Smart Gardening

BUG OFF: A LOOK AT THE MOST COMMON HOUSEPLANT PESTS

Although plants are diplomatic and amiable like no other, they regularly face enemies that get to their chlorophyll kidneys. We’re talking about, you guessed it, bugs.

Bugs and plants have coexisted for much longer than we humans can remember. They have evolved virtually in parallel and have always exerted a mutual influence on each other. For example, the respective developments are mainly due to the other organism. As a result, it is not only friendly insects, i.e., the classic pollinators, that have influenced the spread of plants. We also should thank parasites for being responsible for the evolution of plant defense strategies! Here are a few textbook examples:

Conifers, for example, secrete certain resins to protect themselves from insect feeding. Cacti, in turn, developed their leaves into practical thorns over time to defend themselves against the appetites of various animals. Other defensive examples include essential oils secreted by plants to prevent infestation and feeding damage. Dense hairs on the leaf stalk or the upper or lower side of the leaf are also clever innovations from evolution. They prevent certain insects from getting too comfortable and causing damage with their sucking tools.

"All stops are pulled out in pest defense, whether essential oils, resin, down, or hair and thorns. There's even luxury fur for begonia babies."

That being sad, now to the tragic news:


One or two defense strategies say goodbye when plants are brought into our living rooms from their natural environment. For example, if your plants look like someone has blow-dried them on the highest setting for several hours, there is not necessarily a lack of water. Especially if you’re already experienced in your watering routine. It could also be a pest infestation that wasn’t caught in time. And you are not to blame! Damage caused by care errors, plant diseases, and bugs are often not recognizable at first glance and are difficult to distinguish from each other – even for professionals. The first thing to do is to observe the individual parts of the plant closely to determine what is going against the grain.

To make it a little easier for you, we have put together a few signs that will help you to recognize an infestation. (Btw: You will find the respective characters and symptoms of the most common bugs in the individual descriptions).

"Sticky film, discoloration, wavy edges, spider webs, bumps, holes, or outright colonies? Yes, you guessed it, your plant has new roommates. You'd like to get to know your new lodgers better?"

  • A sticky film or sticky droplets: So-called honeydew is excreted by certain bugs and provides a super breeding ground for fungal diseases—a classic lose-lose situation.
  • Leaf discoloration: Any new color a leaf exhibits can indicate a pest infestation, fungi, and viruses. A black, sooty coating is a type of mold. This fungus loves to show up right where bugs are secreting their honeydew—dinner time
  • Curled or misshapen plant parts: If you’ve watered adequately, your plant is in the best location for it, and it still starts to go haywire; that’s a red flag that something is wrong. Again, some bugs may be responsible for this morphological change to appear.
  • Spider webs, webs: It also becomes problematic when clear signs of spider mites are visible on and between the leaves when spraying. In that case, you can see small white dots in the web with the naked eye – these are the spider mites. A standard spider web looks different and does not harm your plant.
  • Mosquitoes: If you poke your plantlet and small black flying dots suddenly appear, there is a relatively high chance that they are gnats.
  • Tiny dots, bumps, elevations: These are almost certainly bugs! Whole clusters or colonies of aphids are easily recognizable, as are other types of louse when they have already reached a specific size. However, since many bugs live in hidden places or lay their eggs there, always take a look at the undersides of the leaves! Your plant will thank you for it.

THE 10 MOST COMMON PLANT BUGS

  • Scale insect
  • Spider mite
  • Fungus gnats
  • Melybugs
  • Thrips
  • Springtail
  • Whitefly
  • Broad mites
  • Aphids

SCALE INSECT

Recognize

Like other plant aphids, scale insects are equipped with a stinging proboscis. It looks pretty cool, but it can be a real problem for your plant. They use it to suck up energy-rich plant sap, weakening your green buddy. For this reason, scale insects rightly belong to the category of plant pests. Especially since they have long been a problem for houseplants. You’ll recognize scale insects as small, orange-black, flat insects that cling to the leaf. They usually sit on the plant stems and have a rounded dorsal carapace. Scale insects especially like to choose orchids, palms, fici, citrus trees, and oleander as host plants. Heavy infestation usually occurs in winter and spring when the plants are weakened by poor site or light conditions. Then the 0.8 to 6 mm large-scale insects multiply like rabbits and become a real nuisance for the affected plant. They like to hide at their leaf bases, leaves’ underside, and other hard-to-reach places on the plant. This does not necessarily make finding the scale insects easier and requires a watchful eye.

Damage pattern

A sure sign of a scale insect infestation is honeydew. It is named after its consistency and has, unfortunately, little to do with the enjoyment of honey. That is, for us humans at least. Like aphids, the female scale insects also produce the sugar-rich honeydew, which quickly gums up entire leaves. This, in conjunction with the immobile scale insects and the characteristic dorsal shield, is a sure sign of an infestation. Scale insects love company and often appear in colonies. That is why many pustule-like formations, concentrated in one place, are an unmistakable identifying feature. In addition, when a scale insect infestation occurs, the affected areas of the plant turn yellow. The leaves curl and fall off fairly quickly. Likewise, your houseplant appears to have turned dark to blackish.

Control and prevention

Safety first! Isolate the affected plants as soon as you notice the infestation. Otherwise, you risk that the scale insects will spread to other plants. And that happens quickly! Scale insects are very persistent little guys. You should scrape off the adult female scale insects which are recognizable by their yellow backshells. This way, you remove their shells and take away their protection. But be careful: by scraping off, the larvae under the carapace are distributed on the plant. Therefore, at the same time, it is essential to spray the plant with an oil-based agent afterward. Simply mix a liter of water with 250ml of rapeseed oil (alternatively: neem oil, coconut oil) and pour it into a clean sprayer. You then simply spray this mixture onto the affected parts of the plant. The oil contains no toxins but forms a film under which the aphids and larvae suffocate. Sounds terrible, but it’s either them or your beloved plant! You may have to cut off and dispose of severely affected plant parts. That way, you can prevent further spread.

The infestation occurs again and again? Then you should repot your plant. Scale insects are intelligent little guys and like to hide in the soil. Therefore, despite your conscientious treatment, they will never completely disappear if you do not repot.

Sprays and combination sticks are recommended as conventional insect repellents. When spraying your plants, pay particular attention to the leaf axils and undersides. It is recommended to put a plastic bag over the plant for a few days afterward. Combination sticks control scale insects by releasing toxic substances into the substrate, providing ongoing prevention against reinfestation. They are inserted into the substrate and then dissolve bit by bit in the irrigation water. Pretty cool!

SPIDER MITES

Recognize

They’re hard to find – masters of camouflage, if you will. Since these tiny insects range from 0.25 to 0.8 mm and often have translucent bodies, it’s not surprising. It is usually the delicate webs and damage of the spider mites on the leaves that are first noticed. Depending on the type of mite, they are different colors. Often, they are green or yellow to orange-red. They live under the leaves and feed on the plant sap.

Damage

Spider mites are recognizable at the latest by the sucking damage, which appears in the form of small yellow- or silver-colored leaf spots. The leaves also become lighter and look like after a marathon run: limp. A clear identification mark is mainly the delicate webs with small white dots (spider mites) on the leaves’ underside and branches. Over time, the leaves of the plant begin to curl up. Once that happens, they dry out and fall off. Young plants do not endure this for long and find themselves in plant heaven sooner than they would like.

 

Control and prevention

Spider mites like it best the way we like our clothes in winter: warm and dry. Especially the heating season and the warm summer months are very convenient for them. Healthy plants can defend themselves to a certain extent. However, weakened plants are proverbial snacks and easy prey for sucking insects.

Increase humidity: High humidity is suitable for respiratory systems and plants, making it difficult to get a foothold for spider mites.
How do I increase the humidity? You can spray your plants regularly with water, put water bowls on the heater, or you can organize a humidifier.
Clean leaves: You can nip any spider mites in the bud by regularly washing down your plant or wiping the leaves with a damp cloth.

