What to Do When Houseplants Get Pests? Practical Pest Control Methods to Share
Keeping potted houseplants is something many families do; it not only beautifies the environment but also cultivates character, but pest problems arise easily. So, what should you do when houseplants get pests?
1. Cigarettes
Tobacco contains nicotine and tar, which have a certain killing effect on pests. Ordinarily, you can collect some cigarette butts with tobacco shreds, soak them in water, and then use the soaked water to water the flowers or spray the leaf surfaces; using cheap tobacco shreds in particular gives a better effect.
2. Alcohol
If you find many scale insects on the leaf surfaces, you can buy some alcohol at a pharmacy. If the concentration is high, you can dilute it with water, dip a cotton swab or tissue in alcohol and apply it to the surface of the scale insects; of course, you can also spray the leaf surfaces, so that they quickly dehydrate and die. However, be careful not to water the roots with alcohol.
3. Soapy water
You can make an aqueous solution with an appropriate amount of laundry detergent or soap, add a few drops of clear oil, and use it to spray the leaf surfaces; it can effectively kill aphids, red spider mites, scale insects and so on.
4. Beer
If there are often snails or soft-bodied insects in the pot, you can place a small dish filled with an appropriate amount of beer by the flowerpot; the snails and small insects will then be attracted and become drunk, making them easy to kill.
5. Garlic and chili water
Mash 30 grams of garlic, add 500 grams of water, and make a solution to spray the leaf surfaces, once a day for 4~5 times in a row; this can effectively prevent powdery mildew and black spot on roses (Rosa chinensis), and when poured into the soil it can also kill ants and nematodes. If using chili water, you can take 50 grams of facing-heaven chilies, add 500 grams of water, boil them together in a pot, and after cooling spray the stems and leaves; it can treat aphids, stink bugs and so on, and when poured into the soil it can kill cutworms.
If the pest infestation is relatively severe, you can use insecticide products, but be sure to use an appropriate amount, so as not to affect the plant or the surrounding environment.