Most people don’t think house plants have any correlation with pest control, but the truth may surprise you.
House plants can be an entry point for pest intruders
As temperatures get cold and people start bringing plants inside, one thing to keep in mind is you might be bringing something else in with you – specially if you are bringing in potted plants from outside into you home.
Soil in a potted plant can be just as inviting as soil in your yard, and bugs or other creatures can be living there as well. For example, one of us at Rove Pest Control actually had a frog hiding out in one of the potted plants brought in from the cold. Now their family has a new pet for the winter.
As weird as it is having a frog make the trek indoors, bugs tend to do it more often. These pests can feed on your plants or travel elsewhere around your home and find a nesting place once they are inside.
This is another reason why having a winter pest control service in place is valuable because you might have brought in pests during the fall that are now taking root without you knowing.
How you care for your house plants can attract pests as well
Plant maintenance can actually play an important role in preventing pest issues in your home as well as keeping your plants healthy this winter. Some areas to focus on are things like pruning plants, what you put in the soil, and watering them appropriately.
When you leave plants unattended and don’t prune them it can lead to pest issues. For example when you leave dead steams and leaves on your plants, this can attract bugs as a food source for them or alter the moisture management plan for the corresponding soil.
A common thing that some people do is put coffee or tea in the soil with their house plants. You should actually avoid putting tea or coffee in your plants; in some cases it can actually kill the plant from the acidity levels being to high.
Using coffee and teas can also inadvertently attract bugs and pests. The sugars that can be present in tea and coffee can act like a magnet for insects that might have decided to stay in your home over the winter.
Over and under watering can also cause pest issues and attract bugs. Under watering can cause the plants to die, which again as stated above can create a food source for insects. Over watering can also attract pests such as fungus gnats and create excess bacteria, which can be a food source for tiny insects.
With a few simple steps, you can reduce the pest issues that come from having house plants, but overall we still recommend having a maintenance pest control service over the winter to keep any pests that do get in your home in check.
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