Shit happens: The tiny insects have conquered your plant. Now what?

To prevent the spider mites from occupying all your plants, you should put the infested plants in isolation as soon as possible. And if you have several plants affected by the infestation simultaneously, we recommend that you do not place them close together. Otherwise, they will infest each other again and again. A truly vicious circle!

The Bright Side of Life: A few home remedies have proven effective in combating spider mites.

Did you catch the spider mites early on? Then showering them off is a quick and promising method. Important: Before doing this, close the pot with the root ball well with a plastic bag so that you do not simply wash the spider mites into the substrate. Now you can clean the plant thoroughly with lukewarm water. Pay special attention to the undersides of the leaves and the branches between the leaves. Repeat this procedure two or three times during the next two weeks. Done!

Mix one liter of water with 150 milliliters of canola oil for the following method and spray your plant thoroughly. Repeat this procedure a few times over the next two weeks. Afterward, it is only necessary to clean the stomata of your plants. This means from the frying pan into the fire for your plant. Or, as in this case: off to the shower! Wrap the root ball with plastic foil and rinse your plant thoroughly with lukewarm water. After that, your plant is fresh and clean again!

Another possibility is to get rid of thrips biologically with neem oil. Go in search of the larvae of the bugs and dab them carefully with some oil. The azadirachtin contained in the oil prevents the larvae from molting and thus from developing further. Reasonably practical, as you can see! Still, we recommend using one of the home remedies listed above when controlling thrips.

Beneficial insects are, unsurprisingly, beneficial. They even defy stubborn bugs. For example, in the case of spider mites, the predatory mites (Amblyseius californicus) support you very efficiently! They are delivered in a granulate of sawdust or also vermiculite. Since the individual predatory mites cannot be easily identified, you can sprinkle the granules on the leaves or place them in moist cloths on the granules of the plant. Since there will still be predatory mites in the cardboard box afterward, you can leave the cardboard box on the plant for a few days. This is how you get the most out of your beneficial mites!

As a last resort, there’s the good old chemical club – it’s not necessarily the best option, as it doesn’t kill all spider mites of all developmental stages and must be repeated several times. In addition, many chemical pesticides also contain toxic substances for us humans – and spreading that around the living space is not particularly recommended, especially with small children in the house. So, better use it outdoors or air the room extensively afterward!

Sprays and combination sticks are recommended as conventional insect repellents. When spraying your plants, pay particular attention to the leaf axils and undersides of the leaves. It is advisable to put a plastic bag over the plant for a few days afterward. Combination sticks control spider mites by releasing toxic substances into the substrate and providing ongoing prevention against reinfestation. They are inserted into the substrate and then dissolve bit by bit in the irrigation water.

FUNGUS GNATS

Recognize

Fungus gnats look something like fruit flies and are two to four millimeters in size. They dress exclusively in black. They especially like to stay near the root balls of your plants. Their flight shows little elegance and seems rather clumsy and not very determined. At the latest, when black flies crawl out of the substrate during watering, there is no longer any doubt: the fungus gnats have moved in.

Damage

While the adult fungus gnats no longer cause any damage, their larvae still feed on your plant’s roots. And there are quite a few of them. Because a female fungus gnat lays about 200 eggs, which quickly adds up to a few larvae. The larval period lasts about 13 days, after which they pupate. Five to six days later, new adult fungus gnats hatch. Through this process, they destroy the foundation of your plant. Because without roots, even the bravest plant can no longer draw water and nutrients. It is then literally drained. Do you want to know how the roots of your plant are doing? Gently wiggle them back and forth. If you have an easy time, the chances are good that there won’t be much left of the roots.

 

Control and prevention

Fungus gnats feel especially at home in moist soil. By keeping the ground permanently wet, you attract them magically and invite them to stay. Try not to overwater, and be sure to plant your plants in a pot with a hole so excess water can drain away. Less Water, No Cry, as Bob Marley might have said in a parallel universe.

