Houseplant pests: treating aphids, mealybugs, scale, thrips, whiteflies, and spider mites

[@betsybegonia]

💝 You can support me from €1 a month on Patreon: www.patreon.com/betsybegonia ☕ Not ready for that level of commitment? You can just buy me a coffee instead: www.buymeacoffee.com/betsybegonia

[@Torpito0]

My plants finally don't have spider mites thanks to u, but some of my herbs have grown brown & sick. Any idea how to regain it's back to health?

[@arielcrespo5317]

You have literally been the only person to really throughly explain how to get rid of pests... Thank you!!!!

[@betsybegonia]

Absolutely! It's my freaking pleasure. 😀

[@jessee7334]

Haha NOT this PEST!

[@wrliggin2]

I've recently got into houseplants and now have a fear that all of my plants have bugs that are too small to see. But this video was really helpful at explaining treatment. Thanks!

[@riteshgupta2844]

Thank you. Your tricks and tips have been saving lives of my plants for the past 2 years 😊

[@christinevargas2720]

I love your personality!

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you! It's hard for me to contain, I stopped trying. 😂

[@heidihudgins4793]

I just recently subbed and I love your personality too, Betsy!!!!!! (Found you form Jenna Marbles)

[@grgugel]

“They’re aphids, screw em!” 🤣 loved that! Thank you for this very informative video! I’ve tried many of the things you stated. I too was afraid to add too much alcohol to my solution. I’m gonna try more and see how it works. My only way to get rid of heavy mealy or spider mite infestations has been to first drench coat my plant with my solution then take it to the sink or bathtub and literally take a paintbrush to all the crevices of my plant and brush the critters away while rinsing under lukewarm water. Then maintain with solution on weekly basis. It’s a pain but worth it. It really reduces the pests in number and makes spraying those left much easier to eradicate.

[@betsybegonia]

Yeah I wish I'd emphasized in this video that even if it's mealybugs, it's important to treat the plant for a while after the initial treatment!

[@eduvigesblas9149]

Thank you for info

[@mmbrown82]

At the spider mites part, I literally got up, picked up my cordyline and threw it it the garbage. Newbie mistake of buying a half dead plant from Walmart. There were spider mites all over it after 2 weeks.

[@jaci2574]

Omg every plant owner NEEDS to watch this immediately

[@jocelyn7009]

I’m going to try the dish soap and neem oil, I have a complete infestation of gnats around my Devil’s Ivy & Arrowhead Vine Thank you!

[@vancityplantie5752]

I love that I’ve watched new videos of yours and rewatch older ones and can appreciate the development of your jungle!!

[@betsybegonia]

😂 Thanks! Gosh I don't go back in time. Never look back! Just keep going forward! Otherwise I'll cringe. 😂

[@vancityplantie5752]

Betsy Begonia lol

[@scarlettalquijay3818]

For the spider mites, spraying the solution you state and then using a paint brush or toothbrush with soft bristles on the leaves/stem will do the trick. The brush breaks down the webs leaving the mites nothing to hold on to when you wash the solution off with running water.

[@vickiandKi]

"They're aphids, screw em. " 😆🤣🤣🤣 Love that!!

[@peritapugnandi6624]

Thank you for this good video! 💚 I‘ve got a tipp against spider mites: cigarette ashes! I read that, tried it and it worked! After washing the plant I gave some ash on the soil and watered the plants. No more spider mites! But keep in mind, that ashes are a fertilizer as well. Don‘t over do it!

[@betsybegonia]

Sounds a bit smelly though?

[@peritapugnandi6624]

It didn‘t smell that much! And I‘m a non-smoker. Got the ashes from my neighbours 😊 After watering I smelled a bit for 1-2 hours, but decently

[@neva-surrender]

The neem, dish soap & water mix saved my plant, thank you so much!!!

[@betsybegonia]

I'm happy to hear that!

[@annam2736]

This helped me save my peperomia from thrips, thank you so so much! The water/soap/rubbing alcohol mixture worked like a charm.

