Do not spray too much alcohol onto the plants as the plant cannot absorb water if it is saturated in alcohol. If the plant cannot drink water, it will firstly suffer from stress and then die of thirst! If you accidentally overwater the houseplant with alcohol, remove the plant from the soil, wash the roots and repot into clean soil. If that’s not enough, here’s the heavy hitter: 10 – Bring in your own front-line army to fight to your battle for you Root Ball Pests: Houseplants taken outdoors during the summer may have their root balls infested with pillbugs, millipedes, and slugs. These houseplant pests may cause minor feeding damage to root systems. They are generally found along the exterior of the root ball in small cavities carved from the potting mix. Ants may also make nests within the potting soil of houseplants while outside. Alcohol is not only effective in killing these unwanted pests, but it does have other benefits too. Alcohol can be used to slow down or speed up plant growth, kill weeds or even revive droopy flowers! Be cautious when watering, though, as alcohol can kill plants and damage roots, especially plants that absorb alcohol via their roots. The plant can become dehydrated and die. 3. Isopropyl Alcohol Kills Aphids

As soon as you notice a plant with any type of bug problem… Quarantine it! Separate it from all other plants. Put it in the shower cubicle or a room with no other plants around. Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe off insects such as aphids and mealybugs. Scale insects may need to be scraped off with a fingernail. Some insects, like mealybugs, have a waterproof coating, so adding liquid soap to the alcohol spray will help the solution penetrate. But there are lots of natural home remedies you can use to kill bugs on indoor plants, so you can skip the harmful chemical pesticides.Add white vinegar to the spray bottle until it is full. The ratio of water to vinegar should be about 3:1. You can adjust the ratio depending on how strong you want the spray to be. A stronger spray might be more effective against pests and diseases, but it might also damage some sensitive plants. If you are growing a small indoor crop to supply your family with fresh veggies, use a methanol spray solution to stimulate them. Be careful which plants you spray the solution on as it has only been successfully tested on a specific group known as the C3 plants – tomato, peas, beans, beets, and sunflower, and then only when grown in a stress-free environment. If you're dealing with soft-bodied insects like spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs, your best bet is to use an insecticidal spray for bugs.

This will need repeating as it’s not an instant bug killer. It takes time. Give it a week before retreating the plant and keep spraying on a weekly basis until the bugs are gone.

How to get rid of fungus gnats

Whiteflies look similar to tiny moths, while their larvae are transparent and flat. When the larvae hatch, they will feed on the plant’s sap. Thankfully, whiteflies are not too destructive and are easy to control. Generally, insect repellents are safe for everyone to use. However, for those with sensitive skin, finding the right insect repellent is trial and error. All liquid repellents applied to the skin can cause some irritation as they are alcohol-based and can sting,” Dr. Hooper says. Now, if you don’t fancy inspecting for bugs and dabbing each one, you can make a spray with rubbing alcohol. All you do is put stale beer in a shallow dish, put it where your slug problem is, indoors or out. Slugs and snails are attracted to the sugary content caused by fermentation. They can’t help themselves from going into the dish and slugging away.

Plant Burn Risk: Low, but avoid using on seedlings or young plants. 4) Alcohol Spray: A natural bug spray for plants If only an isolated portion of the plant is infested, as occurs with leafminers, remove and destroy the infested parts. If the roots are infested, take a cutting and start a new plant. Be sure to start with a clean pot and sterile potting soil. Below you’ll find several remedies to try. Depending on the pest, and the size of the infestation, some will work better than others.

The witch hazel or vodka is to act as a preservative and prevents mold or bacteria from growing in your spray. Not all critters can be controlled by using alcohol. Sometimes, the best thing to do with critters like slugs and snails is to simply remove them from your plant without trying to kill them using alcohol. What do earwigs eat? Earwigs are not only scary-looking, but they can eat your plants and beneficial garden bugs. No one wants an earwig infestation in a flower or vegetable garden. Trap earwigs with a wet newspaper and some string. Roll up the paper, wet it, and tie it with a string. An alternative way to debug large amounts of potting soil at once is to submerge it completely in slightly warm water. Allow the soil to sit submerged for around 10 minutes to forcefully evict any bugs from the soil. The obvious reason to use natural pesticides on indoor plants rather than synthetic ones is because they are much healthier for us.