How to deal with household plant pests
Apart from ensuring your plants have the right soil, neither too much or not enough water, the correct amount of sunlight , there is one more thing that your thriving house plant requires โ Protection from pests!
Aphids
What you will see:
Plants weakened by aphid infestations typically display stunted growth, along with curled or otherwise deformed foliage.
The insects themselves are small in size, can be green, brown, or black in colour and hide on the underside of leaves.
What to do
Take the houseplant into the kitchen and wash the aphids away under a stream of water.
Or go outside andย brush the aphids off with your fingers (or a cotton swab).
Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to prevent the aphids from returning.
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Mealybugs
What you will see
Mealybugs not only stunt plant growth but mar the look of stems, nodes, and foliage with a residue that looks white and cottony.
Plants infested by mealybugs often feel sticky to the touch.
The insect itself looks white and cottony in appearance
What to do:
Quarantine the affected houseplant away from others.
Remove the mealybugs and their left-behind residue with a rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton swab.
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Spider Mites
What you will see:
Spider mites make their presence known by weaving webs around leaves and stems, and also by yellowing and shrivelling foliage.
What to do:
Saving a plant from a severe spider mite infestation may not be possible, but if you catch the problem early, rinse the plant under water multiple times.
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Thrips
What you will see
Due to their small size thrips can easily be missed, ย but their damaging and discolouring effects are plain to see.
A magnifying glass may help you confirm their presence.
What to do:
Every few days, mist the infested plant with a fine spray of water.
After each course of misting, treat the plant with neem oil or insecticidal soap.
These steps make the thrips unable to feed on the plant, which would lead to the death of any that remain.
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White Flies
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What you will see:
Theย plant begins to look dried out and sickly, and its foliage may drop, leaving stems nearly bare.
White flies are identified by their yellow-white bodies and heart-shaped wings. They gather in groups & usually on the underside of leaves.
What to do:
Once you have set the affected plant off on its own, remove whiteflies with a vacuum cleaner
Place sticky fly traps near the quarantined plant.
