I want to bring a patio potted plant indoors for the winter.

One thing you can do.. is to get what used to be called a "Shell Pest Strip" ..Lowe's carries them... then, depending on the size of the plant, hang the pest strip in the plant, and cover with clear plastic sheeting or a clear or white plastic bag , INCLUDING the pot... use small wood stakes to keep from breaking leaves and branches and tape or tie shut for a at least 7 days... keep the plant out of the sun or it will get cooked in the bag. This should take care of most pests

change the soil and rinse the plant before bringing indoor

Sprinkle a little diatomaceous earth on it. 4 days ago I brought my Christmas Cactus in because it started to bud. I didn't use de this year because the plant looked bug free, and it is. It's blooming already. It will get over a hundred flowers on it.

Sprinkle de under the leaves if possible and leave it out for 24 to 48 hours to kill the bugs already on it. Then blow it off. Be careful to not blow in the direction of someones face as the only harm that diatomaceous earth can do to humans is chocking on the powder. Never breathe it in!

I use food grade diatomaceous earth sparingly all over the house, the pantry corners and floor edges, my cabinets and bathroom corners. It only gets replaced if I clean the surface of one of these places. I have NEVER seen a bug other than the occasional spider that may wander in in the fall. Cuts up silverfish, cockroaches, ants, mealy bugs, grease bugs, etc when the bug crawls over it. it's like walking on glass for them. SO NO POISON IN YOUR HOME, EVER!

I bought food grade because I put it in my kitchen and I was told to take it for my arthritis. I tried it and yes it works, but you have to take it every day and wait to feel the results over a couple weeks.

Put a few moth balls on top of the soil, and in the drip dray. Cover the plant with a heavy paper bag - you may wan to double it. Place the bag or even a cardboard box over the plant for at least 12 hours (overnight). The moth balls will drive the bugs out. hen your can bring the plant inside. The moth balls may be reused for another plant or another purpose. Very inexpensive and easy...

I use sudsy dishwater and wipe the leaves, branches and pot. I only remove about 1/2 inch of soil. You may want to repot if it got too large.

Simplest and cheapest and most effective way to bring houseplants in and leave the bugs outside. I have done this for years and it never fails.

Mix half and half in an old spray bottle - liquid dish detergent (I use Palmolive) and water. Spray the potted plant thoroughly - leaves on both sides, stems, dirt, and pot. Move leaves around with your hand as you spray. Be generous - the soap and water won't hurt anything. Let it sit for a while - doesn't matter if the soap dries. Then take your hose, with your nozzle set on a fairly gentle spray and spray the heck out of the plant, being sure to allow the soapy water to drain through the dirt and pot. This not only kills the insects (or makes them run for the hills :)) but it leaves your plant nice and clean. Let it dry outside just long enough to stop the dripping and take it inside. I have found the best time to repot is in the spring, when you are taking them outside, again. They recover a lot quicker. Repotting them before bringing them inside is just about too much trauma for them.