What to Do If Hydroponic Plants Get Bugs? A Rundown of Varieties That Easily Attract Pests

Although growing hydroponic plants is fresh and clean, some varieties are naturally"pest magnets," and tiny bugs appear in the water at the drop of a hat. The whole point of growing hydroponic plants is to keep things clean and hassle-free, but if they attract bugs, with little nematodes and mosquito larvae floating in the water, that is really disgusting.

Don't panic if your hydroponic plants get bugs; a few tricks will take care of it. First, pour out all the water, rinse the roots clean with fresh water, and scrub the inside walls of the container too, especially the slimy stuff, because that is a breeding ground for bugs.

If it is mosquito larvae, after changing the water, add a few drops of essential balm and the bugs will vanish immediately. If it is bloodworms, don't use nutrient-rich water like rice-washing water; keep it in clean water, trim off some of the aged root hairs, and it will be clean in a few days.

In summer, remember to3-5change the water every few days, don't fill it too full, and leave half the space for air circulation. If you find it too troublesome, drop in two small guppies; they can eat the bugs and serve as a living decoration, super hassle-free.

Pennywort:The first to bear the brunt is pennywort. This thing grows like crazy in soil, and in water it looks nice and green, but its fibrous roots in the water are too dense -- the thin root hairs tangle into a ball, like a mess of hemp, and once the water stops flowing it easily grows slimy. When temperatures are high in summer, this slime is a "buffet" for bugs; bloodworms and water fleas especially love to burrow into the root hairs, and sometimes you can even see tiny mosquito larvae wriggling in the water. Moreover, pennywort likes fertilizer, and some people toss fish food or rice-washing water into the water as fertilizer, but it doesn't get absorbed by the plant and all becomes nutrients for bugs, and within a few days the water is teeming with life.

Dumb cane:Next, dumb cane. It looks quite handsome in water, with big glossy leaves, but its root problems are really numerous. Its fleshy roots are very thick and sturdy, and after being grown in water for a long time they easily shed old skin; these shed root skins sink to the bottom, slowly rot and turn slimy, and are simply a "breeding ground" for bugs. Especially when the weather is hot, if you slack off even a little and don't change the water, small white bugs will float in the water, along with a bit of a fishy smell. What's more troublesome is that its root hairs secrete a kind of slime that sticks to the bottle wall during water changes and is hard to clean off; over time bug eggs hide inside it and can't be completely removed.

Anthurium:The root system of hydroponic anthurium looks delicate, but it actually sheds root hairs very readily; those tiny white root hairs fall off into the water and quickly rot and deteriorate. In summer, if the water isn't changed in time, large numbers of small nematodes will breed in the water, so densely packed they give you goosebumps. Moreover, when anthurium blooms, the faded petals fall into the hydroponic bottle and rot especially quickly, making it simply a "breeding base" for bugs; sometimes before you even notice, the water is already crawling with small bugs.

Water lily:There is also the water lily and other aquatic plants; although strictly speaking they don't count as hydroponic, many people grow them at home in shallow basins, and they also easily attract bugs. Its leaves float on the water surface, blocking sunlight and making the underwater area dark and damp, especially suitable for mosquitoes to lay eggs. If left unattended for just two or three days, a bunch of mosquito larvae will appear in the water, wagging their tails under the leaves; by the time they grow into mosquitoes and fly out, the home is even livelier. And the water lily's rhizome secretes slime at the bottom, and with fallen leaves piling up, the bugs in the water only multiply.

Actually, the reason these plants attract bugs is mostly that their roots rot easily, they secrete a lot, or they need a deeper water level that makes water quality hard to maintain. For beginners, it's better to avoid these pest magnets first; if you really want to grow them, it's safer to try once you've figured out their temperament, so you don't lose your enthusiasm for gardening because of bugs.