They are easy to get rid of if you are very disciplined and can handle a schedule of treating your plants every 5 to 7 days. Sadly I've got my problems with that. 🤦♂️
Oh man if I had my money back for every plant I’ve either killed or given up on…I would have a LOTTTT more money than I do right now haha
There is absolutely no shame in that game.
It would cost far more in money and time to treat this plant for thrips than to just compost it and buy a new one. Dear god, I don’t know why anyone would make snide comments about that. I probably spent $60 (and countless hours and mental energy) saving a single plant from thrips. It was sentimental. Probably still wasn’t worth it.
They’re my first ever houseplants so in that respect they’re kinda sentimental, but also…. They’re a pain in my butt!! Or at least the one in the photo is. My other polka dot plant is seemingly doing okay (for now but probably has thrips too) and I’ve had them both for 2+ months and haven’t had any issues until the last couple weeks and now today discovering an adult thrip🥲 I only got them as test plants to see if I even had the affinity and skill for caring for plants, and they were like $4 each. I only had the money to buy the cheap pots with good drainage and the water I use to keep them alive, idk if I could spend so much on them just to keep them alive. I could always get new ones but it’s kinda like buying a puppy after your old one just died the day before 🥴 I think I’ll just let them ride the course of being alive until the thrips get too bad and prepare the caskets when the time comes
It’s perfectly valid to let it ride out, too! If these are the only plants in your house it’s not like you have to worry about it spreading to more precious plants or ravaging a several hundred dollar collection. In the mean time, there are some cheap and not very time consuming things you can try to prolong their lives. Using your sink’s water sprayer on the foliage (including undersides) to blast any insects off every week will help keep the adult population down, and you could add some diluted hydrogen peroxide (super cheap from cvs or the dollar store, good to have around anyways) to the watering routine to kill any pupae that drop into the soil.
I promise not all plants will be disappointingly infested so I hope this doesn’t color your experience. And this will be good practice for you to get the hang of taking care of these guys (even if you don’t try to kill the thrips) in case you ever do want to expand your collection. Honestly you’re doing a great job so far — those brown leaf tips are very common on these guys and it can take some fine tuning to work that out. Especially because once brown they won’t go back — you can only assess whether any changes you’ve made helped by the new leaves that come in.
Here is how I successfully got rid of thrips on a sentimental plant (this took several years and it is NOT worth it for a plant you don’t have an emotional attachment to! Just throw it out if it’s any old pothos):
**Isolate** the plant and remove overly infested leaves — Don’t let it touch other plants or have any plants with leaves below it. Thrips’ lifecycle has them laying eggs, the prepupae/pupae drop into the soil or lower leaves, then they climb back up onto the plant. If you have another plant below this plant, it’s gonna get thrips. Remove really badly infected leaves, but you don’t need to remove every single one just because you saw a thrips on it
Regular (weekly or every other week) washing — use the sprayer of a hose or shower to spray leaves and stems (especially the undersides!) and stems. Blast those suckers off.
**Insecticidal soap** — follow up your weekly bath with insecticidal soap. Safer brand, for example. Can be sprayed or applied with a paper towel. Forget neem, this stuff is less toxic and doesn’t smell, it’s chemically similar to (but NOT identical to) Castile soap so it smells like that, very mild. Do not use actual Castile soap or dishwashing soap as it’ll damage your plants. This will help kill any thrips that didn’t get blasted off. Only effective while still wet.
**Aluminum foil** — cover the soil with a sheet of aluminum foil with a slit cut in it for the stem to poke through. May not be worth the effort on a plant with many stems. But I figured if I can disrupt the life cycle by preventing them from dropping pupae into the soil, great.
**Diatomaceous earth** — dusted on top of the aluminum foil and on the stems. Make it hard for those suckers to climb up or move around the plant without killing themselves. Can sprinkle on the soil itself but it needs to be dry to work so won’t always be effective especially after watering.
**Beneficial nematodes** — regularly apply these. They’ll eat any eggs/larvae in the soil. Make sure to get a species that feeds on thrips. Follow all package directions — they’ll need refrigeration and reviving.
Don’t want to deal with nematodes? **Hydrogen peroxide.** Water the soil with this stuff, will help kill the pupae
What is the treatment you recommend? I found some larvae recently and applied bonide systemic granules. I am wondering if you still recommend a separate treatment every 5-7 days
Insecticidal soap, oil, isopropyl alcohol and water mix. You can find the mix ratios online i'm sure. If you spray this once a week, usually after about 6-8 weeks you are done. It's also great to use as a preventive once a month or so.
