Bug Briefs
Protecting
Your Houseplants
From
Pests
All Floridians know to keep doors closed
and screens on windows to keep bugs out of their
homes. But did you know that many of us actually
carry bugs into our homes complete with the perfect
living environment for them to live and breed? How?
With our new house plants.
According to Dr. Donald E.
Short, Professor and Extension Entomologist with
Institute of Food and Agricultural Science at the
University of Florida, there are any number of
freeloading bugs that we hand carry into our homes
including mealybugs, spider mites, aphids,
whiteflies, scales, psocids and even fungus gnat
maggots. Ugh!
"You need to carefully
examine any plant you may purchase or get from a
friend to be sure they are free of pests," said
Dr. Short. "It's even a good idea to isolate new
plants for a couple of weeks before you place them
with other plants in your home. During that time you
can watch the new plants and discover any
infestations that develop."
Another source of pest
infestations could be the soil used for planting or
re-potting. Dr. Short also encourages houseplant
aficionados to always use sterilized soil for potting
and new or sterilized pots as other ways of
protecting potted plants.
Damaging Visitors
The most common pests on house plants are spider
mites and mealybugs. Both cause plant damage by
sucking the juices from plants. Spider mites measure
only 1/50 of an inch and are commonly found on the
underside of leaves. If a plant is heavily infested,
a fine webbing appears on the plant. Mealybugs, when
mature, are nearly 1/8 of an inch long with soft
bodies covered by a white powdery substance and some
species have long wax filaments extending from the
rear.
Three other plant suckers are
aphids, scales and whiteflies. Aphids come in many
colors, from green to pink to blue, and have
pear-shaped bodies with long antennae and two short
tubes extending from the rear of the body. Scales can
be almost any color and measure from 1/8 to 1/3 an
inch when mature. They are found all over the plant,
on either side of the leaves or even on twigs and
branches. Whiteflies resemble tiny white moths and
tend to swarm when disturbed.
Fungus gnat maggots,
springtails and psocids are soil pests that may
damage house plant root systems. All are difficult to
detect and very small in size, ranging from the
microscopic springtail to the worm-like maggot
measuring 1/4 inch long.
Getting Rid of Unwanted
Guests
So if you've identified what type of pest is
bothering your plants, what can you do?
Dr. Short suggests choosing
from the following treatments.
- Syringing -
Spraying plants with a forceful stream of
room temperature water twice a month to
remove insects before they settle in. This is
best done outside or over a laundry sink
where you can get at the underside of leaves
where most bugs congregate.
- Washing - Using 3
tablespoons of mild detergent in a gallon of
water and washing leaves with a soft brush or
cloth is all that is needed to remove aphids,
mealybugs and scales from broad-leafed
plants. Give your plants a scrubbing twice a
year.
- Handpicking - If
only a few plants are involved, you may be
able to remove the pests with a toothpick or
tweezers. Slugs, snails and cutworms can be
picked from plants at night when they come
out to feed.
- Alcohol - A light
infestation of mealybugs or aphids can be
controlled by swabbing the underside of
leaves with alcohol. But alcohol can burn the
foliage, so use with care.
- Nicotine Compounds
- Soak a cigar or pipe tobacco in a quart of
water for several days, dilute to the color
of weak tea and add one tablespoon of mild
detergent to wash away aphids.
Bringing in the Big Guns
In severe cases, pesticide treatments may be
necessary. Insecticides and miticides can be
purchased at garden supply or hardware stores.
However, the Florida Pest Management Association
encourages you to use all chemicals with care. Read
and follow the directions carefully. Avoid breathing
mists or fumes. Be sure to store pesticides in their
original containers, locked safely away from children
and pets. Dispose of containers safely.
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