GardeningTip.org

House plants can be beautiful, but they may also be affected by things that you are not even aware of. Having a few house plant insects is just annoying, but with to many bugs, your house plants will be destroyed in record time.

There are problems that certain plants can get hit hard with. You have no idea how many times house plants are infected by bugs, pests and insects, and people do not even realize that these mites are actually in the house.

When you purchase your house plants, take the time to make sure that they do not have an insect infestation of one sort or another. Again, when you bring your summer plants into your home for the winter, check for bugs. Sometimes this may be tricky as the bugs will borrow their way into the soil, but you will want to make certain that there is no evidence of a present infestation. By simply taking a few precautions, you will considerably reduce the chances of insects attacking your plants.

Insects will also enter your home because people carry them in. This is nearly impossible to prevent as the insects will attach themselves to cloths or come in through an open door or window. A time to watch out for bugs is when the weather is starting to warm up and again when the weather is cooling down. The insects like to come into the homes for shelter.

Plant insects can easily be controlled because it is on such a small scale. The insects or bugs are much more mobile when they are young, but the are always looking for a place to settle where they wont be disturbed. If fact, this is why your house plants can be bothered with insects. The solution to this problem is a general insecticide.

One type of bug that will bother your house plants are aphids. They have a soft body and can be easily controlled with pesticides and insecticide soaps. Other bugs most often encountered include mealy bugs, mites, scale, thrips, whiteflies and various other soil insects. Tiny spiders can also be another problem.

The typical cause of damage caused by the individual bugs includes: Aphids suck the sap out of plants; Mealy Bugs suck the sap out and plants, leaves a cotton-like substance on the plants and also leaves a honey dew substance which attracts ants; Mites suck the sap out of plants; Scale suck the sap out of plants and leaves a sticky honey dew substance that attracts ants and causes fungus growth; Thrips rip and tears foliage and blisters develop where the eggs are laid; Whiteflies cluster on the back of leaves and suck the sap out of the leaves, which turn yellow and die.

Try to avoid adding organic material into your soils. It is not necessary to add fertilizer because the topsoil will have enough nutrients for the plants. You will also want to remove any fallen flowers and leaves, as this would allow moulds and fungus to grow into the soil.

Most of the time there are infestations when the soil has a high organic content because of fungus, gnats, or springtails. If your plant has a fungus or bugs like gnats, you will generally find that your plant is actually decomposing, meaning, it is rotting.

Signs of attacks on your house plants by insects can include leaves turning a yellow or brown colour, plants starting to wilt and stop growing, jagged holes starting to appear in the foliage or a honey dew type substance smeared on the plants.

If you do notice that your house plants are infected with bugs or disease, you will need to take appropriate measures to eliminate the problem. You can consult your local garden nursery for advice or you may want to purchase a pesticide that will not hurt your plants, but will be a solution to your problems. Be sure to use the right product for the insects you have, as some pesticides can actually kill certain house plants. When using any pesticides always make sure to read and follow the warnings that the manufactures puts on the label.

Just remember to examine your house plants every now and then, do not wait for them to start looking sad. By giving the proper feeding, care and fresh air will ensure that you house plants remain healthy and more resistant to insect problems. As always, if you are able to find any problems with insects early enough, it can often be taken care of without the use of pesticides and that is, by far, the best way.

Article Source: http://www.gardenarticlesexchange.com

Darren Lintern publishes articles, guides and reports, on many topics for www.Kerrash.com

Here are several things that you can easily do to keep your house plants alive and well.

In order to keep your plant life looking great you will need to give them the care and attention required. You will want to ensure that you are doing everything possible to enhance the successful growth of your plants.

The first thing that you need to take into consideration is that you make sure you are purchasing the plants at the right time of the year. Many people make the mistake of buying their houseplants at the wrong time of the year; this is a major course why plants tend not to do well.

If you buy house plants when the weather is cold or close to freezing, you are at risk of putting them into shock. Alternatively, you may also kill the plant if buying during the summing and leaving it in your car or outside in the heat for too long.

It is essential that the plant is getting the proper amount of direct or indirect light. Without the necessary amount of light needed, it may die. When choosing your plants make sure to check the care instructions to ensure that it will not be subjected to anything in your home that may harm or prevent it from doing well.

Just by following the simply care instructions will make sure that your house plants will not die before they even have a chance to grow.

Another factor to consider is that you are able to provide the required temperature to ensure the successful growth. Make sure that the plants will receive the recommended amount of light together with the proper temperature in the rooms that you intent to keep them, as this will allow the plant to adjust to its new environment well.

Humidity is another issue that you will need to pay attention to. By ensuring that you place them in area that is kept at the correct temperature and humidity level will make sure that your plants will be able to grow as successfully as possible.

Make sure to keep your plant life watered properly as well. You do not want to over or under water them. If you set a good schedule to water and fertilize the plants, they will do better and be able to live longer.

Keep house plants clean by carefully wiping the foliage with plain room temperature water and a soft damp cloth.

It you intend to move your house plants outdoors during the warmer weather, make sure not to place them in direct sunlight. It is generally best to gradually introduce plants to a new location. Begin this acclimatization by placing outdoors for only a few hours on the first few days, than slowly increasing this over the next 1-2 weeks.

Remember to return the plants into your home before the temperature falls. It will be necessary to repeat the acclimatization steps as mentioned before.

Article Source: http://www.gardenarticlesexchange.com

Darren Lintern publishes articles, guides and reports, on many topics for www.kerrash.com For a wealth of information on Houseplants including the Care Needed, Insects, and choosing the right Plant, visit our House Plant Information Guide