[@22dolxxxphin22]

How many times did you use it? I have few scales on my ivy and I want to eradicate them as soon as possible

[@nikkylaframboise9529]

This is AWESOME!! I have some advice for spider mites. I work at a garden center for aquatic plants and despite the heavy moisture, we still get bad spider mite sometimes. What we do if we have a really bad infestation (in addition to chopping affected branches) is spray the plants heavily with water every few hours. This helps because the spider mites don't like wet leaves. After a week of this, they tend to dissappear. We also do regular 'spray downs' with water every day to prevent future spider mites infestations. I hope this helps!!

[@AaronMetallion]

Mother trucker. I got new succulents, and now I know they all have spider mites. I notices webs, and a tiny spider like creatures. And I was like oh, "spiders might be good pest control". But there were a number of other tiny black bugs that came out of the soil as soon as I watered it. Now I know... I've kept it next to other succulents for about a week, Hope I'm not too late to quarantine them. Thank you so much for such great information.

[@a.leoncealexander6680]

Fantastic explanation! Thank you

[@annaboi4832]

I used the homemade spray on my sweet mint plant and it worked so well! I wasn’t exactly sure what was causing the damage on my plant so I figured I would try the spray since it works for many different types of pests. Thank you so much for the video, I don’t think my mint would’ve made it out alive without your help:)

[@kathygilbreath6073]

Enjoyed the great info about bugs. But of course, I enjoy all of your videos and the humor. Looking forward to another new one. Thanks Betsy.

[@betsybegonia]

Thanks for always watching, Kathy. 🙂

[@RussellBallestrini]

Cutest eye expression ever at 45 seconds. Thanks for the information, I'm going to try to salvage my ginger and habenero plants.

[@dendee1148]

You are very smart and easy to follow thanks for the info...New sub

[@DragonBornQueen]

your videos could not be more educational I simply love them! Thank you so much for these videos Betsy I simply love all the planty knowledge!

[@betsybegonia]

Thanks for watching and for the lovely comment. I enjoy making these, I'm really glad you enjoy seeing them! 😀

[@werandapodwenecja5790]

Ha! I have with me jeweller's loupe! Always in my bag. And I examine every pot am going to buy, i got tired of pests

[@tammymurphy392]

I love watching your videos. You are so entertaining to watch.

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you Tammy, that's really nice. Thanks for watching. 💚

[@therealfolkblues5535]

Uggghhh spider mites are the bane of my existence! Mighty wash works well but can get expensive, especially having to follow up every 3 days or so. Took me months to get rid of them and a lot of added stress. great video btw!

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear you got rid of them.

[@mattidunn4501]

I have some spider mites that I’ve tried overwatering, misting, hosing down, treating with neem oil, and also used Dead Bug Brew. NONE of it has worked! I don’t know what to do 😭

[@cynd.9029]

I’m a new plant mom and have been seeing tiny white bugs on the soil and on some leaves and I’m honestly freaking out! This video helped me calm down and now I have a plan, so I ordered neem oil and I’ll just see how it goes :)

[@betsybegonia]

Neem oil will most likely do the trick. Could be mealy bugs or thrips. Hard to know without a photo but if you Google around you can probably identify them.

[@Sxytrble]

Agreed.. Thank you so much there's no better explanation but yours I so appreciate it you saved my plants

[@dianeallen6819]

My 1st time watching you and subscribing you have such a sweet soft soothing voice.. I've been told the same thing but I never realized what that sounds like on me until just now in your video lol

[@anetaes3015]

Same here. Flour is the new trick for me 👍 -Thanks for sharing!

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you for watching, Aneta!

[@jdthewelder8308]

You are beyond adorable and you have a ton of good knowledge.... Great combination for a presenter. Keep up the good work.

[@Banano91f]

Pleeeease keep doing these videos! It is so fun and educational at the same time, and I love ur taste for plant. Btw ur Hoya tricolor c'est tellement belle

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you so much for the great feedback! I love making videos, I'll take your advice! 😁

[@larab5214]

"Burn your house down!" Haha. You can also try to up the alcohol content of your homemade spray. I think common rubbing alcohol here is like 70%...I do a 50/50 with water, then add the dish soap. Very effective. I havent had any plant damage from the spray-- but if I had something more delicate Id probably test that first. (Ive used it on hibiscus and ivy and a bunch of outdoor plants...oh- and orchid leaves....) I just sprayed down a new gollum jade a cpl days ago I bought unknowingly with mealy bugs...no damage from the spray yet....Im still watching. Looks like the cooties are gone though! Super video!!

