I've been collecting houseplants for about a year now, and I'm really trying to avoid bringing home any plants that might have pests. I recently saw a TikTok where someone bought a plant with spider mites and acted like it was no big deal. Today, I passed up on a plant I really wanted because I spotted what looked like a thrip. If you saw a bug on a plant, would you still buy it? If you have bought plants with pests, how did that go for you? And just because there is one bug or a few, does that mean there could be an infestation later? I'm still figuring out how seriously I need to take these pests, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
3 Answers
I recently rescued a ficus that had fungus gnats and some spider mites. Initially, I hesitated, but I kept thinking about it and eventually went back. The plant's damage was more cosmetic than harmful, so I took it home, repotted it immediately in my garage to avoid bringing pests into my house, and gave it a thorough wash. After treating it with neem oil and quarantining for a couple of weeks, it seems to be doing fine! I’d definitely consider buying a plant with pests again, but only if it looks healthy overall and only for easier pests like spider mites or gnats. No way am I tackling something tougher!
Thanks for sharing your tips! I used to grab any pretty plant without checking, but now I’m way more cautious about pests since I tend to freak out over it.
It really depends on the pest and the severity. Minor issues like scales don’t scare me off, but if it’s something that can fly, like mealybugs, I typically steer clear. Scales are easy to manage for me, as I just inspect, wash them down, switch the soil, apply some pesticide, and keep them away from my healthy plants. But for critters that can hop and spread quickly? Nope, not worth the risk!
What kind of pesticides do you prefer to use for that?
Honestly, it all comes down to the type of pest. For instance, if it’s just a few fungus gnats, I wouldn’t worry too much—they're everywhere. But if it’s spider mites on a really nice plant, I might still go for it since they're not super hard to deal with unless it's a massive outbreak. But if you see thrips? I'd be outta there; those are way trickier!
I wouldn't pay full price for any plant that has pests, though.