Inspect new plants and quarantine them for at least two weeks before allowing them in the same space with your other houseplants. They are very mobile and actually use breezes to move from place to place. If you enjoy taking your Monstera outside for some fresh air, you may notice that your tourist brings souvenirs back inside. But be sure to monitor your plants closely to see if any insects escaped your attention the first time. 
If you suspect you may have spider mites, another investigation method is to shake the leaves gently over a piece of white paper. You can kill creepy crawlies and prevent them from returning by changing how you care for your Monstera. The oil is pressed from the seeds and leaves of the neem tree. Make sure to get the backside of the leaf, as thrips prefer to hide there. You may not realize you have a scale bug infestation until it is well established. Keep an eye out for re-infestation every few days. Maintaining a high humidity level will help to keep spider mites at bay. This method requires that the spray actually come into contact with the insect, and will work best with repeated, thorough applications to ensure that all of the pests are eliminated. Keep an eye out for ants as well. Toward the end of this article, Ill also provide some tips on avoiding bringing them into your home in the first place.
They buzz around your plants, polluting the air and invading places where wee little bugs should not be. If you're wondering "what's wrong with my plant? Instead, stick to more natural treatments and be persistent. Overuse can result in resistant pests, so think about other options before using these insecticides. You may also find fungus gnats congregating in windows. Bought this plant from a local nursery this summer. As with scale insects, it should be relatively easy to treat your plant with horticultural soap and/or a neem oil solution to get rid of thrips. Our 130+ page eBook, How to Care for Your Monstera Deliciosa, will teach you what it takes to keep your Monstera happy. Because they primarily attack adults, they must be reapplied on a regular basis in order to catch emerging grubs as they hatch. The concentration and potential for ingestion when using neem oil for houseplants means the risk is low. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. To prevent new critters from entering your growing environment, quarantine new purchases and limit contact with the outside world. Recycling the soil or the pot may allow the infestation to spread to new victims. This kind of biological control works well but may not be appropriate for the squeamish. Spider-mites, like mealybugs, are best removed manually. Aphids are a favorite food of ladybugs, and they can be purchased online or at gardening supply stores. While whiteflies dont particularly enjoy eating Monstera, theyre worth protecting for the same reason that aphids are.
Although I prefer to buy horticultural soap, it is easy to make with a few items from your home. Mealybugs lay a lot of eggs, and those time bombs go off every five to seven days. Its difficult to say goodbye to a treasured possession, but the sacrifice is well worth it. Neem oil is banned in the UK, Canada, and several other countries due to health concerns for pregnant women and very young children. I consider horticultural soap a must once your houseplant collection reaches a specific size. Spider mites leave a distinctive delicate brown speckling on both sides of your Monsteras leaves. I cant tell you how many times these pests have gotten into my coffee or wafted around my glasses while Im trying to take care of my plants. It is preferable to actual pesticides since it is non-toxic to pets, birds, and beneficial insects, plus it doesnt leave behind the unpleasant residue that some insecticides have. Are there any downsides to neem oil for Monsteras? Damn. Which pests are attracted to Monstera deliciosa? Your plants leaves will be more vulnerable to attack if it is already sickly. However, if you have a more extensive scale attack or you prefer to take systemic measures from the start, there are a couple of good options for this as well. I grow these at my nursery and during the heat if the summer they become more and more apparent. Ive often seen ants marching around my pots before I see mealybugs, so keep your eyes peeled. Good care goes a long way toward allowing your delicious darling to repel pests on their own. It also prevents or kills common fungal diseases like powdery mildew and leaf spot on indoor plants. Secondly, keeping your plants in good condition will go a long way to helping them resist infestation. Adult thrips have wings and can easily move from plant to plant. The most common bugs on monstera are aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and fungus gnats. Infected prunings should be disposed of by double bagging and tossing them into household garbage, and tools like shears should be sterilized between uses. They are pale and resemble small balls of fluff. They require moist conditions to thrive, so let the top layer of your potting medium dry completely between waterings. Spider mites are difficult to see without a magnifying device. Apply a small amount to a leaf patch that is out of the way. If you follow the tips from this article, you should be able to get rid of all those pesky insects and prevent them from getting into your plants in the future! It is critical to consider your growing space when treating your indoor Monstera. More drastic measures are required for more severe infections. Since thrips tend to congregate together, you may be able to remove heavily infected leaves from your plant and simplify the treatment of the rest of it. Since they like moist soil, you can try to let your Monsteras soil get reasonably dry between watering. They thrive in wet, sloppy conditions.
