User:Aeong/Indoor Gardening: Difference between revisions

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Despite being in more controlled environments, indoor plants are not free from insects who want to feed on them. These insects not only find their way into your house the same way other disinterested bugs do, but they can also come from compromised plants you bring in to your home, and in some cases may even come from the soil you buy. Here are some of the most common pests a North American will have to deal with. Hopefully in the future this will updated with a template that can show pests in different regions.

=== ~~Fungal~~ Gnats ===

=== Fungus Gnats ===

The most common pests a plant owner will inevitably deal with are ~~Fungal~~ Gnats. They resemble fruit flies, but they are attracted to the moisture in your plants soil (or your moss poles wet moss). They will lay eggs in the soil, and the offspring of those eggs will feed on your plants roots. They multiply fast, and it's always a good idea to apply pest control the moment you see them land on your plants soil. The adults can be killed with sticky paper and apple cider vinegar traps. The young can be killed by with Neem seed meal that comes from Neem trees. Mix it with the water you feed your plants. Certain species of small Nematode worms such as ''Steinernema Feltiae'' can also eat the offspring of these gnats without harming the plant, and are also distributed by water. Neither of these solutions will fully kill off the ~~fungal gnats~~, but they will greatly reduce their populations, and are safer alternatives to other commonly recommended solutions, such as pesticides, hydrogen peroxide, and letting the plants soil fully dry out.

[[File:Dark-winged Fungus Gnat, White Loch, Blairgowrie - geograph.org.uk - 4085002.jpg|thumb|164x164px|A Dark Winged Fungus Gnat]]

The most common pests a plant owner will inevitably deal with are Fungus Gnats. They resemble fruit flies, but they are attracted to the moisture in your plants soil (or your moss poles wet moss). They will lay eggs in the soil, and the offspring of those eggs will feed on your plants roots. They multiply fast, and it's always a good idea to apply pest control the moment you see them land on your plants soil. The adults can be killed with sticky paper and apple cider vinegar traps. The young can be killed by with Neem seed meal that comes from Neem trees. Mix it with the water you feed your plants. Certain species of small Nematode worms such as ''Steinernema Feltiae'' can also eat the offspring of these gnats without harming the plant, and are also distributed by water. Neither of these solutions will fully kill off the Fungus Gnats, but they will greatly reduce their populations, and are safer alternatives to other commonly recommended solutions, such as pesticides, hydrogen peroxide, and letting the plants soil fully dry out.

=== Scale Insects ===

[[File:Scale Bug on Ivy - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg|thumb|131x131px|An armored scale bug]]

Ways to detect them are sooty mold, honeydew, and white waxy surfaces known as scale wax. These insectrs are very small, and may only be spotted with a magnifying glass or hand lens. Even with that, they do not look like typical bugs due to the hardening liquid they cover themselves with. They come in two main families.Elaborate further,

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 Despite being in more controlled environments, indoor plants are not free from insects who want to feed on them. These insects not only find their way into your house the same way other disinterested bugs do, but they can also come from compromised plants you bring in to your home, and in some cases may even come from the soil you buy. Here are some of the most common pests a North American will have to deal with. Hopefully in the future this will updated with a template that can show pests in different regions.
-=== Fungal Gnats ===
+=== Fungus Gnats ===
-The most common pests a plant owner will inevitably deal with are Fungal Gnats. They resemble fruit flies, but they are attracted to the moisture in your plants soil (or your moss poles wet moss). They will lay eggs in the soil, and the offspring of those eggs will feed on your plants roots. They multiply fast, and it's always a good idea to apply pest control the moment you see them land on your plants soil. The adults can be killed with sticky paper and apple cider vinegar traps. The young can be killed by with Neem seed meal that comes from Neem trees. Mix it with the water you feed your plants. Certain species of small Nematode worms such as ''Steinernema Feltiae'' can also eat the offspring of these gnats without harming the plant, and are also distributed by water. Neither of these solutions will fully kill off the fungal gnats, but they will greatly reduce their populations, and are safer alternatives to other commonly recommended solutions, such as pesticides, hydrogen peroxide, and letting the plants soil fully dry out.
+[[File:Dark-winged Fungus Gnat, White Loch, Blairgowrie - geograph.org.uk - 4085002.jpg|thumb|164x164px|A Dark Winged Fungus Gnat]]
+The most common pests a plant owner will inevitably deal with are Fungus Gnats. They resemble fruit flies, but they are attracted to the moisture in your plants soil (or your moss poles wet moss). They will lay eggs in the soil, and the offspring of those eggs will feed on your plants roots. They multiply fast, and it's always a good idea to apply pest control the moment you see them land on your plants soil. The adults can be killed with sticky paper and apple cider vinegar traps. The young can be killed by with Neem seed meal that comes from Neem trees. Mix it with the water you feed your plants. Certain species of small Nematode worms such as ''Steinernema Feltiae'' can also eat the offspring of these gnats without harming the plant, and are also distributed by water. Neither of these solutions will fully kill off the Fungus Gnats, but they will greatly reduce their populations, and are safer alternatives to other commonly recommended solutions, such as pesticides, hydrogen peroxide, and letting the plants soil fully dry out.
 === Scale Insects ===
+[[File:Scale Bug on Ivy - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg|thumb|131x131px|An armored scale bug]]
 Ways to detect them are sooty mold, honeydew, and white waxy surfaces known as scale wax. These insectrs are very small, and may only be spotted with a magnifying glass or hand lens. Even with that, they do not look like typical bugs due to the hardening liquid they cover themselves with. They come in two main families.Elaborate further,