Possible home remedies are match sticks, as their heads contain sulfur. You can stick them into the substrate near the roots. Then water your plant a little bit so that the head of the matchstick dissolves in the substrate. In the following weeks, you should delay watering as long as possible. The larvae will be dealt with quickly by releasing the sulfur.

Against adult fungus gnats yellow cards, which you place near the plant, might help. Unlike in soccer, the yellow card ensures that the mosquitoes are directly eliminated. It’s as simple as ingenious: the fungus gnats stick to the sticky coating! In addition, you get an excellent overview of how many fungus gnats you have at home. And if you are bored, you can count them all. Win-win!

A natural remedy is neem oil, which you add to the water.

Nematodes are possible beneficial insects that enter the substrate through the water and eat the larvae. You should also use the above-mentioned yellow cards to kill the adult fungus gnats in connection with them. After receiving the beneficial insects, you should use them immediately so that they do not die before you can use them. Please note that the substrate should not dry out for the next two weeks during the application of nematodes. But it should not be excessively moist either. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you can repeat the application after two to four weeks.

One plant helps another: Butterwort is the bodyguard among plants. Fungus gnats stick to their secretion as a carnivore; then, the plant feeds on them. It can therefore be described as a living yellow card.

Chemical mace

Combination sticks control fungus gnat larvae by releasing toxic substances into the substrate and promise effective prevention of reinfestation. They are inserted into the substrate and then dissolve bit by bit in the irrigation water. It’s magic!

There are also various substances that you can add to the water, which will kill the fungus gnats. However, you should never use this on herbs or crops.

MEALYBUGS

Recognize

The white aphids resemble mini cotton balls stuck to the leaves or leaf axils. They’re a real piece of work. They are about three to six mm in size and sit together in small colonies. There is a sticky tangle between them in which the young grow up. There are over 60 different species of them. The best known of them is the citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri), which even nests on the roots. This is why it has been given the appropriate name of root louse.

Damage

The aphids feed on the plant’s sap, causing your plant to wither over time. In addition to the white cotton ball-like smeary spots, its leaves will also curl up, dry up or fall off over time.

 

Control and prevention

They thrive in warm, dry environments and often appear in the summer months or during the winter when you start to heat. Means for you: You’ll prevent infestations by maintaining high humidity.

Did you catch these exceedingly nasty bugs early? Yay! Then showering is a quick and promising method. Before doing that, however, it’s essential to seal the pot with the root ball tightly with a plastic bag, so you don’t just flush them into the substrate. Once this is done, you can rinse the plant thoroughly with lukewarm water. Pay special attention to the undersides of the leaves and the branches between the leaves. Repeat this process a few times over the next two weeks.

Tip on the house: Individual mealybugs can be easily collected with a toothbrush. Heavily infested shoots can be cut off directly. This will give your plant a chance to sprout again.

Spirit treatment – Spray the plant with a mixture of one liter of water and 15 milliliters of spirit or kerosene oil. It is better to treat the affected areas for delicate plants like orchids. Before treatment, cover the substrate with a plastic bag so that the spirit does not reach the roots.

A soap solution is also great for spraying your plants. This is a safe call, especially for sensitive plants (looking at you, orchid!). Mix two tablespoons of greasy soft soap with a quart of water and spray the plant thoroughly. Again, make sure to cover the substrate first.

 

PS: Since the roots often suffer from an infestation, it is essential to repot the plant and thoroughly remove the old substrate beforehand.

 

Beneficial insects
Beneficial insects, in particular, have proven very useful in infestations of mealybugs, as they like to bury their heads in the sand and attack even bugs underground. These beneficial insects are your friends: Lacewing larvae are two to ten mm in size and are released near their prey. Once that’s done, they get down to business: they stun the bugs and eventually eat them using a paralyzing juice. Another beneficial insect famous for controlling mealybugs are the Australian ladybug and its larvae. To prevent the little helpers from breaking free and saying bye-bye, it makes sense to take care to keep doors closed. Regularly spraying the plant with water will give the ladybugs enough liquid to stay hydrated. Also very successful is the ichneumon wasp. Although it is more commonly used in greenhouses and industrial plant production.

