What Are The Most Common Pests For Houseplants In Fall?

Fall can be a tricky time of year when it comes to caring for houseplants. One of the biggest issues is PESTS! Today, our fall plant care series continues. This time, we're helping you bust the most common bugs that you will find in your houseplants as the season changes. Want to know why houseplant pests are more common in fall? We're covering that too!

Fungus Gnats

We don't need to tell you just how annoying fungus gnats are, but in fall, they can be even worse! As the weather cools down, it can be harder to know how to adjust the watering schedules of your houseplants. This makes it easier for gnats to invade.

We recommend using our sticky gnat traps to catch flying insects.

Mealybugs

Fall can be a time when your houseplants are stressed from less light and changing indoor conditions, which makes them a prime target for Mealybugs. To know if your houseplants have mealybugs, look for tiny, white, cottony bits on the leaves of your houseplants. You'll want to make sure you use leaf cleaning gloves to wipe these off!

Scale

Scale insects can sneak up on you in fall. If you're starting to crank that heater, you might make your houseplants more susceptible to scale. They love cozy warm homes and dry conditions. To deal with scale, you can use a Neem based spray, and we recommend wiping off any pests with our leaf cleaning gloves.

Why Do Houseplants Get Pests In Fall?

So, why is fall such a hot time for houseplant pests? There's a few unique conditions that contribute.

The conditions inside change: we might use heaters, shift the position of plants and notice changing light. All of these can destabilise your houseplants, making them susceptible to pests.
We tend to overwater in fall: as we spend more time inside and transition out of summer, it can take a while for us to change our watering habits. That can also weaken our plants and invite pests like fungus gnats inside.
Bringing plants inside: If you’ve had plants outdoors and are starting to bring them in, you might find some sneaky pests hitching a ride on those plants. Be careful!