Indoor plant Infestation killing off foliage - Ask Extension
I believe I saw mealy bugs in one plant and sprayed insecticidal soap to get rid of it. Next thing you know, all my plants are dying fast. The only th...
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Indoor plant Infestation killing off foliage #891734
Asked January 19, 2025, 11:45 PM EST
I believe I saw mealy bugs in one plant and sprayed insecticidal soap to get rid of it. Next thing you know, all my plants are dying fast. The only thing I see. Are brown dead leaves but some with black tiny dots towards the edge of foliage and starting with the tips of leaves that die turning brown NOT yellow. I had put a fertilizer in each plant for the winter prior to this issue mixed with potting soil, peat moss, etc..mixed together.
To start working on this issue I added peroxide with water in spray bottle to kill whatever was killing my plants. Then I’ve sprayed rubbing alcohol but nothing seems to slow down what’s killing my plants. What can I do?
Ingham County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello
It will be helpful if you could include some photos of your plant, such as an up-close of black bugs and a photo of the entire plant; so that we can better diagnose what is happening.
From your description, you have tried a number of things which may be negatively affecting your plants, e.g. insecticidal soap, fertilizer, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol. so, this also makes it difficult to identify what is happening and/or the cause. We don't suggest that you use any type of chemical until we properly identify what is affecting your plant. For any soft bodied insects, you can use a 2 tsp. of dish soap to 1 pint of water. Thoroughly spray the plant, especially the undersides and new leaf growth. Do this every 4-6 days to get newly hatched eggs. Here is more from Minnesota Extension on using dish soap: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/coming-clean-soap-garden.
The brown tips may be caused by the fertilizer, i.e., burning, because we don't suggest you use fertilizer during the winter months as there is less sunlight, and therefore, plants are not photosynthesizing as much here in winter during this time. Be sure to keep them away from drafts as well.
Thanks for contacting MSU Extension.
It will be helpful if you could include some photos of your plant, such as an up-close of black bugs and a photo of the entire plant; so that we can better diagnose what is happening.
From your description, you have tried a number of things which may be negatively affecting your plants, e.g. insecticidal soap, fertilizer, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol. so, this also makes it difficult to identify what is happening and/or the cause. We don't suggest that you use any type of chemical until we properly identify what is affecting your plant. For any soft bodied insects, you can use a 2 tsp. of dish soap to 1 pint of water. Thoroughly spray the plant, especially the undersides and new leaf growth. Do this every 4-6 days to get newly hatched eggs. Here is more from Minnesota Extension on using dish soap: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/coming-clean-soap-garden.
The brown tips may be caused by the fertilizer, i.e., burning, because we don't suggest you use fertilizer during the winter months as there is less sunlight, and therefore, plants are not photosynthesizing as much here in winter during this time. Be sure to keep them away from drafts as well.
Thanks for contacting MSU Extension.
