Do Fake Plants Attract Bugs

Insects are trouble. They bring diseases. They can spread to other plants and things. They can attract other pests and bugs as well.

This is why a lot of home decorators, interior designers, and property managers will opt for an artificial plant as an alternative over a real plant when decorating a space. If you want to eliminate the possibility of bringing bugs indoors, faux is the only way to go.

Why Real Plants Attract Bugs

Plants are organic matter. Bugs can feed on them, hide in them, and use them. On top of that, the conditions used to sustain a houseplant are favorable to insects, i.e. high humidity and comfortable soil.

Tag this with a lack of air circulation if that’s a problem in your home and it’s almost a perfect environment for pests to live in.

Common insects you will have to contend with when living with real plants indoors are aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, scales, thrips, whiteflies, and mealybugs, though there are others depending on the region you are living in and the climate conditions during the time of year.

Why Faux Plants Are Insect-Free

With a faux plant, you get all of the appeal of a real plant without any of the risks of bugs and insects.

Why artificial plants don’t attract insects is because the material they are made from is not organic. Any type of rubber, plastic, synthetic, or other types of materials used for artificial greenery has no value to pests or bugs. They can’t do anything with it. Thereby, even though a faux plant looks and feels like a plant to us, to a bug it isn’t anything other than another décor item.

As much as we want to say an artificial plant is insect-free, bugs can hide inside the crevices of the plant. This is rare, however, to a bug, it’s like behind a doorframe or under the floorboards. Somewhere safe to hide, insects can be attracted to this area.

The best defence is a quick check now and again. Ensure your faux plant is maintained and cleaned semi-regularly. You don’t need to be on a regular schedule with it, however, an occasional wipe every now and again will help with dust and debris from the air catching on its material.

Dust your faux plant and you shouldn’t have any trouble with insects. No scent draws them in. Moisture doesn’t exist with faux plants. There’s no reason for them to use an artificial plant for anything.

A final note. If you do end up finding bugs repeatedly on your fake plant, it might not be the greenery itself. It could be the soil you have used or the placement. If you are near a window, insects are going to find it easier to reach your faux plant. Consider repotting it in new soil or changing the location. You will rarely have to get to this stage but just in case other methods haven’t worked, you have this to use as another way to fix up your favourite artificial plant.