Gardening: Expert reveals air purifying houseplants

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Pests are attracted to many plants and flowers, both indoors and outdoors. To prevent pests from damaging your houseplants and making a nuisance in your home, expert have shared the best ways to get rid of them.

Experts at property developer Essential Living have scoured the internet and social media pages for the best ways to reduce and get rid of houseplant pests.

Sticking to natural methods is best when it comes to pests.

Not only are home remedies cheaper, they are also better for the environment.

Some home remedies can be made by using cheap products already found in the house.

First, though, the best thing to do is isolate an infested plant away from other plants.

This will prevent the infestation from spreading to other houseplants.

The experts recommended monitoring the other surrounding plants closely for signs of pests.

It is also important to deep clean the area the plants are kept.

Houseplant owners can do this by using soapy water or, for extra precaution, a little alcohol can be used for sterilisation.

It is a good idea to wash the infested plant with insecticidal soap – or a mild liquid soap will also do the trick.

But some soaps contain degreasers and detergents that can harm sensitive plants, therefore the experts advised being careful with the type you choose.

Try dabbing the soap lightly on your plant before washing it fully to make sure it won’t do any harm.

Alcohol not only sterilises areas, it can also kill flies and prevent them from swarming houseplants.

Use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol and dab it on the bugs to kill and remove them from the plant.

Also, wash the pot and plant tray with soapy water as houseplant pests can easily hide under the rim of the pot or tray.

To prevent long-term plant pests, the experts recommended using neem oil.

Neem oil works as an indoor plant pest control and prevention.

Other useful, natural products are horticultural oil or a hot pepper wax concentrate.

Some pests fly around houseplants and can be a nuisance in your home.

To get rid of these, or get them under control, you can use yellow sticky fly traps.

A vacuum cleaner can also be used to suck the flies up.

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