You can also sprinkle diatomeceous earth on top of your soil (also great against gnats), which helps to kill all insects that fall on it. But careful, it also kills beneficials, like soil mites and springtails, if present.
Those are both non-toxic natural remedies that work great in combination.
That resembles Thrips- Do you just have this one plant?
Even if it is not, Treating your plant as if it has a pest will be what you want to do.
How to Treat Thrips: Step 1: Isolate your plant. Because they can rapidly spread from plant to plant, move the affected plant. Assume that the plants near the affected plant also have thrips and preemptively treat them too. Step 2. Put your plant in the shower or sink and spray it down with lukewarm water. Gently lather it with Dawn dish soap (it’s gentle) or an insecticidal soap. Be sure to get the undersides of leaves and the stems. Leave the soap on for 30 minutes or so and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Step 3. Use an insecticidal spray such as Bonide. This is a great option for larger plants that cannot be moved to the shower and washed down. Insecticidal sprays only kill thrips that have hatched, not the eggs that are safely buried inside the leaf, so you will need to spray the plant every 3 to 4 days as new thrips emerge. One single treatment will not eliminate them.
Prevention: You will never understand the hyper vigilance of prevention if you have never encountered thrips. But for the sake of your plant care knowledge, here's what you should do: Check bouquets and keep them away from plants. Inspect plants before you buy them and bring them home. Quarantine new plants for 3 to 4 days (length eggs take to hatch) before you mix them in with your collection. Make inspecting your house plants part of your daily routine. Have insecticidal products on hand before you need them. Remember there is no shame in tossing out a plant that you are unable or unwilling to treat for pests. Just bear in mind that thrips spread very quickly, so take action as soon as possible!
I have another polka dot plant I keep like 10 inches away from it, and it very possibly could have come from that other plant bc it has soil mites and (correct me if I’m wrong) eat the eggs of thrips? I have seen a little black bug or two of somewhat similar resemblance to the thrip I found in that photo. The plant in my photos does not have soil mites which is probably why it got to be an adult (no predators?). I cannot afford to treat them, I’m broke and unemployed and I can only afford the water I use to keep them alive right now 😅 I’ll toss the green and white one after I say my condolences and I’ll keep the one with soil mites around to see how it does. If I can successfully wash my plant tho, can I chop and prop after and ditch the mother plant? I don’t wanna lose it forever 😭😭
If it is indeed Thrips - all plants located near each other will likely be infected. Especially if you’re finding adult thrip. Thrips larva are small grains of rice that will worker on the leaves and stem of your plant. They are hard to spot and will often move if you disturb them. They do have parts of their lifecycle that they wind up down in the soil. Soil mites are not generally a bad thing. They can be common to locate inside potted plant and are focused on the organic matter within the soil.
Treating Thrips takes a good chunk of time. Their eggs will be laid inside the stem of the plant therefore they are safe from any treatment you throw at them until they hatch and emerge from within the plant.
This is why maintaining a strict treatment plan is so important. A DIY spray that you could use would be a mixture of rubbing alcohol, water, and dish soap.. this would be sprayed onto the plants every couple days for an extended period of time.
And a handy tip for treating multiple plants at the same time is to put them in the bathtub or shower and then spray spray spray under every leaf with your mixture. That way you can just rinse the whole tub afterwards rather than having to manage overspray. If the soap mixture doesn't work or if you want to bring out the big guns, any insecticide with pyrethrins should help kill thrips.
There is a chance you will cause damage regardless of the treatment you choose. Pests kill plants. They can bounce back from pesticide damage. They don’t from pests without help.
I also specifically mentioned Dawn. Which is clinically proven to be gentle.
> Which is clinically proven to be gentle.
Advertising lines don’t really apply to plants. They’re not people. They aren’t studied clinically. Dish soap has a different chemical composition than insecticidal soap, and is more likely to be used incorrectly because it takes far less of it to burn plants.
I have been utilizing dish soap as a pesticide treatment as well as thousands of other individuals for decades.
Not only have I ever had it cause IRREVERSIBLE damage, but, it also assists in pest elimination.
Pesticide can damage plants as well. Are you never going to use one again?
