When I used to bring potted plants in the house I'd have the odd stink bug or lizard come in with them. Now I have a little overwintering house which doesn't get enough light (due to trees) to be called a greenhouse, but there is enough light to keep them alive. They drop some leaves, but they don't freeze.

I don't have any problem with insects in the soil. Is there anything in particular that you have in mind? You do have to kind of watch that white flies, scale, or something like that doesn't get going in the winter. Spraying with neem oil will take care of most leaf insects like that.

This is the only time of year that I use systemics and then only if I see any infestations when I pot and haul everything to the driveway staging area. I use soapy water to wash the foliage thoroughly and I drench the soil to make sure that I don't bring fireants in. If I have to use insecticide, the first drench is that. I repeat this in about a week, let dry for a day and bring them in. I have to overwinter tropicals inside the house. I have a large cold frame that tender perennials go into but I give them one shot of soapy water shower before closing the lid.

If your fighting gnats, then its easy to get rid of them. Just put a piece of raw potato in the pot, in 2 days remove the potato. You keep doing this every 2 days until the gnat larvae on the bottom of the potato is gone. It works! Don't forget and leave any potato in the pot, before you take back outside in the spring. I had new potatoes growing in my flowerbed, when I forgot. I never knew they were that easy to grow. Barbra
Barbra