I have a number of potted plants that I'd like to take indoors over the winter. Some of them can't handle temps below 50-60F, others are good until near freezing, the rest can handle a light freeze. So I have anywhere from a month to three months, depending on the plant.
I've cleared space indoors with the proper environment for each kind of plant. However, I DON'T want to bring in all the bugs when I bring in the plants. What can I do before bringing them in to reduce or eliminate the bugs? These pots have been outdoors all spring and summer, and are crawling with little creepies, from deep within their pots to the tiptops of their leaves.
I know I can back off on watering, rinse the foilage with a soap solution, and shake/bang/inspect. I'm worried that this isn't enough.
Should I consider spraying them with miticide and insecticide?
Thinking Ahead to Overwintering
I am going to get some Marathon and sprinkle it on the soil of each pot, then water it in. It will take care of the crawlies in the soil and on the plant (it's systemic). It also has low mammalian toxicity.Then they can come inside....