How to Keep Bugs From Eating My House Plants
House plants add that little touch of the outdoors to your home. They can become more of a burden than a pleasure if insects infest them, though. Ravenous insects can make your plants look less attractive and even lead to their death. Having the insects in your home while they feast on your plants can also be a quite a burden in itself. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to prevent your house plants from becoming dinner for some insect. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Clean out your pot before you put your plant in it. A dirty pot may hold things like food or other residue that can be especially appealing to insects. Cleaning out the pot before planting can also be beneficial to the health of your indoor plant.
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Never set your plant near an open window without a screen. An open window is just inviting insects to swarm right in and take a bite out of your house plant. If your plant needs to be in contact with the outdoors, you should check it thoroughly before bringing it back indoors. You may even consider isolating it from your other house plants for at least a month. This gives you time to observe the plant for any insect activity while sparing your other plants from exposure.
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Use sterile potting soil instead of soil out of your garden. You can never be sure what you are digging up besides soil when you collect it directly from your yard. Outdoor soil may also contain food residue and other things that may be tasty to insects.
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Bathe your plant with a soft cloth, spray bottle and lukewarm soapy water. This bath will help remove any residue an insect may be interested in eating or clean off any existing insects lying in wait on your plant. Try not to use harsh soaps. For example, if it dries out your hands it may be too harsh for your delicate plants.
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Prune any dead or diseased-looking branches, leaves or buds on your plant. The dead or diseased tissue creates an enticing banquet for some pests. Throw the pruned pieces in an outside trash can as soon as you are done with them. Placing them in an indoor trash can may lure insects into your home where they will find your potted plants as well as your clippings. These dead spots may also be signs of an existing infection. By removing the infected tissue, you may stop the problem before it spreads to other parts of the plant.
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