Will Eucalyptus Spray Keep Bugs Off My Fake Plants?
19th Oct 2022
The short answer is yes, eucalyptus spray will help keep your artificial plants bug-free. Eucalyptus oil works as a natural bug repellent – its strong scent keeps different kinds of pests such as aphids, white flies, mites, roaches, spiders, mosquitoes and others away so that you can enjoy the many benefits of your fake plants.
Why are bugs attracted to my fake plants?
We’re all aware that live plants attract bugs because of their moisture and scents. If they have flowers, bugs may also find their nectar endearing. Bugs might be one of the primary reasons you may have opted out of live house plants, of course – apart from the fact that they can also be quite a task to maintain and take care of.
There’s many reasons to go for fake plants for your home decor. One of them is that they don’t have a scent and they aren’t moist. This means that they don’t become bug infested like real plants do.
However, while they don’t actively attract them, fake plants do often become home to a number of different bugs. Bugs love to hide in the nooks and crannies and folds of the leaves where they find the darkness that matches their souls. Just like they make their way underneath your desk or behind the doorframes, these little critters find their way into fake plants too. This is especially the case when your artificial plants become dusty and dirty.
How does Eucalyptus spray keep bugs away from my fake plants?
Eucalyptus spray is a natural solution to bugs in plants – whether they’re live or artificial plants. Unlike chemical sprays, it’s completely organic and doesn’t come with any health hazards or pose any risk to you, your family or pets.
Eucalyptus oil contains certain organic compounds that hinder the sensing abilities of insects like mosquitoes. This makes it harder for them to locate their target and therefore keeps them at bay. Its sharp, pungent, powerful smell also repels other bugs that come near it.
How to make Eucalyptus spray to keep my plants bug-free?
Making a spray with eucalyptus oil is no rocket-science. All you need to do is to dilute ¼ teaspoon of eucalyptus oil in a cup of water in a spray bottle. Simply spray some of this diluted mix on the plants where you see bugs. Do this once every 3-5 days.
Because the oil doesn’t mix with water, it’s important that you shake the spray bottle before application. You can also add a teaspoon of aloe vera if you’d like – it works a natural emulsifier to keep the two liquids together.
Are there other methods to keep bugs off my fake plants?
If eucalyptus oil is not your thing – if the smell repels you as much as it does the bugs – then you might want to explore other options to keep bugs off your artificial plants such as:
Sticky traps
These are glue-based traps meant to catch and immobilise pests. Hang them on your plant or lay them flat at the base to catch any bugs like flies, mosquitoes and aphids that might come near your beloved greens.
Soil Toppers
Insects live not only in the leaves of your fake plant, but also in the soil you use in the base. Top your soil with ground cinnamon or spray some 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to keep bugs away.
Bug-repelling herbs
A few sprigs of rosemary, basil, peppermint or lavender kept around your artificial plants could do them good by driving the bugs away. You could also crush some leaves and sprinkle them at the base of your plants.
Other DIY sprays
Homemade oil mixes like citronella in witch hazel or lavender oil in witch hazel (1:10 ratio) can also deter bugs from invading your fake plants, just like the eucalyptus spray.
Tips to prevent bugs from infesting your artificial plants
Prevention is always better than cure. Instead of having to drive the bugs away, here are some tips with which you won’t give them a chance to infest your fake plants in the first place.
Choose the right kind of artificial plants
Did you know that your choice of fake plants can really affect how much they attract bugs? It makes sense – after all the material that they’re made of defines how easy it is to clean them.
Fake plants and flowers made of fabrics such as silk not only attract dust more easily, but they’re also a pain to clean. Plus, they’re less durable, so cleaning them too frequently will also wear them out quickly.
High-grade plastic plants, on the other hand, are a better choice when it comes to cleaning and bug-prevention. They attract less dust to begin with and are generally more durable than fabric plants.
Keep your fake plants clean
With fake plants, it all comes down to cleanliness. There’s not a whole lot of maintenance headache when it comes to artificial plants, but they do tend to gather dust, and need to be cleaned every couple of weeks or so. When dust gathers, your lovely greens become home to annoying pests.
How to clean your artificial plants
Dry cleaning
Cleaning your faux plants or flowers with a dry duster made of microfibre or feather or a dry towel should suffice in most cases. You could also use a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dust.
If your plants are made of delicate silk, dry-cleaning might be the only way to keep them clean as liquids might make the dyes run and ruin them. But if dusting isn’t enough, you could also use a dry-cleaning solution of salt or cornmeal to get the stubborn dirt off.
Wet cleaning
It’s a good idea to deep clean your fake plants with water twice or thrice every year. Simply wash your plastic plants under running water or swish them in a container with water and dry them in the sun. If water alone isn’t successful in pulling out the dust particles, add a mild dishwashing soap in warm water. You could also spray a mix of vinegar and water in 1:1 proportion on the plant to help loosen out the dirt.
Don’t overuse the Eucalyptus spray on fake plants
Eucalyptus oil is an effective natural solution to bugs in fake plants, but…
Whether your artificial plants are made of silk or polyester, latex or high-grade plastic, do keep in mind that eucalyptus oil – or any essential oil for that matter – will wear them down over a period of time.
It’s best to keep their usage limited, perhaps to the rainy season, or when the bugs bother you more than normal. These oils are extremely potent, so always use them in diluted form and in little quantity. A couple of pumps should do it, no need to bathe your plants in them!
Not sure about how to care for your artificial plants? Don’t know what kind of artificial plants are most resistant to bugs? Need advice on cleaning your faux plants? Reach out to us and our real fake-plant experts will be happy to help you!