There's nothing worse than bugs in your house and nothing better than house plants, so which bug sprays and bug bombs are also safe for your plants? We've researched to find out which solutions you can use without worrying about your happy greenery. Let's check out what we found.
In general, bug sprays and bug bombs are not harmful to your indoor plants. But some of the heavier-duty fumigators might shock the sensitivities of more delicate plants. These are some of the best plant-safe bug sprays and bug bombs:
- Mighty Mint Non-Toxic Peppermint Oil
- Dr. Killigan's Six Feet Under Non-Toxic Spray
- FMC Pyrethrin Fogger
- Harris Indoor Insect Fogger
- Ortho Home Defense Max
You have to weigh the balance of the best treatment: moving the plant, which might cause stress, exposing it to heavy pesticides, or finding a more natural alternative to getting rid of bugs.
We'll examine this trade-off more closely in this post. We'll also discuss if you can use a bug bomb in only one room of the house, if a bug bomb will kill mealybugs, if Raid foggers work on spider mites, and the best way to keep your house plants bug-free. So keep going to find out all of this and more.
House Plants And Bug Remover, Which Bug Bombs Are Safe For Plants
Well, you are in luck. Most bug bombs and sprays are perfectly safe for plants. In fact, many of them are made from ingredients derived from plants. With the exception of heavy-duty fumigation-type foggers, your plants should be perfectly safe with any of the following products.
Natural Bug Sprays
This spray made with peppermint oil is perfectly safe for plants, people, and pets. Peppermint oil has been used for decades as a potent insect repellent and killer. Studies confirm peppermint’s incredible insect control capabilities. You can be confident when using this spray around your home that no harmful or damaging chemicals will be left behind – just the fresh peppermint scent!
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With Dr. Killigan's spray, you get something a bit different. Natural clove and cottonseed oils eliminate ants, pantry moths, clothes moths, flies, fruit flies, mosquitoes, roaches, ticks, fleas, earwigs, silverfish, and more. This is how to get rid of bugs naturally. It's a natural indoor pest control solution and pet-safe bug spray.
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Sprays That Use Pyrethrin
Pyrethrins are insecticides found naturally in the chrysanthemum family. They are a mixture of naturally occurring chemicals that are toxic to insects. Many household bug bombs and sprays use this ingredient as it is considered less toxic than harsher pesticides. However, they can be irritating to humans and pets, so it's advised by the manufacturers to leave the house while you're setting these off.
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You can often buy foggers in a handy three-pack which makes it easy to take care of many rooms in your house at one time. This is convenient because then you only have to evacuate once. Click here for this three-pack on Amazon.
Heavy-Duty Fumigators
The big guns of pesticides for the house are heavy-duty fumigators. These sprays will seep into every nook and cranny and flush bugs out of their hiding holes. They often contain heavier insecticides that may be more dangerous. In this case, you might want to move your plants if you're worried about them getting shocked or damaged. But keep in mind some plants get just as shocked by being moved. In those cases, you might be better off covering them with a bedsheet while the home is being treated.
Ortho Home Defense Max is a serious killer. This fumigator will go deep in your home to get rid of fleas, ants, roaches, spiders, and any other bugs that may have found their way indoors. Click here for this spray on Amazon.
Can You Use A Bug Bomb In Only One Room Of A House?
It might be hard to get away from the house, yet you need to use a bug bomb to get rid of annoying pests. Can you block off one room at a time and use your bug bomb that way?
Sadly, though this may seem like a smart idea, it's really not recommended. Because these bombs are aerosols with small particles, they will seep through the smallest of openings. And if the insecticides from the bomb seep into the room you’re in, you could experience illnesses such as asthma, conjunctivitis, contact dermatitis, and other conditions.
Will A Bug Bomb Kill Mealybugs?
Mealybugs are small white fuzzy insects that gather on the underside of leaves. They can be found in both indoor and outdoor plants. Often, you can inadvertently get an outbreak out of mealybugs when you buy a new house plant, so it's always a good idea to quarantine it for a few weeks to make sure you don't spread these pests throughout your home. Because where there are mealybugs, there are often ants, as the ants like to feed on the sugary saliva produced by the mealybug.
So how do you get rid of them? For small infestations, you can wash your plant, then use rubbing alcohol to kill the bugs. Organic soaps and neem oil spray also work on mealy bugs. With a bug bomb, you risk the mealybugs becoming resistant to pesticides, and they don't always work.
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Does Raid Fogger Kill Spider Mites?
Raid Fogger will kill a lot of bugs, but spider mites are not listed on most of their products. The one product they make that might kill spider mites is the yellow-labeled Raid Multi-Insect Killer. This product, however, is not a fogger but a spray.
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How Do I Keep My Houseplants Bug-Free?
There are lots of ways to work toward having a houseplant bug-free zone. The main thing to keep in mind is that when you bring your pretty plants indoors, you might bring pests, too. The same holds true for when you introduce a new plant to your house plant population. So keep an eye on them and act the minute you see signs of infestation. Often washing the plant with soapy water will do the trick.
Garlic Is Gross To Pests
One old wive's tale is that if you stick a fresh garlic clove in your potted plant's dirt, it will help keep it free of pests. If the garlic starts to grow, just cut the green parts back as it does.
Misting With Water
Misting is a good idea if your plants are in a dry environment. Spider mites, in particular, thrive in a dry, warm indoor space. To keep them at bay, use a solution of 1-cup flour, ¼-cup buttermilk, and a gallon of cool water. When applied as a mist, it's a good organic deterrent to mites.
Bye Bye Bugs
The main thing when using bug bombs or any sort of insect removal procedure is to get rid of the pests. Indoor house plants are susceptible to a host of different types of bugs, so learn them, then learn how to treat them, so your house plants stay gorgeous and healthy for years to come!
If you enjoyed this post here at Home Decor Bliss, please check out a few of our others below:
15 Best Palm Tree Insecticides That Can Save Your Trees
How To Get Rid Of Gall Mites [Inc. On Maple Trees And On Fuchsia]
Good information, some homeowners will be concerned about pets (rightly so) but not about their house plants and the effects on bug sprays and bug bombs.