Common Houseplant Pest Identification and How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats, Spidermites, Scale, White Flies and Mealybugs: Grow Better with Leslie

Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care

Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness

Education, How To, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Home & Garden, Leisure

4.8 • 883 Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2023

⏱️ 90 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As houseplant parents, most of us will inevitably encounter some type of pest infestation at some point. Seemingly overnight, our beautiful, thriving plants can become under attack by bugs we didn't even know existed! Pests can quickly damage and even kill our treasured plants if left unchecked. In Episode 2 of the Grow Better Series, my dear friend Leslie Halleck is back to teach us how to identify the most common houseplant pests and take action to get rid of them fast.

In this episode, we learn:

[02:07] Happy 200th episode, plant friends!
[07:29] Why experiencing plant infestations is common and not a sign of failure
[10:16] How do your plants become infested with insects?
[13:30] How fungal diseases and viruses spread through plants and insect vectors
[16:58] How overwatering or misting can activate fungal spores brought in on new plants
[17:14] What are the symptoms of a plant pest outbreak that we should regularly look for?
[18:20] #1 Identifying fungus gnats
[20:08] Where to find potting mixes, composts, and fertilizers for indoor and outdoor gardening?
[22:51] Say goodbye to dark corners with Soltech’s all-new LED grow bar light.
[24:52] How to deal with fungus gnats
[29:40] #2 Identifying spider mites
[31:32] What is the impact of spider mites on leaves?
[32:05] Using a handheld microscope for insect identification
[33:14] Why do you need to choose the right insecticide?
[39:47] #3 Identifying mealybugs
[40:43] How to combat mealybug infestations
[42:56] What are the different organic control methods to manage mealybugs?
[44:07] What is systemic pesticide?
[45:31] Other eco-friendly alternatives
[47:22] #4 Identifying scale insects
[48:09] How scales manifest and why they are difficult to manage
[50:11] How to deal with scale manifestations
[53:12] #5 Identifying thrips
[57:01] How to identify thrips damage
[58:42] #6 Identifying aphids
[58:57] How to get rid of aphids
[01:01:13] #7 Identifying whiteflies
[01:03:05] Why you should have a first-aid kit for plants
[01:04:10] Homemade pest control remedies
[01:07:14] When is a plant past the point of no return with pest outbreak?
[01:09:18] Can you propagate a plant under pest attack?
[01:13:00] Where can you find Leslie on social media?

Mentioned in our conversation:

For a detailed how-to of houseplant pest management,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Ensure a thriving plant paradise with the right products! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar powered plant, zero waste manufacturing and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Soltech Solutions

Bring the beauty of nature into your home. Soltech Solutions makes the grow lights you’ve heard me talk about for years: whether you are looking for a pendant light, track lighting, or a simple bulb to screw into any standard light fixture, Soltech has got you covered. They offer quality products with great customer service, free shipping, and a 5-year warranty. Keep the sun shining and the plants green inside your home with Soltech Solutions.

Check them out at soltechsolutions.com and get 15% off with code "bloom15".

Follow Leslie:

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/PLANTS
* Check out Manukora: manukora.com/BLOOM
* Check out Outdoor Electronics: www.google.com

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Do you remember where you were the first time you noticed an insect on your plant?
0:07.0	I think this is a moment every plant parent dreams about, has nightmares about, and certainly remembers for the rest of their life.
0:15.2	As we fear plant pests on such a visceral level, but it totally makes sense because we have these plants that we love and care for and then all of a sudden they're under attack.
0:26.0	Often we don't see it. We don't see it coming and we're usually unprepared and
0:35.0	totally confused on how to identify these bugs that are invading my plant and more importantly how to eradicate those little buggers.
0:38.0	But plant friends all bugs are not created equal and you might argue that there are even some bugs that are meant to be left alone but with houseplants
0:46.3	There are a very specific set of insects and arachnids that you don't want anywhere near your plant and And if they do show up for a visit,
0:54.0	you better kick it into high gear
0:56.3	and kick them out of your house as quick as possible,
0:59.1	because they can cause a significant amount of damage
1:01.7	to our treasured plants and even be the reason for their demise.
1:05.6	I have heard horror stories of entire plant collections being wiped out by Thripps in the course of a week. I've heard about someone coming home from a vacation
1:15.1	with plants covered in spider mite webs. Or like you here in today's interview, my five-year-long
1:21.2	relationship with scale,
1:22.6	which sometimes I call my first pet.
1:24.7	So welcome Plant Friends to an insanely informative
1:28.6	but also creepy-crawly episode
1:30.8	with my beloved Plant Friend and plant nerd Leslie Halleck.
1:35.0	Welcome to the Growing Joy Podcast, where we not only learn how to care for plants successfully,
1:40.5	but how to simply and affordably use our plant babies to cultivate more joy in our lives.
1:45.0	I'm Maria, author of Growing Joy, the Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness,
1:50.0	speaker, podcaster, and most importantly, an epic plant killer turned happy plant lady.
	...

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