Chemical club

There are special granules that are spread on the substrate and various sprays. However, they are very aggressive, and there is a possibility that the bugs get used to the active ingredient and become immune to it. Absolute killjoys.

THRIPS

Recognize

Thrips (Thysanoptera) are the scaredy-cats among bugs. They are small, black, and particularly light-shy flying insects that only grow to between one and three millimeters in size. Their larvae are light-colored and can range from greenish to yellowish or white. They prefer to stay on the undersides of leaves and take about four weeks to assume their final, adult form. Although shy, they are also known as thunder flies or storm bugs. The small contemporaries get going when it is warm and dry. There, multiplication is practically a self-runner. Therefore, you can imagine that an infestation occurs mainly during the winter heating period. To survive, fringe winged moths need the sap of their host plant. To do this, the industrious little fellows use their strong mouthparts and boreholes in the leaf surfaces. To move quickly on the plants, the thunder flies inflate their feet – which is why in German, they are also called bubble foot!

Damage

The damage to your plant is initially manifested by numerous small leaf spots and speckled leaves. The sites appear yellowish-white to silvery and later have a grayish-brown discoloration. The end of the story, without wanting to spoil, is that eventually, the leaf dries up and falls off. Further, you may find small black droppings on the plant and crippling of shoots, and growth retardation of the plant in general.

 

Control and prevention

Infested plants should first be given a spa round and thoroughly rinsed with water in the shower or bathtub. Then isolate your plant from the rest of your hopefully intact plant friends. Now, increase the ambient humidity and lower the temperature in its new location. You can hang or attach yellow or blue cards (available at any plant store or beneficial insect mail-order store). From there on, it gets sticky! The animals are attracted to the cards by pheromones and stick to them. This way, you can also read the population density of the sticky animals and feel how bad the infestation of your plant is.

Another biological control method is to apply predatory mites, also available at most online beneficial insect mail-order stores. They come in a granule of sawdust or even vermiculite. But don’t be surprised: the individual predatory mites cannot be seen with the naked eye. That’s why our tip is to simply sprinkle the granules on the leaves or put them in wet cloths on the granules of the plant. Since there will still be predatory mites in the cardboard box after this process, you can leave it on the plant for a few days.

Vampires hate this trick: Garlic and nettle are other good home remedies when fighting thrips. To do this, prepare a decoction of 500 grams of fresh nettles, 150 grams of well-pressed garlic, and two liters of warm water. Before pouring, the mixture must first infuse for about twelve hours. Then pour the decoction into a watering can and wet the entire plant. Repeat the watering process several times in the next period with some distance.

You can combat thrips biologically with neem oil. Go in search of the larvae of the bugs and dab them carefully with a bit of oil. The azadirachtin in the oil prevents the larvae from molting and developing further. Therefore, the oil is considered particularly effective, although you should still use other home remedies in the fight against thrips.

 

You can fight the little bugs with a chemical mace as a last resort. You can use a conventional insecticide for this purpose.

SPRINGTAILS

Recognize

If small, louse-like insects are happily hopping around when you water your houseplants, you have already discovered the first sign of springtails. Depending on the species, they have a more or less well-developed jumping apparatus. And if you look closely, you will find a typical identifying feature on their abdomen: the so-called jumping fork, also called furca. Springtails have a three-part body: head, thorax, and abdomen. The species living near the surface are dark-colored, the species living in deeper soil layers are lighter colored.

Damage pattern

The typical pitting, starting from the underside of the leaf, is found mainly on low leaves. Often the upper leaf skin is still preserved in small feeding areas. Leaf margin damage and stem damage, on the other hand, occur less frequently.

