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Different types of indoor plant pests
Do you ever notice small flies around the soil of your houseplants? Or do you happen to discover tiny creatures on the leaves? These could be signs of pests bothering your plants. Plants can encounter various types of pests, and it can sometimes be a challenge to get rid of them.
We've described the most common types of pests in this blog for you.
Thrips
Thrips are small insects that you can recognise by their black, brown, or yellow colour. They are only 2 mm in size and hop across leaves. Despite their jumping on leaves, they can't fly like, for example, fungus gnats.
If your indoor plant is affected by thrips, you will be able to tell by damaged spots on the leaves. This is because thrips pierce the leaves to suck out the cells.
Spider mites
When humidity drops and temperatures rise, indoor plants can suffer from spider mites, for example, due to heating. Spider mites are very small mites that can come in various colours, from black and yellow to green and red. Up close, spider mites look like small spiders, but they can generally be recognised by the dots in the webs they make.
Controlling spider mites can be tricky because they can become resistant to pesticides over time. The most effective way to get rid of spider mites is by using natural predators like predatory mites, such as Persi or Nicus. These natural enemies are available at garden centres.
Mealybugs
Houseplants can sometimes be infested with mealybugs. These are insects that thrive in a humid environment and feed on the plant's sap.
Most mealybugs lay their eggs in fluffy white fuzz, which also looks somewhat like cotton candy.
To get rid of mealybugs, you can wipe away all the fuzz with kitchen paper. Then, you can spray the stems and leaves with the strongest setting of a plant sprayer. Afterwards, you can gently wipe the leaves again to remove all the bugs.
Mealybugs can be quite stubborn, so it's important to repeat these steps daily until all the bugs are completely gone.
Fungus gnats
If you see small flies swarming around the soil of your plant, you probably have fungus gnats. Fungus gnats are attracted to the smell of rotting roots and moist soil. If you have fungus gnats, there's a good chance that the indoor plant has developed root rot.
Fungus gnats can be quite persistent to get rid of. That's why we've gathered all our tips for controlling fungus gnats in a specific blog post. Learn more about how to control fungus gnats.
Honeydew
Do you come across a sticky and sweet-smelling substance? This is probably honeydew. Honeydew can come from plant juices that are excreted by other insects. Honeydew is actually a type of waste!
When you find honeydew on or around your plant, it's wise to remove it as soon as possible. Honeydew can be very attractive to other insects and fungi. You can remove honeydew with lukewarm water and a microfiber cloth or an old tea towel.
