Monstera plants are beautiful and relatively easy to care for (for the majority of kinds, at least), but like most houseplants, they are prone to pests like scale, mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips. Everything you need to know about thrips on monstera plants and how to get rid of them will be covered in this post.

Thrips are tiny, wingless insects that might be challenging to spot with the unaided eye. On your monstera's leaves, they may seem as tiny white, brown, or yellow specks that are in motion. These nasties could appear on the tops, bottoms, or even stems of your plant.

The largest species only grow to a length of 1.5 to 3 mm. Despite the fact that there are thousands of different thrips species worldwide, yellow or black thrips are probably the most common ones you'll notice on a monstera plant.

Thrips are particularly tenacious since they procreate quickly and eat the sap from the leaves of your monstera. When mature female thrips drill a tiny hole in the leaf tissue to lay their eggs, the leaves are immediately harmed. After a few days, the young, or nymphs, will hatch and begin sucking the fluids from the leaves, which further harms them.

In their roughly 45-day life cycle, thrips have the capacity to lay over a dozen eggs. What a large number of bugs! This is why it's critical to identify and treat thrip infestations as soon as possible.

Let's discuss how to spot thrips, thrip damage, and what to do if you notice these symptoms in order to rescue your plant.

The damage caused by thrips sucking the sap from your monstera's leaves can manifest itself in a variety of ways, from spots left over from the initial punctures where the thrips lay their eggs to longer-term damage brought on by lost turgor pressure and a lack of nutrients and water from disrupted sap flow.

The key warning signals of a thrip infestation on your monstera plant are listed below.

You are undoubtedly aware that there are numerous reasons why leaves may yellow or brown. However, if you observe that this discoloration is localized in the center of the leaf rather than on the borders and that your monstera's light and water conditions appear to be enough, insects may be the cause.

You may also like:  What to Do If You Have Monstera Sunburn?

When thrips have been laying eggs in your plant's leaves, little dark-brown or black patches may appear! If you notice these dots, search for actual insects or other indications that you might be dealing with an infestation.

The turgor pressure, or pressure from inside the leaf and stem tissues that helps your plant retain its stiffness, might decrease while the nymphs sucking the sap from the leaves.

You might have a thrip problem if you witness fragile, wilted, droopy, or curled leaves (particularly if you also see spots or discolouration)!

Unfortunately, thrips-caused leaf damage usually results in permanent damage. Spots and discolouration won't go away; the best you can hope for is for droopy or wilted leaves to perk back up. It only gets worse from there until patches and discolouration start to appear.

You may also like: Can Monstera Get Sunburn?

Thrips are very small and typically appear as tiny white, yellow, or brown dots on the tops, bottoms, or leaf veins. For a closer look, a magnifying lens could be necessary. You can also shake a leaf vigorously while holding a white piece of paper underneath it that you fear may be infected with thrips. A few insects will drop to the paper and become much more visible.

Instead than on stems or in the soil, thrips often lay their eggs in the delicate tissue of leaves. This is so because leaves contain a lot of sap, which the nymphs eat.

Even after you remove the thrips from your plant, there may still be eggs ready to hatch, making them difficult to get rid of. You'll then be dealing with an entirely new generation!

The optimum strategy has multiple facets and entails eliminating mature insects as well as preventing eggs from hatching. If you identify the infection early, you should be able to get rid of the thrips and save your plant, even though it might take numerous treatments to entirely eradicate them.

Insecticide is frequently required to eradicate thrips permanently. This is available for purchase online, at gardening supply stores, or you may build your own!

Follow the dilution instructions on the container of any insecticide you purchase from the shop, erring on the side of over-dilution just to be safe.

Before spraying the entire plant with a pesticide, it's a good idea to test it on a small leaf or other area of your monstera to be sure there are no unfavorable effects. Prior to applying the pesticide to the entire plant, be careful to wait a full day and then inspect the area you initially checked.

Don't soak the plant; instead, spray the tops and undersides of the leaves as well as the stems. As needed, repeat this process every 4–7 days until the thrips are gone.

You may also like: Guide to Train Monstera to Climb

There are several natural ways to treat thrips, from introducing natural predators to making your own insecticides.

