Thrips on Monstera plant are tenacious garden pests that procreate quickly, eat the sap from the leaves, and are a common occurrence.
These tiny winged insects attack the beautiful and easy-to-maintain Monstera plant and cause substantial damage to the foliage.
This complete guide will cover all you need to know about thrips on Monstera plants and how to get them off the foliage.
Our team lists the different causes of these pests’ occurrence, which can be challenging to identify, and some quick-fix solutions to eliminate them hassle-free.
Contents
What Are the Various Causes of Thrips on Monstera?
The various causes of thrips on your Monstera plant include when the temperature is just right for them to lay eggs and multiply when the foliage is dry, when the conditions are just right for them to breed, and when they can hitchhike from another plant onto yours.
– Proximity To Infected Plants
Where do thrips come from? If your Monstera is located close to another plant that already has thrips, there is a chance that it will become infested with these unwanted insects.
Because they are such a common problem in gardens, thrips have the potential to hitchhike their way inside on cut flowers or vegetables that have been brought in from the outside.
Another possibility is that thrips were hiding on newly purchased or acquired houseplants that you have brought into your home. They are frequently tough to spot, particularly in the early stages of a thrips infestation when it is still relatively new.
Thrips on Monstera adansonii or Monstera deliciosa, aroids (including Alocasia, ZZ Plant, and many more), palms, and Calathea are some houseplants most prone to being infested by thrips.
Furthermore, thrips are frequently brought into our homes by the bouquets we get in. We are careful to check for pests on new houseplants before we buy them, but the vast majority of people never even consider the possibility that a bouquet could be a pest-ridden Trojan horse!
– Through the Wind
Even though they have wings, thrips are poor fliers and instead rely on the wind to carry them through the air. This indicates they can travel on people’s bodies or even enter through the spaces between window screens.
There is a chance that thrips will enter the house through any doors or window screens left open. When you bring your plant back inside after having it spend the summer outside, you run the risk of getting thrips with it.
This is especially true if thrips attacked your plant while it was outside, similar to spider mites on Monstera. It can be challenging to locate thrips using only your naked eye, but it is not impossible.
You should probably look for thrips if you observe specks of brown, white, or yellow that move around. If you have tried all that is possible and still can not find it, you can use a magnifying lens to examine the Monstera leaves and thrips in soil.
– Leaves of the Monstera Plant as Food Source
Because they consider it a tasty food source, thrips will make their home on your Monstera plant.
Thrips damage Monstera by feeding on them, which can be compared to sucking the life out of the plant. Because female thrips do not require males to reproduce, they are notoriously difficult to eradicate, which is one reason their eggs are laid in plant tissue.
– Warm Seasons
During the winter, thrips will be in a dormant state. After the winter has passed and the spring brings warmer temperatures, the females of the species start laying their eggs, and they lay many of them.
The hatching process only takes a few days if the temperature is correct. It can take about one or two weeks for a thrips egg to mature into an adult, and thrips adults can live for approximately seven weeks after reaching maturity.
The significance of all of this lies in that it helps explain why it is very difficult to get rid of them. Because they cannot endure our winters, it is more prevalent in areas with warmer climates.
You will be able to see the eggs in the tissue of the leaves at the appropriate time of year. After three to five days, they hatch from their eggs to become nymphs.
– When the Plant Foliage Is Dusty
When the foliage and leaves of the Monstera are coated with dust, it becomes a perfect breeding ground for the pests.
Thrips have a life cycle of about 45 days and can lay more than a dozen eggs during that time; one of the results is the appearance of small dark-brown or black patches. If you see these dots, looking for thrips is a good idea because you could be dealing with an infestation across the aerial roots and leaves.
On Monstera plants that are struggling with pest problems, the dusty leaves frequently develop in an unstructured manner.
This results from an unbalanced intake of nutrients and a general decline in the plant’s well-being. Even after the disease has been treated, the damage caused by thrips to Monstera can still have long-lasting effects.
How To Eradicate Thrips From Monstera?
To eradicate thrips from Monstera plant once and for all, make sure to isolate the plant, use insecticidal soap, try a homemade pest control formula, purchase Neem oil, place sticky traps around the plant, use a cloth roller, prune the damaged leaves, or bring in some ladybugs.
Thrips are so difficult to eradicate because they continuously lay eggs in the leaves, which hatch and begin the cycle all over again. As a result, you can battle multiple generations of thrips simultaneously!
