At The Spruce, we love all things indoor plants. From succulents to snake plants, indoor plants bring a natural element to any part of your home and look lovely in any space. Unfortunately with plants come the opportunity for pests to feed off of them.
Here are some popular house plants that may have you second-guessing your next nursey trip due to their pest-attracting qualities.
bymuratdeniz / Getty Images
Aloe Vera Plants
At the top of the list is the ever-so-popular aloe vera plant. This plant is beloved by all for its cooling and healing properties as well as its tolerance to anything, These plants are extremely easy to grow and don’t require a lot of attention.
However, they do attract bugs, specifically fungus gnat especially if you are overwatering it. For your precious aloe vera plants, stick to leaving the soil dry and gnat-free.
Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!
Calvin Chan Wai Meng / Getty Images
Indoor veggies
Unsurprisingly, indoor vegetables especially tomatoes and onions can attract pests to your plants and into your house. In particular, Aphids, scale insects, and whiteflies are extremely attracted to your indoor garden and their population can grow rapidly.
It’s best to continue to monitor your veggies and hand wash them to kill any insects. We recommend inspecting your indoor garden at least once a week for maintenance.
AnSyvanych / Getty Images
Ferns
We love ferns for their stunning aesthetic and beautiful big leaves, but unfortunately, they don’t love us back! Ferns thrive in high humidity and need more water than your average indoor plant. Overwatering of course can attract unwanted guests like scale, mealybugs, and spider mites.
To get rid of any insects on your ferns, spray your plant with warm water and gently take off any pests. As mentioned before, we recommend monitoring your indoor plants once a week.
The Spruce / Grant Webster
Peonies
Peonies are gorgeous and can add a wonderful touch to your indoor garden, but they are known for their pest-attracting qualities too. Peonies are famous for attracting ants which you definitely don’t want in your home—especially in your kitchen.
To get rid of these annoying tiny bugs, hold your stems upside-down and gently shake it to get any ants out of the blooms. You can also gently hand wash your peonies to double down on any stubborn ants.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Succulents
We all love succulents because they are probably the easiest indoor plants to grow. They don’t need much water and can survive without direct sunlight. Plus, they add such a warm and inviting touch to any small space in your home.
However, some succulents, like ones that produce sweet sap, will certainly attract insects like mealy bugs and ants.
The most common sign pests are taking over your succulents is if you see holes in any of the leaves or stems. Overcrowded or discolored roots are also a sign your sweet succulents are being overrun. For pests on succulents, we suggest spraying the bugs with an alcohol and water mix.
This will instantly kill the bugs. Another tip is to keep your succulent as dry as possible. Bugs love water, so the drier the soil the better.
