Spider mites multiply fast indoors once the heat comes on and the air dries out. If leaves show fine pale speckling and you see thin webbing where leaves meet stems, isolate the plant, rinse the leaves top and bottom in the shower, then spray insecticidal soap every 5 to 7 days for three or four rounds, covering the leaf undersides. Raising humidity around the plant slows the next outbreak.
How to tell it is spider mites
Spider mites are tiny relatives of spiders, about the size of a period. You rarely see them before you see the damage.
- Stippling: fine pale or yellow dots across the leaf, where mites suck out cell contents.
- Webbing: silky strands at leaf joints and along stems in heavier infestations.
- Dull, dusty-looking leaves that later bronze, curl, and drop.
- The paper test: hold white paper under a branch and tap the leaves. Specks that start walking are mites. A pocket magnifier makes them easy to confirm.
Plants that are hit most often indoors include citrus, palms, ivy, crotons, alocasia, and many tropical foliage plants. Plants that just came in from a summer outdoors are frequent sources.
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Find My Plants →Step 1: Isolate and rinse
Move the plant away from others right away. Mites crawl and drift between touching plants. Rinse the foliage in a lukewarm shower or with a sprayer at the sink, paying most attention to leaf undersides, and cover the soil to keep it from washing out. Wipe broad leaves with a soft damp cloth. Remove leaves that are badly stippled or webbed and bag them.
Step 2: Spray insecticidal soap
Insecticidal soap kills mites on contact and leaves no lasting residue.
- Use a product labeled for houseplants and mites. Do not use dish detergent, which can damage leaves.
- Coat leaf undersides thoroughly. Mites missed by the spray restart the population.
- Repeat every 5 to 7 days for at least three to four applications, since eggs are not killed and hatch between sprays.
- Test on a few leaves first and wait a day. Some ferns and succulents are sensitive.
- Spray out of direct sun and away from heat sources.
Horticultural oil labeled for indoor use is another option for tougher infestations, used the same way.
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Step 3: Change the conditions
Mites thrive in warm, dry, still air. Make the environment less friendly.
- Raise humidity around plants with pebble trays or by grouping plants. Our guide to humidity trays and grouping shows simple setups.
- Move plants away from heat registers and radiators.
- Rinse leaves every couple of weeks through the winter, which knocks back mites before numbers build.
- Keep plants watered evenly. Drought-stressed plants are more susceptible.
Predatory mites for larger collections
If you keep many plants in a sunroom or under lights, beneficial predatory mites are a useful follow-up. Species such as Phytoseiulus persimilis hunt spider mites and their eggs and are sold by mail in small vials or sachets. They work best in humid conditions and when released early, before webbing is heavy. Give them about two weeks after your last soap spray, since soap kills predators on contact too, and keep humidity up so they establish.
When to give up on a plant
A small plant that is heavily webbed from top to bottom is often better discarded than treated, to protect the rest of your collection. Larger or valuable plants can be cut back hard and treated.
Safety and labels
Follow product labels for rates and plants. Keep pets away from sprayed plants until leaves are dry, and store products out of reach. If you treat herbs or other edibles, use a product labeled for food crops and follow its harvest interval.
Bottom line
Fine speckling and webbing mean isolate, rinse, and spray insecticidal soap on leaf undersides every 5 to 7 days for three or four rounds, then add humidity and regular rinses to prevent a repeat. Citrus moved indoors for winter is a frequent target; see our guide to moving citrus and tropicals indoors. For tiny flies around the soil, read our guide to fungus gnats in houseplants.
Related reading
- Snake plant and ZZ for low-light winter rooms
- Grow light basics for winter houseplants
- Soil moisture meters for houseplants
- Indoor citrus flowering and fruit set
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