This is why it may take numerous thrips treatments to get rid of them entirely. It is also the most ideal situation to catch them early so that you can make a plan as soon as possible.
Identifying and treating thrip infestations as soon as possible is critical to prevent longer-term damage. The vital warning signs of a thrip infestation on your Monstera plant are listed above.
Even though it can require several treatments to get rid of the thrips completely, if you catch the illness early on, you should be able to do it and save your plant. Read the removal techniques listed below.
– Isolate the Plant
Isolate the Monstera plant when you spot any signs of infestation. Thrips are light and fly quickly to nearby plant foliage, thus causing a rampant infestation in a short period of time.
Therefore, before starting the eradication methods, isolate the plant from other plant foliage to reduce the risk of further spread. Also, before putting new houseplants next to existing ones, segregate them.
Keep new plants isolated for a week or two so that any possible insect issues might appear and be addressed because pests can frequently enter our homes on other plants. Additionally, it should go without saying that you should not purchase a plant from the store if it shows evidence of bug damage or infection.
Leaves with thrips infestation and damage will not heal and will lead to lasting harm. Spots and discoloration won’t go away; it only worsens until several patches and discoloration appear across the foliage. The best you can hope for is droopy or wilted leaves to perk back up.
– Manual Ways
If your infestation isn’t severe and you have managed to catch the presence of the insects very early, an attempt to remove them manually could be made.
Snip away affected portions at the earliest and throw them far away them from all other plants in your garden. Sometimes, tiny eggs may be hiding after you remove the thrips from your plant.
The optimum strategy to eradicate thrips has multiple facets and entails eliminating mature insects and preventing eggs from hatching.
If necessary, you could use a magnifying lens for a closer look and shake the leaf vigorously while holding a white piece of paper underneath the plant that you fear may be infected with thrips. A few insects will drop onto the paper and become much more visible.
– Use Insecticidal Soap
You may buy this online, at stores selling gardening supplies, or even make your own! Any pesticide you buy from the store should be diluted according to the directions on the label. Be careful not to over-dilute or use it concentrated out of safety concerns.
Test the thrips Monstera insecticide on a small leaf or another region before spraying the entire plant to ensure no adverse effects.
After that, wait a full day before spraying the pesticide over the whole plant, then verify the area you initially checked. Spray the leaves and stems’ top and underside rather than soaking the plant. Repeat this procedure every 4 to 7 days until the thrips are gone.
– Homemade Pest Control Formula
So, how to treat thrips on Monstera naturally, especially if you are not one for synthetic chemical preparations commonly available at stores? There are several natural ways to treat thrips, from introducing natural predators to making insecticides.
Although other homemade insecticide solutions are available, a popular and straightforward option is a soap-and-water solution. Combine 1.5 teaspoons of mild dishwashing liquid soap with a quart of water to create this easy DIY pesticide, then apply immediately.
Once more, it’s a good idea to test it on a little portion of your Monstera to ensure that it won’t scorch or experience any other unfavorable effects. Apply the spray early in the day or late at night because the soapy insecticide is only effective when it is moist.
If you apply it during the warmest part of the day, it can dry out before it can do any significant damage to your plant’s leaves. Until you notice no more thrips and your plant’s condition stabilizes, repeat this procedure every 4 to 7 days.
– Neem Oil
Yet another natural application on plants, neem oil, is a common remedy for pest infestations! You can also mix in a little liquid soap if you find the odor too strong and want to increase efficacy.
Follow the dilution instructions on the bottle of neem oil before proceeding; after that, spray the plant with the mixture and let it dry. Additionally, this is a great way to prevent thrips from ever getting out of control in the first place.
Once more, it would be good to test your combination on a little portion of the plant before spraying the entire thing.
Do this outside (only if your Monstera is sheltered from the elements) or in the garage if you can, because neem oil does have a slightly odd smell that fades away after it dries.
Applying the spray earlier during the morning or later in the day is preferable to doing so during the warmest, brightest portion of the day because neem oil only effectively kills pests when they are moist (much like insecticide).
– Sticky Trap in Blue, Yellow, or White
Blue, yellow, and white are colors that thrips are drawn to. Therefore, you can use this to your advantage and set traps! These traps are readily available at garden supply stores and online.
Still, you may also construct your own by applying honey (or another sticky substance that will remain sticky) to a piece of blue, yellow, or white paper and sticking it next to your plant. In a pinch, sticky notes also function well!
– Cloth Roller
It’s only sometimes possible to wait patiently for the thrips to fall into your sticky traps. You can bring the sticky trap to them with a lint roller!