Some people add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the mixture to help it adhere to the leaves. Make sure to get into the plants nooks and crannies, especially around the petioles. I will review the signs of several types of pests in more detail below, but these are the general signals that indicate you should inspect your Monstera closely for bugs: If you see any of these symptoms or your Monstera deliciosa, its a good idea to take a close look at the leaves and stems and see if you can identify any intruders. To prevent them, you can change the environment by increasing humidity and decreasing temperature in winter. Since these mites are so tiny, the presence of webs is usually the best way to discover if you have spider mites instead of another type of pest. Want to grow a gigantic, healthy Monstera? Most insects get inside your home by hitchhiking in on a new plant or from a plant brought in from outside for the winter. These annoyances set up camp on your plants veins, piercing the tough outer layers with a sharp proboscis. Pests do not appear out of anywhere. Note that it generally takes a couple of weeks for the predatory mites to do their thing, but they should die off naturally once they have exhausted their food source. I know that neem oil sounds like a miracle product, and it really does have some amazing benefits. However, they can hibernate, so this will only slow down their activity. Thats because they dont look like insects, and the adults never move once they have attached themselves to the plant. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective. However, pest resistance and pest-free are not the same things, and it is easy to take Monsteras hardiness for granted. Fungus gnats, on the other hand, are less dangerous than the majority of the other intruders on this list. It should go away within 1-2 days of application. Petioles and the base of aerial roots should be rinsed thoroughly because mites like to hide in these areas. I like to dust it at the base of leaves and petioles and sprinkle it on the surface of potting mediums after watering. They prefer plants with softer leaves, but if theyve infested your indoor garden, they wont turn down your Monstera. So, what causes insect infestations? They form clusters on stems and petioles and can be mistaken for emerging aerial roots. Finally, you can purchase predatory mites or ladybugs that feed on spider mites and release them in your home. Remember that neem oil is concentrated and can damage your plants if misused. These bugs arent picky, and theyll eat anything in their path. Most types of insects youll find on your plants cause damage to your plant because they are phytophagous, meaning they feed on the tissues of plants themselves. I have included a few recipes for horticultural soap below, in case you decide to go the DIY route, plus instructions on how to use it.
Scale bugs can be scraped away with your fingernail, and thrips and aphids can be brushed away with a damp cloth. Eggs can adhere to hands, shears, and anything else that has come into contact with an infested plant. Whiteflies are small flying insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are a low-impact option for attracting and trapping adult whiteflies, which prevents them from laying eggs. They are not to be taken lightly. Climate control in our buildings removes moisture from the air, particularly during the summer months when the air is cooled. However, if you have outbreaks on other plants in your collection, you will almost certainly get a marching front of invaders taking their chances. Similar to garlic spray, you can harness the power of chillis to make a homemade foliage spray that will deter future invaders. Leave for the night. Here I will be sharing the best helpful resources to grow houseplants, flowers, and vegetables within your sweet home. Grab our latest book,How to Care for Monstera Deliciosa, and get all that and more.