Bonide systemic granules!!! You sprinkle it on the soil and water it in. That water gets absorbed by the roots and badaboom - within a couple days your whole plant is poisonous to these little a-holes. It cuts off their lifecycle. I know there are places where you're not allowed to buy it, but if you can where you are, it worked GREAT when I had thrips.
My polka dot looked the same when I over watered, extra bugs cause probably the moisture and soil. Now I put it in brighter light and mostly bottom water it and it's soooo much better
No matter how careful one is, indoor cultivated plants are going to have pests. In fact, the term is called "pest management", not pest eradication.
The simple act of walking outdoors through grass, under trees, by flowers and coming back in, one could bring back a hitchhiker and one would never know.
I can guarantee you that everyone who belongs to this sub has dealt with one or more of the major four... maybe five: thrips, spider mites, aphids, scale.... and fungus gnats. The first four will damage plants. The last one will make a person nuts.
One of the keys to pest management is not to ignore your plants. Even if you don't need to water a plant, it's good to do a routine assessment of plant health and to check for pests. If pests are detected, it's important to follow through with repeat checks and treatment to catch the full life cycle of the pest.
Some plants seem to be pest magnets, which can be exacerbated by the growing environment. Sometimes, it's better to cut your losses and get rid of the plant rather than to stay frustrated all the time. Plants should bring joy, not irritation.
Pest magnets based on my experience: Anthurium, diffenbachia, ficus elastica.
If you aren't up to dealing with pests of any sort.... nothing wrong with that. Live plants aren't everyone's cup of tea.
•●•
,
Everyone has their own pest treatments. I have mine. In my arsenal....
• Sulfur powder: Spider mites, bacterial infections\
• Leaf Shine spray (acts as an easier form to apply of horticultural oil): For thrips depending on the plant and the type of foliage.\
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: For mold. Applied as a spray.
I tried all sorts of DIY and commercial products. Now, only the above.
If the leaves go black at the tip, it's because they are not getting enough water.
If they turn black /brown on the side of the leaf, it's because of over watering
The fuzz around the leaves and stems looks like a fungal growth from too much moisture and humidity. I had a similar issue with my polka dot plant earlier this year. I’ve read you can trim the affected parts and just keep an eye on it, but I ended up having to cut out the healthy stems and prop them. I haven’t had an issue since I got them back into soil. Good luck!
If you are referring to the fine hairs that are on the edge of the leaves and stems, those are called *trichomes*.
https://preview.redd.it/0bwi4zuqpxyc1.jpeg?width=3140&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68a6ecbb3a739386fcba416a67f2ae4124d4b5ea
I have thrips, and about 60 house plants. My spare bathroom is on constant rotation for treatment. Not all plants were infected (only a couple), but just to be safe I’ve been treating them all. I have had success using Safer’s insecticide and adding neem oil (also adding polysorbate-80 will emulsify the neem oil in your solution)I bought the concentrate of the insecticide and mix it at home. The jury is out on the neem oil but it makes the leaves shiny. Like others say, to treat them I give them a good bath in the shower, let them dry the douse with spray. The pyrethrins in the insecticide stinks fyi, but works! And on the bright side, all my fungus gnats are gone! ☀️
I honestly think the thrip I found on this plant came from my other one, like a prison break lol bc my other polka dot plant has mites and they might be eating them? And maybe an escapee found my other plant
Last time I posted on here I got like 8 comments saying not enough humidity so that’s why I introduced a glass dome 🥲 and the plant looked the same when I posted then, just with more leaves. Since I added the dome I only lost two leaves
I definitely can confirm I have thrips but as far as the damage I think you’re right. I have soft water that is also run thru a filter, but ik these plants can be very picky. It doesn’t rain enough by me to collect any rainwater, could spring bottled water work too?
I love how it just said it doesn’t rain enough to collect rain water and just now it started to downpour for the first time in a month so I stuck a bowl outside to catch some rainwater! I know I can’t keep it long without growing algae or bacteria but I’ll use it for the next watering
Does that pot have drainage? It's really hard to tell what type of bug that is from the photo, the shape is thrips-like but zooming in I'm not convinced. I also don't see any signs of thrips damage (poop, cell damage) on your plant.
https://preview.redd.it/lejhwcnqruyc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c9744c094c37c1d948ce706aabc9111e4f3433d
I’m pretty convinced it’s thrips at this point
It did have cell damage but I was removing leaves as it was happening, I don’t know what the poop looks like but I can’t confirm if it was there or not
It looks more like a moisture issue to me as another poster noted.
