Kind of new to the gardening thing. What are the little green bugs on the bottom of the leaves on my houseplants. I live in an apartment and have a few things I bought at the Ikea. These bugs look like little green fleas. Are they harmful?

Jeff

Hey Jeff,

Looks like you have an aphid infestation. Those are very common and can destroy a plant fairly quickly if you don't take steps to get rid of them. You didn't say what kind of plants they are but you should probably:

Wash under running water - run the foliage under water everyday and rub off as many as you can. This can usually keep the infestation under control. Also it helps to use a dilute amount of dish soap in water, say like a teaspoon per gallon of water.

Spray - You can spray with an insecticide made specifically for houseplants. This is usually very mild stuff but you're advised to apply this outside.

 Here's a helpful link to Houseplant Insect Control

Cheers,

Pat