Hold a Monstera leaf flat in your palm and lightly roll the lint roller over it to remove thrips. All leaves should be examined from the underside and the top, and the stems may also need a close inspection.
Consider propagating the healthy leaves and beginning with a healthy young plant if your infestation is severe and you anticipate losing a lot of leaves.
– Bring in the Ladybugs
Your thrips will be a welcome snack for ladybugs! Online-purchased ladybugs will find thrips a good food source, and will begin to feed on them as soon as you release them into the potting mix of your Monstera plant.
The ladybugs will probably travel from your Monstera to your other houseplants and other parts of the house, which can be incredibly advantageous.
If you don’t mind having some adorable insect buddies around, ladybugs are perfectly safe, so this could be a fantastic alternative! This could also tackle scale on Monstera, spider mites on Monstera, whitefly Monstera, Monstera fungus gnats and Monstera caterpillar.
– Pruning To Remove Damaged Leaves
Sometimes the best action is to clip off the afflicted leaves if a thrips infection is advanced. This will eliminate eggs still in the hatching process and mature thrips clinging to those leaves.
Removing damaged leaves encourages your Monstera to focus on mending the remaining leaves and developing new growth. To achieve this, clean a set of shears or scissors with hot, soapy water or alcohol.
Because the sap from your Monstera can irritate your skin, you might also want to wear gloves. Using the lint roller technique may eliminate as many thrips off the leaves as possible.
Next, carefully clip the stems of the desired leaves and avoid causing too much leaf movement to avoid scattering insects onto the lower leaves or the ground. If your intention with pruning is more for aesthetics and healing than for curing the infestation, you can clip off the diseased portions of the leaves.
– Using Leaf Shine
Pests, dust, detritus, fungi, and germs can all be repelled by a mild and routine use of Leaf Shine. Additionally, it nourishes the leaves, enhancing their strength, resilience, and ability to tolerate environmental hazards.
Not to mention, it gives your Monstera leaves a gorgeous glossy finish! However, never overuse leaf shine as it may clog the stomata on the leaves; hence, watch your Monstera’s health before using this product.
– Remove Weeds From the Soil
As they always say, prevention is better than cure. Thrips find weeds a friendly habitat since they offer them food, shelter, and hiding places. Weeds are a nuisance since they can grow and live almost anywhere, including on your Monstera plant.
After eliminating the weeds, you should fertilize your Monstera plant with a 20-20 liquid fertilizer. This all-purpose fertilizer and plant food will support the health of your Monstera plant.
FAQ
– What Places Do Thrips Lay Eggs on Monstera?
The places where thrips lay eggs on Monstera plants are in the delicate tissue of leaves because leaves contain a lot of sap, which the nymphs eat. Additionally, you may find several eggs on stems or in the soil as well.
These tiny thrips typically appear as white, yellow, or brown dots on the tops, bottoms, or leaf veins.
– What Can I Do To Avoid Thrips on Monstera?
You can avoid thrips on your Monstera plant by including a few things in your routine, including using neem oil, keeping your plant dust free, cleaning your plant with water, and occasionally misting the foliage. The most significant course of action is always prevention!
Here are the most effective methods for thrip (or any bug) infestation prevention. Neem oil can occasionally be sprayed on your Monstera plant’s leaves to kill off existing pests and deter insects from entering.
Keep your plant dust free by dusting your leaves once a week and at least once a month, clean them with water and a gentle cloth and also mist the foliage often. Thrips love to thrive in a dry and dusty environment.
Conclusion
You have now learned the different causes of thrips on Monstera and the steps to eradicate them effectively.
Here is a quick summary of our learnings from this article.
- Thrips are tiny wingless insects that appear as white, brown or yellow specks in motion.
- They cause substantial damage to the Monstera plant by sucking out sap and drilling holes into the foliage. An infestation discolors foliage as well as wilts and curls leaves.
- To tackle infestation, prune the affected sections immediately. Spray a commercially available insecticide or a homemade soapy spray to the plant. Additionally, neem oil could also be used to get rid of pests.
- Finally, be careful to routinely check your plant for indications of pests and other health issues.
- We advise inspecting your Monstera at least once after each watering. Take immediate action if you notice warning indicators of a problem.
Now that you have understood the problem, you can tackle any infestation in your Monstera plant. So take immediate action if you notice warning indicators of a problem and grow the healthiest and most beautiful Monstera plants!
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