Pest Control 101

Let's talk about pest control! You have asked so I will talk about it today. I think it is a topic most of sellers will avoid because no one want to admit they have pest in their collections. I want to be as transparent as possible because hiding is a part of lying. It's not about whether you will have pests. It's not even about when you will have pests. It's all about how you will deal with them physically and mentally. Let me make a bold statement: You will have pests. No matter how hard you try to keep your plants protected, you will have pests. Period. ⁠
Understanding that is the first part of dealing with the pests. I have learned to accept this fact just like I accept the rain and the sun. You should too. If it starts to rain now, would you be freaked out or stressed out? no right? You would just take out an umbrella or a raincoat before stepping out of the house. Just like the rain, having pests is natural and unavoidable. You just need to have the "umbrella" ready when it comes. Having a good mindset will save you a lot of stress and prepare you better when pests rise. ⁠
Next step is to control and avoid outbreak as much as possible. This will be 2 parts: preventive actions and managing method. ⁠
A. Preventive routine: I have a pest control routine every 2 weeks when I spray down all my plants with natural insecticide (70% water, 28% rubbing alcohol and 2% pure castile soap.) You will have the chance, twice, each month to look at every plant in your collection and catch any early signs of pests. I have more than 800 plants and I am still able to do that so you have no excuse. Just make a routine! ⁠
B. Managing the outbreak: Notice I say "managing" not "getting rid of." If anyone give you the false perception that you will ever completely remove pests out of your plant journey, don't believe them. You can only control so that the pests will not spread vigorously causing outbreaks. You can use beneficial insects like lady bird, green lacewings, pirate beetles, praying mantises, etc. Or you can use stronger and more effective chemical insecticide on infected plants. The one I am using now is Azamax. You can follow the dosage on the instruction. The worse the infection is, the stronger solution you should mix. 

Once you identify the infected plant(s):

1. Isolate them in a mini greenhouse. (You can see how I make one here ) I would recommend have an eye on the plants around the infected plants too because some pests can jump or fly.

2. Spray all the plants down with the insecticide solution until the plants soaking wet.

3. Leave them alone for 10 minutes then use a soft make up brush to brush down the leaves, from and back to remove the dead pests.

4. Then leave the plants alone again for 15 minutes before you brush the plants off with clean water.

5. Repeat this every week until you see no sign of pests on quarantined plants. Even so, leave the plants in the box for 2 more weeks until you can let them join their brothers and sisters in the open. 

If you have a good pest control routine, you will have little to no outbreak. I hope this simple guide will help you feel less shocked and more prepared. Happy planting guys!