Thrips on Monstera
Thrips are tiny insects that can quickly infest your prized Monstera plant. These insects cause damage to the leaves of the plant by feeding on them, which causes discoloration and ultimately, destroys the plant.
If you notice any discoloration or small white dots moving around your leaf’s surface, it is likely due to thrips. You need to act fast; if left unchecked, these pests will quickly multiply and destroy your beautiful plants!
To control this problem at its source, you must identify and eradicate the pest responsible for causing the damage to prevent future infestations.
Luckily, there are easy ways to do so! Here are some tips for identifying and controlling thrip infestation on your Monstera plant…
What are Thrips, after all?
Thrips are tiny insects that can be identified by their straw-like mouthparts, which they use to suck the sap from your Monstera plant
They are winged insects and can affect your monstera if not taken care of.
Yellow or black thrips are the most frequent variety of thrips seen on Monstera plants.
Let’s learn a little bit about their lifecycle.
A thrips life cycle includes a larval stage and an adult stage.
An adult thrip lays eggs on live plants and their soil. The larva is born within a few days, and they start eating the sap-like substance found in plants.
The adults are active once again at night time for reproduction for about two weeks before producing another generation of nymphs that will grow into their adulthood over the course of six weeks.
Here is how the thrip life cycle looks like –
- Egg
- Nymph or larva
- Prepupa (this might or might be part of the life cycle – depends on the species)
- Pupa
- Adult
All of the stages, from nymph to adult, need at least 7 days and up to 15 days.
The entire lifespan of a thrip is about 60 days.
While warm weather can shorten their lifespan, colder and milder temperatures help them survive longer.
Now that you know what thrips and their lifecycle are, it is important to know how they can damage your monstera, how to identify them and how to get rid of thrip on monstera.
How did I get Thrips on Monstera?
There is a possibility that your monstera came along with the thrips. But, if that is not the case, you need to know that
- Thrips can come in through the windows (if left open)
- Thrips can breed asexually so if there is one inside your house, it can multiply fast
Wherever they came from, know that thrips on monstera is normal and you need to focus on getting rid of it.
How do Thrips damage Monstera leaves?
A monstera needs its sap because it is the only way to provide water and nutrients for the plant.
Without this sap, the Monstera’s leaves eventually wilt and die, causing irreversible damage.
So, what an adult female thrips do is – puncture the plant’s tissue before it starts laying eggs on the monstera.
Remember that it does not only lay eggs on the plant but inside the tissue as well (which is why the treatments take time to get rid of thrips on monstera)
The nymphs will hatch a few days later and begin to eat the sap.
Signs of Thrips Infestation on Monstera
Thrips are tiny insects that suck the sap from your Monstera plant which can cause a lot of damage. They have a straw-like mouth, and they feed on the sap in your Monstera plant by puncturing holes into it.
- If feeding occurs, you might notice discoloration on the leaves of your monstera with brown spots or yellow splotches which look like leaf burn.
- You may also find small white dots moving around on the surface of the leaf.
- Black spots (which is excrement) on the underside of the leaves
- Droopy or curling leaves
- Webbing
- Holes in leaves
- Silver stretches marks or silver powdery marks
How to Get Rid of Thrips on Monstera
Spray water on the plant with a hose: Thrips are small insects that can likely be washed off the leaves with a strong jet of water when you spray it on your monstera.
So, take it out separately and wash it down with water.
- Use soapy water to wash the plant: You can also use soapy water and spray it onto the leaves. All you have to do is take dish soap and add water to it.
You can spray it on a part of monstera before you decide to spray it on the entire plant. - Use neem oil: One of the most common natural solutions for thrip infestations is neem oil. When using neem, add some to a spray bottle and then spray it on the Monstera plant.
Be patient while waiting for results: Using neem oil or soapy water will take time to show any noticeable improvement. - Vacuum the plant: Using a small hand vacuum to remove them is also an excellent idea.
Remember that water, vacuuming, soapy water and neem oil are the best ways to deal with the early onset of thrips on monstera.
If the thrip infestation on monstera has increased, you can then try these: - Use sticky traps: Use while, yellow or blue sticky traps for small numbers of thrips, and a lint roller for more serious infestations.
You will need to place the sticky trap inside the monstera pot so thrips can get attracted to it and get stuck on it.
If you are using a lint roller, hold the leaf carefully and run the roller on it. - Use insecticidal soap – spray your monstera plant with insecticidal soap concentrate diluted in water.
The bug’s outer shell is broken down on contact by insecticidal soap, which contains potassium fatty acids. The thrips are dehydrated and die as a result of this. - Use nature: You can release ladybug, lacewings, or pirate bugs onto your monstera plant to naturally deal with thrip infestation.
They will naturally gobble up the thrip (especially larvae and the eggs) and move on to other prey.
What to do Once the Thrip on Monstera is Removed?
Once all of the thrips have been eliminated from your plant, you will need to wipe down each leaf again to make sure any hidden eggs were also removed.
After that, prune the plant and cut off everything that is damaged.
Note: Thrip can stay dormant for a very long time so make sure you are still treating them regularly for a few months.
What if Thrips on Monstera Killed it Almost Entirely?
If this is the case, you can think about propagation.
- Firstly, find the correct node. There are nodes on almost every stem in a monstera plant. Find a healthy one and mark it.
- Secondly, cut the stem using your shears.
- Thirdly, wash the cuttings, place the stem in a glass of water and wait for it to produce roots.
If you see tiny white bumps, you can rest assured that there are already root shoots present. You may have to wait for one to two weeks for the roots to grow.
Change the water every 2 days until clear and visible roots begin to appear.
- Finally, plant it in the soil. Before planting, check to see whether they are at least two inches long.
After that, wait for your monstera to grow bigger and you will have a full-grown plant in the end.
Preventative Measures for Thrips Infestation
Once you have thrips on monstera, you need to ensure your other houseplants or new monstera do not get infected with the same.
1. Change the location and isolate the plant:
Since thrips can transfer from one plant to another, quarantine a new plant and place it in a separate room to ensure it does not have any disease.
Now, if you see thrip on monstera or any other houseplant at an early stage, separate them from other plants so none others can get infected.
2. Treat other plants that surrounded the infected monstera:
It is a challenge since thrips can transfer from one plant to another. So if there were thrips on monstera, be sure to check and treat other house plants around it as well.
3. Clean leaves regularly:
Keep your plants clean by wiping down leaves periodically. If you notice any insects, immediately start checking for white eggs that are dropped on the undersides of leaves. You may wash away thrips with water if you find them moving around the leaf surface.
Preventing Thrips on Monstera
Use Neem Oil regularly:
Use organic neem oil on your houseplant including monstera. This will kill the thrips on Monstera and cause them to fall off of the plant, unable to reproduce. Besides that, neem oil helps keep pests and diseases on house plants at bay. Spray neem oil once a month or two on your houseplants. Using it too much can kill your houseplants.
Keep surrounding plants clean:
Make sure surrounding plants are kept clean and free of any weeds or waste. This will prevent them from visiting your plants
Conclusion: Thrips on Monstera
Now you know how to identify, control, and prevent thrips from infesting your Monstera plant with these simple steps. As always, if you have any questions about anything we’ve discussed today please comment below or contact us for more information! We’re happy to help.
We hope this post has been useful in helping you better understand what is going on with your plants and that the tips we’ve provided will be helpful as well. Happy gardening!