 

Control and prevention

If you have springtails in your potted plants, there is an easy way to get rid of them. Simply place your plants in the sink or a large bucket and let water in. The root ball should be covered entirely, and the plant should stay in the water for at least half an hour. After this time, the springtails should float on top of the water surface and can then be quickly drained. After that, you should remove the plant from the bath and not water it for some time. After treatment, it is often also beneficial to repot the plants. New home, new luck.

THE WHITEFLY

THE WHITEFLY

Recognize

Whiteflies are commonly found on houseplants. However, these only about two to three millimeters small insects are not flies but rather aphids that suck plant sap. The bugs originate from the tropics and are only found in warm to hot temperatures. The whitefly feels particularly at home at temperatures more than 23 degrees Celsius and 70 percent or higher humidity. You can recognize them mainly because they immediately buzz around en masse at the slightest disturbance. If you leave them alone, they spend their twilight years on the undersides of leaves. The roof tile-like wings, in particular, are considered another distinguishing feature. The sucking off of the plant sap causes various symptoms, which we will detail.

Zimmerpflanzenpflege_Schädlinge_Weiße-Fliege

Damage

The infested plant loses vitality. The plant’s growth is inhibited due to the lack of vigor in plain language. Infested leaves are also only speckled until they finally die and fall off. As a bonus, you may notice a sticky honeydew on the leaves underneath the plant. It’s also possible that sooty mold fungi may be colonizing the plant (for more on fungi and plant diseases, check out the Plant Diagnostics section of our FYTA app).

 

Control and prevention

Home remedies such as rinsing or showering off the infested plants are unfortunately of little use in this case, as the flies would only evaporate for that one moment. Therefore, isolate the plant in question to prevent it from spreading and hang yellow or blue cards. Also, keep the plant in a cool place, as the tropical insect does not tolerate coolness.

Another biological control method is beneficial insects such as the ichneumon wasp.

BROAD MITES

Recognize

If your plant is bristling with deformities, tiny, whitish, or yellowish-brown mites, only 0.2 millimeters in size, may be to blame. And as if it were not already difficult enough to recognize them at 0.2 millimeters, they are often even transparent. For this reason, it is only possible to see them under a microscope. But how do these little bugs feed? Like most other plant baddies, they suck on the sap of the cells near the surface, injecting aggressive saliva that eventually leads to deformities and crippling of the plant parts. And if things get terrible, the broad mites also transmit viruses during feeding attacks. They lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves or in leaf niches, and warm, humid air favors their development. In the indoor garden, broad mites can develop year-round without any problems, although their libido and thus their reproduction rate drops drastically in winter. Affected are, for example, aralia, azalea, begonia, cyclamen, ficus species, gloxinia, gerbera, ivy, kalanchoe, orchids, or even usambara violets.

Damage

Broad mites mainly target houseplants and cause a diffuse pattern of damage to leaves, flowers, and shoots. The little animals are responsible for browning, deformities, and crippling shoot tips, vegetation points, buds, and leaves – especially the young ones. They seem to be particularly tasty.

 

Control and prevention

If your Sherlock sensors kick in, you can cut the plant back if you initially suspect it. Of course, only as far as the plant species will allow. Heavily infested plants are best sent directly to nirvana and destroyed. Offshoots and the like as well. Final Destination: Household garbage instead of compost!

The bugs are true masters in hiding. They prefer to make themselves comfortable in the shoot tips and at the vegetation points of plants. This is also why they can hardly be controlled with contact agents. Systemic acaricides, on the other hand, which must be approved for ornamental plants in the garden or houseplants, work well. Controlling broad mites on crop plants is difficult and impossible because of the agents’ often long waiting times. You can only try canola oil-based contact agents for crops, which create an airtight film around the bugs. Fingers crossed!

To prevent broad mites in general, you should lower the humidity in the house, place the plants somewhere cooler, or even lower the room temperature. Unlike spider mites, broad mites love a warm, humid climate. Oh, and before we forget: Also, water your plants in the morning if possible so that the soil or plants dry quickly and humidity doesn’t rise at night.

