Question
I see a beetle type insect crawling on my indoor spider plant.  It seems to leave small spots which are very dark on the leaves of my plant.  It is on the babies as well as the adult.  The leaves look like they have had the insides sucked out of them and the ends turn brown and lacy looking and are very dry.  I thought I had over fed it or over watered it but now I see these small bugs crawling over it.  I have tried the leaf shine and the alcohol/water treatment but the bugs just crawl on through it.  They look like tiny dark spots until you see one move.  They do move quickly, have a large abdomen, antenna, and what looks like barbs or possible folded wings that extend beyond the end of the body.
Please help me get rid of these nasty pests before I have to get rid of my plant.  It is healthy and has a new shoot with blossoms and is starting a new baby at the end but the bugs!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for your help.  I look forward to hearing from you.  
Linda Blackmore

Answer
Linda:
In order to pick the best insecticide for these critters, it is best to get them identified accurately.  See about collecting a few of them in a small bottle or plastic sandwich sized bag.  Carry them by your local garden center or nursery and ask if someone can take a look and recommend a good general insecticide for these on your spider plant.  One option may be something like Orthene- this insecticide is effective for many insects.

In the meantime, if you can take and send me a digital photo of these insects, I can show them to some of my colleagues here.  Photo tips: Get as close as you can to the insect and be sure the photo is in focus (review on your computer first) before you send it, because a photo that is out of focus is not helpful for ID purposes.

Hope this helps

Steve