Spider mites
Fine webbing in the leaf joints plus tiny pale speckles is the calling card of spider mites — the most common Bird of Paradise pest.
Diagnosis
Spider mites
What's happening
Spider mites are nearly microscopic sap-suckers that thrive in the warm, dry air this plant is often kept in. They cluster on the leaf undersides, piercing cells to feed, which leaves a fine pale stippling across the surface and a delicate webbing strung between the leaf bases. Left unchecked they multiply fast and the whole plant dulls and weakens.
How to fix it
Isolate the plant so the mites don't spread. Rinse the foliage — especially the undersides — under a strong shower or hose to knock down the population, then spray every surface thoroughly with neem oil, coating the undersides where they hide. Repeat every 5–7 days for three to four weeks to catch newly hatched mites, and raise the humidity, since mites hate damp air and dry conditions invite them back.
What fixes it
- Neem oil for pests — Neem oil smothers spider mites and their eggs; coat the leaf undersides and repeat weekly until they're gone.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Bird of Paradise care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this