While your plants are still outdoors, 3 applications at 2 week intervals of Bayer Advanced Insect Disease and Mite Control in a topical spray is an effective choice. It contains a systemic insecticide effective against most insects with rasping/sucking mouth parts, a systemic fungicide, and a miticide. Because it's systemic, it has good residual effects on fungal infections and insects other than mites. It's ingredients are approved for use on indoor plants, but you need to avoid the actual spraying indoors, and let the product dry before moving plants indoors. As always, read/follow the directions very carefully and exercise the use of common sense.

Al

Which are your concern? Critters living vicariously, like ants or spiders in the soil, or the pests of plants like mealy bugs, aphids, mites? If I find plant-destroying pests, I am usually able to remove them manually, by rinsing, or with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. Depends on the particular critter, particular plant. If you think critters might be living in the pots, submerge the soil in a larger tub of water for a few minutes. Anything in there should evacuate. I do that to all pots that are coming inside. If something comes out that could have laid an egg in the soil, I repot.

Hi Linda...

Purple's advice about dunking plants is a great idea. It's more work, but like she said, spiders, earwigs, etc, will evacuate.

If you're conccerned out mites, scale etc, a different approach is needed.

I prefer not using chemicals, so I make a home-made insecticide.

Water in spray bottle
Fish Emulsion
Citrus rind
Hot Pepper
Garlic
2-3 drops dish soap
Mouthwash...Listerine

Place ingredients in water/spray bottle. Shake well. Spray upper, lower leaves and stems.

This method prevents/kills, scale and mites. If a little Rubbing Alcohol is added, it should halt mealy.

If whitefly is present, yellow-sticky-traps are the best.

Good luck, gotta start hauling plants in, too..They're predicting 30-something degrees a couple nights this coming week. Toni

Al,
I got this tip from you, Neam oil with murphy's oil soap only drops of each in a spray bottle mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with rubbing alcohol and water. I been using this and it seems to be working fine. Thanks.