How to Get Rid Common Bugs on Indoor Plants – Step By Step Guide

Just like any other being you love, you want to take care of your plants as well. And so you need to know how to get rid of bugs on indoor plants. You don’t want the plants that you have grown with such care and effort to be fed to vicious bugs.

For the easy and efficient way, you can get Insect traps like Harris Potting Plant-Insect trap or an indoor plug-in trap like a plug-in zapper by Bug Zapper. But if you want to get rid of bugs on houseplants by home remedies here are some of the ways that you can use to protect your beloved plants.

Th Use of Real Soap

Since you are here, it is a given that you have or are simultaneously looking at them right now. They will probably have similar remedies about how to get rid of bugs eating plants, like using a soap solution? Here is the catch though, what most people don’t understand is the difference between detergent and soap.

A dishwashing liquid, as many blogs would have suggested using, is a detergent and not a soap. It doesn’t have the properties that you required to get rid of the bugs as suggested, and may also cause damage to your plant.

• Get a clean spray bottle 
• Mix one tablespoon of the soap
• Shake it well to mix it up 

Spray it on one leaf to test it out, and leave for 24 hours. If it works the spray it on the rest of the plant, if not then try one of the other methods.

Neem Oil – The All-Rounding Champion

Not only is it safe to use around your babies and pets, but it also helps get rid of almost a hundred different kinds of bugs including full-grown, larvae and even the eggs. 

Here is how you make this superpower spray. You will be needing 

• Some kind of bucket to mix the spray 
• A spray bottle
• Cold-pressed neem oil (because it is known to be more potent) – 200 ml
• Castile soap – 30 ml
• Water – 10 liters

1.  Start by adding the soap solution to the warm water.
2. Start pouring in neem oil slowly while stirring constantly.
3. Once you see that all ingredients have dissolved nicely, transfer the solution to the spray bottle.

This solution is only good for up to 8 hours, after that it becomes useless. This method is not an instant fix, it will need a week of repeating the process to show progress.

Alcohol 

What are we thinking? Some wine, vodka, or whiskey? Here is a fun thought – don’t use either!

Full disclosure, this is a very limited remedy. Meaning this is only used to get rid of snails and slugs. It is most commonly known as the beet trap.

How to set it up: 

1.  Add some stale beer in a shallow dish
2. Place that dish close to the slug or snail infestation 
3. Leave the dish overnight and clean up in the morning 

Slugs and snails have an irresistible sweet tooth. They can’t help but be drawn to the beer. And once they get drunk, they mostly drown. And hence you get a dish filled with drowning snail.

But can you use the alcohol on the plant? The answer is a flat no. Alcohol is just not how to get rid of bugs on indoor plants. Let’s take a quick look into why so that you don’t go experimenting on your own.

You get three different kinds of alcohol: methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl. From these 

• Isopropyl is 70% in concentration and is used to clean wounds. Don’t even think about taking it near your plants.
• Ethanol at any concentration can stunt the growth of the plant. And only about 25% concentration, it is fatal for your plant.

Garlic and Hot Pepper Spray – Loaded Bug Killer

Garlic Spray is capable of killing the bugs on its own. It can not only effectively get rid of the bugs but if you water your plants with garlic water then it will also get rid of your nematode or fungus gnat problem.

To make the garlic spray you need:

• A blender
• Garlic 
• A jar with a capacity of at least two cups 
• A container that can hold a gallon 
• A spray bottle

1.  Blend the garlic until it is smooth
2. Add two cups of water and just pulse the mixture about two times
3. Let the mixture sit in a jar for a day, more appropriately in someplace dark.
4. Strain it and then add it to the container and add a gallon of water.
5. Add to spray bottle for use.

Use it twice weekly until the pests are cleared out.

While this should be effective enough but if you want to make a stronger blend you can add hot pepper to the mix.

It is crazy effective but IT CAN BE DAMAGING TO THE PLANT. It can even be harmful to you so make sure to use gloves and masks when preparing it.

Here is how to prepare it:

• Infuse pepper into the water
• Heat the water and bring it to simmer – 15 minutes
• Leave it to cool down and add it to the garlic solution.