spider mites on Syngonium Confetti
Quick answer
If your Syngonium Confetti has spider mites, the most likely cause is: The Syngonium podophyllum (Arrowhead Vine) encyclopedia entry that covers the species from which 'Confetti' is selected lists spider mites as a documented pest; they colonize the undersides of leaves in hot, dry indoor air and spin fine white webs while sucking leaf cells dry, which causes the variegated foliage to speckle, wrinkle, turn yellow, and drop, with the chlorophyll-free white and pink confetti sectors showing damage first.
Start here:
- 1. Shake the variegated Syngonium confetti foliage over a sheet of white paper and look for moving red or yellow, spiderlike specks to confirm an infestation, then rinse the plant repeatedly with a stream of lukewarm water focused on the leaf-stem junctions where the webs concentrate.
- 2. Follow the rinse by spraying the entire plant - top and underside of every leaf, including the white and pink variegated sectors - with insecticidal soap, repeating on a weekly basis until no moving red or yellow specks shake loose onto the paper held beneath the foliage.
Why Syngonium Confetti gets spider mites
syngonium confetti
The Syngonium podophyllum (Arrowhead Vine) encyclopedia entry that covers the species from which 'Confetti' is selected lists spider mites as a documented pest; they colonize the undersides of leaves in hot, dry indoor air and spin fine white webs while sucking leaf cells dry, which causes the variegated foliage to speckle, wrinkle, turn yellow, and drop, with the chlorophyll-free white and pink confetti sectors showing damage first.
How to reverse spider mites on Syngonium Confetti
- 1
Shake the variegated Syngonium confetti foliage over a sheet of white paper and look for moving red or yellow, spiderlike specks to confirm an infestation, then rinse the plant repeatedly with a stream of lukewarm water focused on the leaf-stem junctions where the webs concentrate.
- 2
Follow the rinse by spraying the entire plant - top and underside of every leaf, including the white and pink variegated sectors - with insecticidal soap, repeating on a weekly basis until no moving red or yellow specks shake loose onto the paper held beneath the foliage.
Keep spider mites off this Syngonium Confetti
Maintain humidity at 40-70% around your Syngonium confetti because spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions, mist the foliage frequently with a hand-spray and group the plant with humidity trays or a humidifier during winter when indoor air is driest, and inspect the underside of the variegated leaves on a routine basis for the first signs of stippling before the white tissue is permanently scarred.