Spider Mites: How to Get Rid of Them (and Prevent Them)

Spider mites are one of the most annoying and stealthy pests: by the time you see the webbing, there's already a large colony. They're not insects but tiny mites that suck sap and thrive in heat and dry air. The good news: with humidity and persistence, they're manageable.

How to identify them

• Yellow or silvery stippling on leaves (like tiny pinpricks).
• Very fine webbing on undersides and between stems.
• Leaves that dry out, go dull and drop.
• Up close (or with a loupe), tiny red or brown dots moving on the undersides.

Trick: hold a white sheet of paper under a leaf and tap it. If you see moving dots, it's spider mites.

Why they appear

They love hot, dry conditions (heating, summer). That's why they attack mostly indoors and on plants stressed by underwatering.

Step-by-step treatment

1. Isolate the plant: spider mites jump easily to neighbors.
2. Pressure rinse: wash the whole plant, focusing on undersides, to wash away mites and webbing.
3. Spray with insecticidal soap (or neem oil), covering the undersides well. Repeat every 4-5 days for 3 weeks (key: it breaks the egg cycle).
4. Raise humidity: mist often or use a humidifier. Spider mites hate humidity.

How to prevent a comeback

• Keep ambient humidity high, especially in winter with heating.
• Check leaf undersides weekly when you water.
• Quarantine new plants for 1-2 weeks.
• Don't let plants go thirsty: a stressed plant is more vulnerable.

When to worry

If the plant is heavily infested and weak, prune the worst leaves and repeat the treatment. On valuable plants, predatory mites (Phytoseiulus) are very effective.

Persistence wins the battle: don't quit at the first improvement. Not sure it's spider mites? Upload a photo to the AI diagnosis or compare with other pests and diseases.