Whiteflies

are soft-bodied insects that can be found on the underside of a plants’ leaves feeding on the liquids inside. They leave behind a sticky residue, called Honeydew, that can create mold, plant discoloration, and drop off.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. thoroughly wash your plant off with running water

2. isolate the infested plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

3. treat with one of the options below:

Thrips

are small, brown/black/or yellow insects that feed on the leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants. They’re very small and often affect outdoor plants, rather than indoor ones.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. wash your plant off with water

2. isolate the infested plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

3. treat with one of the options below:

SCALE

are odd-looking bugs that have either a soft or hard, brown shell and appear like brown lumps on the stems and leaves of a plant. Hard-shelled scale will leave Honeydew and cause disease.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. pluck off individual bugs

2. wipe down leaves with alcohol

3. isolate the infested plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

4. treat with one of the options below:

Fungus Gnats

are annoying little fly-like bugs that can reproduce like crazy. Females lay eggs in the top few inches of moist soil within your plants’ pots. When mature, they can fly and infest new plants.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. remove the top 2 inches of soil from the infected plant to remove any eggs, then replace with new soil

2. add a thin layer of sand on top of the infected plant to suffocate any remaining eggs/bugs

3. isolate the affected plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

4. treat with one of the options below:

Mealy Bugs

are sap-sucking insects, much like scale, that are attracted to plants that are continuously over-watered and over-fertilized. They will leave a fuzzy-looking, white residue behind that will cause sooty mold and result in disease.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. pluck off individual bugs

2. wipe down leaves with alcohol

3. isolate the infested plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

4. treat with one of the options below:

SpiderMites

are tiny spider-like bugs that are white or brown in color. You can often find webbing on your plants’ leaves or stems when you have a spider mite problem. They feed on the nutrients inside a plant and can cause small yellow spots that eventually spread to a whole leaf and cause drop off.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. remove any webbing and mites with a cloth soaked in alcohol

2. replace old soil and thoroughly wash the used planter before repotting the infested plant

3. isolate the affected plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

4. treat with one of the options below:

Aphids

are soft-bodied bugs that can be green, white, pink, or grey, but are easily identified on a plants’ new-growth. They cluster around the stem of a new leaf and will cause it to distort or remain small. Their honeydew residue will lead to fungus and disease.

1. thoroughly wash your plant with running water

2. isolate the infested plant so it is no longer near any other plants in case the pests return

3. treat with one of the options below: