Here are 10 of the most likely suspects and how to control them. Aphids are soft-bodied insects and can be killed quite easily by a strong blast of water in the shower or repeated sprays of insecticidal soap. But they are persistent and you will need to remain diligent to rid your houseplants of these pests. Some cases can be treated with a miticide, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil if you can completely cover the plant with the spray. Usually, it is best to simply dispose of the infested plant, so the mites do not spread. You can catch the adults with yellow sticky traps, which will cut down on the population. Allow the soil to dry completely for several days, to kill any existing eggs and larvae. To deter the insects, try using dryer sheets. Often the damage is just cosmetic. Leafminer damage on edible greens, like Swiss chard and spinach, can ruin a crop, but on a houseplant, they are just unsightly. You can trap the adults with blue sticky tape and remove any damaged leaves, to keep new flies from emerging. There are a few insecticides that will control leafminers, such as Spinosad, but they are not usually necessary indoors. Mealybugs are very hard to get rid of. If you catch the problem early, cut out the infested branches. You can also dab the mealybugs with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol. If your plants become severely infested, it would be best to just get rid of them. The mealy bugs are only going to spread. A scale infestation is very hard to get rid of. Pesticides often don’t penetrate their hard shells. You may have some luck rubbing the scales off with your nail or a soft brush. Young scales have to crawl unprotected to a new location to set up shop and can be sprayed at this crawler stage with insecticidal soap. The soap has minimal effect on protected adults. To get rid of spider mites, thoroughly spray the affected plants with insecticidal soap. Repeat as recommended on the label. They favor damp areas, like moist potting soil. Although springtails can feed on roots, when they are in the soil, they don’t do much damage to plants. However, if the soil dries out, the springtails will look for moisture elsewhere, such as a basement or bathroom, where they can become an annoyance. You can vacuum them up or try using diatomaceous earth. Since there are no natural predators indoors, you will need to use some type of contact insecticides, such as neem or insecticidal soap. Be sure to cover all sides of the leaves.