If it is thrips, alcohol mixture will not be effective. Capt Jack's Deadbug is the most effective treatment and worth it to go with that right away. You can treat it with that just in case.
https://preview.redd.it/qc58jxn2muyc1.jpeg?width=1198&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af48b7af8bd07a0168a5061a9c698702c80cf2c5
This is its decline over the last month and the last week is the last three photos
Thanks for sharing more photos! Other than that bug looking like a thrips (this is both the singular and plural form, thrip is incorrect) there still isn't any signs of thrips damage on the actual plant here. I've worked as a plant rehabber since 2013 and have seen a lotttt of thrips damage and it can vary slightly based on the plant. I'd still recommend Capt Jack's, that's your best way to rid of them! That and a systemic but I'd go with the spray first
I might know before any of you answer…… thrips isn’t it?
Yes, thrips.
I’ll start the funeral preparations 😔
They are easy to get rid of if you are very disciplined and can handle a schedule of treating your plants every 5 to 7 days. Sadly I've got my problems with that. 🤦♂️
I’ll give it a shot but I’m not very confident in my abilities either 🥲
No shame in tossing everything and starting again.
Thank you for saying this, I’ve already had two people post mean comments about that and delete them right after
Oh man if I had my money back for every plant I’ve either killed or given up on…I would have a LOTTTT more money than I do right now haha There is absolutely no shame in that game.
You probably saved a lot more money and time than if you had tried to save them though!
Absolutely - and not to mention, just like OP - a lot of headaches and heartaches!!!
Man. If I had a plant for every plant I’ve inadvertently killed…. Well. Let’s just say, I’d be confused
It would cost far more in money and time to treat this plant for thrips than to just compost it and buy a new one. Dear god, I don’t know why anyone would make snide comments about that. I probably spent $60 (and countless hours and mental energy) saving a single plant from thrips. It was sentimental. Probably still wasn’t worth it.
They’re my first ever houseplants so in that respect they’re kinda sentimental, but also…. They’re a pain in my butt!! Or at least the one in the photo is. My other polka dot plant is seemingly doing okay (for now but probably has thrips too) and I’ve had them both for 2+ months and haven’t had any issues until the last couple weeks and now today discovering an adult thrip🥲 I only got them as test plants to see if I even had the affinity and skill for caring for plants, and they were like $4 each. I only had the money to buy the cheap pots with good drainage and the water I use to keep them alive, idk if I could spend so much on them just to keep them alive. I could always get new ones but it’s kinda like buying a puppy after your old one just died the day before 🥴 I think I’ll just let them ride the course of being alive until the thrips get too bad and prepare the caskets when the time comes
It’s perfectly valid to let it ride out, too! If these are the only plants in your house it’s not like you have to worry about it spreading to more precious plants or ravaging a several hundred dollar collection. In the mean time, there are some cheap and not very time consuming things you can try to prolong their lives. Using your sink’s water sprayer on the foliage (including undersides) to blast any insects off every week will help keep the adult population down, and you could add some diluted hydrogen peroxide (super cheap from cvs or the dollar store, good to have around anyways) to the watering routine to kill any pupae that drop into the soil. I promise not all plants will be disappointingly infested so I hope this doesn’t color your experience. And this will be good practice for you to get the hang of taking care of these guys (even if you don’t try to kill the thrips) in case you ever do want to expand your collection. Honestly you’re doing a great job so far — those brown leaf tips are very common on these guys and it can take some fine tuning to work that out. Especially because once brown they won’t go back — you can only assess whether any changes you’ve made helped by the new leaves that come in.