Although there are other homemade insecticide solutions available, our favorite is a straightforward soap-and-water solution.

Simply combine 1.5 teaspoons of mild liquid soap with a quart of water to create this simple DIY pesticide, then apply right away. Once more, it's a good idea to test it on a little portion of your monstera to ensure that it won't scorch or experience any other unfavorable effects.

Apply the spray early in the day or late at night because insecticide is only effective when it is moist. If you apply it during the hottest part of the day, it can dry out before it has a chance to do any major damage to the leaves of your plant.

Until you notice no more thrips and your plant's condition stabilizes, repeat this procedure every 4–7 days.

Neem oil is a common remedy for plant pest infestations! You can also mix in a little liquid soap if you follow the dilution instructions on the bottle. After that, spray the plant with the mixture and let it dry. Additionally, this is a great way to prevent insects from ever getting out of control in the first place.

Once more, it wouldn't hurt to test your combination on a little portion of the plant before spraying the entire thing.

You might want to do this outside (only if your monstera is sheltered from the elements) or in the garage if you can because neem oil does have a slightly odd smell that fades away after it dries. Or think about using our natural pest-removal spray Leaf Armor on your plant.

Applying the spray earlier in the morning or later in the day is preferable to doing so during the warmest, brightest portion of the day because neem oil only effectively kills pests when they are moist (much like insecticide). As a result, the spray doesn't dry out too rapidly.

White, Blue, or Yellow Since Sticky Trap Thrips are drawn to the hues of blue, yellow, and white, you can take advantage of this and set traps!

These traps are readily available at garden supply stores and online, but you may also construct your own by applying honey (or another sticky substance that will remain sticky) to a piece of blue, yellow, or white paper and sticking it next to your plant. In a pinch, sticky notes also function well!

It's not always possible to wait patiently for the thrips to fall into your sticky traps. So you can basically bring the sticky trap to them with a lint roller!

Simply hold a monstera leaf flat in your palm and lightly roll the lint roller over it to remove thrips. All leaves should be examined from the underside as well as the top, and the stems may also need a close inspection.

Your thrips will be a welcome snack for ladybugs!

Online-purchased ladybugs will find thrips, a food source, and begin to feed there as soon as you release them into the soil of your monstera plant. If you have kids, this is very enjoyable to do!

The ladybugs will probably travel from your monstera to your other houseplants and even other parts of the house, which can be incredibly advantageous. If you don't mind having some adorable insect buddies around, ladybugs are perfectly safe, so this could be a fantastic alternative!

Related post: White spots on Monstera leaves? Cause - How to fix

Sometimes the best line of action is to just clip off the afflicted leaves if a thrips infection is advanced. This will eliminate any eggs that are still in the hatching process as well as any mature thrips that may be clinging to those leaves. By removing damaged leaves, your monstera is also encouraged to focus its energy on mending the remaining leaves and developing new growth.

To achieve this, clean a set of shears or scissors with hot, soapy water or alcohol. Because the sap from your monstera can irritate your skin, you might also wish to wear gloves.

To start, it may be beneficial to use the lint roller technique to get rid of as many thrips off the leaves as you can. Next, carefully clip the stems of the desired leaves. Avoid causing too much leaf movement to avoid scattering insects onto lower leaves or the ground. If your intention with pruning is more for aesthetics and healing than for curing the infestation, you can alternatively just clip off the diseased portions of the leaves.

Consider propagating the healthy leaves and beginning over with a healthy young plant if your infestation is severe and you anticipate losing a lot of leaves.

Check out our article on how to grow monstera plants from cuttings.

Additionally, remember to apply Propagation Promoter to help your cuttings take root and prevent infection!

Every monstera owner needs to be proficient in pest treatment and prevention since, whether you have monsteras or other indoor plants, you'll eventually have to deal with pests. The key is to watch your monstera carefully for any potential issues and to generally take excellent care of your plant to deter insects from ever setting up shop.

We have all the tools and supplies you require to give your monstera the best care possible.

Keep in mind to look into these resources to expand your knowledge and skills in monstera care and raise the most stunning monstera plants possible!