Patti I have no idea why I have never had any bugs. I do think my home temp and somethings I do before bringing in my plants help.

- I do not have my home over 68 degrees because I hate a hot house. I have steam heat and not forced air. They say forced air is dry air.

- I water very seldom. Never more than once a month. Because the house is cool the plants do not need a lot of water.

- I do not bring my plants in until the temps are in the 30s. It kills all those little summer bugs. I do not bring plants in as soon as it gets cool. All my plants can take 35 degrees. While the temps are in the 70s I hose the big plants and put the small plants in a bucket of water and soak them. Bugs will float to the top.

- Once all the plants are in for about a week or two every plant gets a squirt of Peroxide and water. In a gallon of water one table spoon of Peroxide in a gallon water poured in a squirt bottle.

Thank you. That was a great explanation and very helpful. This was my first year to take indoor plants outside for the summer. I don't need bugs in the house.

So far all I've seen on mine were spiders (and lots of spider poop. ) I do have millipedes in at least one pot, maybe two. But, I just have to put the plants in plastic containers to erm, contain their poop.

Oh God, what does spider or millipede poop look like? Or do I really want to know? I never thought about that.

That is why I soak them in water so everything runs out of the soil. You can even put it in the sink. Soak and down the garbage disposal they go.

The only bugs I see are stink bugs and I have not even brought my plants in yet. I can smell them as soon as I step in a room and I go in search of them. I do not get to many, maybe about 5 a year in the house.

Deebie said:Oh God, what does spider or millipede poop look like? Or do I really want to know? I never thought about that.

That makes two of us.

Deebie said:Oh God, what does spider or millipede poop look like? Or do I really want to know? I never thought about that.

We have spiders around our front door due to all the lighting. I used to have a wreath on the door, but started noticing black specks on the flowers that didn't rub off. It was spider poop coming from the spiders that were "nesting" above the door. The ones next to the doorbell, they'd leave black specks of poop on the siding.

My big 'Aloe Vera' had black specks on some of its leaves that rubbed off when I wiped them down. More spider poop lol.






First picture: You can see what looks like potting mix packed around a couple of the holes. I believe some of that is millipede poop and some is potting mix.

The second picture is a mix of millipede poop and potting mix. It's kind of hard to describe what it looks like, but it's little brownish black balls (sometimes it's just brown).They keep pushing potting mix and poop out of the bottom holes of this plant's pot. I'll clean them off and a day later, there's more stuff in the plastic container. I bought a 'Pothos' earlier this year that had them and I'd find the occasional dead millipede.

They eat decaying matter, so I don't mind their prescence.

Eeew! Gross! Why did I have to ask? I should have just stayed ignorant. That way I wouldn't be so fretful. Now I'm more determined than ever, to be sure that all of my pots have screens on the bottom to hold in the soil and keep the bugs out. I sure don't want those nasties in my house. Unlike you, Planto, I do mind their presence. I'm not touching any unknown spots or such without gloves. Yuck, yuck, yuck! Sorry guys, I'm a mostly city gal trying to garden in the country. I've a lot to learn.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Deebie said:Eeew! Gross! Why did I have to ask? I should have just stayed ignorant. That way I wouldn't be so fretful. Now I'm more determined than ever, to be sure that all of my pots have screens on the bottom to hold in the soil and keep the bugs out. I sure don't want those nasties in my house. Unlike you, Planto, I do mind their presence. I'm not touching any unknown spots or such without gloves. Yuck, yuck, yuck! Sorry guys, I'm a mostly city gal trying to garden in the country. I've a lot to learn.

That is exactly the way I felt about it when I read her post. I am a city girl – through and through. Then I remembered that I'm going to start worm farming probably.

When I was a kid, I found it fun to play with my girl friend's brother in the dirt. I got ringworm from playing in dirt.

I'm definitely more of a tom boy.

No problem, Planto. No need to apologize. I'm only half kidding. And yeah, I got ringworm as a kid too, from playing in a sandbox at the kindergarten I attended -- on my scalp and on the crease on my belly. That was terrible, but I got through it. Meanwhile, it has kept me from becoming a tomboy. I have a fraternal twin sister, and that experience did not have the same effect on her. She's the tomboy.

