What's eating my monstera peru?

Monstera karstenianum 'Peru' has thick, highly textured (bullate) leaves that can shelter pest colonies in the deep surface pockets. Spider mites and mealybugs are the most frequent indoor threats. The deeply corrugated texture makes visual inspection harder, so run your fingers across both sides of the leaves and check stem nodes at every watering.

Pale stippling and yellowing starting in the surface depressions of the bullate leaf texture; fine webbing on undersides; leaves eventually brown and shrivel. Shower the plant to dislodge mites from textured surfaces. Apply neem oil or a miticide to both leaf surfaces every 5–7 days for at least 3–4 weeks. Maintain humidity above 50%.

White waxy masses lodged inside the leaf surface pockets and at stem nodes; honeydew residue; slow growth and leaf yellowing. Work isopropyl alcohol carefully into the textured surface with a soft brush or cotton swab to reach hidden colonies. Follow with neem oil or insecticidal soap sprays weekly for 3–4 weeks.

Brown or tan bumps on stems and occasionally on leaves; sticky deposits beneath the plant; leaves may yellow as pest populations grow. Scrape off scales manually, then treat with horticultural oil or neem oil sprays every 10 days for 3–4 cycles. Check the textured leaf underside closely.