They look like tiny white footballs and are usually on the underside of leaves. But you can rest assured knowing that other plant owners have battled against worse and won. Pyrethroids, its synthetic cousin, are just as effective, and both are safe to use on your indoor Monstera. Its sometimes best to admit defeat and remove an infected plant from your collection entirely. Spider mites are tiny terrors that are often difficult to see with the naked eye. Personally, I havent had too much success with this method because many of my plants had gnats, and some of them couldnt tolerate the drier conditions. To get rid of them permanently, you need a solution that kills them at all stages of maturity. To be safe, many collectors pre-treat new purchases with a vigorous washing and neem oil. These insects are flat and round, with a dome shape similar to a turtle shell. Spider mites, for example, thrive in hot, dry conditions, so they are unlikely to wind up on a Monstera kept regularly watered with adequate humidity. Get your copy now! Soggy conditions, on the other hand, are ideal breeding grounds for other pests such as whiteflies, fungus gnats, and mealybugs. Other pests can be kept at bay by showering on a regular basis, which Monstera enjoys. It gathers in nooks and crannies on your Monstera, allowing it to locate pests where they prefer to hide. Monsteras are rainforest species, so they prefer to be sprayed with a shower or hose. Be aware that its not recommended to use insecticidal soap in hot weather (over 85 degrees Fahrenheit) or in direct sun since plants can be burned. Thrips suck the green pigment chlorophyll from your Monstera leaves, leaving only the empty structure. This may appear to be a dire situation, but the predators are as small as their prey! All of the pests on this list can be found in a typical garden, particularly aphids, mealybugs, and scale. They all thrive in high humidity, regardless of variety. Any insects left behind will quickly reproduce, so its essential to eradicate all of them. Start with a cup of oil (any type is fine, but youll probably want to use your least expensive option), and mix in one tablespoon of regular (not dishwasher) dishwashing liquid or pure castile soap. Some people are big believers in the use of essential oils to treat insects. Monstera deliciosa, luckily, isnt among the houseplants most susceptible to insects, but it can still become infested by several different types of pests. This includes smaller amounts of clippings, soil, pots, and care implements. Give your Monstera a good rinsing, or pick the bugs off by hand. You can also try top dressing the soil (using a layer of decorative rocks or sand around the base of the plant) since this makes it difficult for the adult fungus gnats to reach the soil and lay their eggs. To thrive, your Monstera requires clean water and new soil. Crush three or four garlic cloves and steep them overnight in a half-gallon of water to make garlic spray. Like their better-known relatives, they can spin fine webs, usually in the joints where a petiole or stem branches off.
Many people mistake fungus gnats for fruit flies, as they look similar to the naked eye and exhibit some of the same irritating behaviors (like drowning themselves in your wine and flying around your face). Fungus gnats are slimmer and more delicate than fruit flies, and their bodies are black. Want to know what you can do to keep it happy and healthy? However, these immobile adults can lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch into larvae called crawlers. These travel to new feeding sites before latching themselves on. You will need to be vigilant with this method, making sure to treat all visible scale insects and checking every few days for new ones. Monsteras & Aerial Roots: What Are They & What Should You Do With Them? More pics: https://imgur.com/a/3CHAR6O. Red and black are the most common types in the US. Consider making your own garlic spray if you want to save money. These criminals suck sap from the leaves, weakening them. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.
Increasing humidity will kill spider mites, and allowing your soil to dry between waterings will kill fungus gnats, for example. There are actually two types of scale one has a hard, armored exterior covering, and the other is unarmored or soft scale.
They tend to show up more often in winter since they like warm, dry environments like your furnace-heated home. It is equally safe for you and your plant, and it is an excellent choice for the early stages of infestation. They resemble tiny black slivers and are frequently misidentified as stray potting mediums or lint.
