6 Places Plant Pests Come From and How to Prevent Them From Taking Over
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6 Places Plant Pests Come From and How to Prevent Them From Taking Over
If you've had houseplants for a long time, there's a very high chance you lost one or two of them to a pest infestation. I know how frustrating and confusing it can be.
Where did they come from?
Why did THIS plant get infested?
Do I need to worry about this happening again, or was it just a one-time thing?
How do I prevent this from happening again in the future?
These are all valid questions, and the goal of this newsletter is to answer these questions to inform you better about how to prevent losing plants to pests in the future.
Where Do Pests Come From?
There are a few common places where pests can enter your home.
On newly purchased plants - This is the most common way you can accidentally bring pests into your home.
Through open windows - Plant pests are incredibly tiny and can easily fit through the screen in your window.
On pets - While running through the grass or past plants outside, your pets can easily get bugs in their fur and then carry them inside, where they will find your houseplants.
On plants you bring in for the winter or bad weather - It's more common for plants outside to be exposed to pests that can then be transferred indoors when you bring the plants inside again.
On produce from your garden or the grocery store - This isn't as common as some of the other possibilities, but it is still something you should keep an eye out for
In potting soil - A bag of potting soil sadly makes a perfect home to a colony of bugs and can be an issue before even planting your plant!
How to Prevent Bringing Pests Into Our Homes
So now that we know where pests come from, how do we prevent them? There are a few obvious things we AREN'T going to do, like keep our pets inside all day and never open the windows. That would be crazy!
A few easy things we CAN do to prevent bringing them into our home:
Inspect all potential plant purchases - If there are any signs of pests, it's not worth it. There are other plants out there; leave that one there.
Inspect your plants and treat for pests before bringing them in for the winter - Preventative measures are much easier than trying to fight off an established infestation.
Do a quick glance for pests on your produce before you buy it from the store - I know it sounds crazy but check out these pictures of mealy bugs on store-bought bananas!
Don't overwater your plants - On top of overwatering weakening, and possibly killing your plant, soggy soil is a perfect breeding ground for multiple species of pests! Allowing the soil to properly dry between waterings is vital for your plant's health! Another tip I've recently read is to bottom water your plant and take it out before the top inch of soil even gets wet. This makes it much harder for pests to breed in the soil if the surface is never wet.
Use pesticide granules in your soil - Sprinkling some of these in your potting mix is a great way to kill off any pest that lands on your plant before it can reproduce. You can simply sprinkle them on the soil and then water them in. (click the link in the tweet below)
Keep your plant's leaves clean - Spider mites especially seem to be attracted to dusty leaves. Keeping the leaves clean allows for more light absorption and an overall healthier plant.
Inspect often - Catching a small pest infestation is one of the best ways to prevent a LARGE pest infestation. Early treatment will stop the pests in their tracks before spreading any further.
Treat with Neem Oil - Remember that neem oil doesn't kill pests instantly and works best as a preventative measure. How Neem oil works appears to be a common discussion I see between people online, so I plan on covering the topic in-depth in another newsletter.
Or you can purchase a premixed spray bottle that's a ready-to-use solution.
Lastly, keep your plants healthy - A healthy plant is less likely to be targeted by pests than a neglected one. Enough sunlight and proper watering will go a long way.
Final Notes
I think it's important to note that pest issues, while definitely a possibility, aren't incredibly common. If you own plants, it will probably happen eventually, but it shouldn't be something you stress over all the time.
If you take proper care of your plants, you will most likely catch any issues early, and they should be pretty easy to handle. The pros of owning plants certainly outweigh the cons.
Thank you for reading my newsletter! I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to many more. I will be sending these out twice a month and may increase frequency based on feedback and engagement.
I would greatly appreciate sharing this with friends and family, or give me a shoutout on Twitter (@HobbyistPlant) and let me know you enjoyed it :)
This Weeks Happy Planter Submission
This African violet was propagated by my dad from a plant my mother in law had. After he died I took it and have just split the plant into two. It sits in my bathroom, now in flower and always makes me think of my dad.
Thanks for the submission by @711cathy :) It's so special that you can keep the memory alive through his flowering plant
That’s All For Now!
I will continue to improve these newsletters and add more exciting content as I go. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Talk soon! Feel free to enjoy my content on Twitter until the next newsletter :)
-Houseplant Hobbyist