spider mites on Philodendron Painted Lady
Quick answer
If your Philodendron Painted Lady has spider mites, the most likely cause is: Spider mites on philodendrons are favored by warm, dry indoor air and by foliage that is left dusty and undisturbed. Kramer's 1974 reference describes microscopic red spider mites as a pest whose damage shows up first as fine webs at the leaf and stem axils and on the undersides, with leaves mottled, turning gray or brown and crumbly; the same source separately notes that red spider mites also turn the lower leaves brown and that a weekly wipe or mist with clear, tepid water is what keeps their eggs from accumulating.
Start here:
- 1. Spray the whole plant vigorously from above and underneath with clear water to physically break the webs and dislodge mites, then follow up with a labeled miticide such as Dimite or Aramite applied to the tops and bottoms of the leaves.
- 2. Isolate the infested philodendron from other houseplants, wipe down nearby pots and the windowsill, and repeat the spray on a roughly two-to-four-week interval as a preventive while recovery is underway.
Why Philodendron Painted Lady gets spider mites
philodendron painted lady
Spider mites on philodendrons are favored by warm, dry indoor air and by foliage that is left dusty and undisturbed. Kramer's 1974 reference describes microscopic red spider mites as a pest whose damage shows up first as fine webs at the leaf and stem axils and on the undersides, with leaves mottled, turning gray or brown and crumbly; the same source separately notes that red spider mites also turn the lower leaves brown and that a weekly wipe or mist with clear, tepid water is what keeps their eggs from accumulating.
How to reverse spider mites on Philodendron Painted Lady
- 1
Spray the whole plant vigorously from above and underneath with clear water to physically break the webs and dislodge mites, then follow up with a labeled miticide such as Dimite or Aramite applied to the tops and bottoms of the leaves.
- 2
Isolate the infested philodendron from other houseplants, wipe down nearby pots and the windowsill, and repeat the spray on a roughly two-to-four-week interval as a preventive while recovery is underway.
Keep spider mites off this Philodendron Painted Lady
Mist or wipe the foliage weekly with clear tepid water, keep humidity on the higher side that philodendrons prefer, isolate new plants for a trial period before mixing them into the collection, and quarantine any plant that shows stippling or webbing so mites cannot spread to the rest of the indoor garden.