More severe infestations result in yellowing, sickly leaves, and deformed weak new growth. They reproduce rapidly, with a single aphid capable of spawning enough to cover even the toughest houseplant in a matter of weeks. Once released, they will make themselves at home in your collection and do the dirty work of hunting down and devouring the aphids. Ladybirds are an excellent choice because they have large appetites and broad palates and will attack almost any pest that may find its way into your growing environment. Scraping them off the plant manually seems to be the easiest method, although it can be tedious if there is a lot of scale on your Monstera. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If youve noticed aphids on your Monstera, its best to start by manually removing them with a thorough washing, which you need to do once or twice a week if possible. Having said that, these flying fellows are an annoyance. This is especially effective against mealybugs, but it also works on other pests. Basically, you want to coat as much of the surface of the plant as you can. You can also use the above-mentioned yellow sticky traps as a control measure, and Ive had good results applying diatomaceous earth to the surface of my potting mediums between waterings. Adults are dark brown or black and can fly. Fruit flies will be around your fruit (obviously) and garbage as they seek out rotting organic material. Unfortunately, even perfect conditions are not enough to prevent some insects from finding their way onto your Monstera. Definitely is spider mites. If there is a lot of scale on one part of the plant, you may choose to prune off the affected area instead of treating it. They spin silken threads across their victims, enveloping them as they intake the sap within. You can also wipe the leaves with 70% rubbing alcohol or a horticultural soap to kill any remaining mites. Watering the plant before you apply the horticultural soap can help prevent damage to the roots. Never compost a Monstera that has been infested.
Welcome to the Garden For Indoor! Ants adore it and will frequently move mealybugs from plant to plant, much like a human farmer moves his dairy herd from pasture to pasture. Fungus gnats can be avoided by allowing your potting medium to dry between waterings. But there are a couple of things you should know about it before deciding if this is the solution to your pest problems, though. Its much easier to see their damage, which appears as silvering of the leaves. will teach you what it takes to keep your Monstera happy. Despite their armor, scale bugs are extremely vulnerable and can be killed with minimal movement. This entails introducing predators into your growing environment. Horticultural soaps work against insects by coating their exoskeletons and suffocating them. The majority of the species are about the size of a sesame seed and range in color from pale translucency to black, green, and brown. In the absence of that, neem oil or horticultural soap treatment will suffice. Apply a bit of diluted alcohol to a cotton tip, then wipe the bug right off the plant. I also like to use Mosquito Bits, which are a type of biological control that kills fungus gnat larvae. As with all insecticides, they should only be used as a last resort and then only sparingly.
If you suspect you may have spider mites, another investigation method is to shake the leaves gently over a piece of white paper. You can kill creepy crawlies and prevent them from returning by changing how you care for your Monstera. The oil is pressed from the seeds and leaves of the neem tree. Make sure to get the backside of the leaf, as thrips prefer to hide there. You may not realize you have a scale bug infestation until it is well established. Keep an eye out for re-infestation every few days. Maintaining a high humidity level will help to keep spider mites at bay. This method requires that the spray actually come into contact with the insect, and will work best with repeated, thorough applications to ensure that all of the pests are eliminated. Keep an eye out for ants as well. Toward the end of this article, Ill also provide some tips on avoiding bringing them into your home in the first place. They buzz around your plants, polluting the air and invading places where wee little bugs should not be. If you're wondering "what's wrong with my plant? Instead, stick to more natural treatments and be persistent. Overuse can result in resistant pests, so think about other options before using these insecticides. You may also find fungus gnats congregating in windows. Bought this plant from a local nursery this summer. As with scale insects, it should be relatively easy to treat your plant with horticultural soap and/or a neem oil solution to get rid of thrips. Our 130+ page eBook, How to Care for Your Monstera Deliciosa, will teach you what it takes to keep your Monstera happy. Because they primarily attack adults, they must be reapplied on a regular basis in order to catch emerging grubs as they hatch. The concentration and potential for ingestion when using neem oil for houseplants means the risk is low. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. To prevent new critters from entering your growing environment, quarantine new purchases and limit contact with the outside world. Recycling the soil or the pot may allow the infestation to spread to new victims. This kind of biological control works well but may not be appropriate for the squeamish. Spider-mites, like mealybugs, are best removed manually. Aphids are a favorite food of ladybugs, and they can be purchased online or at gardening supply stores. While whiteflies dont particularly enjoy eating Monstera, theyre worth protecting for the same reason that aphids are.
