I noticed these TINY specks on my monstera today, and thought at first they were dust/detritus (I moved the plant recently and thought maybe I bumped into something that dropped some particals on the leaves). But when I went to swipe them away I could see they were almost imperceptibly moving đ°. I've only had this plant about a month or 2 and I'm new to monsteras, so I've been experimenting with light/watering, but it's in a chunky soil mix getting either south facing window and/or florescent light. I let it dry out before watering deeply. It's not been super thriving, but I've chalked that up to not having the right routine for it yet. There is minimal signs of damage, just a couple of yellowing spots that would not have concerned me otherwise. I've examined all my other plants and can't find any more creepy crawlies.
If they are thrips, I'm tempted to toss the plant out of concern for the more established and irreplaceable members of my beloved collection. But if I can safely isolate while I see if I can get rid of them, I can do that too. Currently moved to the shower and doused with a spray made of diluted soap, neem, and alcohol (aka sexy plant juice). This is my first time dealing with bugs! Thanks for any advice y'all have!
by perfectpickles28
3 Comments
I’d say if you can see them moving then yes, they are most likely thrips đ
Thrips can indeed be a pain to get rid of. There’s a really exhaustive post about how to get rid of them here : [https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/12jxyis/thrips_the_worst_jerks_documenting_my_battle/](https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/12jxyis/thrips_the_worst_jerks_documenting_my_battle/)
I believe getting rid of them might be easier sometimes than that thread suggests. It’s up to you if you feel up to try and deal with it or not. I hear Monsteras are magnets for thrips so maybe it’s a good opportunity to learn to deal with them? But I understand not wanting to risk exposing your other plants either. Good luck whatever you decide!
Yep
definitely looks like thrips i’m sorry:/but i’d say isolate and try to treat them! might not be successful but attempting to fix the issue helps u gain experience and have a better idea of what to do if u get pests again, plus i think it’s kind of fun like a challenge lol