Pest identification
What's eating my anthurium andreanum?
Spider mites
Signs: Fine webbing on leaves with bronze or yellow stippling; leaves look dull and dusty.
Control: Increase humidity; shower foliage weekly; apply neem oil or miticide spray. Isolate affected plants immediately.
Mealybugs
Signs: White cottony clusters in leaf axils, along stems, and at the base of spathes; sticky honeydew.
Control: Dab with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; spray with insecticidal soap; repeat every 7 days.
Scale insects
Signs: Brown waxy bumps fixed to stems and leaf undersides; yellowing leaves and honeydew deposits.
Control: Scrape off manually; apply horticultural oil or neem oil; treat with systemic insecticide for heavy infestations.
Thrips
Signs: Silver streaking and bronzing on spathes and young leaves; tiny dark frass dots visible.
Control: Use yellow or blue sticky traps; apply spinosad or insecticidal soap; remove damaged flower spathes promptly.
Keep anthurium andreanum pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Anthurium Andreanum pests — FAQ
What is eating my anthurium andreanum?
Anthurium andreanum is an indoor tropical vulnerable to the classic houseplant pest trio: spider mites in low humidity, mealybugs in leaf axils, and scale insects on stems. Aphids and thrips occasionally attack flower spathes. Maintaining humidity above 60% is the single most effective preventive measure against spider mite outbreaks.
How do I get rid of spider mites on anthurium andreanum?
Fine webbing on leaves with bronze or yellow stippling; leaves look dull and dusty. Increase humidity; shower foliage weekly; apply neem oil or miticide spray. Isolate affected plants immediately.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on anthurium andreanum?
White cottony clusters in leaf axils, along stems, and at the base of spathes; sticky honeydew. Dab with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; spray with insecticidal soap; repeat every 7 days.
How do I get rid of scale insects on anthurium andreanum?
Brown waxy bumps fixed to stems and leaf undersides; yellowing leaves and honeydew deposits. Scrape off manually; apply horticultural oil or neem oil; treat with systemic insecticide for heavy infestations.
How do I get rid of thrips on anthurium andreanum?
Silver streaking and bronzing on spathes and young leaves; tiny dark frass dots visible. Use yellow or blue sticky traps; apply spinosad or insecticidal soap; remove damaged flower spathes promptly.