What's Eating Your Monstera?

Monstera deliciosa

Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.

Quick Answer

For monstera, the most likely culprits are mealybugs (cottony tufts hiding in leaf-petiole joints and along aerial roots) and thrips (silver streaks on the fenestrated leaves). Spider mites flare up in dry winter heat. Scale insects appear as brown bumps on the petioles. Fungus gnats are usually a nuisance, not a real threat to a monstera.

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What does the damage look like?

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White cottony tufts in leaf joints

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Silver streaks on fenestrated leaves

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Tiny pale dots and webs

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Brown bumps on stems and petioles

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Tiny black flies near the soil

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Pests, ranked by impact

Mealybugs

Damage

High

Removal

Hard

What it looks like

Soft white insects covered in cottony fluff, 2 to 4 mm long. Cluster in the leaf-petiole joints, along stem nodes where aerial roots emerge, and under the rim of the pot. Slow-moving and often missed because the cottony masses hide deep in the joints.

What the damage looks like

White cottony tufts visible in leaf joints and along stems where aerial roots emerge. A sticky shiny film on leaves below the cluster, often with sooty mold. New leaves emerge stunted, distorted, or with reduced fenestration. Severe infestations can weaken a monstera over months.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol

Dab every visible mealybug with a cotton swab dipped in 70% alcohol. The alcohol melts the waxy coating and kills on contact. Check stem joints, undersides of leaves, the soil line, and along aerial roots. Repeat every 3 days for 3 weeks to catch newly hatched eggs.

Option 2

Insecticidal soap and neem oil rotation, 4 weeks

Spray ready-to-use insecticidal soap on stems, leaf joints, and the underside of leaves at lights-out. Alternate weekly with neem oil. Continue for 4 weeks because eggs hatch in protected joint pockets over time and need ongoing pressure.

Option 3

Isolate from other houseplants

Move the monstera at least 6 feet from other plants. Mealybugs spread by crawling. Wipe nearby pots, the windowsill, and any tools that touched the infested plant.

Thrips

Damage

High

Removal

Hard

What it looks like

Slender dark insects 1 to 2 mm long. Walk along leaves rather than fly. Hide along the central vein, in the fenestration cuts, and where new leaves emerge from the petiole. Easiest to spot by tapping a leaf over a sheet of white paper.

What the damage looks like

Silver or bronze streaks on the upper leaf surface with tiny black dots (thrips droppings) alongside. New leaves emerge with ragged fenestration and patches of pale tissue. Heavy infestations vector serious viruses, and infected monstera can develop permanent leaf distortion.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Blue sticky traps at canopy height

Hang blue sticky cards (Stikem or Trappify, ~$10 per pack) just above the leafy canopy. Thrips are attracted to blue and stick on contact. Replace every 2 weeks. Won't eliminate alone but reduces the population.

Option 2

Spinosad spray, weekly for 3 weeks

Spinosad (Captain Jack's or Monterey Garden Insect Spray, ~$12 to $15) is the most effective home treatment. Spray every leaf surface, into fenestrations, and along the petiole junctions at lights-out. Repeat weekly for 3 weeks to break the life cycle.

Option 3

Release predatory mites (Amblyseius cucumeris)

Order from Arbico Organics or similar (~$20). Sprinkle on the plant. They eat thrips eggs and nymphs. Best for established infestations resistant to spray alone.

Spider mites

Damage

Medium

Removal

Moderate

What it looks like

Almost invisible without a hand lens. Yellow-green to red-orange specks running along the underside of leaves and where the leaf-petiole junction meets the stem. Indoor heated air through winter dries monstera leaves and triggers a population boom.

What the damage looks like

Pale tiny pale dots along the central vein and around the fenestration edges. Fine webbing strung along the leaf-petiole junction. Heavy infestations bronze the leaf and stunt new growth, but a healthy monstera tolerates moderate pressure if you act within a few weeks.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Shower the leaves weekly for 3 weeks

Move the monstera to the shower or sink. Spray cool water on the underside of every leaf for 30 seconds. Mites can't reattach quickly when knocked off, and the rinse humidity slows survivors. Monstera tolerates a hard rinse better than most plants. Repeat weekly for 3 weeks.

Option 2

Neem oil at lights-out, every 5 days for 3 rounds

Mix 2 tablespoons cold-pressed neem oil and 1 teaspoon dish soap per gallon of water.

Spray top and bottom of every leaf at lights-out, paying special attention to the leaf-petiole junction where mites cluster.

Repeat every 5 days for 3 rounds. That covers the full egg-to-adult life cycle.

