Pothos pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and one problem recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Epipremnum aureum is a species in the arum family Araceae, native to Mo'orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The species is a popular houseplant in temperate regions, but has also become naturalised in tropical and sub-tropical forests worldwide, including northern South Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent, the Pacific Islands and the West Indies, where it has caused severe ecological damage in some cases. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Society Is. (Mo'orea) (wet tropical). Also sold as Ceylon creeper, devil's ivy, Devil's Vine, Golden Pothos, hunter's robe and Ivy Arum.
What Pothos’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by banded greenhouse thrips.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Usually free of pests and diseases.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026
- Watering
- Raise humidity with a humidifier or a tray of wet pebbles under the container, and water once the well-drained potting mix has dried. Vines root readily in water.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Pothos
Silvery streaks with black specks on the leaf blades: thrips
Silvery flecks and streaks spread over the leaf blades of the pothos, peppered with tiny black dots. Flowers may open marked or misshapen.
NC State Extension lists thrips among the pests it may attract. They feed on leaves and in flowers, and hide in buds, which makes them hard to spot.
Telling it apart: Shake a flower or leaf over white paper. Thrips show as tiny slender insects that move.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Pothos
Most likely spider mites
Why: Spider mites feed on individual leaf cells, and each emptied cell shows as a pale speck.
What to try:
- Move the pothos away from other plants.
- Wash the leaves, top and underside, with a strong spray of water in a shower or sink.
What would settle it: Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap the leaf. Tiny specks that move across the paper are mites.
Most likely mealybugs
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the pothos away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Most likely scale insects
Why: Scale insects settle in one place under a hard or waxy shell and feed on sap.
What to try:
- Move the pothos away from other plants.
- Scrape the scales off with a fingernail or a soft brush, then wipe the stems and leaves.
What would settle it: Push a bump gently with a fingernail. Scale comes away and leaves a mark; a bump that is part of the pothos does not move.
Less likely for a Pothos, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Pothos?
- For Pothos: spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Pothos?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do Pothos's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- NC State Extension: Can be troubled by banded greenhouse thrips. RHS: Usually free of pests and diseases.
- What does this look like on a Pothos?
- Silvery flecks and streaks spread over the leaf blades of the pothos, peppered with tiny black dots. Flowers may open marked or misshapen. Telling it apart: Shake a flower or leaf over white paper. Thrips show as tiny slender insects that move.
- Is Pothos safe to handle while I check it?
- Its sources list it as toxic to cats, dogs and people. Wash your hands after handling the roots or sap, and keep trimmings away from pets.
Other plants that show pests
AlocasiaFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Arrowhead plantCurled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Dumb caneHard, rounded scale on the undersides of the leaves
Elephant earClusters of small soft insects on the shoot tips and buds: aphids
Heartleaf philodendronPale stippled leaves and tiny moving dots underneath: a mite pest
Lacy tree philodendronFine pale speckling on the leaf blades, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Something else wrong with the Pothos?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.