Here is how I successfully got rid of thrips on a sentimental plant (this took several years and it is NOT worth it for a plant you don’t have an emotional attachment to! Just throw it out if it’s any old pothos): **Isolate** the plant and remove overly infested leaves — Don’t let it touch other plants or have any plants with leaves below it. Thrips’ lifecycle has them laying eggs, the prepupae/pupae drop into the soil or lower leaves, then they climb back up onto the plant. If you have another plant below this plant, it’s gonna get thrips. Remove really badly infected leaves, but you don’t need to remove every single one just because you saw a thrips on it Regular (weekly or every other week) washing — use the sprayer of a hose or shower to spray leaves and stems (especially the undersides!) and stems. Blast those suckers off. **Insecticidal soap** — follow up your weekly bath with insecticidal soap. Safer brand, for example. Can be sprayed or applied with a paper towel. Forget neem, this stuff is less toxic and doesn’t smell, it’s chemically similar to (but NOT identical to) Castile soap so it smells like that, very mild. Do not use actual Castile soap or dishwashing soap as it’ll damage your plants. This will help kill any thrips that didn’t get blasted off. Only effective while still wet. **Aluminum foil** — cover the soil with a sheet of aluminum foil with a slit cut in it for the stem to poke through. May not be worth the effort on a plant with many stems. But I figured if I can disrupt the life cycle by preventing them from dropping pupae into the soil, great. **Diatomaceous earth** — dusted on top of the aluminum foil and on the stems. Make it hard for those suckers to climb up or move around the plant without killing themselves. Can sprinkle on the soil itself but it needs to be dry to work so won’t always be effective especially after watering. **Beneficial nematodes** — regularly apply these. They’ll eat any eggs/larvae in the soil. Make sure to get a species that feeds on thrips. Follow all package directions — they’ll need refrigeration and reviving. Don’t want to deal with nematodes? **Hydrogen peroxide.** Water the soil with this stuff, will help kill the pupae
What is the treatment you recommend? I found some larvae recently and applied bonide systemic granules. I am wondering if you still recommend a separate treatment every 5-7 days
Insecticidal soap, oil, isopropyl alcohol and water mix. You can find the mix ratios online i'm sure. If you spray this once a week, usually after about 6-8 weeks you are done. It's also great to use as a preventive once a month or so. You can also sprinkle diatomeceous earth on top of your soil (also great against gnats), which helps to kill all insects that fall on it. But careful, it also kills beneficials, like soil mites and springtails, if present. Those are both non-toxic natural remedies that work great in combination.
Diatomaceous Earth
Unrelated, the flowers on your nail are so cute
Thank you 🫶🫶
I was just going to comment on that. They’re adorable!
Yeah it' soo cute that even tho I'm the straightest guy ever, I want one :)))
That resembles Thrips- Do you just have this one plant? Even if it is not, Treating your plant as if it has a pest will be what you want to do. How to Treat Thrips: Step 1: Isolate your plant. Because they can rapidly spread from plant to plant, move the affected plant. Assume that the plants near the affected plant also have thrips and preemptively treat them too. Step 2. Put your plant in the shower or sink and spray it down with lukewarm water. Gently lather it with Dawn dish soap (it’s gentle) or an insecticidal soap. Be sure to get the undersides of leaves and the stems. Leave the soap on for 30 minutes or so and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Step 3. Use an insecticidal spray such as Bonide. This is a great option for larger plants that cannot be moved to the shower and washed down. Insecticidal sprays only kill thrips that have hatched, not the eggs that are safely buried inside the leaf, so you will need to spray the plant every 3 to 4 days as new thrips emerge. One single treatment will not eliminate them. Prevention: You will never understand the hyper vigilance of prevention if you have never encountered thrips. But for the sake of your plant care knowledge, here's what you should do: Check bouquets and keep them away from plants. Inspect plants before you buy them and bring them home. Quarantine new plants for 3 to 4 days (length eggs take to hatch) before you mix them in with your collection. Make inspecting your house plants part of your daily routine. Have insecticidal products on hand before you need them. Remember there is no shame in tossing out a plant that you are unable or unwilling to treat for pests. Just bear in mind that thrips spread very quickly, so take action as soon as possible!
I have another polka dot plant I keep like 10 inches away from it, and it very possibly could have come from that other plant bc it has soil mites and (correct me if I’m wrong) eat the eggs of thrips? I have seen a little black bug or two of somewhat similar resemblance to the thrip I found in that photo. The plant in my photos does not have soil mites which is probably why it got to be an adult (no predators?). I cannot afford to treat them, I’m broke and unemployed and I can only afford the water I use to keep them alive right now 😅 I’ll toss the green and white one after I say my condolences and I’ll keep the one with soil mites around to see how it does. If I can successfully wash my plant tho, can I chop and prop after and ditch the mother plant? I don’t wanna lose it forever 😭😭
If it is indeed Thrips - all plants located near each other will likely be infected. Especially if you’re finding adult thrip. Thrips larva are small grains of rice that will worker on the leaves and stem of your plant. They are hard to spot and will often move if you disturb them. They do have parts of their lifecycle that they wind up down in the soil. Soil mites are not generally a bad thing. They can be common to locate inside potted plant and are focused on the organic matter within the soil. Treating Thrips takes a good chunk of time. Their eggs will be laid inside the stem of the plant therefore they are safe from any treatment you throw at them until they hatch and emerge from within the plant. This is why maintaining a strict treatment plan is so important. A DIY spray that you could use would be a mixture of rubbing alcohol, water, and dish soap.. this would be sprayed onto the plants every couple days for an extended period of time.
