How do I get rid of spider mites on houseplants?

Rinse the plant in a shower or with a strong stream of water to dislodge mites and webbing. Spray all leaf surfaces (especially undersides) with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, following the label. UF/IFAS Extension advises two or more miticide applications, at five-day intervals in summer or seven-day intervals in winter. Isolate an infested plant from your other plants right away so the mites don’t spread, as UC IPM advises. In persistent cases, keep using selective materials such as insecticidal soap or oil rather than broad-spectrum insecticides, which can make spider mite outbreaks worse.

How do I prevent spider mites?

Keep plants watered and leaves free of dust — spider mite damage is usually worst in hot, dusty conditions and on water-stressed plants. Keep newly acquired plants isolated for 2–3 weeks before mixing them with the rest of your collection, as Missouri Botanical Garden recommends. Check leaves regularly, undersides included. UC IPM advises checking new plants weekly, then monthly once several weeks pass with no problems.

Pest identification · Tetranychus urticae

Spider Mites on Houseplants

Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are tiny arachnids that pierce leaf cells and feed on the contents, leaving a stippled or sandblasted look on foliage. Webbing along leaf undersides is a tell-tale sign of an established infestation. They thrive in warm, dry conditions — typical indoor air in winter.

Read the full spider mites treatment guide

How to identify spider mites

Adult females, the largest stage, are less than 1/20 inch long, with an oval body that usually has a dark blotch on each side (per UC IPM). Easier to spot than the mites themselves: fine silk webbing on leaf undersides and the petiole, plus tiny pale dots on the upper leaf surface where chlorophyll has been depleted.

Damage to look for

Stippled or sandblasted yellow-to-bronze speckling on leaves, fine webbing on leaf undersides and where petioles meet stems, leaves yellowing and dropping, slowed growth.

Life cycle (why they spread so fast)

Under favorable conditions a generation can be completed in less than a week. Spider mites reproduce rapidly in hot weather and favor hot, dusty conditions.

How to get rid of spider mites

1Rinse the plant in a shower or with a strong stream of water to dislodge mites and webbing.
2Spray all leaf surfaces (especially undersides) with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, following the label. UF/IFAS Extension advises two or more miticide applications, at five-day intervals in summer or seven-day intervals in winter.
3Isolate an infested plant from your other plants right away so the mites don’t spread, as UC IPM advises.
4In persistent cases, keep using selective materials such as insecticidal soap or oil rather than broad-spectrum insecticides, which can make spider mite outbreaks worse.

How to prevent spider mites

Keep plants watered and leaves free of dust — spider mite damage is usually worst in hot, dusty conditions and on water-stressed plants.
Keep newly acquired plants isolated for 2–3 weeks before mixing them with the rest of your collection, as Missouri Botanical Garden recommends.
Check leaves regularly, undersides included. UC IPM advises checking new plants weekly, then monthly once several weeks pass with no problems.

Per-species treatment guides

Treatment varies slightly by plant. Find your species below for a dedicated guide.

Source: UC IPM — Spider Mites. Other figures: UF/IFAS Extension — Twospotted Spider Mite, UC IPM — Houseplant Problems and Missouri Botanical Garden — Spider Mites, as named in the text.