[@betsybegonia]

Thanks for the tip. I've always been a little afraid to use more alcohol for fear that it might dry the leaves out.

[@TwoWitchyMoons]

I use straight alcohol in a misting bottle. kills them on contact and evaporates almost immediately afterwards.

[@marah5702]

Yesterday I had my first signs of bugs, and I kinda freaked out. So I washed all of my plants and sprayed all of them with a solution. Took me only five hours… guess I have overreacted ;) thanks for your video, it really calmed me down. (But now I‘m really afraid of spidermythes…)

[@vPROVIDA]

Thank you! I've been given a task to identify a pest that has shown up on our blueberry plants at my work place. After watching this im certain it's aphids. Once again thank you.

[@laraluizasantiagotelles498]

This video is so great!!! Loved it! Thank you!!!

[@daniellemorgan-jackson4114]

I've had great success getting rid of spider mites using Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew. It contains spinosad... you have to use a miticide. Spray down plant and soil very thoroughly, let dry, rinse with regular water and repeat for 3 days. Works for me.

[@viv868]

very helpful video, thank you!

[@myducks911]

I will say hosing my scale infested Majesty Palm was satisfying. Seeing a new upcoming frond covered in scales to being completely scale free after a good hose down. I used dish soap, veggie oil, and water mix to spray onto the plant. I sprayed down the plant this morning with water and sprayed the mixture on it last night. I also have Bonide granulars for houseplants coming to put in the soil of the palm and my other plants to make sure no one else gets scales. My palm tree was in the same room as my other plants so I’m freaking out about the others getting scale.

[@Sebmar24]

do they invite each other? fighting fungus gnats, aphids and other unidentified bugs at the same time 😩

[@betsybegonia]

Bug party!

[@vuilkreng]

Right? I had to let some of my plants soil dry out because of fungus gnats but now I've found myself in even more trouble... They're invested with spider mites. Time to cry.

[@madilin4100]

You and me both 😭😭

[@HowardSalinger]

Fighting off mealy bugs, fungus gnats, and possibly thrips simultaneously. It’s a great time 🥴😬😓

[@marieh9425]

Yep. I’m currently fighting off thrips, Spider mites, fungus on begonias, aphids. My life is Amazing right now

[@susoni1]

That thumbnail is priceless!❤️❤️❤️

[@betsybegonia]

🕵️🔎

[@Shandiaaa]

This was really helpful and I love your personality thank you ☺️

[@nellys.k.4103]

jajaja love the last part with spider mites. Born your house and move out hillarious. Thanks for the great natural insect killers.

[@airandmist]

This was incredibly helpful AND practical. Thank you!

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad you found it useful.

[@fathimahamza3163]

I'm a new plants mom. I'm afraid of bugs like most of us. I was looking for something to prevent before I have any of those nasty bugs. Your video was very helpful thank you so much. I'll try to find that small powder bottle you were shaking lol I want to put that on my soil before I get any bugs 🐛. I hope it works well thanks a lot

[@sopha4259]

I'm so happy I found your channel!!! So helpful and I love your personality!

[@andibergman6124]

Finally thank you! A person who answers all my questions

[@jubeesays716]

Just turn the heat on and it seems like there are wee little webs all over a shelving unit worth of plants 😬 I've got my humidifier going full blast, have rinsed, and have been war level attacking with neem. 🤞🤞🤞 I hope to get under control before needing to burn my house down! Thanks for the tips Betsy.

[@VoidloniXaarii]

So so funny😂, thanks a lot!

[@tieashasamuels2627]

This was incredibly helpful. Thank you

[@jameswheeler7679]

Very Informative video I have ordered Captain Jack Dead Bug concentrate and Insect control granules and Summit Quick Kill Mosquito bits and I plan on using Dawn Dishwashing liquid so far I have not seen any infestation however I have already been using dishwashing liquid weekly, I have recently purchased 17 house plant's and so far all is well

[@Iamroots]

I love this video, I never thought I would smile so much while learning about these *nasty* creatures. I'm hoping to rescue my Umbrella tree from what I believe is soft scale. Thank you for such a helpful video and making me laugh! 💚

[@piercednscarred]

Betsy, I adore your videos, you're so fun to watch. :) One thing I was taught by some pretty intense "gardeners" was that spidermite treatments need to be alternated. They reproduce so fast and build up an immunity so if you use just one treatment, it will become less effective. So one week use one method, the next week use another(for the generation that may have been unaffected as eggs but are now immune to method 1), and maybe a third. Just rotate. They can become superbugs with an insidious agenda. Lol

[@betsybegonia]

This is a good idea and if it happens to me, I'll definitely try it. Knock on wood. 😅 Thank you so much for watching and for leaving such positive feedback, it's really kind. 💚

[@piercednscarred]

@@betsybegonia No problem! The only couple times I noticed I had spider mites, it was too late. English ivy, as much as I love it, is a magnet for those suckers. And I lost a beautiful purple and green ornamental kale to it as my first encounter. The webby stuff had me believing they were an actual spider infestation! But I think that might've been more welcomed. Hahaha

[@victorleon2483]

Revisiting my girl Betsy today because IVE GOT MY FIRST PEST IN THREE YEARS... APHIDS! (plants are on balcony) Ty Betsyyyyyy

[@inspiron96]

Ladybirds work for spider mites, in the larve form each ladybird will eat 50-100 a day, and you can order them online

[@anajones6472]

Thank You! This was so helpful.

[@KnotDude]

THEY WILL FIND YOU! 😂 great tips and really like the new intro graphic you've been using!

[@betsybegonia]

Thanks!

[@Jordan-Marie]

This is hilarious. I feel better about crying all day once I saw baby thrips. This makes me feel so much better, sorta.

[@heidihudgins4793]

Thanks for the video! You are so funny!!!! I’m a new sub. I know you said the sign of spider mites is little webs. Can you do a video of the other pests so we know what to look for?!

[@wardlemmens8954]

Best video about pests and infestations i found yet! Clear and thorough explanations, thank you so much, now i know i have to burn my house down hahaha..! No seriously, great video and you're very pleasant to listen to!! Keep up the goodwork! Subscribed!

[@delisamack2488]

🤣

[@eliseomlie1574]

Thank you♥️

[@amyirene6376]

Hi!! I just wanted to let you know that you are lovely and I’m learning so much.

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you so much Amy, I am really happy to hear it.

[@ledaanastasia4619]

fyi, this is the video that made me decide to start supporting you on patreon starting next week! ❤️

[@betsybegonia]

That's a very kind gesture, thank you. 💚

[@opalessense7708]

Love the plants hate the bugs especially spider mites! Thanks for all the info and giving alternative solutions ..so helpful. Haven't tried using flour or using rubbing alcohol in a spray mix. Will definitely give these a try next time I see an uninvited guest on my precious plants. ;)

[@betsybegonia]

I have read that the alcohol also helps to penetrate the shell of scale, but I'm not sure how true that is.

[@lydiamunro9765]

Honestly i saw another video of yours yesterday and thought "slight over reaction" 😂 but today discovered the horror of my flamestar... It was dying and i had no idea what was going on with it, then this morning found spider mites ALLLLLLL OVER MY PLANT. It went straight into industrial bins, SHEER PANIC ensued and i wanted to burn everything i own. So I'm currently dealing with trying to treat all of my house plants and freaking out. Thankyou so much for explaining how these treatments kill the bugs and to be honest, the more brutal, the better. I want them GONE!!!

[@bella67acetokwkl92]

Same here! I found mealybugs on a cactus and I’m freaking out! Treating all of my plants and literally praying they don’t have them.

[@chloeesquivel5537]

Speaking of house hold pests- how do you keep your kitties out of your house plants? My kitties destroy every plant I bring home either by chewing the leaves or peeing in the soil- or both!

[@betsybegonia]

My cat Ted used to eat my parlor palm but I elevated out of his reach. He has not shown interest in other plants but he did like to dig in my potted plants on the balcony last year and use them as a litter box. I fixed that by getting taller pots! I have an article about keeping cats out of houseplants if you're interested: betsybegonia.com/2018/08/31/how-to-keep-cats-out-of-houseplants/

[@Stumpybear7640]

I have heard of placing wire netting over the soil surface works. Takes a while, though xxx c heck out Summer Raynes video about living in a greenhouse in the Netherlands

[@kathlenemcclain9044]

Betsy Begonia would love to read the article, but IPad gives me a warning and when I proceeded anyway (figuring you’re safe lol) it gives me a forbidden error page that I can’t do anything about.

[@mrsbeard5225]

@@betsybegonia my cat is the biggest pest! He drives me insane, like I get anxiety about him and my freaking parlour palms. If I lock them away (ie. closing the door, or locking him out) he throws a tantrum and throws himself at the door, cries at 3am bashing on the walls, hangs off the door handle to open it. Then he eats all the leaves and tips the plant over. And then he vomits up the leaves 😒 I have tried to replace his obsession with playtime and other edibles and grass but these freaking palms man!!!

[@FknNefFy]

Rubbing l alcohol in a spray bottle is the easiest cheapest and works the best and fastest. It also evaporates very quickly. As long as you don’t do it in the sun it won’t hurt your plants at all even though it seems like it would. I mean test your plant first but it has never hurt any of my plants and it has killed all the bugs that I sprayed with it. If you’re worried you could just rinse it off with water afterwards so it’s only on there for a second but it evaporate so quickly it’s probably not even gonna do anything if you sprayed it off after. I was also thinking Listerine would work even better because the mintiness will stick around and help repel bugs( because they don’t like Minty scents)👍🏻 I don’t know about using flour on your house plants because if it gets wet it’s going to turn into a paste 🤔but diatomaceous earth works pretty well… However it’s not instantaneous like rubbing alcohol

[@dstobinski27]

I certainly enjoyed the video. I'm going to try the water, dish soap and rubbing alcohol spray on my grapefruit tree. I'll let you know how it works. Thanks.

[@OKshesagail]

“Sounds like a really terrible way to die... but... they’re aphids. Screw em!” 😂 had me dying

[@judyludlum2371]

Thank you, Betsy! This is so helpful!

[@betsybegonia]

Thank you for watching, Judy! 🙂

[@Tsb702]

Thanks so much for making this video! You’re awesome!

[@betsybegonia]

Absolutely! Thanks so much for watching.

[@stellaxtine]

Girl you are hilarious, I love it

[@betsybegonia]

😄 Thanks for watching, Stella! I'm glad you enjoy my videos. And thanks for the very nice feedback!

[@vegan_guac]

Wonderful video! Very in depth and helpful. Thank you! :)

[@ellek8703]

@Betsy Begonia Thank you for making these videos. I'm hoping you could answer a question. My plants have either soil mites or spider mites. I haven't seen any webbing just tiny white mites. I power washed and I decided to try a flour, dish soap spray. It has dried and now the leaves are covered with the dried flour. Do you leave it on for the mites to eat? It seems online the recommendation is every 6 days spray again. I hope I don't get overwatering problems next. Please help. Oh and I've been doing preventive neem oil spray and these mites showed up anyway. I looked up the horticultural oil and the warning makes me nervous. If I can't kill them naturally I'll have to toss them. 12 hours after spraying hard with water and with the flour spray I see a mite walking along the rim. I also cleaned the area of dust. Do you let them walk around and constipate themselves?😭

[@magspies]

Hmm, this video is making me worried! 🙈 Noticed one of my plants was looking a bit sad, when I got back from a holiday there was webbing between the leaves....spider mites!! I sprayed thoroughly with an organic pest spray and there's been nothing since. Now I'm thinking that seemed too easy 🤔😅

[@judykonopka9029]

The dish soap is to keep the neem on the leaves instead of running off.

[@betsybegonia]

Dish soap is an emulsifying agent that helps mix together oil and water to create a single solution. This way, you don't get chunks of neem oil that spray out and damage the plant leaves by being undiluted. You can also use potassium silicate for this reason. As for pests, the fatty acids in dish soap dissolve the exoskeleton and disrupt an insect's cell membrane.

[@lafregaste]

I have only experience mild infestation, thankfully. But I'll keep this advise video just in case

[@stinasoto4757]

great video -- thank you!!!

[@rnk957n8]

Hi thankyou for this info am a newbie at houseplants and have fungas gnats and just saw some mealy bugs in some plants out side ahhh! Will try all if that what it takes !👍

[@thechoice8785]

Love this vid, it was actually funny as well :D

[@missjhia]

Thank you for this because I just saw a thrip just now crawl out of my slider plant and I have like 5 little gnats flying around another plant 😩

[@amyersadams]

If they've gotten on you or your furniture, is the neem oil still okay? For mattresses, bedding, etc? The diat....earth, can i use that inside on furniture?

[@astridekko9229]

Hi Betsy, nice video. It’s always nice to have more solutions. I have had spidermites on my alocasia and it wasn’t so bad actually. I heard thrips are your worst possible nightmare 😩 But for the spidermites I used 4 parts water, a teaspoon soap, and 1 part spiritus we call it in the netherlands, its blue and has alcohol in it, I tried a translate app and it said ‘spirits’ dont know if that helps, but it worked for the spidermites. I treated the plant every few days for a month or so till I felt they were gone.. so yeah 🤗 dont burn your house down 🌿👋🏼

[@astridekko9229]

It also works for aphids outside but I’m afraid itll hurt the good bugs as you say 😬 didnt realise that at the time..

[@SabrinaCWB168]

Do you mean methylated spirits? I remember my mum using that purple liquid to clean sticky marks off mirrors.

[@jenniferdoan8445]

Do you wash off the neem oil spray or insecticidal soap?

[@ShevaFashion]

Thanks for the video! How about springtails? How to get rid of springtails? Thanks!

[@radha5325]

Thank you so muchfor all the helpful tips your talk is simply enjoyable lovely lively really loved it my soil infested with tiny white insects soil mites do you think it'll eat up my dahlia seeds if sown in it please please i need a clarification

[@uncertainlyderanged7667]

Love this thank you❤️

[@benniegamali3622]

Thank you for this!

[@betsybegonia]

Absolutely!

[@dalyh3901]

New subscriber, you are hilarious !!!💕

[@PlantsandLucia]

Does anyone know where to get green lace wing larvae in Europe? Or anything similar to it in Europe? Thanks so much!!

[@exploreyousoul]

Hi, I create Mossarium Terrariums, I always wash the moss with filtered water to get rid of any large hitchhikers, but sometime after a few week, little mites or flies emerge?? would the washing liquids with no bleach and alcohol work for me or would it harm the moss? Many thanks.

[@sandrakingisepp3737]

Do I spray the flowers too? I found two fat mealybugs on my beautiful orchid. It has a bunch of very pretty flowers and if possible, I don't want to lose them.

[@betsybegonia]

As long as there are no pollinators with access to them. You don't want to kill good bugs!

[@safarasheed6397]

I just saw like white springtails in snakeplant soil after watering it. What should i do? Will neem oil mix help? Or soap water mix? Since i already watered it ,if i add d mix wudnt it be overwatered?

[@breezykneezy7290]

Do you rinse off the soap/neem oil mixture or leave it?

[@Arokhantos]

Never heard of predatory mites ? heard they will easily get rid of spider mites as long you can keep humidity at 60% or higher.

[@jacs6509]

I have soft shelled scales!!! Horrible little pests. When making the Neem/soap/water solution do you use neem concentrate or neem spray?

[@annah3642]

In summer i normally put my spider mite infested plants (in a pot with drainage holes) on the balcony for a month and let the rain do the rest! It always works for me. Atm im dealing with mealy bugs, trips AND scales at the same time because i took 2 infested variegated plants home and noticed too late 😭 Kinda scared of the mealy bugs and the scales 😬

[@az_growss]

How do I know which ones are the ones that are really small grayish and jump around 🥲 I bought a miniature azalea & it had mites

[@steviematthew]

Found thrips on my Syngonium. Took a bunch of cuttings and now they are soaking in isopropyl. I really hope they didnt move to my pothos as I cant repot them yet. Just bought neme oil to spray all my plants as well. Hopefully this works ;-; Really love my pothos. Idc much about the Syngonium, thats why is got butchered

[@nataliehale96]

does that spider mites solution work for begonias im nervous about using liquids on their leaves