Sap-sucker

Spider Mites

Dusty webbing on undersides, stippled leaves losing color.

Severity

Identification

Look for fine, silk-like webbing strung between leaves and stems, especially near new growth. Individual mites are barely visible without a loupe, but their feeding leaves a stippled, bronzed texture across leaf surfaces — hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap; moving specks are mites.

Life cycle & spread

Eggs hatch in as little as 3 days in warm, dry conditions, and a full generation can complete in under two weeks. Populations explode fastest below 40% humidity, which is why winter heating season is peak season.

Organic treatment

Shower foliage thoroughly to knock down active populations.
Spray neem oil or insecticidal soap weekly, coating leaf undersides.
Raise humidity with a pebble tray or humidifier to slow reproduction.

Chemical treatment

Rotate in a miticide labeled for spider mites if organic sprays stall after 2–3 weeks.
Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides — they kill predatory mites that would otherwise help.

Prevention

Keep humidity above 50% where possible; mites thrive in dry air.
Quarantine new plants for two weeks before shelving them with your collection.
Wipe down leaves monthly to disrupt colonies before they establish.

Commonly affects

Monstera — Swiss Cheese Plant →Monstera — Swiss Cheese Vine →Ficus — Fiddle-Leaf Fig →Ficus — Rubber Plant →Ficus — Variegated Triangle Fig →Echinopsis — San Pedro Cactus →Euphorbia — African Milk Tree →Senecio — String of Pearls →Euphorbia — Pencil Cactus →Dracaena — Snake Plant →Dracaena — Corn Plant →Dracaena — Dragon Tree →Dracaena — Lucky Bamboo →Dracaena — Song of India →Dracaena — Janet Craig →Zamioculcas — ZZ Plant →Philodendron — Philodendron Brasil →Goeppertia — Calathea orbifolia →Solanum — Tomato →Fragaria — Garden Strawberry →Dypsis — Areca Palm →Citrus — Lemon Tree →Rosa — Rose →Syngonium — Arrowhead Plant →Syngonium — Syngonium Albo →Epipremnum — Golden Pothos →Epipremnum — Neon Pothos →Alocasia — Alocasia Amazonica →Maranta — Green Prayer Plant →Strelitzia — Bird of Paradise →Musa — Banana Plant →Heptapleurum — Australian Umbrella Tree →Heptapleurum — Dwarf Umbrella Tree →Phalaenopsis — Moth Orchid →Cattleya — Corsage Orchid →Vanda — Blue Vanda →Dianthus — Carnation →Hedera — English Ivy →Hibiscus — Tropical Hibiscus →Chlorophytum — Spider Plant →Rhaphidophora — Mini Monstera →Alocasia — Alocasia Black Velvet →Philodendron — Philodendron Micans →Senecio — String of Bananas →Monstera — Thai Constellation Monstera →Jasminum — Pink Jasmine →Echinocactus — Golden Barrel Cactus →Peperomia — Baby Rubber Plant →Peperomia — Peperomia Ginny →Peperomia — Emerald Ripple Peperomia →Pilea — Aluminum Plant →Begonia — Rex Begonia →Begonia — Polka Dot Begonia →Tradescantia — Wandering Jew →Tradescantia — Tradescantia Nanouk →Tradescantia — Wandering Dude →