Patti, I doubt that I'll ever be able to do any worm farming myself. I know that they are beneficial creatures, but this chick is terrified of all things squirmy and jumping. I'll have to go through some serious therapy to get to that stage of gardening. When I see them, I leave them be. I'll just garden some other place. As far as I'm concerned, that's their territory. They can have that section of earth to do their job. Now, if they are in my pots, that's another story. I'll have to dump them out onto the ground, because that's where they belong.

I had brothers who terrified and tormented me and my sisters with garden creatures, when we were young. So, I am weak hearted and squeamish, as a result of my childhood experiences. I'd probably faint if a frog lands on me. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm just that bad off. But, I don't let that deter me from growing plants. I'm slowly learning to overcome some of my fears. But, it's going to take a while.

Heck, I waited until I was in my teens to get ringworm. I have no idea where I got it, as it was on the back of my shoulder. I covered it with a bandage when I went swimming at my aunts pool. I forgot all about the bandage being on and when I took it off two days later the ringworm was gone. Chlorine. I got it again as an adult, I think from my neighbors cat. I put straight bleach on it a couple times and it disappeared. I'm not recommending this. I am just sharing my experience.

Deebie, my big fear has always been spiders. I was bitten by a brown recluse is in 1970. I didn't even know I had a spider bite until it started itching. I hate the fact that they can be on you and you don't know it. As I've gotten older, my fear has somewhat subsided. I just keep reminding myself that I'm bigger than they are.

My only concern about the worms has to do with keeping the bed balanced. I don't want bugs in my house. I have two cats and one of them seems to have an oral fixation. Anything moving on the floor she will try to eat.

Brothers. I do not understand the amount of pleasure they get from tormenting sisters. Luckily, mine grew out of it.

You ladies have had me laughing to tears. I am a tomboy all the way. I was raised in the suburbs but it was my wonderful jungle. As an adult looking for a home I always looked for the biggest yard because I love the dirt, and all the critters in the dirt.

Last year a spider bite me and I swear it was running so fast I thought it was flying. I chased it down got it in a jar and took it to the doctor. Everybody in the office was screaming get it away and it was in a jar. It was a huge black and orange spider. My hand swelled up to cartoon size. But I am not afraid of spiders or any other critters.

Just soak your pots before you bring them in and the critters will run out. Have a bowl of alcohol wipe your pots down and bring your plants inside for the winter.

@cintas. Oh, to have your courage.

I don't worry about the spiders so much for me anymore - I worry about the animals.

Cinta, now you know I would have been one of those ones screaming at you to get it away, jar or no jar. Fear just takes over and overcomes common sense. What can I say?

You guys are a hoot! I'm not scared of spiders, either. I suppose I fall more on the tomboy side of things, myself, and I'm always saving critters--from spiders to moths to bees-- in our house and taking them outside.

Cinta -I'm so sorry to hear about your spider bite last year --ouch!!! Good, quick thinking on your part to catch the spider and take it in with you.

Forgive me if I missed a link, I tried to read every post in this thread, but can someone share with me what works best to rid soil of unwanted bugs before bringing them in for the winter?

Last year a sprayed them with water and dish soap and that seemed to work okay, but we still had some pesky gnats in our house, presumably from the outdoor plants, so I wonder how effective that is.

I've read about simply putting the plants in a pail with water going half way up the pot. That seems to be the most common response when I do a Google search. Now, however, I'm curious about the beer bath and alcohol methods that have been mentioned in this thread. Can anyone post links or re-explain for me, please?

@Cinta, do you have the link to your successful recipe that you posted last year? I'm almost sure it was you. And, I think it may have been in the houseplants forum; I just don't remember. I haven't had time to relocate it, but I need to reference it myself.

Here you go. It is in this topc. I have never had a bug problem ever. Knock on wood. I bring inside hundreds of plants for the winter.

The thread "Bringing them inside" in Houseplants forum

Thanks for the link, Cinta.