--- title: "hi! wondering if i should be concerned about these black spots on a…" description: "hi! wondering if i should be concerned about these black spots on a leaf of my monstera. i can’t remember if this on the sun facing side but no other leaves…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/s_-bdsdkQP-jXx06Tkvqkw?language=nl" community: "Pests, diseases and problems" author: "fireside" published: "2024-02-20T01:33:02.964447Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/rug_CP-OnWf_u-K3Q63vc5tzMVbuXQWb-mCV97LG8yA/U3e79qaUT2W-iGgdMHGuGQ.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md?language=nl) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md?language=nl) # hi! wondering if i should be concerned about these black spots on a… _Geplaatst door fireside op 2024-02-20_ hi! wondering if i should be concerned about these black spots on a leaf of my monstera. i can’t remember if this on the sun facing side but no other leaves are affected so far. thanks! ![Bijlage 1 van 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/rug_CP-OnWf_u-K3Q63vc5tzMVbuXQWb-mCV97LG8yA/U3e79qaUT2W-iGgdMHGuGQ.webp?size=large) ## 11 reacties ### nosugartonight reageerde op 2024-02-20 Are there other little white bugs on that leaf? I’m wondering if you may have thrips #### fireside antwoordde op 2024-02-20 i just checked and yes i do. i have some on both sides. should i cut off the leaf or the entire stem. my biggest worry is that i recently polished my leaves and used the same towel. do thrips spread easily? #### fireside antwoordde op 2024-02-20 and where would they have come from? the rest of my plants are fine ### fireside reageerde op 2024-02-20 shoot. i actually see multiple on other leaves already. ### nosugartonight reageerde op 2024-02-20 I’m not sure where thrips come from or a lot of pests. They just kind of “magically” have always appeared on my houseplants. (It’s not magical). I think they just exist everywhere or there in soil mix or something. I would cut off the diseased leaf and rinse the plant foliage including the stems or buy an insecticidal soap. If you’re just rinsing with water you should do that maybe twice a week. And monitor of course. Also quarantine that plant away from your others. Last thing you want is for them to spread. If you shared a towel cleaning leaves there is a possibility they were spread. I would examine the leaves of your other plants #### fireside antwoordde op 2024-02-20 should i repot in case of any in the soil? or just turn the pot on it’s side to rinse the leaves? and water the soil on its regular schedule ### Sunny reageerde op 2024-02-20 That’s definitely thrips. They spread very quickly! Isolate that plant. It’s likely all the plants you wiped down will be infected. So, treat all of them with neem oil or simply spray down with insecticidal soap. You can use soapy Dawn dishwater to make your own insecticidal soap. It’s gentle on plants. The soapy water suffocates the thrips. Repeat the application a couple of times a week until they are gone. Thrips lay their eggs inside leaves. The eggs won’t be affected. So, they must be sprayed after the eggs hatch. It’s important to disinfect your hands before touching each plant since thrips are not easy to see. Of course, using one towel to wipe all the plants can spread more insects than just thrips. You should isolate the plant. But, assume thrips are already on all of your plants. Treat all the plants for thrips. Good luck!🍀🪴 #### fireside antwoordde op 2024-02-20 thank you!! #### Sunny antwoordde op 2024-02-21 You’re welcome! I use coffee filters to clean the leaves of hard water deposits. They are lint free and don’t leave paper fibers on my fuzzy leaf hoyas. You can get a lot of them for a low price at a dollar store. #### fireside antwoordde op 2024-02-21 oh that’s a really good idea! do you put any water or soap on the filters? i’ve just been using water and the plants were all fine. the monsters started to get affected about a month ago and i thought it was a single leaf burning up in the sun. was otherwise totally healthy and growing beautifully. wondering if using soap would be a better preventative measure. #### Sunny antwoordde op 2024-02-21 I use a 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water solution to remove hard water deposits and fertilizer salts off the leaves. I add a little more vinegar if needed. Dawn dishwater can remove oils and dirt. The leaves can get translucent if they take in too much water. Monstera will release water droplets from their leaves to remove excess. --- _De Planta-community (https://getplanta.com). Iedereen kan meelezen. Om te posten, reageren en liken, download de Planta-app: https://getplanta.com/download_