How to Prevent Bugs In Your Houseplants

Outdoor plants are not the only plants that can become invested by unwanted insects. Here is an easy and attractive way to keep bugs away from your treasured houseplants.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cedar pencil
• Sharpener

1. Sharpen a cedar pencil

2. Place shavings all around the base of your houseplant. Think of it as homemade mulch.

3. If you prefer not to take the time to sharpen the pencils (especially if you have many houseplants), you can simply cut a cedar pencil into 3 pieces and use one piece per 3" of pot diameter. (measuring at the top) Shove the pencil piece down into the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't need to put in much of the cedar shavings from the pencils but if you do, it looks pretty.

[ceniamari]

on 7/21/2009 I have many houseplants and they do get insects, especially some tiny, flying ones (gnats?). I will definitely try this. Thanks.

[olirom]

on 6/26/2008 What a great idea. I hate those pesky little bugs that seem to love indoor plants.

[chantelg4]

on 6/10/2008 Neato! Love this tip, pests always creep me out!

[SeventhSibling]

on 6/2/2008 I had transplanted some houseplants and the new potting soil I used had gnats in it, something I didn’t discover until after the transplanting. I laid pieces of sticky fly strip on the soil and the little buggers went for it so they were easy to get rid of. I like your idea of using the cedar pencil shavings as houseplant mulch. What a novel idea. Okay, now I want to not only mulch the indoor plants, but get teeny-tiny lawn ornaments, like a marble-sized gazing ball.

[phildavi]

on 5/31/2008 no cedar?think putting garlic pods or even the skins' ll keep the bugs and Dracula away!