Do Indoor Herbs Attract Bugs?

Do indoor herbs attract bugs? It’s a scary question to ask when you are trying to grow an indoor herb garden.

The good news is that bad bugs are not often very attracted to herbs, so pest issues are quite rare. However, there could be some things you are doing that would welcome unwanted pests into your home.

Keep reading to find out what they are and how to avoid them.

Knock on wood – I have not had many pest issues on my indoor plants in the past. I had a bit of a fungus gnat problem at one point, but that was from me trying to rescue a plant that was already infested…opps. Lesson learned.

I tried to save a very overwatered plant that was living outside and brought it in. I did not take the proper steps to treat it and then it spread to a lot of my other house plants and killed some of them.

In the end, and after quite a battle, I was able to defeat the fungus gnats.

I realized that I would do less risky things in the future. And focus on plant health to try and prevent pests on my indoor herbs in the first place.

Let’s look at some of the risks that can bring pests into the home.

Risk Levels for Attracting Bugs to Indoor Herb Gardens:

There is always a slight risk of pests in any indoor garden. However, with proper care, and the right set up this should not be a problem.

Low risk option: set up your indoor herb garden from scratch. This means buying a good potting mix, pre-moisten the soil with boiling water, and start your herbs indoors from seed.

Medium risk option: set up your indoor herb garden with a high-quality potting mix, pre-moisten with boiling water, and then buy good quality started plants from a reputable garden center, or plant nursery. These places will be very vigilant to ensure healthy, pest-free plants, but there is always the possibility of something coming in.

High risk option: digging up plants from outside and bringing them indoors, using garden soil instead of potting mix (not recommended at all), and working with unhealthy plants. Overwintering your herb garden indoors without the proper process or treatments.

General Prevention Methods:

The best way to deal with pests is not to have them in the first place. So how can we do this?

You can do this by keeping healthy plants. Read my full article that outlines everything you need to know about growing healthy herbs indoors.

Here is a quick recap of what you should be doing:

• Take a good look at your herbs before bringing them in from outdoors or from the garden center
• Treat with organic neem oil, and quarantine from other indoor plants if needed
• Dry out slightly as transition to indoors, and reduce light levels
• Keep herbs healthy
• Remove any sick, stressed, or dead plants as bugs will be attracted to those more
• Keep good airflow by regularly pruning
• Don’t overwater
• Regularly check for pest activity – catching it early will make it a lot easier to treat
• Keep the area more humid and clean – some pests are attracted to dust and plants that are too dry
• Make sure to repot as needed and fertilize properly

One other thing I have heard is to pre-moisten your potting mix with boiling water instead of regular-temperature water. Just make sure it cools before you work with it or start planting, so nobody burns themselves.

The reason they say to do this is because it is supposed to kill any eggs that could be dormant in the soil.

I have tried this and didn’t notice a difference either way. I have wondered if the nutrients and good things in the soil would be damaged if I boil it. But again, I did not notice any difference either way, so I guess they were fine.

As long as you are using good quality potting soil you should be good to go.

Notes on Treatments:

It is important to isolate any affected plants at the first sign of a problem.

The next thing I would do is tidy up the plant by removing any damaged, sick, or dead leaves. I would also physically remove any visible pests by washing the plant in water or picking off the bugs by hand.

The last thing I would try is an organic pest control such as a Neem oil spray. You do not want to use anything too harsh because we are generally growing herbs to eat and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be eating any chemicals.

If it is very bad, sometimes it is best to just throw out your herb plant and start over.

Since we don’t have predators (aka. beneficial bugs) in the home, this can get out of hand quickly. So, it is important to stay on top of things and continue treatment until we are sure everything is back to normal.

If you have had a problem in the past, then make sure to wash any pots, trays, or stone mulch that was used in a water and bleach solution.