Option 3

Raise humidity above 50%

Run a humidifier near the plant for 50 to 60% relative humidity. Monstera evolved in Central American jungle understories and wants higher moisture anyway. Hot dry indoor heating is exactly the climate spider mites need to breed fast.

Brown soft scale (Coccus hesperidum) clustered on a plant stem

Scale insects

Damage

Medium

Removal

Moderate

What it looks like

Hard or soft brown bumps stuck to the petioles and along the underside of leaves, 1 to 3 mm wide. Look like tiny barnacles. Don't move because they're glued in place. Easiest to spot on the smooth petiole where they stand out.

What the damage looks like

Yellowed patches around each cluster. A sticky shiny film on leaves and the pot rim, sometimes with sooty black mold. Heavy infestations cause leaf drop over months. New leaves emerge undersized and may not develop full fenestration.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Scrape and dab with alcohol, weekly for 3 weeks

Scrape every visible bump off with a fingernail or soft toothbrush. Monstera petioles take a fingernail well; the smooth waxy surface releases scale easily.

Dab any remaining bumps with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol penetrates the waxy seal and kills the insect.

Repeat weekly for 3 weeks to catch newly hatched crawlers.

Option 2

Horticultural oil spray, weekly for 3 weeks

Spray horticultural oil (Bonide All Seasons, ~$15) on every leaf and petiole. Smothers crawlers and adults. Apply at lights-out, every 7 days for 3 weeks.

Fungus gnats

Damage

Low

Removal

Easy

What it looks like

Tiny dark flies, 1 to 3 mm long, hovering near the soil and flying up when you water. Larvae are barely-visible white worms in the top inch of damp soil.

What the damage looks like

Adults are mostly a nuisance. Monstera tolerates damp soil better than most houseplants thanks to aerial roots that pick up the slack, so the gnats aren't usually a real threat. They become a problem only at very heavy populations or when paired with truly waterlogged soil.

How to get rid of them

Option 1

Bottom-water for 2 weeks

Set the pot in a tray of water for 20 minutes; the soil wicks up moisture from below. The top inch stays dry, which kills larvae and stops adults from laying new eggs. The fastest, cheapest fix.

Option 2

Yellow sticky traps near the soil

Stick yellow cards (Trappify, ~$10) just above the soil surface. Adults stick to them on takeoff and landing. Catches the breeding population while bottom-watering kills the larvae.

Option 3

Mosquito Bits sprinkled on soil

Mosquito Bits (Bt-i, ~$15) is a bacteria-based larvicide that kills fungus gnat larvae specifically. Sprinkle a tablespoon on the soil and water in. Safe for plants, pets, and beneficial soil microbes.

Common myth

Drench the soil with hydrogen peroxide.

It kills larvae but also kills the beneficial fungi and bacteria your monstera roots need. Mosquito Bits and bottom-watering do the same job without the collateral damage.

Stay ahead of all of them

Four habits that keep monstera pests rare and easy to catch.

Joint and underleaf check, every Sunday

Mealybugs, thrips, and scale all hide where the petiole meets the stem and in the fenestration crease. A weekly 30-second scan catches colonies while they're still small.

Quarantine new houseplants for 2 weeks

Most infestations come from new plants. Two weeks of isolation catches anything before it reaches your established collection. Monstera is often a target because the broad leaves and many petiole joints give pests excellent hiding spots.

Wipe leaves with a damp cloth monthly

Catches dust and early pests. Spider mites and scale show up first as faint specks on the cloth. Wiping also clears the photo-blocking dust that builds up on monstera's broad leaves.

Let the top inch of soil dry between waterings

Wet soil breeds fungus gnats and risks root rot. Test with your finger an inch into the pot. If damp, wait. Monstera tolerates the dry-out better than the alternative.

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About This Article

Kiersten Rankel M.S.

Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist

About the Author

Kiersten Rankel holds an M.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University. A certified Louisiana Master Naturalist, she has over a decade of experience in science communication, with research spanning corals, cypress trees, marsh grasses, and more. At Greg, she curates species data and verifies care recommendations against botanical research.

See Kiersten Rankel's full background on LinkedIn.

Editorial Process

Pest identification and treatment guidance verified against Monstera deliciosa field reports from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with university extension sources and published horticultural research.

78,642+ Greg users growing this plant

USDA hardiness zones 10a–12b

Citations:
NC State Extension
Missouri Botanical Garden
Royal Horticultural Society
USDA Plants Database
Mealybug photo: Gianni Del Bufalo (CC BY 2.0)
Thrips photo: Ryan Hodnett (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scale photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
Fungus gnat photo: B. Schoenmakers (CC BY 3.0)
Spider mite photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)