What insecticide to use on house plants brought in from the outside?

I am a gardener. It depends on what kind of insect you have on your plants. A soap (I use a simple all natural bar soap) and water solution sprayed onto your plant will smother many insects and won't harm your plant.

What insecticide to use on house plants brought in from the outside?
I have always given my plants a good shower and a soapy soil treatment... so far so good....... over 30 years good.



UNLESS you have White Flies. If you do, DO NOT bring the plant inside. You can not get rid of them.



Aphids are a pain as well and thrive indoors - so a soapy foliar spray for them and then a good shower.
Reply:Soil problems or on the plant problems? A good answer depends on the problem. It makes a difference.



Soap is not universally safe, it can kill some plants. Same with other "safe" chemicals including vinegar.



If it is just on the plant, start with plain water. If the insect is attached and sucking like scale, you'll need a systemic. If the problem is white fly, dump the plant! That's a problem you don't want indoors.
Reply:Apart from the usual look over to check for slugs and/or snails, I would treat pots brought in from outside with Provado Vine Weevil killer. Vine weevils are insidious creatures and love laying eggs in pot plants. Unfortunately you don't know you have them until the plant keels over with its roots eaten off! Better be safe than sorry.
Reply:There's a basic non-harmful recipe with many variations of these ingredients: simmer chopped onions, mashed garlic, ground chili or cayenne peppers %26amp; shredded tobacco for at least 30 mins. Cool. Some say to let steep overnight and I agree with this. Dilute with water if you've prepared a concentrated mixture. Spray on plants. Spray also on soil in pot or water plant with this mixture. Store excess in frig.



There's a commercial product called Rotenone. It's a powder. Can be used on crop plants outdoors until the day before harvesting, not harmful to humans or animals/pets.



There are other more powerful commercial spray insecticides (malathion) that one does not want to spray around inside the house. A good way is to put potted plant inside large garbage bag - spray plant - immediately seal top of bag %26amp; leave overnight.



Did someone mention spraying with vinegar mixture? I wouldn't. Vinegar is dilute acetic acid, will harm plant's leaves %26amp; stems.
Reply:Spray bottle with 50% vinegar and 50% water will work well.

Spray once a day for one week.
Reply:place the plant in large garbage bag,,spray 20 seconds of raid into the bag,then close quickly,leave for an hour !!! repeat later if you want to make extra sure..
Reply:Inspect the plants. If they don't have insects why bring chemicals inside your house. A good spray with pistol grip attatchment on your garden hose will remove bugs. Watch the plants and treat only those that have obvious signs of insects.



DO NOT use vinegar. It is an herbicide -- you can kill weeds with it.



Dysiston watered into the soil is a systemic insecticide. It stinks, but works. Chemical enters the plant through the root and makes the plant poisonous to bugs. Garden stores carry the product.



good luck
Reply:First thing I do when I bring them in for the winter is give them a shower.

Mix up a spray bottle of water with just a few

squirts of mild dish soap,

Put your plants (as many as you can cram in there) in the shower and get them all wet then spray them with the soap and rinse them off REAL Good with cool water. Yeah, it makes a mess and some of the dirt comes out of the pots so put a screen over your drain or do it outside before you bring them in. It also helps to have a hand held shower head.

It's alot of work but your plants are not only buggy, they are dirty too.

Plus, you only have to do it once.
Reply:same thing you used on them outside, unless you have little kids, then use safer products that are considered organic gardening sprays.
Reply:call a certified pest control company, trust me. don't play around with witch doctor curs