Pests on indoor plants - how to get rid of them

Spiders, spider mites, and thrips are some of the most common pests on indoor plants. They cause the plant to lose its shape and sometimes pave the way for fungal attacks. Discover the pests early on. But where do these small pests actually come from? Most commonly, they come home with a new plant or come in from outside the greenhouse in the fall when plants are brought inside for the winter. Regardless of how they enter, it is important to detect the attacks at an early stage, as you have the best chance of getting rid of them. Therefore, check your plants regularly. Lice Lice are among the most common pests. They suck plant sap making them weaker, and many species leave honeydew behind, which can be a breeding ground for fungal spores. Peach aphids are one of the more common species amongst aphids. When they shed their skin, they leave their white skin on the leaves, making them easy to detect. Aphids are generally easy to get rid of - they suffocate in soapy water and are easy to squash. Scale insects A bit more difficult to combat are the relatives of aphids in the family of scale insects. They have a hard shell. Examples of scale insects are yellow palm scale, orange bag scale, greenhouse scale, and mealybug, which does not have a shield but looks like small tufts of cotton. Whiteflies - aphids "The white flies" are also a type of aphid. The name sounds almost romantic, but they are far from white butterflies in the twilight. The most common type we encounter is the greenhouse whitefly. One way to detect it is to shake the plant - if it is attacked, the white flies will fly up from the tops. Favorites are cucumber, tomato, geranium, and fuchsia, but other plants can also be affected by whiteflies. Fungus gnats - soil gnats They are strikingly similar to fruit flies but thrive better in houseplants than in food waste. Fungus gnats reproduce at an enormous rate and can be very annoying to have in the house. Large plants usually cope, but seeds, cuttings, and small fresh plants can be in trouble if precautions are not taken. Read our guide on how to get rid of fungus gnats. Thrips Thrips are long, slender insects with wings. The female lays her eggs in the leaves, and when the eggs hatch, bright nymphs are formed, which eventually turn into thrips. Light gray, silvery spots or stripes on the leaves and black specks of feces are sure signs. Thicker leaves can get a coating. Finally, the leaves fall off. Fruits such as chili can also become deformed. Thrips are common on plants such as grapevine, palm, monstera, dragon tree, citrus, hibiscus, aralia, aster, chrysanthemum, verbena, alpine violet, amaryllis, cucumber, peacock plant, and orchids. Thrips thrive in dry, warm air and like to fly between plants. Therefore, it is preventive to spray the plants with water from time to time. Spider mites Greenhouse spider mites or spider mites are a kind of arachnid that lives on the underside of leaves where they suck plant sap. The drained cells turn into yellow dots on the upper side of the leaves, and eventually the leaves turn yellow and wither. Spider mites create threads in a web and spread through the web. They thrive in warm and dry environments, so prevent by regularly spraying the plants with water. How to combat lice, thrips, and mites on your indoor plants Isolate the plant and clean where the plant has been to prevent spread to other plants. Crush all visible pests, especially in rolled leaves and look extra carefully under leaves and in buds. You can also use a lint roller. Rinse off the lice with water. Remove heavily infested parts, e.g., shoot tips. Spray the entire plant thoroughly with soapy water every five days until the pests are completely gone. The treatment must be repeated as new eggs hatch at intervals. Be sure to reach everywhere. The soap suffocates the lice that breathe through the skin. Soap water 0.5 dl green soap 1 liter of water Optionally, a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, for difficult attacks of, for example, scale insects - this dries out the lice and can cause burns on some plants. Apply only in the shade and preferably do a test first, as not all plants tolerate this. Rougher soapy water For mealybugs and scale insects that are difficult to combat, e.g., on an olive tree, you can make a stronger solution - this is brushed directly on the lice. 2 parts water 2 parts soap 3 parts rubbing alcohol Oil water Oil water works especially well on mealybugs, and it can also be sprayed over the soil and roots to make them unappealing. Apply every tenth day. A separate variant can be made as follows: 1 tsp vegetable oil or Neem oil (a natural plant remedy) 1 liter of lukewarm water 1 tbsp green soap Glue traps Glue traps can also catch some pests, they can also be used to detect early attacks. The yellow color attracts thrips, lice, fungus gnats, and the like. Biological control If the weather permits, it may be a good idea to put the plant out after treatment so that predatory insects have free rein. One can also use beneficial insects of various kinds, such as pirate bugs, ladybugs, mesostigmata, and parasitic wasps, so-called biological control. There is almost always a predatory insect that fits, for example, the pirate bug Orius, which works well against both thrips and lice. And remember - small animals are a natural part of the cultivation cycle, it is only when they get out of hand that we need to intervene.

WRITTEN BY Liselotte Roll, Swedish gardening inspirator, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Earth", "Cultivating for insects" and "Keeping chickens as a hobby". (Photo: Sandra Birgersdotter Ek)