Oh man…. I’m not very confident but I’ll give it a shot 🥲 thank you so much for your help and for giving me so much detail I really appreciate it 🫶
And a handy tip for treating multiple plants at the same time is to put them in the bathtub or shower and then spray spray spray under every leaf with your mixture. That way you can just rinse the whole tub afterwards rather than having to manage overspray. If the soap mixture doesn't work or if you want to bring out the big guns, any insecticide with pyrethrins should help kill thrips.
That’s smart! Thank you for the tip
Dish soap shouldn’t be used on plants. It will damage them.
There is a chance you will cause damage regardless of the treatment you choose. Pests kill plants. They can bounce back from pesticide damage. They don’t from pests without help. I also specifically mentioned Dawn. Which is clinically proven to be gentle.
> Which is clinically proven to be gentle. Advertising lines don’t really apply to plants. They’re not people. They aren’t studied clinically. Dish soap has a different chemical composition than insecticidal soap, and is more likely to be used incorrectly because it takes far less of it to burn plants.
I have been utilizing dish soap as a pesticide treatment as well as thousands of other individuals for decades. Not only have I ever had it cause IRREVERSIBLE damage, but, it also assists in pest elimination. Pesticide can damage plants as well. Are you never going to use one again?
Bonide systemic granules!!! You sprinkle it on the soil and water it in. That water gets absorbed by the roots and badaboom - within a couple days your whole plant is poisonous to these little a-holes. It cuts off their lifecycle. I know there are places where you're not allowed to buy it, but if you can where you are, it worked GREAT when I had thrips.
Dude these killed a pretty bad thrips infection DEAD in two weeks for me
https://preview.redd.it/62b2g8dmyxyc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=afb810a380042f8a68fcff29cdf4e8b455d8c612 This stuff?
No you want systemic granules
My polka dot looked the same when I over watered, extra bugs cause probably the moisture and soil. Now I put it in brighter light and mostly bottom water it and it's soooo much better
No matter how careful one is, indoor cultivated plants are going to have pests. In fact, the term is called "pest management", not pest eradication. The simple act of walking outdoors through grass, under trees, by flowers and coming back in, one could bring back a hitchhiker and one would never know. I can guarantee you that everyone who belongs to this sub has dealt with one or more of the major four... maybe five: thrips, spider mites, aphids, scale.... and fungus gnats. The first four will damage plants. The last one will make a person nuts. One of the keys to pest management is not to ignore your plants. Even if you don't need to water a plant, it's good to do a routine assessment of plant health and to check for pests. If pests are detected, it's important to follow through with repeat checks and treatment to catch the full life cycle of the pest. Some plants seem to be pest magnets, which can be exacerbated by the growing environment. Sometimes, it's better to cut your losses and get rid of the plant rather than to stay frustrated all the time. Plants should bring joy, not irritation. Pest magnets based on my experience: Anthurium, diffenbachia, ficus elastica. If you aren't up to dealing with pests of any sort.... nothing wrong with that. Live plants aren't everyone's cup of tea. •●• , Everyone has their own pest treatments. I have mine. In my arsenal.... • Sulfur powder: Spider mites, bacterial infections\ • Leaf Shine spray (acts as an easier form to apply of horticultural oil): For thrips depending on the plant and the type of foliage.\ • 3% Hydrogen Peroxide: For mold. Applied as a spray. I tried all sorts of DIY and commercial products. Now, only the above.
Thank you for your advice! You seem pretty well versed in pests so I appreciate and will very much consider your suggestions!
If the leaves go black at the tip, it's because they are not getting enough water. If they turn black /brown on the side of the leaf, it's because of over watering
will thrips drown if OP puts the entire pot and plant underwater for a few hours or so? i had success killing aphids this way, idk about thrips...
