Bringing plants inside...advice needed

I need to know how to ensure that plants brought indoors for the fall/winter do not bring in pests with them. Is there a standard de-insecting method that expert members use? I don't want to drench them with something harsh like malathion or anything like that .... but I want them to be insect-free if I am to mingle them in with my houseplants that stay inside all the time. (I am in zone 7a--hence the duality of indoor/outdoor houseplants).

Use a product like Safer's insecticidal soap on your plants. First, hose the plants off to chase away/knock off any pests, then follow package directions. Remember to acclimate the plants for transition from outside light to inside light, by putting them in the shade for a few days.

themoonhowl ,Thanks so munch for that advice ,I also have a lot of plants on my patio that I will have to bring in side . I always have these little lizards that come in with my plants and I am scared of then . I know most are harmless but thay look so much like A snake and I am trrified of snakes. Thanks mincey1

Mincey1, you are so welcome. For lizards, I start at the top of the plant, with gloved hands, and run my hands gently all over the plant, top to bottom. The lizards will scramble away from you and then you can spray and treat for any bugs.

Where can I get Safer's insecticidal soap? And is there any home mixture I could make or use until I could find a product specifically for plants? Thanks for any advice.

You can get Safer's or other brands at just about any garden center or nursery that sells plant care products, (Wal-mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc). A number of folks on DG have mentioned using dishsoap and water and alcohol....I will see if I can find their mix ratios for you and will post them here for you.

One other thought as you prepare to bring plants inside. If you have cats, make sure they are not poisonous. I know that geranium and, of course, lilies are poisonous. Unfortunately, I have to toss my geraniums each year for that reason. Here's a link. I'm sure there's another list for dogs, but we have cats, so that's all I can refer to:

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

There is a sticky (info thread) posted in Plant ID with a number of links for plant toxicity. We researched a number of sites for info on pets and plants.

Timmijo, to one gallon of water, add a tablespoon of dish soap and two tablespoons of alcohol. Mix well and spray on plants a day before bringing them inside. Water well before you bring them in. Hope this helps.