that it is summertime (once again!), seasonal pests are out and about to invade and pester your home. If you thought, based on what has transpired from the beginning of the year 2020, that their urges or somewhat mission to be a nuisance to your household will be dampened by the pandemic, unfortunately, it is just wishful thinking. Apparently, pests seem to be not bothered (at all!) or cannot be hindered by a COVID-19 lockdown. Unless you can find reliable pest control near you whom you can trust to ensure an all-year-round Pest-Free home!

What Attract Pests to your Indoor Plants?

With the limitations brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, several hobbies or trends have emerged since the lockdown.  Among those trends is the avid infatuation with collecting indoor foliage plants and almost all things that are leafy! Though bringing in nature inside the house stemmed from the purpose of finding a way to cope with the isolation or simply to de-stress, it has also made us appreciate our homes more than ever. Thus, it includes the clear determination of ensuring our residence is safe to live in – not only from the Coronavirus but also eliminating houseplant pest infestation.

Just like its counterpart, indoor plants are most likely to be under attack from pests because of the ideal conditions for pest breeding. Pests are easily attracted to your houseplants due to the high humidity (being the biggest culprit for infestation) caused by overwatering and the occurrence of poor air circulation (which is most likely to happen when plants are placed too closely together, therefore, decreasing ventilation around your indoor plants). Even when you buy a new plant from a garden center, there is a chance that pests might find their way into your home after hitch-hiking on a leaf or two. 

So you might want to check out for the signs of the common nuisances that are attracted to your leafy companions at home. Several indications of pest damage would be the wilting and brown patches on leaves, and inspecting the soil and isolating newly bought plants are recommended. Also, look out for eggs and small insects that are usually hiding or nesting around the stem or on the underside of the leaves. Did you know that placing yellow sticky cards at the top of your plants can help you determine if your indoor plant is indeed pest-free? The color yellow is a great indicator because most bugs and insects are attracted to this kind of shade. Read: Environmentally friendly pest control

Identifying the Common Houseplant Pest Infestation

Caring and nurturing plants are considered therapeutic and offer benefits for one’s well-being. However, it might not be therapeutic at all if such common houseplant pests are not kept in check. Here are some of the common pests that may be attracted to your indoor plants: 

Fungus Gnats

If there is a pest considered to be the most annoying and even referred to as the bane to every gardener, that would be the Fungus Gnats. Attacks from this kind of pest are the most unwelcomed and unfortunately quite common to indoor plants. Though you might want to put extra care on your Geraniums, Carnations, and African violets because they love to infest these particular plants. You are most likely to see the visible infestation once there are adult gnats (resembling mosquitoes and grayish-black in color) buzzing around and are a flying nuisance. However, they may seem harmless when compared to the immature larvae that feed on the tender roots of the plants. Related: Bug Free all year round

The damage it causes may go unnoticed if left unchecked especially if you tend to overwater, therefore creating their preferred damp rich soil to inhabit. Wilting, poor growth, and yellowing of leaves commonly indicate that you have a fungal gnat infestation.

Prevention Tips & Recommendation: To avoid gnat attacks on your precious houseplants regularly check your plants. It is recommended to turn up the soil, carefully near the base of the plant, to see if there are any signs of glossy larvae. Avoid using peat moss as it encourages ideal conditions for egg nesting. Concocting a combination of peppermint, cinnamon, and sesame oil is recommended to be quite an effective organic spray to repel this kind of pests.

Mealybugs

Protect your houseplant as well as your ornamental plants from this kind of pest. It is related to scale insects but doesn’t have scale covers. This plant-sucking pest is a soft-bodied insect that is often wingless, appear to be pinkish, and is covered in white, cottony-like coats. The damage it causes is quite visible through the signs of deformed, curling, and yellowing of the leaves. You can often find them clustered at the part where leaves are attached to the stem of the plant. Just like Aphids, Scale insects, and Whitefly, Mealybugs produce honeydew that may infect your plant as it develops sooty mold. Read: Pre-Construction pest control

Prevention Tips & Recommendation: To get rid of mealybugs, you can prune out the infected part of the plant or dab the insects with a Q-tip that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol. Washing the foliage regularly with a leaf shine may also help in preventing potential infestation in the future.