Pest control for houseplants can get a little tricky. The great thing about natural pest repellents is that they require no mixing and you only need a small amount of product. Having done the research and testing, these are our recommendations for the best organic insecticides for indoor plants. Indoor plants are a great way to add interest and color to any home or commercial business. Some businesses may also benefit from the additional herbal aromatherapy benefits natural houseplants can provide. However, indoor plants come with some risks such as bugs or pest infestations. In order to prevent these issues from getting out of hand, there are organic options for keeping pests away from your plants that you should consider using.

Natural Pest Control For Houseplants

Aphids

Aphids are sap-sucking insects that can be found on a variety of plants, including houseplants. Aphids feed on the juices of their host plant and can cause leaves to curl and wilt. They also produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, which encourages the growth of sooty mold fungus on leaves and stems.

The best way to control aphids is with insecticidal soap or neem oil, both of which kill insects without harming plants. If these methods don’t work, consider introducing ladybugs and other biological controls into your home by placing them in an outside garden where they can find food and shelter; they’ll find their way inside once they’re established there!

Spider Mites

Spider mites. These tiny insects are so small that you need a magnifying glass to see them, but they can cause some serious damage to your indoor plants. They suck the chlorophyll from plant leaves, which causes yellow spots on the leaves and eventually kills them. You’ll know if you have spider mites because the tops of your houseplant’s leaves will turn yellowish-brown and fall off over time. If you suspect that your houseplant has spider mites, it’s important to act quickly because it can affect several other areas in your home if left untreated for too long!

To get rid of spider mites on houseplants:

• Spray with neem oil spray every week until all signs disappear (about 4 weeks).

Thrips

Thrips are small, thin pests that feed on the juice of houseplant leaves. They can be identified by their black or yellow coloration and generally are found on the underside of leaves. The adults are winged, but most damage is done by immature thrips that look like tiny ticks without legs. Thrips feed by piercing a leaf with a sharp mouthpart and sucking out its juices. The result is white or yellow spots on your plants’ foliage where the leaf tissue was destroyed. In addition to causing cosmetic damage, thrips can also spread plant viruses from one plant to another via their feces or even through physical contact between plants (so if you have one plant infected with viruses, keep it away from others).

Thrips are most common on azaleas and gladiolus flowers during springtime but may appear at any time during the year depending upon temperature conditions indoors; check your indoor houseplants regularly for signs of this pest so that you can treat them before they become infested!

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are tiny white insects that suck sap from the leaves and stems of plants. They produce a sticky substance called honeydew, which is often found on the leaves and stems of infested houseplants. Look for mealybugs to be present on the underside of leaves, as well as along leaf veins, stems, and crevices where they can hide during daylight hours. This pest is usually found infesting indoor plants such as cacti or succulents—but it can also be found indoors on houseplants like ivy or ficus trees (also known as “finger plant”).

If your plant has mealybugs, remove them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol; repeat this process several times until no more bugs appear on the cotton swab. You may also want to dip your fingers into rubbing alcohol prior to touching any part of your plant so that you don’t accidentally spread them around!

Scale Insects

Scale insects are tiny, soft-bodied bugs that attach themselves to the stems and leaves of plants. Their larvae feed on plant juices from within a protective covering, and as they grow, this covering becomes hard and crusty. These insects produce honeydew, a sticky substance that attracts ants and causes black mold to grow on leaves.

How to Remove Scale Insects From Your Plants

Scale insects are best removed by hand or with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol solution (70% rubbing alcohol). If you have an infestation problem and need a more thorough cleaning, use insecticidal soap spray or horticultural oil spray (organic/natural options only) to kill them as well as their eggs so they don’t come back next year!

Proper Plant Maintenance Is Essential To Preventing Scale Insects From Returning

Snails and Slugs

Snails and slugs are two of the most common culprits responsible for plant damage. They feed on tender new growth, and their slimy trail often results in wilting and browning leaves. Snails can also carry potato blight, a disease that destroys potatoes.

If you’re dealing with snails or slugs, here are some tips to keep your houseplants safe:

• Keep your plants dry by watering early in the morning or soaking them thoroughly at night before bedtime to prevent snails from crawling up the stems.
• Place shallow containers of beer (or any other liquid bait) at the base of each plant; when a snail or slug crawls into it for a drink, he’ll drown and die. You can also lay out flat sheets of cardboard where you know they like to roam at night; they’ll hide under these during daylight hours but be more exposed when they come out after sunset—and easier to catch!

You can control pests on your houseplants naturally with solutions like neem oil, insecticidal soap, and diatomaceous earth.

You can control pests on your houseplants naturally with solutions like neem oil, insecticidal soap, and diatomaceous earth.

Neem oil is great for keeping spider mites at bay. It also works well against thrips, aphids, mealybugs and white flies, as well as other common houseplant pests. Insecticidal soap is another organic option for getting rid of unwanted insects in your home or office plants. Just make sure to choose a brand that’s safe for use around both humans and pets! Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fine powder made from the fossilized remains of prehistoric aquatic plants known as diatoms—you can buy it online or at many garden stores near you (check out our list here).

Diatomaceous earth is popular because it’s effective against soft-bodied insects like aphids without harming beneficial insects such as ladybugs or lacewings; however DE may also harm larger creatures like reptiles so always check with an expert before using this method if you have any concerns about toxicity levels in your particular situation!