If there are holes in the leaves of your Peace Lily, it is a sure sign that something is wrong. Working quickly to correct the problem is key to fixing the situation before things get worse. But what causes these holes, and what do you do to prevent them?
Holes in Peace Lilies leaves are often caused by insects or leaf disease and require you to quickly quarantine your plant to prevent the spread while determining what is causing the damage.
There are many ways to fix your Peace Lily, and as long as you work quickly, you should be able to prevent any further issues and save most of your plant’s leaves. There are many options for curing your plant, including insecticide, bactericide, and fungicide.
Why Do My Peace Lily Leaves Have Holes?
There are a few different reasons why Peace Lily leaves may have holes. However, it all boils down to one big thing: pests. When Peace Lilies get holes, it is usually due to insects or pests.
The five main pests that Peace Lilies are known to get are:
- American Serpentine Leafminer (Liriomyza Melanogaster)
- Caterpillars
- Black Vine Weevil
- Slugs/Snails
- Flea Beetle
Out of these five, the Liriomyza Melanogaster is the most common. These are often considered the worst nightmare for owners of the Peace Lily. These pests bore holes through the lilies, creating tunnels in which the pests live.
So if your plant has holes and lighter-colored trails along the leaves, there is a good chance that these little fly larvae are the ones causing trouble.
If the holes are at the edge of the Peace Lily leaf, in rough semi-circular shapes, they are likely weevils or caterpillars. Sometimes, the edges and circles may be black or brown as well.
Slugs and snails usually create more ragged shapes in the leaves. Sometimes, large chunks of the leaves are missing except around the veins, while other times, there are small holes in the center and edges of the leaves.
If there are many, very small holes, a flea beetle is likely. They are often called “shotholes” because of how many small, irregular holes the fleas create.
While those are the most common reasons, there are a few other issues that can also cause holes in the leaves. This includes leaf disease. You can usually tell if this is the problem because the holes will start as dark spots on the leaves that slowly rot into holes.
Why Are There Small Holes on My Peace Lily Leaves?
The holes on the Peace Lily leaves are usually due to insects. Many insects eat the leaves of plants in small areas at a time, creating holes and damage to the leaves.
Leaf disease is a vague term, often caused by a fungus, bacteria, or virus. It can appear in many forms, including holes or bumps on the leaves. Usually, these spots start off looking discolored or burnt.
Black, brown, or red are usually the most common colors. Then, these spots grow thinner over time, only having a thin webbing over them, and then nothing, leaving a hole behind.
Leaf disease is most common on outdoor plants but can occasionally get to indoor plants.
What Should I Do After Noticing Holes in My Peace Lily Leaves?
After you notice these holes, the first thing to do is to determine if it is a leaf disease or pests. Pests are the easiest to determine. Most of the time, pests are nocturnal, so you won’t necessarily see them during the day.
Usually, pests reside either in the leaf or under the leaf and on the stems. You can wait until it is dark to observe your plant and see if you witness anything, or you can put a blank sheet of paper under the plant and shake some of the leaves. If small black, brown, gray, or yellow objects fall onto the paper, pests are your problem.
With bigger pests, like slugs or caterpillars, it may be hard to spot them. Sometimes, they are only on the plant long enough to eat. However, if you see large areas of the plant with ragged edges that look similar to bite marks or are primarily on the edge of leaves, then it is a good idea to assume it is pests attacking your plants.
Otherwise, it may be leaf disease. Once you’ve determined the issue, you can start fixing your plant.
How Do You Get Rid of Holes in Plant Leaves?
Unfortunately, once a leaf is damaged, it isn’t repairable. If only a few of your leaves were damaged, it is best to cut them off. They cost more energy for the plant than they produce, which could limit your Peace Lily’s growth.
Should I Cut Off Leaves with Holes?
If many of the leaves are damaged, it may be better just to leave them on until your plant can produce new growth. Otherwise, it may not get enough energy from the sun to continue growing. If the holes are minor, then the leaves should still be able to function as normal.
You can cut off some of the more damaged leaves if you would like and let your Peace Lily focus on growth, but don’t cut off more than thirty percent of all leaves, or your plant will not be able to continue growing.
How Do I Get Rid of Peace Lily Bugs?
There are plenty of insecticides on the market. You can use these to help eliminate the insects on your plant. Some of them are general insect killers, while others are specific to a particular type of pest, so depending on what you are buying, you may have to identify what pest exactly is killing your plant. Otherwise, you can just get a general pest killer.
Another solution is diatomaceous earth. This is especially effective against pests like slugs and snails because the diatomaceous earth can dry them out. It can be bought online, and some can be used for food and cleaning. You can use this throughout your home without harming any pets or children.
Finally, there is also neem oil. Neem oil is often a considerable part of plant-based or organic insecticides. However, you can also just buy it plain. Sometimes, neem can come in powders or sprays, but oil is the most popular. This is beneficial because it is usually safe for people and pets; though occasional skin irritation can occur, it also works for specific pests.
Neem oil only works when it is ingested. So any pollinators or beneficial insects that don’t prey upon your Peace Lily leaves are usually fine, while those creating holes in your leaves will die and struggle to lay eggs.
How Do I Make My Peace Lily Healthy?
If the problem was insects, using an insecticide or pest deterrent should solve the problem. Other steps might have to be taken if the issue is a bacteria or fungus.
Thankfully, neem oil can also be used as a fungicide, so if your plant is struggling with root rot or leaf spots, you can also try neem oil. There are also bactericides and other fungicides that can help stop the spread.
If you catch leaf spots early, try to cut off leaves as they become infected to reduce the chances of it spreading.
With both insects and leaf spots, keeping your plant isolated from other plants is also ideal, as it enables you to control the spread and prevent any other plants from being harmed.
Summary
A Peace Lily should never have holes in the leaves. While sometimes, a little leaf burn or a dying leaf can occur, little holes appearing is never a good sign. If you start to see holes appearing in the leaves of your Lily, it usually points to pests and occasionally a disease within the leaves.
Holes in Peace Lilies, often caused by insects or leaf disease from fungus or bacteria, require you to quickly quarantine your plant to prevent the spread while determining what is causing the damage.
Thankfully, your plant should be back to normal in no time with a bit of neem oil or some type of bactericide, fungicide, or insecticide. You can trim off the damaged leaves, and soon you wouldn’t even know that there was something wrong with your Peace Lily.