Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Indoor Plants and Bug Bites
Indoor Plants and Bug Bites. Indoor plants, particularly large leafy varieties, often harbor unwanted bugs. In essence, a potted plant is like a very small natural habitat, with soil, water and growing plant life. It's no surprise that they can attract a range of irritating insects. While many of these bugs don't sting, bite or cause serious damage...
Indoor plants, particularly large leafy varieties, often harbor unwanted bugs. In essence, a potted plant is like a very small natural habitat, with soil, water and growing plant life. It's no surprise that they can attract a range of irritating insects. While many of these bugs don't sting, bite or cause serious damage indoors, some species pose a small risk to humans. Dealing with the bugs when you find them can keep them from spreading.
Problem
Plants that spend the summer outdoors before being taken back inside as the weather cools often carry pests into the home. Even if kept indoors throughout the year, a potted plant makes a shaded and safe spot for any insects that venture into the house. Many will see plants as a food source, whether they eat leaves or prey on leaf-eating bugs. Some insects burrow into the soil or hide on the underside of plant leaves to avoid detection.
Species
The insects that hitch a ride in your potted plants will vary depending on where you live and what type of plant you have. However, several common biting insects that live in potted plants include thrips, ants, mosquitoes and some mites. Sometimes, wasps, bees and other stinging insects get into the house as potted plant stowaways. On rare occasions, houseplants might contain spiders that are capable of biting. Ants may quickly find ways to draw more of the colony into the house if they find food, so dealing with them quickly is essential.
Treatment
Most common indoor pest insects will die off with the right dose of safe indoor pesticides. Botanical and organic pesticides containing azadirachtin, pyrethrins or neem often work best with the least risk. Sprays allow you to target the affected area around the plant in the case of infestations. Target larger insects such as spiders and wasps individually. As with all insecticides, check your state laws for permitted products and always closely follow package instructions. For bite treatment, calamine lotion or other soothing ointment will take the edge off the pain.
Prevention
Treating pots before you take them indoors helps reduce the chances of bringing biting insects inside. The University of Vermont's Dr. Leonard Perry suggests bathing the pots in a tub of lukewarm water for quarter of an hour to force any bugs from the pot. Changing the potting soil also helps rid the soil of larvae or bugs ready to hatch.
