I noticed these small white dots on the back on my english ivy leaves, I haven’t seen any bugs but I assume these are eggs?
I usually keep this plant in my bathroom, which is NE facing with opaque windows so it gets adequate light, and bottom water when i feel the soil is mostly dry. I’ve put it in isolation to try avoid any spreading to my other plants, it seems to be doing okay and still growing new leaves.
If anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do to get rid of them/ prevent them from coming back it would be much appreciated!!
by RosieHoskins
5 Comments
Ivies are notorious for getting spider mites and those look like spider mite signs to me: some webbing, white specks, and mottled damage to the leaf.
You can rinse off the leaves in the shower and wipe them down with soapy water, or use a spray like Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew. All treatments should be repeated weekly, since eggs will hatch into new adults and they’ll reproduce if you don’t get rid of them.
You’ve got spider mites for sure. This happened to my ivy 2 years ago. I took some cuttings, washed them and kept away from my other plants. The rest of the plant I just tossed, the infestation was really bad, lots of damage. Treating is harder with ivy just because of the number of leaves. You can save it, but it will be time consuming.
One word, NEEM OIL!
I had an infection one yr!😩😫
Ago
This is how yu get rid of a spider mite infestation:
* Fill your sink (or a pail/ bucket) with lukewarm water and several drops of dish soap.
* Completely immerse the entire plant in the solution, leaves and all (including the pot!).
* Leave the plant for about 10 minutes.
* Remove the plant, rinse it off really well–including getting suds off the soil–and set aside to drip dry.
* Place your plant where it was originally.
It sounds counterintuitive, but the small amount of soap eliminates the bugs, and creates a hostile environment for said bugs.
I’ve done this for many years, and all of my plants are thriving.