If you’re wondering do Snake plants attract bugs, the short answer is no at least not generally especially if you’re providing great care.
Snake plants are super strong and resilient while also generally being pest free, but if care hasn’t been all that great or your Sansevieria is under distress then bugs can certainly start to show up.
Below are some bugs or pests you may encounter in the future (hopefully not) and what can cause them to suddenly appear.
Bugs you may encounter
Snake plant bugs can come in the form of a variety of shapes and sizes and they can certainly range in how much damage they tend to do.
Some bugs are so small you can’t even really see them unfortunately.
They are simply annoying to deal with.
Some different types of bugs you may encounter when growing your Snake plant can include the following.
- Aphids
- Mealybugs
- Spider mites
- Fungus gnats
- Scales
- Thrips
- Whiteflies
Most of these bugs range between 1/8-1/4 inch in size with some being even smaller such as spider mites (1/50 inch).
Scales can often be confused for bumps on stems that look like they’re part of the plant and fungus gnats can have larvae that live in the soil.
As you can see they can be super hard to spot.
Often times you will have to rely on the symptoms of pests before you actually spot the bugs (not always though).
How to spot bugs on a Snake plant
There are some tell tale signs your Snake plant has a bug problem, along with other signs that could indicate pests or be a different issue entirely.
Some signs to look out for include the following.
- Holes in the leaves
- Brown leaf tips
- Your Snake plant is turning yellow
- Your Snake plant is drooping
- The leaves are curling up
- The leaves have turned black (sooty mold)
- White spots or dots (usually mealybugs)
- Bumps on the leaves or stems (indicates scales)
- Webbing material (spider mites)
As you can see bugs can cause an array of symptoms and distress to your Snake plant so it certainly is ideal to never have to come across them in the first place.
What causes bugs to be attracted to Snake plants?
More often than not, bugs are attracted to a Snake plant that is under distress in one way or another.
Healthy Snake plants don’t usually get bugs on them unless another infected plant was nearby and they spread to your Snake plant, or by sheer dumb luck.
With that said, there are a few ways your Mother-in-laws-tongue can attract bugs from certain growing conditions or improper care.
High humidity
Providing too much humidity is a primary factor for bugs being attracted to your Snake plant as insects love to be in humid locations.
They are really drawn to it.
In fact, many bugs need to live in high humidity or somewhere with adequate moisture to survive and thrive.
Snake plants prefer to be grown in a humidity range somewhere between 30% and 50% with anything above that range increasing the likelihood of bugs showing up.
Overwatering
By overwatering your Snake plant, this gives bugs more of an incentive to show up similar to having too much humidity.
For example the larvae of fungus gnats need to be in moist soil to survive and standing water or constantly soggy soil will provide them with that.
Not only will overwatering increase the odds of bugs being attracted to your Snake plant, but it can cause detrimental problems to occur such as root rot in Snake plants.
You definitely don’t want that.
Keep in mind even if you don’t water all that much, your Snake plant can still hold water for too long if the soil doesn’t drain well.
Use well draining soil and drainage holes in the container if needed.
Poor air circulation
Poor air circulation is a recipe for disaster as this can cause fungi to form, diseases and bugs will also tend to show up.
You always want to maintain great airflow when growing Snake plants so they can thrive and stay healthy.
Just like you would want to live somewhere with proper air circulation, so does your Snake plant so give it what it wants and it will repay you by growing and looking it’s best!
How to deal with the bugs
In my experience, one of the best ways to deal with bugs on houseplants is by spraying them with some good quality neem oil.
Neem oil not only gets rid of bugs and pests on contact, but it also works as a repellant against future invasions.
Just be sure you spray at night or in full shade until it dries so it doesn’t burn the leaves.
Neem oil is one of the many ways to deal with these annoying bugs, but it’s certainly one of the most effective ways.
If you’re currently dealing with bugs, check out my article on how to get rid of bugs on Snake plants for a super in depth guide.
Last words
By now you know the answer to the question do Snake plants attract bugs and since the answer is generally no, it’s up to you to provide the best Snake plant care possible so you can prevent them from appearing.
As mentioned, your care could be great and bugs may still be attracted to your Snake plant if in close proximity of another infested plant so don’t get discouraged if you still get them.
Just do your best to get rid of the bugs like I know you already will.
As always thanks for reading and enjoy the process and the overall experience growing a happy and healthy Snake plant!