Today I see this yellow dust-like specs underneath (on the bottom side) of my maxillaria desvauxiana. It is a new leaf, is this something to be alarmed about? it is so much, it does not seem like some insect, but I might be wrong?
That is probably spider mite damage. I would spray the entire plant with 70% alcohol or insecticidal soap. Be watchful; spider mites are always present. It is likely they are also on your other plants. They can be controlled by spraying the entire plant with water every 1-2 weeks.
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Thanks for the quick response and the warning! it does not look like the pictures I can find on spider mites -- it is really much smaller and even, more like dust or pollen, and I don't see anything like a web. I could easily brush it off with a little bit of kitchen paper.
hm.. I'll isolate the plant for now, see if anything happens
Last edited by floempie01; 08-14-2023 at 02:09 PM..
Thanks for the quick response and the warning! it does not look like the pictures I can find on spider mites -- it is really much smaller and even, more like dust or pollen, and I don't see anything like a web. I could easily brush it off with a little bit of kitchen paper.
hm.. I'll isolate the plant for now, see if anything happens
Not all mites produce webs. As a side note, spider mites are not visible with a naked eye. You'll need a magnifying glass to see them.