Houseplant Care & How to Get Rid of Insects in Plant Soil
Houseplants can do a lot to brighten up and stylize your living space. Proper care is essential to keeping your houseplants healthy and keeping insects in plant soil under control. Here at Vulcan Termite, our experienced team knows what it takes to keep pests at bay so your houseplants can thrive.
Caring for Your Houseplants
Keeping houseplants yields numerous health benefits, including improved mental health and better air quality in your home. Like any living thing, they require proper care and nutrition to survive.
Here are some essential steps for taking care of plants in your home:
- Water them. Plants require water to maintain healthy growth. Make sure you are
watering the soil, not the leaves, and allow the pot to drain to prevent overwatering.
- Control light and temperature. Plants need consistent access to light and stable
temperatures of 60 degrees and up.
- Use fertilizer. Good nutrition keeps houseplants healthy. Fertilizer is most
important when the plant is actively growing.
- Manage pests. Insects in plant soil can damage houseplants. Ensure you are
taking the right steps to keep them away so your houseplants can thrive in a healthy,
bug-free environment.
Pests on Houseplants
Most insects love plants, and houseplants are no exception. The lack of predators and the physical environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) inside your home can attract unwanted pests.
Common culprits include aphids, gnats, spider mites, scale insects, and whiteflies. Gnats in particular are drawn to houseplants because they like to lay their eggs in the damp soil. Their larvae are the real issue, as they feed on plant roots, damaging them and causing leaves to wilt and the plant to die if left unaddressed.
Managing Insects in Plant Soil
Effective pest management is an essential part of owning plants. There are many actions you can take to avoid insects in plant soil and damage to your houseplants. Here are some of the steps you can take to control this problem and keep pests at bay:
- Carefully inspect leaves for discoloration and signs of insects, including webbing, holes, and eggs.
- Isolate new plants to confirm the absence of insects in the soil before placing them with
other houseplants.
- Don’t overwater, as your soil may become soggy and grow fungus, attracting unwanted attention from bugs.
- Check plant containers for signs of pests along edges, crevices, etc.
- Use clean pots that are less likely to harbor insects.
- Wash leaves with a damp paper towel or in a sink.
- Physically brush off pests if you find them on your plants.
- Use bug traps to capture any pests that find their way into your house. Good types of bug traps include:
- Vinegar traps. Place a bowl of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 2-3 drops of dish soap by your plants.
- Sticky fly traps. These store-bought traps are brightly colored pieces of paper that lure insects into them, causing them to become stuck.
- Potato traps. Place pieces of potato, flesh-side down, in the soil around your plants and check under them every few days to remove any larvae. Replace the potatoes each time and continue until the culprits are gone.
Got Insect Problems?
If you’ve ever had insects in your home, you know how difficult they can be to remove. Even if you don’t have houseplants, these unwanted critters can be highly disruptive to your everyday life.
Contact Birmingham, AL’s leading pest-control company for prompt, friendly service. Our team can help eliminate household nuisances so your home and houseplants can be happy, healthy, and pest-free.