The use of plant material for outdoor as well as indoor decoration exposes them to all manner of garden pests, such as caterpillars, slugs, snails and thrips, many of which thrive once the plants are moved back indoors. For this reason, plants which are being moved from decks, patios, etc. to the home or office should be washed thoroughly with a spray of clear water. Despite the best control programs employed by growers and retailers, it sometimes happens that a new plant harbors pests whose eggs have survived to hatch in you home conditions. Regular and frequent checking for abnormal growth and insects can be combined with your checks for watering needs.
Most pests lurk under leaves and close to the growing tip where tissue is softest.
Most of these pests can be washed off with a spray of water. Several washes over a period of two or three weeks, plus isolation for the infested plant to prevent the pest from moving to other plants, generally eliminates the problem. Some pesticides are hazardous, not only to the general environment, but to the plant tissue. Ferns are extremely sensitive to all forms of chemical spray, and infested fronds are best removed and destroyed. Diseases are rare on foliage and flowering plants.