If you want to try some organic pest controls here are some options to look in to:

• Organic Neem oil
• DIY natural insecticidal soap
• Basil leaf solution
• Chamomile tea
• Garlic spray

If you spray your plants with any treatments like these, it is always best to test a little spot first. Also, you will need to do this multiple times to get the different generations of bugs.

Now on to how to identify the most common pests, and how to get rid of them.

7 Common Pests & How to Get Rid of Them:

Here is an article from Colorado State University that goes into more detail on identifying common house plant pests. It includes some images of the pests and the damage they cause.

I also have a recap here from my research of the different pests and how to deal with them.

1. Aphids

Identification:    

• Bright green, black, pink, or grey
• can have wings
• Soft-bodied
• like fresh new tender growth
• Sucks sap out of leaves causing them to look crinkly or folded – leaves start to yellow and then all off
• Leave behind a shiny, sticky substance
• can spread plant viruses, fungus, and mold

Treatments:

• Easiest to get rid of
• Aphids and eggs can be washed off with water

Spider mites

Identification:

• Like hot and dry conditions
• Tiny spiders – very hard to see
• Like living in colonies
• Can reproduce very fast and get out of control quickly
• Pokes holes in bottom of leaves and then sucks juice out creating a spotted look
• reside on the underside of leaves
• Watch for cobwebs between the leaves of your herbs

Treatments:

• Hardest to control
• Make sure to keep plants well-watered
• So tiny that you don’t realize until it may be too late
• Quarantine herbs and cut back affected areas
• Start over with a new plant
• Neem oil spray – every few days or weekly

Mealybugs

Identification:

• Cotton-like insects can be found on overwintering herbs
• Light grey soft bodies with white hairs and form white cottony material around bodies
• Don’t move much but lay eggs in clusters
• shiny or sticky residue on plants
• Like getting down into the crown of your plants where leaves meet the stem
• Can come from outside, or eggs and larvae may be found in the soil

Treatments:

• Dip a Q-tip in alcohol and wipe bugs off leaves
• Shower off in sink to knock off bugs
• repot if extreme
• pick off bugs by hand

Whiteflies

Identification:

• Look like tiny moths with yellow heads
• Will fly when disturbed
• Could be mistaken for fungus gnats
• Look at the underside of leaves for them
• Lay white, cone-shaped eggs on leaves
• Prefer hot, dry conditions

Treatments:

• Put herb plant in sink and shower with water
• Use sticky traps
• Neem oil spray

Scale insects

Identification:

• Look for coloured bumps on stems or leaves that can be flicked off
• Rosemary or bay can be more affected by these pests
• Can cause your herbs to become stunted or deformed

Treatments:

• Can remove by hand by flicking off plant, or gently with a soft toothbrush
• Dip a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and rub off
• Shower off herb plant in the sink
• Neem oil spray

Fungus gnats

Identification:

• Can appear if the soil is kept too wet
• In large numbers, larvae can cause root damage
• Very small flies flying around plants
• Growth slows, plant leaves start to die off

Treatments:

• Harder to get rid of since they breed in soil
• Dry out soil to a point that your plant can handle it
• Dig up herb and rinse off root system, then try re-potting
• Add sticky traps or a fan nearby
• Neem oil spray

Thrips

Identification:

• Very small cream coloured insects with wings
• Thrips like dry and drought stress
• Live on underside of leaves
• Can create reddish brown discolouration on leaves

Treatments:

• Rinse off plant in sink to knock of bugs
• Apply neem oil spray

In conclusion:

If you keep your herbs happy and healthy then it will be very rare that you will have any bugs in your kitchen herb garden. With the proper preventative measures and treatments, most pests can easily be dealt with.

Also, remember that depending on the situation it may be best to just start over and that is ok. No one is judging. And your other plants will thank you.

If you are still stumped after reading this post, then you could always take a picture and ask your local garden center. They are generally a wealth of knowledge when it comes to treating common plant problems.

Comment below and share if you have ever had any pest issues with your herbs and what worked for you.

Until next time!