APHIDS

Recognize

Unsurprisingly, aphids, like other pest comrades, are only a few millimeters in size. Depending on the species, they are green, reddish, or blackish-brown in color. The soft-skinned, partly winged but always gregarious insects live either in large colonies or small groups on their host plants, mainly on the young leaves and soft shoot tips. They sting the plant cells with their imposing proboscis and suck out the sugary plant sap. And they don’t do things by halves. However, they excrete much of the sugar juice again since they need the shallow protein content to live.

The so-called honeydew covers the host plant with a sticky coating and is a promising symptom of a pest infestation. Sooty mold often settles on older deposits. Although they do not damage the plant directly, they form an unsightly, black-felted mold turf. This is not uncommon, and you may already have come across it a time or two. Almost all aphid species overwinter in the egg stage on the host plants and initially reproduce asexually after hatching in spring. In this way, numerous offspring are produced within a short period – it usually takes only a week to complete the formation of a new, sexually mature generation. Isn’t that crazy? Then, after several generations, the first flight-ready offspring emerge to colonize new plants of the same species. Yay.

Damage pattern

The leaves and shoots look curled and crippled. In some cases, yellow spots may also appear on the leaves. In addition, the leaves are contaminated by sooty dew fungi that colonize on the aphids’ excretions, known as honeydew.

 

Control and prevention

If the aphid infestation affects only a few plants, it can be easily controlled with a nice little pressure wash. It is best to spray along the undersides of the leaves. You can even submerge potted plants in a bucket of lukewarm water or rinse them under the tap or shower. Nice and firm and not too squeamish.

The many types of plant decoctions, manure, or slurry, are a little stronger than ordinary water. A homemade decoction of nettles, tobacco, rhubarb, onions, garlic, or potato peelings proves very effective. But only as long as the process is repeated every few days. Pick half a bucket of nettles and fill it with water to make the brew. This is best done with gloves on. Leave the bucket for a few days. Ideally, not too close to yourself. Why? Quite simply: the brew can stink quite a bit. After a few days, strain out the nettle residue and, tada! You get a liquid that you then just dilute ten times with water before you can use it.

By the way, the most feared natural enemy of the aphid is the ladybug. The larvae of the ladybug consume more than 400 aphids during their development until they pupate. An adult ladybug can eat another 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. Pest control big time!

Earwigs are also very suitable for the biological control of aphids. The earwig feeds not only on aphids but also on mites, larvae, and eggs of other insects (fruit maggot/apple moth), comma aphids, tiny caterpillars, and other parasites. The earwig is extremely useful for getting aphid infestations under control. To do this, simply hang a flowerpot filled with straw in the places where the earwigs can find the aphids at night.

Combination sticks control aphids chemically by releasing toxic substances into the substrate and promise to prevent re-infestation for a long time. They are inserted into the substrate and then dissolve bit by bit in the irrigation water.

ASKING THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: WHERE DO BUGS COME FROM?

Tidy bedrooms, regularly cleaned living rooms, no dirt dragged in from the garden and co. Still, houseplants are repeatedly attacked by bugs. JUST HOW? Can’t this unwanted visit be prevented in the first place? The short answer:

Unfortunately, no.

While houseplants are more shielded than outdoor plants, the often very tiny bugs will always find a way to Rome. For example, you bring them with you through newly purchased plants. And not just as adult aphids and mites, but in the egg stage, for example, where they are almost invisible. Your clothing is also a famous Trojan horse for unwanted guests. They are enriched with bugs, for instance, from the last walk in the countryside. Besides, they can get blown in by breeze and wind – and you don’t want to quit airing out your rooms! Another option is pets, which bring the bugs in unnoticed. Ultimately, you’ll never be able to pinpoint precisely where the problems are coming from – even the cleanest household will have to deal with bugs eventually. But don’t leave your head hanging; you can still prevent them a little! Simply by providing your plants with the best possible care. Because completely healthy houseplants are more robust and can defend themselves better against the invaders.

 

We hope this article helps you get your pest plagues under control to enjoy your plants in their full glory quickly. Heads up, and good luck!

Your FYTA Team