Question
I sure hope you can help me on this one.  I have a rubber tree plant in a 10" container.  It's not dying or the like but recently I noticed that the soil has patches of a yellowish white crust on it.  Around this are TINY silver/white bugs. These bugs don't fly, just crawl in and on top of the soil. I have a few other plants and these bugs are not in them thankfully.  How can I get rid of these? I would like to use something "natural" instead of a pesticide.
I water my plants with well water approx. once a week when the soil is dry.

Answer
Lori,

The are the larval stage of fungus gnats and the yellow is mold. They are there because the plant is being overwatered. Even when the surface of the soil feels dry there is a lot of moisture lower in the pot. The ultimate solution is to allow the plant to get very dry between waterings. In the meantime spraying the surface of the soil with Lysol spray will eliminate the mold, do this daily for a week. You can eliminate the bugs in the soil by watering the soil with straight rubbing alcohol. It will not hurt the roots of the plant and it will kill the insects on contact. Then do not water the plant again until the soil feels very dry and the pot feels light weight when picked up or tilted. Be sure to let it dry out betwen each watering. The roots of this plant need a breathing spell between waterings, it cannot sit in a constant swamp. Also 2 hours after you water the plant you should empty the drain tray by dumping it or suctioning it out with a turkey baster. Next time you repot the plant add extra perlite to the soil mix, 1/2 soil/ 1/2 perlite. It will add more air spaces in the soil and make it drain better. Good luck.

Darlene