Spider mites
Fine webbing in the leaf joints and a dusty, stippled look mean spider mites have moved in.
Diagnosis
Spider mites
What's happening
Spider mites love the warm, dry indoor air dumb cane is often kept in. These near-invisible pests pierce the leaf undersides and suck out the contents, leaving countless tiny pale or yellow speckles that give leaves a dull, dusty cast. As they multiply they spin fine webbing across the leaf joints and edges, and badly infested leaves brown and drop.
How to fix it
Isolate the plant so the mites don't spread. Rinse the whole plant — especially the leaf undersides — under a strong stream of lukewarm water to knock down the population, then spray thoroughly with neem oil, coating the undersides where they hide. Repeat every 5–7 days for three to four cycles to catch newly hatched mites, and raise the humidity around the plant, since mites thrive in dry air. Wipe webbing away as you go.
What fixes it
- Neem oil for pests — Neem oil smothers spider mites and their eggs; reapply weekly until the webbing and speckling are gone.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Dumb Cane care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this