Is it normal to have bugs in houseplants?

No, it is not normal to have bugs in your houseplants. Don't feel bad about it though, because it is a very common problem. But you don't have to just live with it. You can eliminate them, and have bug-free indoor plants!

Why are my indoor plants getting bugs?

Yes, indoor plants attract bugs. They are are usually attracted by indoor growing conditions that have high humidity or a lack of air circulation. The most common pests are aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, mealybugs, scale, thrips, and whitefly.

What to do if you have bugs in your indoor plants?

Wipe off insects elsewhere with a damp rag or spray them off with water in the bathtub. You can also dislodge them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or vegetable oil, or spray them with insecticidal soap. Keep removing them weekly until they're gone.

Is it normal to have bugs in potting soil?

You will notice these indoor plant bugs crawling out of the potting soil, or flying around your plant when you water or otherwise disturb the soil. Yuck! They are a very annoying pest, there's no doubt about that! But the good news is that you can get rid of them, and keep them from re-infesting your houseplants.

Can bagged potting soil have bugs?

Sometimes those houseplants can harbor insect infestations, especially if you've potted them yourself using bagged soil. Brands like Miracle-Gro bagged soil have been found to sometimes contain small black flies, but the existence of these bugs in the soil is not that surprising.

How to Get Rid of Bugs in Houseplants (4 Easy Steps)

How do you keep bugs out of potted plants?

How do you get rid of bugs on plants naturally?

Vinegar is available mostly in all households. A mix of three-table spoon of vinegar in a liter of water can be sprayed on the plant to ward off pest effectively. The oil and soap mix effectively works on aphids, spiders, mites, thrips, whitefly, lacebugs, scale and mealybugs.

What are the tiny bugs on my plants?

Aphids are tiny green, yellow, or white bugs that suck on the stems and leaves of your plants and slowly kill them. While they aren't as common as some other pests, they are incredibly persistent and reproduce rapidly, making them hard to get rid of once they've arrived. Aphids are bugs commonly found on houseplants.

How do I get rid of gnats in potted soil?

Vinegar mixture: Fill a shallow saucer with 2-3 drops of liquid dish soap and a cup of white vinegar. Place the bowl near your plant — the gnats will be attracted to the solution and fall into the trap. Keep repeating the process until all the gnats are gone.

Should I throw away soil with gnats?

Discard the soil immediately, and replace this top layer with sand, which is free of organic matter and dries out quickly—an unappealing medium for fungus-gnat eggs. Let the soil below dry out completely before the next watering. This should eliminate all fungus-gnat larvae present and prevent new eggs from being laid.

What are the tiny bugs in my potting soil?

If you notice the bugs on your soil appear to be jumping in little bursts, you most likely have springtails. If they are very small, they may just look like crawling silver dots on the soil surface. These pests feed on bacteria, fungi, microbes, and decaying material, which makes houseplant soil an ideal environment.

Do soil gnats harm plants?

While fungus gnats don't damage plant leaves directly, they munch on root hairs and diminish the soil of essential nutrients. This can lead to the sudden wilting and yellowing of plant leaves, weak growth, and an overall loss of vigor. Natural control methods should always be your first step when dealing with any pest.

Are plant bugs harmful?

They injure plants in a wide variety of ways because they can transmit diseases, destroy the plant's life-giving chlorophyll and suck out all the sap from stems and leaves. These damages are just caused by feeding.

What do indoor plant bugs look like?

There are many types of houseplant bugs, such as tiny aphids that can be yellow, brown, red, green, white, or black color. Mealybugs are pests that look like small bits of white fluff stuck to plant stems and leaves. Thrips are long creatures with pointed tails and can be green, black, or brown color.

Do houseplant bugs bite humans?

Thrips do invade homes, possibly brought in on potted plants, and some species have been known to bite humans. If thrips populations are not controlled, affected flowering plants may lose their ability to produce.

How do I keep my houseplants bug free?

Simply put 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp liquid dish soap (it must be free of bleach, degreaser, synthetic dyes, and fragrances) in a spray bottle, then fill it to the top with warm water and shake. You can spray the mixture onto your plants once a week in order to combat pest issues.

What indoor plants do not attract bugs?

Do bugs help plants grow?

They aerate the soil, pollinate blossoms, and control insect and plant pests. Many insects, especially beetles, are scavengers, feeding on dead animals and fallen trees, thereby recycling nutrients back into the soil. As decomposers, insects help create top soil, the nutrient-rich layer of soil that helps plants grow.

How do I get rid of bugs in my soil?

How long do indoor plant gnats live?

Adult gnats live about one week and can lay up to two hundred eggs during their short lifetime in moist potted plant soils.

What does a gnat look like?

Color: They are gray to black in color. Characteristics: Gnats are typically small, slender flies with long legs and lengthy antennae. You may have noticed them flying aimlessly about your house whether by themselves or in a group.

Can soil mites infest your house?

The mites can quickly spread and invade other areas of your home. Common soil mites typically stay where their food supply is most prevalent. But you could have a food source inside your home that you didn't know was there. Mites eat all types of rotting organic matter.

Are soil mites harmful?

Soil Mites are completely harmless to both indoor and outdoor plants, feeding only off the compost's properties and avoiding the plant's healthy tissue. Indoor gardeners often remove the infestation purely on a visible aspect, as seeing small white or brown critters rambling across the soil isn't a pretty sight.

Will repotting get rid of gnats?

Repotting is an effective way of getting rid of the gnat larvae. Clean the pot thoroughly and place the plant in new, clean potting soil. The rotting roots, plant remains and damp soil that fungus gnats love so much will be completely gone.

Do flies lay eggs in plant soil?

In spring and summer the adult flies are present in lawn areas, where they lay eggs on the soil in sites where earthworms are present. When eggs hatch, the tiny larvae of the cluster flies burrow into the soil to seek an earthworm on which they will feed.