Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Does anyone know a natural remedy to get rid of gnats and spider mites in house plants?

my house plants keep getting weak and some have died. right now i have mini roses with mites, gerbera daisies and schizanthus with gnats and their larvae. I know the gnat larvae feed on the plant roots, so i think these are mainly the ones that are weakening my plants. I keep these plants in my house and balcony. I would rather not use pesticides, so I'm looking for a natural way to kill them or prevent infestation in the future.

Does anyone know a natural remedy to get rid of gnats and spider mites in house plants?
Spider Mites: A 3% oil spray, pyrethrum dust, or a spray of onions and hot peppers may be used. Ladybugs are their natural enemy.



Gnats: try planting some sassafras near the flowers, or henbit or pennyroyal.
Reply:Hello K. There are three natural insect repellants. One is easy- soapy dish wash liquid/water sprayed with hand sprayer. Should get rid of gnats and aphids. Secondly boil garlic cloves in water, and spray garlic water on insects. Thirdly soak cigarette stubs in say a couple of pints of water, and use this on mites. Lastly if all else fails you can get a natural Pyrethrum spray from garden center. Good Luck!
Reply:I'm not sure how to deal with parasites in the roots, but I use two different things.

For some plants, soapy water...dish soap is fine.

Or...tobacco. Soak some cigarettes in water for a couple of days...drain, and spray the infusion on the leaves.



With both methods, be sure to rinse the plants well after two or three days, or as soon as the little troublemakers are gone.


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