Little yellow bugs on Monstera
Plant: Monstera deliciosa
How long have you had the plant? 6 months to 1 year
Concerns:
It’s being invaded by these little yellow bugs. It started in April and the new leaves even curled started changing to brown. (I think it was too late by then). In a panic I cleaned as much as I can but also cut the most infested leaves.
Here is the overall plant:
Darryl’s Analysis
You have a pretty severe thrips infestation. Unfortunately you will never be able to kill all of them in one cleaning session. You must continually kill the new generations because the eggs are essentially hidden inside the plant tissues, impervious to sprays or physical removal (unless you remove the entire leaf).
Here’s what you can do:
- Every few days: use a lint roller to pick up any visible larvae (the little yellow bugs)
- Every week: spray the entire plant with insecticidal soap
Once again, I must stress that getting rid of them will be a gradual and LONG process. I’m still fighting a small thrips infestation on a few of my most beloved plants after more than a year. Here are some more pictures and resources: https://www.houseplantjournal.com/thrips/
Good luck!
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In my experience need oil (1 teaspoon oil + 1 teaspoon neutral soap + 0,5 slightly warm water) helps well with pest and does not do any damage to the monstera. I have never had thrips like this on it and I assume you can safely follow Darryl’s steps with the neem oil spray.
How about using Neem Oil solution?