Although I prefer to buy horticultural soap, it is easy to make with a few items from your home. Mealybugs lay a lot of eggs, and those time bombs go off every five to seven days. Its difficult to say goodbye to a treasured possession, but the sacrifice is well worth it. Neem oil is banned in the UK, Canada, and several other countries due to health concerns for pregnant women and very young children. I consider horticultural soap a must once your houseplant collection reaches a specific size. Spider mites leave a distinctive delicate brown speckling on both sides of your Monsteras leaves. I cant tell you how many times these pests have gotten into my coffee or wafted around my glasses while Im trying to take care of my plants. It is preferable to actual pesticides since it is non-toxic to pets, birds, and beneficial insects, plus it doesnt leave behind the unpleasant residue that some insecticides have. Are there any downsides to neem oil for Monsteras? Damn. Which pests are attracted to Monstera deliciosa? Your plants leaves will be more vulnerable to attack if it is already sickly. However, if you have a more extensive scale attack or you prefer to take systemic measures from the start, there are a couple of good options for this as well. I grow these at my nursery and during the heat if the summer they become more and more apparent. Ive often seen ants marching around my pots before I see mealybugs, so keep your eyes peeled. Good care goes a long way toward allowing your delicious darling to repel pests on their own. It also prevents or kills common fungal diseases like powdery mildew and leaf spot on indoor plants. Secondly, keeping your plants in good condition will go a long way to helping them resist infestation. Adult thrips have wings and can easily move from plant to plant. The most common bugs on monstera are aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and fungus gnats. Infected prunings should be disposed of by double bagging and tossing them into household garbage, and tools like shears should be sterilized between uses. They are pale and resemble small balls of fluff. They require moist conditions to thrive, so let the top layer of your potting medium dry completely between waterings. Spider mites are difficult to see without a magnifying device. Apply a small amount to a leaf patch that is out of the way. If you follow the tips from this article, you should be able to get rid of all those pesky insects and prevent them from getting into your plants in the future! It is critical to consider your growing space when treating your indoor Monstera. More drastic measures are required for more severe infections. Since thrips tend to congregate together, you may be able to remove heavily infected leaves from your plant and simplify the treatment of the rest of it. Since they like moist soil, you can try to let your Monsteras soil get reasonably dry between watering. They thrive in wet, sloppy conditions.
Some people add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the mixture to help it adhere to the leaves. Make sure to get into the plants nooks and crannies, especially around the petioles. I will review the signs of several types of pests in more detail below, but these are the general signals that indicate you should inspect your Monstera closely for bugs: If you see any of these symptoms or your Monstera deliciosa, its a good idea to take a close look at the leaves and stems and see if you can identify any intruders. To prevent them, you can change the environment by increasing humidity and decreasing temperature in winter. Since these mites are so tiny, the presence of webs is usually the best way to discover if you have spider mites instead of another type of pest. Want to grow a gigantic, healthy Monstera? Most insects get inside your home by hitchhiking in on a new plant or from a plant brought in from outside for the winter. These annoyances set up camp on your plants veins, piercing the tough outer layers with a sharp proboscis. Pests do not appear out of anywhere. Note that it generally takes a couple of weeks for the predatory mites to do their thing, but they should die off naturally once they have exhausted their food source. I know that neem oil sounds like a miracle product, and it really does have some amazing benefits. However, they can hibernate, so this will only slow down their activity. Thats because they dont look like insects, and the adults never move once they have attached themselves to the plant. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective. However, pest resistance and pest-free are not the same things, and it is easy to take Monsteras hardiness for granted. Fungus gnats, on the other hand, are less dangerous than the majority of the other intruders on this list. It should go away within 1-2 days of application. Petioles and the base of aerial roots should be rinsed thoroughly because mites like to hide in these areas. I like to dust it at the base of leaves and petioles and sprinkle it on the surface of potting mediums after watering. They prefer plants with softer leaves, but if theyve infested your indoor garden, they wont turn down your Monstera. So, what causes insect infestations? They form clusters on stems and petioles and can be mistaken for emerging aerial roots. Finally, you can purchase predatory mites or ladybugs that feed on spider mites and release them in your home. Remember that neem oil is concentrated and can damage your plants if misused. These bugs arent picky, and theyll eat anything in their path. Most types of insects youll find on your plants cause damage to your plant because they are phytophagous, meaning they feed on the tissues of plants themselves. I have included a few recipes for horticultural soap below, in case you decide to go the DIY route, plus instructions on how to use it.
