The basil plant is a highly aromatic herb that grows in many different varieties and sizes. An indoor basil plant also makes for a wonderful addition to your summer home décor, as it lends a lovely appeal to your kitchen, living room or guestrooms.  However, once you start growing basil indoors, you would have to deal with the pests problems on your indoor basil plants like aphids, mealy-bugs, spider mites and whiteflies. Such pests can cause harm to not only basil but also other plants in the house.   As pests and bugs tend to decimate your basil plant, you can follow a few simple steps to control pests. By following these simple steps, you will surely be able to get rid of bugs on indoor basil plant and prevent further infestation.

Natural Pest Control For Basil Plants

1. Aphids

Aphids are tiny insects that come in a variety of colors. They are usually found on the underside of leaves. Aphids feed on basil leaves and stems, which can cause wilting, yellowing and stunting.

If you see aphids on your basil plants, follow these steps:

• Check for signs that there is an infestation (i.e., wilting or yellowing). If there’s not much damage yet, then your plant might be able to recover with some time off from watering until it gets better.
• If you notice an infestation that has already caused considerable damage to your plant(s), try removing the affected leaves; they should fall off easily once they’ve been cut away at their base with scissors or pruners (you’ll want to cut them off at least two inches below where they were attached so as not to leave any remains). 3) Spray the topside of each remaining leaf with water using either a mist sprayer set up above each one individually or by spraying them all together at once using an overhead watering system like those sold by Orbit Irrigation Systems Inc.. Don’t apply too much pressure here because this could cause further damage if done incorrectly so don’t worry about hurting anything! Just shoot for getting everything wet enough without overdoing it (unless under-watering would lead toward rot).

2. Spider Mites

Spider mites are tiny and difficult to see, but you can often tell if you have them by the presence of webbing on the plant’s leaves. Spider mites feed on plants by sucking juices from their leaves, leaving behind a yellow or bronze cast. This can cause leaf drop and stunting of basil plants.

To control spider mites, spray your basil with water using a garden hose or sprayer until all the soil is damp to ensure that any eggs are washed away and do not hatch into more pests.

3. Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles, with their metallic green and bronze bodies, are a common pest of basil plants. The adult beetles are approximately 1/2 inch long and feed on the leaves of your basil plant. Japanese beetles leave behind skeletonized leaves that can reduce growth and vigor in your plant over time. You can use a number of methods to control Japanese beetles, including:

• Use row covers when temperatures reach 85°F or higher.
• Use Bacillus thuringiensis var., which is sold under names such as Dipel or Thuricide.

4. Flea Beetles

If you have a basil plant that’s infested with flea beetles, here are some ways to control them:

• Spray your plants with water every few days to wash off the insects. The pests will get stressed out and stop feeding on the leaves, which can help prevent them from damaging your basil.
• Control weeds in your garden (especially ones that attract aphids). If there are fewer bugs around, the flea beetles will be less likely to come into contact with your basil plants!
• Plant marigold flowers next to your basil crop—this will attract beneficial insects that prey on these pesky pests!

5. Slugs and Snails

You can also protect your basil plants from slugs and snails with a ring of ground black pepper. Slugs are attracted to the scent of beer, so another natural pest control method is to leave a saucer of beer near the plant. Another option is to use copper tape around the base of a plant.

The most important thing when trying to keep pests away from your plants is patience: it may take several weeks before you start seeing results—but once they do show up, they’ll be gone for good!

Natural Pest Control For Basil Plants

Let’s start by talking about the pests that can affect your basil plant.

• Aphids are tiny, sap-sucking insects that attack the stems and undersides of leaves. They look like small black dots on a plant. If you see aphids, try to wash them off with a spray from your hose or rinse under running water from your sink (you can also use dish soap). If you don’t want to get these little bugs wet, use an organic insecticidal soap instead; it will kill them but won’t harm other plants in your home, which is especially important if you’re growing indoors!
• Flea beetles are small black and brown beetles that feed on leaf tissue around the edges of leaves (and sometimes entire leaves). Since they eat only plant tissue, their presence does not inhibit growth or yield quality unless large numbers build up over time.* Tomato Hornworms resemble large green caterpillars with white stripes along their sides; they feed on tomatoes and can be identified by their distinctive horn shape at one end.* Whiteflies look like tiny white or gray flies when viewed under magnification; they lay eggs on leaves where they hatch into tiny white larvae that suck sap from plants as adults.