Tiny white bugs on jasmine plants

[Phalchid]

Last Fall, a week or two after I brought my tropical plants indoors, I noticed the hardwood floor sticky in the area where I kept my potted jasmines. On taking a closer look, I found tiny white bugs on the jasmine plants. They, I think suck on the leaves, because the leaves started drying up. I found the bugs on the floor, and window panes, wiped the off with Clorox wipes and put the jasmine plants in the shower and drenched them, hoping to wash away those nasty bugs. Sad to say, I lost a Duke of Tuscany which was slowly establishing itself. But the others have survived but lost their shape after I had to prune the dead branches. The surviving plants thrived through the unseasonably warm summer.

This Fall, the plants are back in my family room, and today, I felt the same stickiness I felt last year. I moved the branches of the jasmine plants and found that the same white bugs are back again. Maybe they were there all summer long too, when the plants were outside, but I did not lose a single leaf, nor did I see any of these bugs.

I need help! I'd hate to use harsh pesticides because the plants are indoors. Are there home remedies that would work? Please HELP!

[lepetitmartien]

Your bugs (which is not very specific), do they fly, especially if you pass by with the hand near ? (if so : whiteflies)

Without pics or a proper name it'll be difficult to be of help…

Some pests at STAUG
Orchid Pests

[cbuchman]

I suspect that they are mealybugs as mine vining jasmine has had them too. I just a systemic (Bonide) to get rid of them after manually combing the plant and killing as many as I could by hand proved ineffective (but was sufficient to keep them under control). When the plant was smaller, I also tried dunking the plant and its pot in Safer's soap solution

[Phalchid]

Well, the bugs are really really tiny, and they do fly up if you pass a hand over the plant. A couple landed on my wrist today, and they look triangular in shape, when at rest, almost like moths.
Carrie, is Bonide available at Home Depot or Lowes? Also, what is Safer's soap solution? Is that a kind of liquid soap that can be used on plants? Where can I buy them?

Thank you all!

[cbuchman]

If they fly, they are more likely to be white fly. Same solution probably applies. I bought my Bonide at a plant nursery. Be sure the Bonide is effective against white fly (it will be listed on the label if it is). Safer's soap is generally available - it's even in the grocery stores here. It is a soap mixture specifically for controlling bugs on houseplants. You can buy the concentrate and mix it yourself, or the premade solution. The concentrate is harder to find.

You can make your own equivalent of Safer's with soap and water. I don't remember the ratio but it should be easy to find on the internet.

[Norris]

Now that sounds like a pest called White Fly to me. When I see them I spray soapy water solution on the whole plant, making sure to get both sides of the leaves, and where leaves connect to the stem.

[Phalchid]

Will surely look for Safer's soap in grocery stores and big box stores in the area tomorrow. Tonight's homework, though, is to find the ratio to make the soap solution. Thanks again!

[Miri the Wildmage]

Yeah, that's whitefly, the soap should work, if not, try provost spray, it works for me and doesn't hurt the plant.

[Phalchid]

Thanks for all your responses!
The weather forecast for this weekend is good, and I plan to take my plants out to the deck and spray them wifh what I can find in the stores. Was unsuccessful in finding Safer's soap so far. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day

[Phalchid]

Thanks you all once, again! I was not able to find Safer's soap in any store I visited, but they did tell me to use soapy water like most of you said. Not a single whitefly on my plants any more! Thanks a ton for helping me save my jasmines!