Scale bugs can be scraped away with your fingernail, and thrips and aphids can be brushed away with a damp cloth. Eggs can adhere to hands, shears, and anything else that has come into contact with an infested plant. Whiteflies are small flying insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are a low-impact option for attracting and trapping adult whiteflies, which prevents them from laying eggs. They are not to be taken lightly. Climate control in our buildings removes moisture from the air, particularly during the summer months when the air is cooled. However, if you have outbreaks on other plants in your collection, you will almost certainly get a marching front of invaders taking their chances. Similar to garlic spray, you can harness the power of chillis to make a homemade foliage spray that will deter future invaders. Leave for the night. Here I will be sharing the best helpful resources to grow houseplants, flowers, and vegetables within your sweet home. Grab our latest book,How to Care for Monstera Deliciosa, and get all that and more.
They look like tiny white footballs and are usually on the underside of leaves. But you can rest assured knowing that other plant owners have battled against worse and won. Pyrethroids, its synthetic cousin, are just as effective, and both are safe to use on your indoor Monstera. Its sometimes best to admit defeat and remove an infected plant from your collection entirely. Spider mites are tiny terrors that are often difficult to see with the naked eye. Personally, I havent had too much success with this method because many of my plants had gnats, and some of them couldnt tolerate the drier conditions. To get rid of them permanently, you need a solution that kills them at all stages of maturity. To be safe, many collectors pre-treat new purchases with a vigorous washing and neem oil. These insects are flat and round, with a dome shape similar to a turtle shell. Spider mites, for example, thrive in hot, dry conditions, so they are unlikely to wind up on a Monstera kept regularly watered with adequate humidity. Get your copy now! Soggy conditions, on the other hand, are ideal breeding grounds for other pests such as whiteflies, fungus gnats, and mealybugs. Other pests can be kept at bay by showering on a regular basis, which Monstera enjoys. It gathers in nooks and crannies on your Monstera, allowing it to locate pests where they prefer to hide. Monsteras are rainforest species, so they prefer to be sprayed with a shower or hose. Be aware that its not recommended to use insecticidal soap in hot weather (over 85 degrees Fahrenheit) or in direct sun since plants can be burned. Thrips suck the green pigment chlorophyll from your Monstera leaves, leaving only the empty structure. This may appear to be a dire situation, but the predators are as small as their prey! All of the pests on this list can be found in a typical garden, particularly aphids, mealybugs, and scale. They all thrive in high humidity, regardless of variety. Any insects left behind will quickly reproduce, so its essential to eradicate all of them. Start with a cup of oil (any type is fine, but youll probably want to use your least expensive option), and mix in one tablespoon of regular (not dishwasher) dishwashing liquid or pure castile soap. Some people are big believers in the use of essential oils to treat insects. Monstera deliciosa, luckily, isnt among the houseplants most susceptible to insects, but it can still become infested by several different types of pests. This includes smaller amounts of clippings, soil, pots, and care implements. Give your Monstera a good rinsing, or pick the bugs off by hand. You can also try top dressing the soil (using a layer of decorative rocks or sand around the base of the plant) since this makes it difficult for the adult fungus gnats to reach the soil and lay their eggs. To thrive, your Monstera requires clean water and new soil. Crush three or four garlic cloves and steep them overnight in a half-gallon of water to make garlic spray. Like their better-known relatives, they can spin fine webs, usually in the joints where a petiole or stem branches off.
