What are the Bugs in the Soil of Indoor Plants? 3 Easy Hacks to Terminate Them

Indoor gardening becomes a new hobby and an easy way to have your mini garden inside your house. Bugs in the soil of indoor plants are common.  If you think your indoor plants grow well with water and sunlight, then you are wrong. There are a few things to keep in mind to keep your plants free from bugs. I wrote this article to help you know about the types of bugs and ways to get rid of them with the preventive measures to grow healthy indoor plants.

Indoor plants tend to have fewer pest problems compared to garden-growing plants. Many homeowners think that indoor plants are totally pest free. But they are not. In some cases, when a houseplant looks less healthy, it could be a pest infestation. Insects and bugs feed on house plants under certain circumstances. Pests come into contact with indoor plants with newly purchased plants. But before this, if you want to know about what is soil, click here. 

When you realize you have bugs in your soil, there are many preventive measures to get rid of them both naturally and chemically.

Though the question of ‘Do indoor plants attract bugs’? Will be answered below.

What Causes Bugs in my Indoor Plants?

The major problem that causes bugs in the soil of your indoor plants is the soil conditions such as Climatic conditions and lack of aeration.

Climatic conditions around indoor plants can cause bugs to bug you. You might have the right humidity for the bugs to survive such as overwatering or standing water which eventually evaporates and creates a high humidity to attract bugs to your indoor plants.

Lack of aeration could also be a reason why your indoor plants become the den for bugs. When there is no space between plants it suffocates plants to breathe. When there is no air circulation, that causes bugs to stay in your plant.

What are the Different types of Bugs in the Soil of my Indoor Plants?

There are many types of bugs that can attack your indoor plants. Some of the common bugs are aphids, Fungi gnats, Spider Mites, Whiteflies, mealybugs, and scales.

• Aphids 

Aphids are tiny pear-shaped bugs that reproduce in minutes. Due to their size, they can be noticed only when they become large in numbers. They can be in many colors such as red, black, pink, brown, etc.

According to USDA, Aphids develop wings when the weather begins to cool. Aphids spread disease while feeding on plants. Both the adults and nymphs look similar in this bug.

 Fun Fact:  Aphids feed by sucking up the sap which is mostly sugar. The excess sugar is eliminated in the form of a sugary droplet called honeydew. So they poop sugar.

• Fungus gnats

This bug is often misunderstood as a mosquito because of its deceptive appearance. Fungus gnats appear in the soil to feed on fungi and in the place overwatering. They can survive without water. This bug feeds on the roots.

• Spider Mites

Spider Mites with their name look like tiny spiders. They usually live around the indoor plants and not on them. They can be seen only when the web is visible. They infect the leaves and make them dry. Plants affected become discolored.

• Whiteflies

Due to the wax-covered body, they are white. Because of this color, they are often considered white moths. They are harmful to houseplants.

• Mealybugs 

Mealybugs attach to the underside of leaves and attach to the main body of the plant or its roots. Mealybugs look cottony and soft but are deadly to plants when left untreated. Their overcoat prevents them from insecticides. They are often found in groups and are easy to detect. 

• Scale

The scale is difficult to remove from plants unlike other bugs for indoor plants. They form a cluster to hold the grip of plant leaves to sap. The nymph stage is the best time to kill the scale bug.

What Parts of Plants do Bugs Attack?

The part of the plant that bugs attack depends on the type of bug. Most types of bug attacks leave. Some stay near the plants. Some deep into the soil to lay eggs and feed on the roots of plants.

But they also attack baby leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and buds. It is necessary to act quickly to remove the bugs rather than trying or waiting for what to attack.

What are the Methods to get rid of Bugs from Indoor Plants?

To get rid of indoor bugs, first, isolate the plant and remove the bugs by hand with safety gear. Here are some natural ways  because this will be effective for indoor plant bugs,

Add neem oil with water and spray on the insects. Neem is natural pest control.

Use one part of the Hydrogen peroxide solution to 3 parts of water and spray it on the plant to prevent bugs. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe disinfectant and is used to treat fungi and bacteria. 

Diatomaceous earth is a very fine particle from breaking natural disinfectant used for the removal of any type of bug and to add natural effects to it.

After that allow the soil to dry out after this and keep it ventilated.

TIP: Applying any type of pest control should be done in the early morning so it won’t affect the plants.

How do Prevent bugs in Indoor Plants?

• When buying a plant carefully inspect if there are bugs.
• Maintaining a good space between the plants will help them with good airflow and if there is a plant in one bug that won’t transfer to the others.
• Removing dead leaves or other debris will help.
• Regularly checking the plants for bugs to prevent them in the early stages.
• Mostly by keeping your plant healthy you can avoid bugs.
• Regular disinfectant usage will prevent bugs.

What are the Different Pest Resistant Indoor Plants?

High Pest Resistant Indoor Plants 

• Catnip
• Jade plant
• Chinese evergreen
• Snake plant
• Venus Flytrap
• Herbs such as mint, basil, chive, and lavender.

Low Pest Resistant Indoor Plants 

• Peace lily
• Ferns

FAQ

Do indoor plants attract bugs?

Yes, they do if the plants are not healthy as they give place for bugs.