Spider mites
Fine webbing in the leaf joints and a faint stippled, dusty look to the leaves point to spider mites.
Diagnosis
Spider mites
What's happening
Spider mites are tiny sap-suckers that thrive in the warm, dry air that often surrounds an indoor Chinese Evergreen. They pierce the leaf cells and feed, leaving behind pale speckling, a dull bronze cast, and fine silken webbing strung between leaves and stems. They reproduce fast and worsen quickly in dry conditions.
How to fix it
Isolate the plant, then rinse it in the shower or sink to knock off as many mites and webs as you can. Spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap, coating the undersides of the leaves where mites gather, and repeat every 5–7 days for several rounds until the speckling stops spreading. Raising humidity around the plant afterward makes the environment far less welcoming to mites.
What fixes it
- Insecticidal soap — Insecticidal soap kills spider mites on contact and is gentle enough to reapply 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 Chinese Evergreen care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this