To get rid of aphids on a houseplant, move it away from your other plants, rinse the pests off in a sink or shower, pinch off the worst infested tips, then spray insecticidal soap on every surface, especially leaf undersides and new shoots, every 5 to 7 days for about three weeks. Repeat treatments matter because aphids give birth to live young quickly indoors, and one missed batch restarts the colony. Most plants recover fully once the new growth comes in clean.
How to recognize aphids
Aphids are soft, pear shaped insects about the size of a pinhead. They can be green, black, yellow, gray, or pink, and they crowd together on tender stem tips, flower buds, and the undersides of young leaves.
- Sticky shine on leaves or on the table below. This is honeydew, the sugary waste they excrete.
- Black sooty film growing on that honeydew.
- Curled, puckered, or yellowed new leaves.
- White flecks that look like dandruff. These are shed skins.
- Winged adults near windows, which appear when a colony gets crowded.
Aphids often ride in on plants brought indoors for the cold months, cut flowers, or new nursery plants. Our guide to bringing houseplants indoors without pests covers how to check plants at the door.
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- Isolate the plant in a separate room for at least three weeks.
- Rinse it. Cover the soil with a plastic bag, tip the plant, and spray the foliage with lukewarm water. A strong rinse knocks off most of the colony.
- Prune the worst tips and bag them for the trash.
- Spray insecticidal soap until surfaces are wet, including stems and leaf undersides. Soap kills by contact only, so anything you miss survives.
- Repeat every 5 to 7 days for at least three treatments, and check with a magnifier between sprays.
- Wipe leaves with a damp cloth to remove honeydew and sooty mold once the aphids are gone.
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Choosing and using sprays indoors
Insecticidal soap and horticultural oil are the standard indoor choices because they act on contact and leave little residue once dry. Neem based sprays also work but have a strong smell indoors. Avoid outdoor systemic products on houseplants unless the label lists indoor use.
- Test first. Spray a few leaves and wait two days. Some plants, including jade, many ferns, and plants with fuzzy leaves, can burn from soap.
- Keep sprayed plants out of direct hot sun until dry.
- Use soft or filtered water if you mix a concentrate. Hard water reduces how well soap works.
Yellow sticky cards will not clear an infestation, but they catch winged aphids and fungus gnats and show you whether numbers are dropping. If the cards fill with gnats rather than aphids, see our guide to fungus gnats on houseplants.
Pet and child safety
Even mild sprays are still pesticides. Read the label, spray in a ventilated room, and keep pets and children away until leaves are dry. Store sprays and sticky cards up high, since cards can tangle in fur and feathers. If a child swallows or splashes any garden chemical, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If a pet eats it, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Some common houseplants are themselves toxic to pets; check the toxic plants for cats list before placing a recovering plant where a cat can chew it.
Why aphids come back
- Soft, fast growth from heavy fertilizer is exactly what aphids prefer. Feed lightly in the darker months.
- Missed undersides during spraying let survivors rebuild.
- New plants that skip quarantine bring in new colonies.
Aphids are one of several sap feeders that build up in dry indoor heat. If you see fine webbing and stippled leaves instead, read about spider mites. Cottony clumps or hard bumps on stems point to mealybugs and scale.
Bottom line
Isolate, rinse, prune the worst tips, then spray insecticidal soap on every surface every 5 to 7 days for about three weeks. Thorough coverage and repeat sprays clear most indoor aphid problems without harsh chemicals.
Related reading
- Moving citrus and tropicals indoors for winter
- Herb bowls for kitchen windows in the cool months
- Humidifiers for houseplants in winter
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