Aphids, also known as greenfly or blackfly, are tiny, sap-sucking bugs that can occur on most plants, particularly on soft young growth. There are actually more than 500 species of aphid in the U.K., varying in colour from green and black to also yellow, brown, and orange, and in size from 1mm to 7mm long.
Aphids need warmth to flourish, so in the garden this limits their lifecycle to spring and summer. However, indoors in the home, greenhouse or conservatory, aphids can occur at any time of year. Many types of aphid feed only on specific plants, so an infestation on one plant doesn’t necessarily mean that it will affect all of your plants.
Discovering tiny green bugs in your house can be annoying and a little unsettling. While some tiny green insects are harmless, others can cause damage to your home, possessions, and even your health. This comprehensive guide will help you identify, prevent, and get rid of tiny green bugs in the most effective ways.
What Are Tiny Green Bugs?
Tiny green bugs that infiltrate homes fall into one of three categories
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Aphids These soft-bodied pear-shaped bugs measure 1-10mm long. They congregate on stems and undersides of leaves, sucking sap from plants. Common houseplant aphids are green but also come in black, white red and pink.
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Leafhoppers: Wedge-shaped bugs measuring 3-15mm long with hind legs suited for jumping. Leafhoppers cause minimal damage, just hopping to lights at night. Leafhopper species are green, brown or a mix.
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Thrips: Slender with fringed wings, thrips measure 1-2mm long. They rasp and suck fluids from leaves and flowers leaving discolored blotches. Common greenhouse thrips are bright green but can be yellow, dark brown or black.
Where Do They Come From?
Tiny green bugs can infiltrate your home from either indoors or outdoors
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Indoors: Houseplant pests like aphids reproduce rapidly, migrating between houseplants before establishing colonies. Bringing new infested plants indoors spreads bugs.
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Outdoors: Leafhoppers blown inside on the wind are drawn to lights at night. Thrips from flowers and vegetables in your garden can be carried indoors on your clothes.
Greenhouse thrips and leafhoppers migrate far, invading homes without nearby greenery. But aphids spread via connected plant life like hedgerows.
Preventing Tiny Green Bug Infestations
Preventing tiny green bugs from infiltrating your home is more effective than eliminating existing infestations. Here are great prevention tips:
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Inspect new plants thoroughly before bringing them indoors. Quarantine new plants for 1-2 weeks.
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Check houseplants regularly, especially under leaves for bugs. Isolate infested plants immediately.
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Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to houseplants preventatively every 2-3 weeks.
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Seal cracks around doors, windows and utility lines where bugs enter from outside.
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Use bug zappers and fly screens to prevent migration indoors.
Keeping houseplants healthy with adequate sunlight, water and fertilizer makes them more resistant to pests. Maintaining cleanliness indoors and in your yard also discourages infestations.
How to Get Rid of Tiny Green Bugs
If tiny green bugs infiltrate your home, here are effective removal methods:
Non-Chemical Techniques
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Shower houseplants with a strong jet of water to dislodge bugs, especially under leaves.
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Apply rubbing alcohol to bugs using a cotton swab for isolated infestations. Avoid contact with plant leaves.
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Sticky traps near plants capture green bugs flying indoors but won’t contain infestations alone.
Natural Insecticides
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Insecticidal soap sprays smother soft-bodied green bugs like aphids. Reapply every 5-7 days.
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Neem oil kills green bugs on contact and as a preventative. Spray plants thoroughly including undersides of leaves every 7-14 days.
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Pyrethrin sprays derived from chrysanthemum flowers kill most tiny green bugs. Reapply weekly.
Chemical Insecticides
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Systemic insecticides containing Imidacloprid are absorbed by plants, destroying bugs ingesting leaves. Not organic.
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Contact insecticides with Malathion kill green bugs on touch, but can harm beneficial insects. Use cautiously indoors.
No matter the method, thoroughly treat infested plants including leaves, stems and soil to eliminate all tiny green bugs and eggs. Discard heavily infested plants if bugs persist after multiple treatments. Keep treating plants preventatively even after bugs are gone to prevent recurring infestations.
When to Call a Professional Exterminator
If you are unable to eradicate tiny green bugs yourself or identify unknown species, call a professional exterminator. Green bugs like aphids reproduce rapidly, so early intervention by experts improves success removing infestations. Professionals have access to strong chemical treatments that require proper handling and application. They also know how to target effective treatments for different tiny green bug species while avoiding harm to humans, pets and beneficial garden insects.
Tiny Green Bug FAQs
Are tiny green bugs harmful to humans?
Most tiny green bugs like aphids, leafhoppers and thrips don’t bite or sting humans. But some people have allergic reactions to the substances emitted by squashed bugs. A few species can transmit plant diseases to garden crops.
What attracts tiny green bugs into homes?
Houseplant pests like aphids seek soft, tender growth to infest. Leafhoppers and thrips migrate inside via small openings seeking warmth and light. Flying to illuminated windows and lights draws them inside at night when outdoor temperatures drop.
Will tiny green bugs infest my home?
Some species like greenhouse thrips only inhabit gardens and won’t multiply indoors. But aphids reproduce rapidly on houseplants, spreading quickly from plant to plant. Getting rid of infested plants and preventing new bugs from entering keeps homes free of infestations.
How do I keep tiny green bugs off my houseplants?
Keep houseplants healthy and stress-free to fend off pests. Apply preventative insecticidal soap or neem oil treatments regularly. Remove heavily infested plants immediately before bugs spread. And isolate new plants before introducing to your existing indoor garden.
Dealing with tiny green bugs in your house starts with proper identification and prevention. Following these tips will help you get rid of current infestations and stop future ones from establishing themselves. With diligence and the right techniques, you can keep these annoying invaders away and enjoy pest-free indoor greenery.
Controlling aphids without chemicals[image id=”12233″ size=”landscape_thumbnail” align=”none” title=”Spraying aphids off with water” alt=”Spraying aphids off with water” classes=””] Spraying aphids off with water
The chances are that, by the time you’ve found greenfly or blackfly on your garden plants, the predators have, too. So bear in mind that removing aphids will likely kill beneficial insects such as ladybirds and lacewings, as well as aphids. These predators are not present indoors so you will need to control aphids yourself:
- Wash off greenfly with a jet of water from a hose
- Hand-squash small infestations
- Use biological controls, which involve buying live predators into the home or greenhouse to deal with aphid infestations
Learn environmentally friendly methods for controlling greenfly and blackfly, and other garden pests with Monty‘s guide to organic insecticides and how they work. Monty also talks you through how to make your own, organic pesticide: Green Video Post Element Video ID: “4efece5b991667e2aa25f01bb77d2e93933cb673” Mix ID: “” Player ID: “qAUyOzk5” If the player doesnt appear here within a few seconds, the Player ID or Licence Key (set via IM Green Suite settings) might be invalid.
What should I do if I spot aphids?
A small number of aphids on a garden plant is rarely a problem. Birds will quickly pick them off and feed them to their young. However, in the veg patch, where you might be growing lots of the same plant together, or indoors where there are no natural predators, so you’ll need to act quickly. Often simply hand-squashing a small infestation is all that’s needed. Be alert for early warning signs and inspect plants thoroughly – greenfly and blackfly can be hard to spot as they nestle in leaf joints and on the undersides of leaves, and often the first warning sign on indoor and greenhouse plants is the sticky honeydew on the leaves beneath the initial cluster. Ants running up and down plant stems is another giveaway sign of greenfly in the greenhouse, as they ‘farm’ aphids and feed on their sweet honeydew.