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Have you considered beating the winter blues by adding some indoor plants to your space? We know we have – the SSISC staff includes some serious (indoor) plant lovers!
However, indoor plants can bring more than colour into your home – that’s right, invasive insects and other pests could hitch a ride if you’re not careful!
The influx of imported plants and flowers this time of year increases the risk of pests making their way into our environment. Throughout January and February each year, customs and border agents have to inspect floods of bouquets and plants arriving from across the globe. Some of the most common pests intercepted at the border include thrips, aphids, moths, and miner flies.
While not all indoor plant pests are considered invasive in our climate, they remain a serious nuisance if you have indoor plants – one that could even kill off your beloved greenery! We must exercise vigilance: some invasive insect species, like Japanese Beetles and European Fire Ants, which are a serious threat in BC, are known to travel in soil and foliage.
Don’t let this bug 🐛 you – here are some tips to avoid bringing in more than your house plants:
Inspect before you buy
- Take a close look at the plant you are considering.
- Pay close attention to the stems, branch junctions and undersides of the leaves.
- If you spot egg masses, insects, residue, webs or anything unusual, bring it up with your plant seller/grower and reconsider your purchase.
Be PlantWise
- Do a bit of research to ensure the plant you are interested in is not invasive in your area.
- Invasive plants, even indoors, often grow quickly, so you may have to cut them back often, and placing the cuttings in the compost could create a new infestation.
- Disposing of seemingly dead or dying invasive plants could also help their spread. Better off avoiding invasives altogether!
- Learn more about how to make PlantWise choices
Buy from a reputable source
This way you have a better chance of taking home a healthy, non-invasive plant.
- If you can, shop in person rather than online. This allows you to inspect the plants yourself, and gauge their general health.
- If you are plant shopping online, read customer reviews and comments. Reputable online nurseries are transparent and open to feedback.
- If possible, consider shopping locally.
- Ask your plant geek friends for recommendations. Word of mouth goes a long way!
- Learn more about the PlantWise pledge.
Consider isolating your new plant
Once you take your new plant home, consider setting it apart from the other plants in your space (dare we use the Q word for this?) for a couple of weeks. This way, if you did bring pests home (despite your best intentions), you can avoid spreading them to your other plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Help! I’m suspecting pests on my plants.
- If your plants are struggling, the growing conditions may not be quite right. Contact the plant seller/nursery for advice.
Uh oh, I’m noticing insects or pests.
- Take a closer look, snap some pictures and investigate the issue.
- Compare your plant’s unwelcome insects to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s list of federally regulated insects
- Not finding the culprit on CFIA’s list? You are not out of options; there are plenty of online resources to help you identify plant pests and how to treat them – here is a good place to start.
- Report any plant pests you don’t recognize to CFIA
- Unsure whether your indoor plant is invasive? Look through our plant profiles or contact us.
Links
Canadian Food Inspection Agency links:
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