Tropical Houseplants & Pest Control

Close-up of a potted plant with green leaves on a wooden surface

Keeping your beloved tropical houseplants pest-free can be a challenge, especially when dealing with common pests like thrips, spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. These pests can quickly spread between plants in your collection, especially when acquiring new plants or exchanging cuttings with fellow collectors.

Many chemical pesticides are unsuitable for indoor use and can harm your plants or your indoor environment. That’s why biological pest control — using natural predators and beneficial insects to control pests — is a fantastic, eco-friendly option for houseplant enthusiasts.

The tables below outline our recommended products for managing each pest, with details on both prevention and elimination rates. Prevention focuses on protecting your plants from pest damage, while elimination targets removing existing pests from your collection.

Monitoring

To effectively monitor and control pests in your tropical houseplant collection, use a minimum of 4 yellow Horiver Wetstick cards per room. These sticky cards are essential for detecting and monitoring thrips, whiteflies, aphids, and sciarid flies. Check the cards weekly to track any increases in pest populations.

Inspect all incoming plants thoroughly upon arrival. After this, perform weekly plant inspections by carefully examining your plants. Inspect the soil, stems, leaves, and leaf joints for any signs of pests. Make sure to flip leaves and check both upper and lower surfaces, especially focusing on new growth where pests often hide.

When introducing new plants to your collection, always quarantine them for at least two weeks before integrating them with your established plants.

Following these practices will help you stay ahead of pest problems, ensuring your tropical houseplants remain healthy and vibrant.

Jump-to:

Spider Mites

Thrips

Fungus Gnats

Aphids

Scale/Mealybug

Whitefly

Spider Mite Control Products

Spical Ulti-mite

Preventative:
- One sachet per plant
Elimination:
- N/A
Repeat Applications:
- Every 3 - 4 weeks
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites, but does not do well in webbing. The sachets last 4-5 weeks on the plants.

Spidex Vital Plus

Preventative:
- One sachet per plant
Elimination:
- N/A
Repeat Applications:
- Bi-weekly or as needed
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites..

Spidex Red

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 100 - 150 predatory mites per metre square
Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites.
  Use with Diboxes to avoid getting carrier material on the floor.

Spidex Boost

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- One sachet per plant
Repeat Applications:
- Bi-weekly or as needed
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of spider mites.

Thrips Control Products

Swirski Ulti-mite

Preventative:
- One sachet per plant
Elimination:
- One sachet per plant combined with Thripor or Horiver
Repeat Applications:
- Every 4 - 5 weeks
Notes:
- Feeds on 1st instar thrips larvae. The sachets last 4-5 weeks once applied on the plants.

Thripor

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 40 insects per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Bi-weekly or as needed
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of thrips, except eggs and pupae. Use for common thrips species like the Western Flower Thrips or the Onion Thrips (brownish-beige adults, yellow larvae).
  !!Do not combine Thripor and Chrysopa together. Only choose one.!!

Chrysopa

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 40 insects per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Bi-weekly or as needed
Notes:
- Feeds on all stages of thrips, except eggs and pupae. Use for more exotic thrips species like the Echinothrips or the Greenhouse Thrips (black adults, white larvae).
  !!Do not combine Thripor and Chrysopa together. Only choose one.!!

Horiver Wetstick Cards

Preventative:
- One card per metre sq.
Elimination:
- Two cards per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Replace cards when full
Notes:
- For best results place cards approx. 18" (46cm) above canopy.
  Blue or Yellow: common thrips species
  Green: Echinothrips

Entomite

Preventative:
- One tablespoon per pot
Elimination:
- N/A
Repeat Applications:
- Repeat every 6-8 weeks or when an influx of thrips is found on the plants
Notes:
- Only use with common thrips species, as this product only feeds on thrips pupae and the Echinothrips do not pupate in the soil.
  To be used as a supplementary control in combination with Swirski Ulti-mite. Will not adequately control thrips as a stand alone product.
  An Entomite 10,000 will treat 60 pots at one tablespoon per pot.

Fungus Gnat Control Products

Entomite

Preventative:
- One tablespoon per pot
Elimination:
- 2 - 3 tablespoons per pot
Repeat Applications:
- Prevention: re-apply every time you pot up your plants or change out soil.
  Elimination: Repeat every 6-8 weeks or when there is an influx of fungus gnats flying around the plants
Notes:
- Feeds on fungus gnat eggs and larvae.
  An Entomite 10,000 will treat 60 pots at one tablespoon per pot.
  Use in combination with yellow Horiver Wetstick cards.

Yellow Horiver Wetstick Cards

Preventative:
- One card metre sq.
Elimination:
- Two cards per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Replace cards when full
Notes:
- Hang underneath the canopy near the soil line to capture flying adults.

Entonem

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 500,000 nematodes per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Re-apply weekly for 3 - 4 weeks
Notes:
- For fast results, use in conjunction with Entomite. Works on fungus gnat larvae.

Aphid Control Products

Chrysopa

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 50 insects per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
Notes:
- Aphids are extremely difficult to eradicate using biologicals only. Best used with diboxes for a cleaner distributions method.

Scale/Mealybug Control Products

Cryptobug-L

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 40 insects per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Weekly or bi-weekly as needed
Notes:
- Product mimics the look of mealybugs. It can be hard to distinguish between the two. Best used with diboxes for a cleaner distribution method.

Whitefly Control Products

Swirski Ulti-mite

Preventative:
- One sachet per plant
Elimination:
- 1 sachet per plant combined with yellow Horiver cards
Repeat Applications:
- Apply every 4 - 5 weeks
Notes:
- Feeds on eggs and larvae of whitefly. The sachets last 4-5 weeks on the plants.

Enermix

Preventative:
- N/A
Elimination:
- 10-20 parasitic wasps per metre sq.
Repeat Applications:
- Apply weekly or bi-weekly, depending on pest pressure
Notes:
- Parasitizes the second to fourth whitefly larval instars.
  Will not see product work for up to 2 weeks after first install.
  Should be used with Swirski Ulti-Mite sachets.