Many people mistake fungus gnats for fruit flies, as they look similar to the naked eye and exhibit some of the same irritating behaviors (like drowning themselves in your wine and flying around your face). Fungus gnats are slimmer and more delicate than fruit flies, and their bodies are black. Want to know what you can do to keep it happy and healthy? However, these immobile adults can lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch into larvae called crawlers. These travel to new feeding sites before latching themselves on. You will need to be vigilant with this method, making sure to treat all visible scale insects and checking every few days for new ones. Monsteras & Aerial Roots: What Are They & What Should You Do With Them? More pics: https://imgur.com/a/3CHAR6O. Red and black are the most common types in the US. Consider making your own garlic spray if you want to save money. These criminals suck sap from the leaves, weakening them. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.
Increasing humidity will kill spider mites, and allowing your soil to dry between waterings will kill fungus gnats, for example. There are actually two types of scale one has a hard, armored exterior covering, and the other is unarmored or soft scale.
They tend to show up more often in winter since they like warm, dry environments like your furnace-heated home. It is equally safe for you and your plant, and it is an excellent choice for the early stages of infestation. They resemble tiny black slivers and are frequently misidentified as stray potting mediums or lint.
More severe infestations result in yellowing, sickly leaves, and deformed weak new growth. They reproduce rapidly, with a single aphid capable of spawning enough to cover even the toughest houseplant in a matter of weeks. Once released, they will make themselves at home in your collection and do the dirty work of hunting down and devouring the aphids. Ladybirds are an excellent choice because they have large appetites and broad palates and will attack almost any pest that may find its way into your growing environment. Scraping them off the plant manually seems to be the easiest method, although it can be tedious if there is a lot of scale on your Monstera. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If youve noticed aphids on your Monstera, its best to start by manually removing them with a thorough washing, which you need to do once or twice a week if possible. Having said that, these flying fellows are an annoyance. This is especially effective against mealybugs, but it also works on other pests. Basically, you want to coat as much of the surface of the plant as you can. You can also use the above-mentioned yellow sticky traps as a control measure, and Ive had good results applying diatomaceous earth to the surface of my potting mediums between waterings. Adults are dark brown or black and can fly. Fruit flies will be around your fruit (obviously) and garbage as they seek out rotting organic material. Unfortunately, even perfect conditions are not enough to prevent some insects from finding their way onto your Monstera. Definitely is spider mites. If there is a lot of scale on one part of the plant, you may choose to prune off the affected area instead of treating it. They spin silken threads across their victims, enveloping them as they intake the sap within. You can also wipe the leaves with 70% rubbing alcohol or a horticultural soap to kill any remaining mites. Watering the plant before you apply the horticultural soap can help prevent damage to the roots. Never compost a Monstera that has been infested.
Welcome to the Garden For Indoor! Ants adore it and will frequently move mealybugs from plant to plant, much like a human farmer moves his dairy herd from pasture to pasture. Fungus gnats can be avoided by allowing your potting medium to dry between waterings. But there are a couple of things you should know about it before deciding if this is the solution to your pest problems, though. Its much easier to see their damage, which appears as silvering of the leaves. will teach you what it takes to keep your Monstera happy. Despite their armor, scale bugs are extremely vulnerable and can be killed with minimal movement. This entails introducing predators into your growing environment. Horticultural soaps work against insects by coating their exoskeletons and suffocating them. The majority of the species are about the size of a sesame seed and range in color from pale translucency to black, green, and brown. In the absence of that, neem oil or horticultural soap treatment will suffice. Apply a bit of diluted alcohol to a cotton tip, then wipe the bug right off the plant. I also like to use Mosquito Bits, which are a type of biological control that kills fungus gnat larvae. As with all insecticides, they should only be used as a last resort and then only sparingly.