The Ultimate Guide To Plant Pests 

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I had a bag of potting soil that was infested with fungus gnats. I didn't know about it until I had potted all the plants I bought last fall. I also keep carnivorous plants. My sundews ate like kings all winter. I would only ever see one or two gnats on my computer monitors, but my sundews were wallpapered with them.

LARVAE OF FUNGUS GNATS, when present in large numbers, can damage roots and stunt plant growth, particularly in seedlings and young plants. Adult fungus gnats don't damage plants or bite people; their presence is primarily considered a nuisance.

Thank you for making these straight to the point videos.

Your room is looking SO good!

the beneficial bugs that eat pests are called predatory mites (hypoapsis miles) and they'll eat any bugs smaller than them (fungus gnat larvae too). They are actually cousins to spiders (they have 8 legs). Search by their name and not a brand name to get them cheaper!

I think you may not want to try to make peace with fungus gnats. The adults, other than laying a hundred or two hundred eggs, may just be annoying, but the larvae are actually harmful. They can kill plants. They don't just eat fungus, especially when there is a high population -- which happens really fast. Fungus gnat larvae eat plant roots. Not just the little hair roots, but the thicker roots too, and they can also tunnel into plant stems and even crowns. But probably the more deadly problem with fungus gnat larvae is that all those chew wounds are avenues for the pathogens that cause rot. It's worth it to keep fighting them. Cinnamon is a great idea, as a powerful antibacterial and antifungal, plus that scent we like so much repels many pests, including ants. It's a good idea to watch for ants in your plants too! They often signal that there are plant pests present, because ants bring them in, "farm" them for the honeydew, and even protect the pests from natural predators!

Accidentally found that gnats are attracted to soapy water. Leave a cup of water in the sink mixed with a few drops of lemon dish soap. Gnats will be floating face down in the cup by morning.

Should I check my plants once a week for bugs instead of waiting for them to destroy my plants... I have literally just spent god knows how long with a light and magnifying glass looking for bugs. Then I scrolled through loads of your videos to find one about pests, cos I don't have a clue what I'm looking for lol Once again, you're a massive help, thankyou... 🙏

For Fungus Gnats, making a “tea” with Mosquito Bits worked SO WELL!!!!!

Great video! No waffle like a lot of other videos

as somone who as had a lot of mealybugs i find it is a lot more effective to pick then of with tweezers after washing them with dish soap

Since I noticed spider mites on my colocasia , I've been in protective/removal mode. The information included in this video is quite valuable! ♥️🌱's

Hydrogen peroxide is a good way to get rid of pests in the soil esp fungus gnat larvae (which feed on roots) & fungus (that the gnats also feed on). I use a ratio of 1:4. It also aerates the soil. Its also good for repelling root rot! It’s a good hack!

What about worms under the roots

I think the most effective route to get rid of pests for you indoor plants is to get systemic insecticide. It's long lasting, easy, and great for prevention. Of course don't use them for outside flowering plants (for the bees) or food plants, but it's a great solution.

How I eliminated fungus gnats from my houseplants 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M_upSkBXhts.html

Another good thing to use against bugs is diatomaceous earth (food grade especially if you have pets and kids) just sprinkle on leaves and dirt and continue to bottom water and the DE will destroy the bugs, naturally.

WOE IS ME I've found spider mites on my pothos this morning and ran to find your video 😭 here we go

yellow sticky traps at/ near soil line will get all of the gnats.

The larvae of fungus nats can feed on the roots and reduce plant vigour.

I found garlic water to be really helpful with gnats larvae, I asked a question about killing gnats under different video but I can see that I used already all methods presented in the video.

Thrips give me nightmares!

Ty so much 🙏🏽😇❤️

Neem oil is the best. It's advised to add a little bit of dish liwuid so the oil can distribute. I use the spraw with these and water quite often. The leaves look so beautiful after!

