Spider mites are one of the most common pests to affect Calathea plants. These tiny intruders are arachnids, yet as with insect pests, vigilance is your best defense against them.
It’s important to know what to look for and then look out for signs of Calathea spider mites. In this article, we will review the signs and symptoms of spider mite infestation and share advice on keeping your Calathea safe. Read on to learn more.
What Are Symptoms Of Spider Mite Infestation On Calathea Plants?
Spider mites are tiny and typically live on the undersides of plants’ leaves, so you won’t see them, but you can see their work.
When Calatheas are infested with spider mites, you will first notice that the leaves begin to brown, curl at the edges, and wilt. They may also stop closing up at night.
Spider mite bites will leave a constellation of small scars across the leaves. These tiny arachnids also weave webs over leaf surfaces to protect their eggs and themselves.
The webs feel sticky to the touch. In advanced infestations, webs are easy to see.
Spider mites also lay eggs that can be seen with the naked eye. They look like tiny white dots on the veins of the leaves.
If you are unsure whether spider mites have infested your plant, try holding a sheet of white paper under a possibly infested branch. Shake the branch gently.
If there are spider mites on it, they will fall onto the paper where you can see them. It will look as if you have shaken pepper onto the page.
How Do You Get Rid Of Spider Mites On Calathea Plants?
To deal with spider mites on Calathea plants, follow these seven steps:
1. Rinse the leaves and stems thoroughly to wash away as much webbing, eggs, and adult spider mites as possible.
2. Prune away damaged stems and foliage.
3. Quarantine your affected plant away from your other plants.
4. Mix up three types of the spray:
- Dish or insecticidal soap and water (1 teaspoonful of dish soap to one quart of water).
- Neem oil and water (1 teaspoonful of Neem concentrate and one quart of water).
- Isopropyl alcohol and water (one part alcohol and three parts water).
You will use these sprays alternately, spraying the plant thoroughly every three-to-five days with one solution.
First, soak the tops and bottoms of leaves and all the stems completely. A few days later, follow up with another solution, and so on for a couple of months.
The repeated treatments and the length of time are necessary to be sure that you have killed off all adults and caught any hatchlings as they emerge from eggs.
Hatchlings begin laying their own eggs just a few days after hatching, so it’s easy for them to replace their numbers between treatments rapidly.
Rotating the products is necessary to prevent the intruders from building up resistance to treatment.
TIP: Use filtered or distilled water for these sprays because Calatheas are often sensitive to the chemicals in most tap water.
It’s also a good idea to test the spray on a single leaf and wait 24 hours the first time you use it to be sure your plant does not have an adverse reaction.
5. Allow the spray-on solution to sit on the leaves for 15 minutes, and then gently wipe the leaves with a soft cloth that has been dampened with the same solution.
This will physically remove spider mites, eggs, and webbing. You may need to rinse and wring the cloth several times to keep it clean as you work.
6. As soon as you have quarantined your Calathea, clean up your plant area with a disinfectant and examine any other plants you may have for signs of spider mites.
Quarantine and treat others as needed. You may wish to mist with the Neem oil solution once a week for a couple of months as a preventative measure.
7. If you have not been able to eradicate spider mites completely within 8 weeks, you may wish to use a Neem oil drench to eliminate any lurking in the soil. To do this, mix one or two tablespoonfuls of cold pressed Neem oil into a gallon of filtered or distilled water.
Use this to water your plant. This will kill pests in the soil, and the plant will uptake the Neem oil for systemic repellent action.
Continue spraying your plant with other concoctions until your spider mite problem has subsided.
TIP: Neem oil increases sun sensitivity, so be careful to protect your Calathea from the sun’s direct rays when treating it with Neem oil.
Generally speaking, bright, indirect sunlight is ideal for these plants under any circumstances.
How Can You Avoid Spider Mites On Calathea?
- Always examine any new plants you bring into your home. Don’t introduce the plant to your collection if you see an infestation. Instead, keep it in quarantine until the problem is resolved.
- Wash your hands between plants like a doctor moving from patient to patient. This will help prevent the spread of spider mites, insect pests, viruses, and fungal infections.
- Always use sharp, sterile cutting instruments to prune your plants. Then, wipe them down with rubbing alcohol between plants.
- Establish a ladybug colony! If you don’t mind having a few charming little ladybugs amongst your plants, you can order them online and let them help you keep your Calathea free of spider mites and several other insect pests.
- Predatory mites (Phytoseiulus) are another natural predator possibility; however, they look quite like super-sized spider mites, so they aren’t as fun to have around as ladybugs.
- Spider mites prefer dry conditions, so keep humidity levels high. You can do this by using a humidifier, misting your plants, and setting containers on a pebble tray with a bit of water in the bottom.
- Wipe the leaves of healthy Calathea with a mild solution of Neem oil and water every week. This will allow you to examine the leaves and wipe off any recent pest arrivals. Neem oil repels pests of all sorts, and applying it this way can help impart a nice shine to the leaves.
- Space your plants properly for good air circulation and to prevent spider mites and other pests from hopping from one plant to another.
Is It Always Possible To Save A Spider Mite Infested Calathea?
If webs are clearly visible, and the plants’ leaves are withered, limp, faded, and dusty, it is probably too late to save the plant.
In this case, you are best off disposing of the plant promptly, cleaning up your plant area thoroughly, and taking preventative steps to protect your other plants.
This is why it is essential to keep a close eye on your Calathea and all your plants so that you can catch spider mites the moment they attempt to set up shop.
Follow the tips presented here to deal with spider mites on your Calathea successfully.