How do i kill parasite on my houseplants? How do they come in?

Question

I have several different medium sized houseplants that sit in front of windows in my house... At first I was told they were aphids...now they have went from small white spots to round looking creature that have legs....I have tried dishsoap, then alcohol...then even mixed them together & sprayed them & they keep coming back...even tried alcohol with qtips....does anyone know how to kill them permenantly? and.....should I change the soil??? thanks

Answer 1

You definitely have to change the soil. Gently pull the plant out of the pot, over the garbage can and gently remove all dirt that is stuck to the roots. Rinse the roots in room temp. water, this is important ... if the water is too cold or too hot, it could shock your plant and it will die.

Once the roots are clean, mix two tbsp. of dish soap with one cup of room temp. water. Wash each and every leaf, as well as the stems and roots ... don't rinse the soap off. Re-plant your plant in a clean pot with sterilized soil ... if you don't have sterilized soil, you can sterilized it by putting it in the oven on 300°F for about 10 minutes ... then cool, before using. Once your plant is re-potted, add a cup of room temp. water to the remaining soap solution, and water your plant with it.

I had the same problem with my house-plants, and they are all growing like wild-weeds now. A little tip ... NEVER buy plants from a grocery store, or somewhere like Wal-Mart ... they are usually infested with bugs, which will spread to all your other plants. Wishin' you luck. :)

Answer 2

Any local garden shop or superstore (Walmart, Meijer, etc) will have broad use pesticides you can buy. I have one that is good for any and all houseplant pests...I think RAID makes it. Dish soap and alcohol swabs both work great, but you have to do it several times. I usually start with dish soap, and then give it a spray. (Make sure to do this outside.) You will want to do this once or twice a week for several weeks. If you do it once, you've killed the adults, but more eggs will hatch and they will come back. Be as persistent as they are!

Answer 3

As a former botany major, I think I can provide a decent answer. The best thing you can do is replant the basil in fresh soil. By pouring excess water into the pot, you can actually drown the roots or cause them to rot if you leave it sitting. What you should do is remove the plant from the soil, rinse the roots with cold water and place it in a glass with enough water for the roots to rest in while you prep the next step. Don't leave it like this too long. Get fresh soil and a clean pot and replant it. Give it a little water and you should be fine

Answer 4

Garden shop or big box utility builder store or ace will sell you a spray made from chrysanthemums it will kill em (pyrethrin)

If you know a smoker take three cigs, soak the tobacco in water over night (1 qt) then take leaves out and spray or plants liberally.
It will kill the bugs and then tell the smoker about this!

Answer 5

I use Sevin Dust on all my house plants. You can find it in most places that have a Garden area.