Spider mites, dust, or dry-air stress?
Clean a small test area, then inspect it in bright indirect light or with magnification.
- Dust: a surface film that transfers to the cloth and leaves normal tissue beneath.
- Spider mites: persistent pale stippling, tiny moving dots, shed skins, or fine webbing.
- Dry-air or draft stress: crispy margins or one-sided injury without mites or stippling.
A two-minute underside check
Inspect the newest expanded leaves, older sheltered leaves, petiole joints, and the side closest to heating. Use a white sheet of paper beneath a leaf and tap gently; moving specks support a mite suspicion, but confirm with the plant pattern before treatment.
Treatment sequence
Start with the least disruptive steps and follow every product label, including host-plant suitability and precautions for people and pets.
- Isolate the plant and inspect nearby plants that shared the same space.
- Rinse or wipe both leaf surfaces, supporting the leaves to avoid damage.
- Remove heavily damaged material only when it improves access or plant care.
- If mites remain, choose a locally labeled treatment, test a small area, and apply exactly as directed.
When and where to recheck
Reinspect the same leaf undersides and joints at the interval required by the chosen treatment and continue after visible activity stops. Photograph the same areas so new stippling is not confused with old damage; existing pale marks will not disappear.
What not to do
Do not treat dust as proof of pests, spray an unidentified mixture across the whole plant, or combine products unless their labels explicitly allow it. Raising humidity alone does not remove an established infestation and should not leave foliage continuously wet.
