Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 01:08 pm
Spider plants are highly attractive to insects mostly because they contain succulent sap, which the insect feeds on.
Many insects invade the plant and make it their host since the trailing leaves remain conducive and receptive. But are bugs also part of these insects?
Spider plants do not attract bugs naturally. However, if planted indoors, the chances are high that your plant may become infested with bugs. Indoors, spider plants attract and host a lot of dust, and this is an open invitation for bugs.
Do Spider Plants Attract Gnats?
Yes, spider plants attract gnats. Gnats are attracted to indoor soils and warm, humid environments, all of which the spider plant readily provides.
These gnats love to lay eggs in the rich and cool potted soil where spider plants are grown. The mature underground maggots enjoy feeding off your plant, eating its leaves, roots, and stems.
The presence of Gnats on the spider plant is indicated by yellowing of leaves, wilting, dried leaves, and it could lead to death.
Gnats may also be seen hovering all over the plant in colonies. This sight is not just irritating but also very problematic. Gnats infestation on the spider plant may be due to a couple of reasons such as:
1. Use of Contaminated Soils or Gardening Tools
You can take care of this by replanting or replacing the soils in which the spider plant is grown. Newly prepared soils should be tested, treated, and made bacteria-free before propagating spider plants. All garden pots and equipment should be neat and clean at all times.
2. Planting in Areas of High Temperature
Spider plants are not lovers of heat or too much sun. The eggs of gnats usually cluster together in the presence of high temperature, and they go on eating away the nutrients present in the soil. Temperatures above 75°F will foster gnat infestation on your spider plant.
3. Compacted Soil
Gnats love a compact soil free of disturbance where they can breed successfully. Mixing the soil from time to time to make room for air and drying out of soils would go a long way in reducing gnat infestation.
You can control the presence and activities of gnats on spider plants by applying yellow sticky traps all over your plant. Gnats are attracted to the yellow color and would waste no time in clustering on the plants.
These sticky traps make them unable to move where you can then collect them or allow them to die off. You can reduce the presence of gnats on spider plants by using pesticides and chlorinated bleach.
Do Spider Plants Attract Ants?
Spider Plants do not attract ants by themselves. Ants are attracted to spider plants only when aphids inhabit or frequently visit the plant.
Aphids secrete honeydew, a sweet liquid waste that ants enjoy. This waste on the spider plant is the only source of attraction to ants.
The presence of ants on spider plants is rather negligible because they pose no real threat. The juicy sweet flavor of honeydew secreted by aphids on spider plants is simply irresistible to ants.
If you have noticed many ants on your spider plants, then the first thing you should do is check if other insects are activating them.
If you have checked this but still find it disturbing that there are still ants crawling all over the plant, I would recommend pouring plenty of water all over your plant.
This water will effectively flush away the ants and any other insect encouraging their presence.
This solution, however, is only temporary since it doesn’t eliminate the ant or insects who could readily return to your spider plant.
You can take a step further by splashing vinegar, bleach, or alcohol on your spider plant. These will even prevent infestation since the leaves become slippery for the insects to perch on.
Horticultural sprays are also a good option to help you get rid of ants and their activating pests. These sprays are also very safe for your spider plant, keeping them bright and dust-free.
Do Spider Plants Attract Mosquitoes?
Spider plants do not attract mosquitoes to themselves. However, mosquitoes are attracted to moist, wet, or stagnant water environments. Therefore, if you keep the soil of your spider plant soggy or water-logged, it becomes a good breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Unless you are doing something wrong when growing them, Spider plants do not have suitable environmental conditions that support the breeding of mosquitoes. The plant itself does not provide anything beneficial to mosquitoes, not even shelter.
However, there may be other ways in which mosquitoes may find their way into your spider plants, but it is absolutely nothing to cause you to worry.
You can get rid of mosquitoes easily by spraying your plant with insecticides or planting anti-mosquito plants close to your spider plant. Mosquitoes are not necessarily harmful to plants and may not affect their growth too.
Do Spider Plants Attract Spiders?
No, spider plants do not attract spiders to themselves. However, the plant can be seen bearing spider webs since the leaves make it easy to build webs. So, while you can spot spiders on a spider plant, this is not a result of attraction from the plant itself.
For many years, there have been misconceptions about these plants. Most people believe that growing it in your home will bring swarms of spiders crawling all over your house.
Nevertheless, the plant’s name has nothing to do with its functions but its shape and size. It is only called the spider plant because it spreads out like the legs of a spider.
Do Spider Plants Attract Flies?
Spider plants do not attract flies. Still, flies may become perpetual inhabitants of your plant if you have dead organic matter such as dead leaves, stems, and roots.
Fliers mature from maggots in plants after developing in stagnant water or very moist containers. To help prevent flies from habiting your spider plant, here is what you should do.
1. Avoid Overwatering
Check the soil regularly for any form of over wetness. Don’t just assume that your plant needs water. Be sure they do. I would even recommend that you leave your plant to dry crispy for a few weeks.
2. Remove all Dead Organic Matter
It is only normal to feel that leaving dead leaves and stems on your plant will increase soil fertilization. However, a downside is that more flies are attracted to the plant than the nutrient added. Rather than this, use water-soluble plant food to improve soil nutrients and avoid flies!
3. Sprinkle Cinnamon
Cinnamon can repel and kill flies by altering their life cycle. Though not a 100% solution, the plant could be free of flies for a long time if applied appropriately at breeding time.
Conclusion
Spider plants are widely used indoor plants for decoration purposes. They can attract various insects all over them, ranging from bugs to tiny organisms like ants. While some of these organisms are harmful to the spider plants, others are not.
This article has just discussed the status of some bugs and insects on spider plants and how you can handle them. Read through for insight and feasible suggestions on how to fight bugs on your spider plant!
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