Pesky Pests and How to Deal: Spider Mites

Photo by @theabundantwayoflife

Spider mites are one of the most common house plant pests but rest assured they are also one of the easiest to get rid of. As with all pests, early detection is your best friend! Make a habit of looking over the leaves and stems of your plants every time you water them to spot any changes in appearance.

How to spot them:

• The undersides of the leaves have a silvery white powder on them that almost looks like dust – these are the eggs.
• The leaves begin to turn yellow in a dotted pattern and some leaves may drop.
• Webbing on the stems and leaves of your plant.
• Tiny white/grey spidery insects crawling around the plant and soil.

How to be rid of them:

Wipe both sides of every leaf down with a damp cloth and remove any webbing. Spray the entire plant and the surface of the soil with insecticidal soap. Repeat this once every seven to ten days until you no longer see any signs of mites.