Fungus gnats do kill plants. The larvae that hatch are numerous & eat at the young roots of plants. I have had a beautiful Dutchman’s Pipe fall over when I went to water it because all its roots were gone, and the pot was loaded with adult gnats. I was not aware of how they multiply at the time, but did learn about them after. 😢

have used cinnamon as well along with sand on surface of soil to prevent fungus gnats

Mosquito bits conquered my gnat problem, now I mix some into the soil every time I repot

Horticulture oil is good too. It is less smelly

Tea tree oil has worked very well for me

Great video as always...I have a pothos that for some reason continues to have leaves yellowing no matter what I do...I have lessened the watering...I don't have pests and the roots look great..I'm thinking maybe it's getting to much sun even though the window it's over has a sheer curtain to block direct sun..I'm lost..I'm thinking of moving it to the kitchen counter to see what it does..what's your thoughts

I was surprised there was no mention of hydrogen peroxide spray in the video. But great tips!

I also water in my sink and put amonia in my sink where the fumes kill bugs.

Where do you buy rubbing alcohol in the UK and what is it called?

honestly, as gross as they are, mealy bugs are my least-hated pest. they really only infest the one plant (as long as you keep it separate), and they are SO EASY to see and treat. they are SO GROSS and require EXTENSIVE treatment over time, but at least at some point i can feel comfortable ive fixed the issue. every other pest ive had to fight, im now forever paranoid. i will never win the war against fungus gnats or spider mites, and ive come to accept that. but ive had a plant come to me for care that had thrips, and good grief that just changes your entire mental state. i am fundamentally a different person now. i cant really win against some pests, sure, but the grand fight against thrips is won by me every time because either i eradicate or the plant goes. i hate throwing plants out, but with this i must. i now check every single plant i own for thrips every time i water.

Thank you for the information Sheffield. I have terrible problem with bugs. It is terrible. I destroy them and they come back again and again . I think to throw out all the soil of all my plants and port them in new fresh soil . It is terrible it is a night mare they destroyed my little jungle paradise ( I have more than 100 plants in big and small pots ) I need weeks to change the soil to all of them. And you know one day I notice that one plant is effected and the another day I see bugs on another and after I destroy them I see on another . I m very disappointed

Hi! I have 2 plants of japaleno that have been repoted from outside and they start to have colonies of aphids (one plant has green aphids and the other one black aphids). Can you give me some advices for what to do to get rid of them? I hope you will make a video discussing aphids, your videos are eductive and fun to watch! In the passt I've tried some of your methods,and all of them worked! Thanks!

i sought this video to see what is crawling around on my dieffenbachia and of course they turn out to be thrips. i only spotted a couple, so i hope i have a chance. wish me luck.

Fungus gnat is everyone's house plant pet 😂

**itches**

Currently dealing with mealy bugs for the first time, ugh. I’ve effectively gotten rid of them all w/ alcohol, but I’m having a hard time telling the difference between dust and super small mealy bugs. Anybody else have this problem or am I overthinking it?

My daughter lovingly brought me some daffodils a couple weeks ago. Before I knew it I've got these tiny black wiggly things that look almost like soil. Had plants since 2019 now and never had to deal with this. And all my plants are very closely packed. Idk how they got there from the daffodils, opposite side of the same large room. Not sure how to tackle them but I mostly have succulents (And daughter has a miniature rose bush) so anything that means wiping them down is not going to go well. 😅

You don’t mention vine weevils, I am having a constant battle with them 😩

Enough is enough and throw the plant out! lol I know it's not funny but you made me laugh

If you see this comment can you please reply? I’m dealing with a pest (my first time) I can see little reddish brown dots on my leaves (turning yellow also) I don’t see any webbing however which confuses me on what they are…I know they are alive because if I press down on them with my finger nail they pop (more like the color spreads/squishes) also believe it or not I can see them slightly moving.. I’m still completely a beginner to plants other than simply having them and keeping them alive (I have around 20-30) I did buy some neem oil in a spray bottle, I researched and did accordingly but they are back and worse! Please help me, I don’t want my plant to die. (It’s a dumb cane plant; can’t recall the actual name right now & I will be more than willing to share pictures)

I love horror movies, stories and everything. Buuut.. this horror is something I hate. 😢 Thank you for your tips and information! Love your videos. 🙏

My variegated ginger has tons of holes

Ok I'm going to try cinnamon!