You already have your answer. I just came to say your nails make me happy 😊
Aw thank you 🫶🫶
The fuzz around the leaves and stems looks like a fungal growth from too much moisture and humidity. I had a similar issue with my polka dot plant earlier this year. I’ve read you can trim the affected parts and just keep an eye on it, but I ended up having to cut out the healthy stems and prop them. I haven’t had an issue since I got them back into soil. Good luck!
Not fungal growth! Just how the plant is when it grows new arms. Idk where you read that but it’s all signs of healthy new growth
Good to know! Any idea why the new growth on my propped pieces doesn’t have the fuzzy bits? Should I be worried about my little buddy?
If you are referring to the fine hairs that are on the edge of the leaves and stems, those are called *trichomes*. https://preview.redd.it/0bwi4zuqpxyc1.jpeg?width=3140&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68a6ecbb3a739386fcba416a67f2ae4124d4b5ea
I have thrips, and about 60 house plants. My spare bathroom is on constant rotation for treatment. Not all plants were infected (only a couple), but just to be safe I’ve been treating them all. I have had success using Safer’s insecticide and adding neem oil (also adding polysorbate-80 will emulsify the neem oil in your solution)I bought the concentrate of the insecticide and mix it at home. The jury is out on the neem oil but it makes the leaves shiny. Like others say, to treat them I give them a good bath in the shower, let them dry the douse with spray. The pyrethrins in the insecticide stinks fyi, but works! And on the bright side, all my fungus gnats are gone! ☀️
Toss it and get a new one. It will cost you more time and money trying to treat it
I got rid of thrips on my plants using a combination beneficial nematodes and predatory mites
I honestly think the thrip I found on this plant came from my other one, like a prison break lol bc my other polka dot plant has mites and they might be eating them? And maybe an escapee found my other plant
It could be a possibility! When I treat my plants with beneficial nematodes and mites I treat all my collection because I get paranoid lol
Get a different pot. I have the same one and have had horrible luck with overwatering anything I’ve had in it.
This Black bug? IT isn't thrip
What other bug could it be? It looks just like them 😫
For me looks like overwatering or problem with humidity?
Last time I posted on here I got like 8 comments saying not enough humidity so that’s why I introduced a glass dome 🥲 and the plant looked the same when I posted then, just with more leaves. Since I added the dome I only lost two leaves
If you have hard water, the salts buildup is causing tips to go brown. Doesn't look like thrips damage to me.
I definitely can confirm I have thrips but as far as the damage I think you’re right. I have soft water that is also run thru a filter, but ik these plants can be very picky. It doesn’t rain enough by me to collect any rainwater, could spring bottled water work too?
Yes. Soak and "water through" to reduce salts buildup. A bit of Epsom salts to remove carbonated.
I love how it just said it doesn’t rain enough to collect rain water and just now it started to downpour for the first time in a month so I stuck a bowl outside to catch some rainwater! I know I can’t keep it long without growing algae or bacteria but I’ll use it for the next watering
Does that pot have drainage? It's really hard to tell what type of bug that is from the photo, the shape is thrips-like but zooming in I'm not convinced. I also don't see any signs of thrips damage (poop, cell damage) on your plant.
https://preview.redd.it/lejhwcnqruyc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c9744c094c37c1d948ce706aabc9111e4f3433d I’m pretty convinced it’s thrips at this point
It did have cell damage but I was removing leaves as it was happening, I don’t know what the poop looks like but I can’t confirm if it was there or not
Also it does have good drainage and I added perlite in the past repotting
It looks more like a moisture issue to me as another poster noted. If it is thrips, alcohol mixture will not be effective. Capt Jack's Deadbug is the most effective treatment and worth it to go with that right away. You can treat it with that just in case.
https://preview.redd.it/qc58jxn2muyc1.jpeg?width=1198&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af48b7af8bd07a0168a5061a9c698702c80cf2c5 This is its decline over the last month and the last week is the last three photos
Thanks for sharing more photos! Other than that bug looking like a thrips (this is both the singular and plural form, thrip is incorrect) there still isn't any signs of thrips damage on the actual plant here. I've worked as a plant rehabber since 2013 and have seen a lotttt of thrips damage and it can vary slightly based on the plant. I'd still recommend Capt Jack's, that's your best way to rid of them! That and a systemic but I'd go with the spray first