Put in an intermediate area where it is warmer than outside. But not where they will get all over the inside of the main part of the house. What makes them come out of the plants is the indoor conditions.

Bugs and slugs coming in with them is perhaps the main reason I don't put house plants outside. This and the fact that it isn't as warm outside as it is inside for that long of a period in my climate.

First, the habit of pruning them now is counter-productive insofar as the tree's appearance is concerned; this, because you're pruning off all the desirable summer growth with internodes a fraction of the size of winter growth. Instead, prune in spring to remove ALL lanky winter growth. This ensures that even latent buds distal to old (leaf) bundle scars will be close together, so when back-budding occurs, even that will be tight.

The best way I know to ensure you bring nothing in with you when you cart your plants in after a summer outdoors is to treat thrice at 2 week intervals with Bayer 3-in-1 Insect, Disease, and Mite Control.

Al

+1 on the bayer 3 in 1. It’s the only thing that’s ever worked on my Ficus.

Only use outdoors, wear a mask when using. Let thoroughly dry before you bring them inside.

Please let me gently push back a little on the "I'd love to wait to prune but they won't fit in my home unless they're cut back". If you cut them back far enough in the spring, they will. Most growers are reluctant to prune hard for fear of killing the tree. If the tree is circling the drain in spring, the fears would be justified. If the tree is reasonably healthy, you can reduce the canopy by 75% or so by cutting back to the last healthy leaf on every branch and remove all branches that spoil the trees appearance. In fall, cut back JUST enough to get it indoors. In spring, cut back well beyond what it takes to move it back out.

Recently pruned ficus:

This tree ^ was pruned this past June and grew enough that I rough-wired it today.

Al

Rather than take off the inner twigs, which is what you'll cut back to in spring, thin the longer leaves to let light into the interior of the tree so the inner branches make it through the winter. The main thing is keeping the tree healthy. If you can do that, the tree will take a hard pruning in stride and you can have the tree right back on track by mid-summer.

Al

Cassie,

You posted these two trees a month or so ago, right?

Theyre outside and they’re going into a very low light location?

Have you been able to shuffle things around to get them by any brighter windows?