Can thrips be on outdoor plants? Last summer I had some black bugs on my plants that I thought were earwigs

What about white flies?? 😥

Can i use garden safe insect killer on the soil of the plant ??

What would you say is a good all round houseplant insectacide to have for if any of these come? Tfs

I spray all my plants 🪴 with neem oil , dish soap , water once a month whether I see bugs are not Is this bad for my plants 🪴

Neem oil and dish soap won't be successful. I lost so many plants due to spider mites but I could just rescue ficus or philodendrons by putting a transparent foil (such as plastic trash bags) all around the pot of the plant after I water them. But let's be honest, sometimes you will rot your plant by this procedure or calatheas don't want to be rescued at all, they just want to die😂 But when I see spider mites, I will shower the whole plant and put them into trash bags to isolate them. So the humidity is increasing and no other plant will be infected. But neem oil never helped me by anything. Every plant owner know this tip from RU-vid but who could successfully rescue a plant from bugs with neem oil? Hardly anyone. My nightmare are thrips. When I discover only a few than everything is Allright, I apply pesticides which is given by watering the plant so the roots can absorb the pesticides and the thrips will die when they suck the leaves or stems of the plant. I separate them immediately but in worst case scenarios I have to do this procedure with my whole plants because all have at least some thrips. I really can't count how many plants I lost just by those two bugs. Fungus gnats are really a blessing against those two 😂 but over watering or root rot is also a thing which I am guilty of. Also some plants seem to be unproblematic af and others have their issues right after you buy them. My mom can take care of succulents and dracaenas but I can't

Help! I was gone for a couple of weeks for surgery. Came home was still recovering when I noticed I had some unhappy plants. Thrips! On 45 plants! Definitely wasn't spider mites, no webbing. The damage was consistent with thrips. I cleaned all of the plants getting the poop off of the back side of the leaves. Sprayed down in the bath tub the ones I could. I removed all of the damaged leaves. I've treated them twice with Captain Jack's Dead Bug. I've also used concentrated neem oil. How will I know when I'm thrip free? I'm in a one bedroom apartment and can't quarantine. No place to put them. I have 3 healthy plants in the bathroom but no grow light. No outlet available if I purchase one. I have spaced the plants better in the living room. I have a plant I need to repot in my bedroom that's healthy, roots coming out the bottom. It's too hot to repot outside. Help Richard! How far apart do plants with thrips need to be? How will I know they've been cured? How do I stop itching from the thought of bugs???

What fertilizer do you use and how often do you use it

Oh .I forgot to ask would my snake plant be ok hanging over the window that gets bright light during the evening but has a sheer curtain in place to keep the direct sun at bay

Thrips with a side of spider mites 😔 RIP 10 plants so far

Okay I really need your help... I bought a monstera adasonii today from the new plant shop in town... noticed it had mealybugs once it was too late 😭 I haven't ever had them before, so I flushed the soil down the toilet and ran everything under warm water, scraping off every one I seen... then I dumped a bunch bunch of sevin dust on it... it's a wish list plant of mine and its quarantined in my bathroom rn... should I just throw it away in like... the neighbors trash can?

any videos or ideas of how house flies get into house plants and how to remove them?

For spider mites, you mentioned we should be using a fast action spray and then wipe down with neem oil or dish soap. What should the fast action spray contain?

My biggest plant problem is my granddaughter with her scissors...

Hate THRIPS! They killed my Lambs Ear. I was able to stop them spreading, but couldn't save the plant. :(

I hate mealybugs Those little s**** killed 5 of my orchids phalaenopsis I have basically given up on phalaenopsis due to it Now my orchids are either cymbidium or oncydium and a couple dendrobium My heart still aches for phalaenopsis every time I see a pretty meaty root specimen at the store

🙏💚🌹❤️💕😍

I sprayed neem oil on my plants some years ago as there were increasing number of mites. But my plant soon died. Not sure if it’s the neem oil to kill the plant or the plant itself was too weak to survive. So I hesitate to do the same now. If I just spray the neem oil on pot/saucer only, can I still keep pests away from my plant? Thanks 😃

Eww wth im drowning my plants

Thrips? Don't listen to him, just toss the plants.