Spider mites
Faint webbing and a dusting of pale speckles on curling leaves mean spider mites — prayer plants are a favorite target.
Diagnosis
Spider mites
What's happening
Spider mites are nearly microscopic pests that thrive in the warm, dry indoor air prayer plants dislike. They pierce the leaf undersides and suck out the cell contents, leaving a fine yellow stippling, dull faded patches, and telltale webbing in the leaf joints. Left unchecked they multiply fast and can spread to every plant nearby.
How to fix it
Isolate the plant immediately so the mites don't spread. Rinse the foliage thoroughly in the shower or sink, paying special attention to the leaf undersides where mites hide, then treat the whole plant — tops and bottoms of leaves — with neem oil, repeating every 5–7 days for three or four rounds to break the breeding cycle. Raising humidity afterward makes the environment far less inviting to a fresh infestation.
What fixes it
- Neem oil for pests — Neem oil smothers spider mites and their eggs; repeat weekly until the webbing and stippling are gone.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Prayer Plant care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this