Spider mites don't scurry.

Find out what's wrong before you continue to apply treatments.

Can you post a photo?

Other info that could be helpful to us:
Where do you live -- city, state
Plant indoor or out?
In pot or ground?
What sunlight exposure?
How moist/wet/dry are you keeping the soil/potting mix?

thanks for the response...i need help here.

I'm in Queens, New York...but the plant came with me from Westchester (southern NY, just above the city). I'm pretty sure whatever pest it is traveled with me from there.

The plant has been indoors all of its life, but I had repotted it into an old pot i found in a garage of my parents' house (that's most likely the source of the problem...the pot may have been previously used as outdoor, and problems showed up after i repotted it).

The plant is kept out of direct sunlight, but is in a light corner of the room. I've been watering when I see that the top inch is dry (about once every 10 days)...but with all the water spraying i've been doing on the leaves...who knows how much dripping is getting down into the root structure.

I posted some picture (for the first time, hope i did it right...i think you're just supposed to enter my name into the search bar and they will pop up)...the first one will show the general drop off of leaves, the second will show the some leaf misshaping, and the third will show the underside of the leaves. Sorry if the last one is blurry.

Please help...my plant is dropping leaves EVERY DAY!!

I don't know what the problem is, and I can't seem to find where you posted pictures referred to in another thread.

But, if the plant is of sentimental value, what I would do is take a cutting off it NOW and root it in another pot in another room away from other plants. That way if you lose the "mother plant" at least you may have saved something. Especially if the soil is harboring your pests.

I googled "jade plant pests" and found the below fact sheet from Clemson Univ. Hope it helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: jade plant

pieheart...thanks for the quick response....here are the exact URLs for the pictures...

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage_2.html

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage_1.html

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/pest_damage.html

In the photo with misshapen leaves you can see that the notch in the two paired leaves is symmetrical (a mirror image of each other). This means that the damage occurred at once when the leaves were both together in the bud. I don't think this is insect damage - maybe the leaf just got poked when it was young. I don't think it is related to the leaf drop and discoloration either.

What did you use for potting soil when it was repotted? As I mentioned in my other post, pull the plant out of the pot and look at the roots to see if there is anything unusual there. If the symptoms started shortly after repotting, this could be the problem.

Could it be environmental? Is it under or near a fan or air conditioning? I don't know if a jade plant is that sensitive, but it's something to consider.

Found another link that might help. In the fourth paragraph it mentions leaf drop and foliage spotting. Of course, it doesn't address the critters you observed, but you may have more than one problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: jade plant

botanybob, i am seriously considering your suggestion...i might repot the plant. What should i look for in the roots? What do i do if i notice something is wrong??

Will repotting right now kill an already dying plant?

pieheart, I also want to do what you suggested and make myself a "back up" jade plant. It's better than nothing. Problem is...i've been getting conflicting reports on how best to propagate a new jade plant...some say put the clipping in water, others say place it on top of soil and let it root over a few months, yet others say i need a special rooting chemical. Do you have any experience with this? Also, do you think my clipping is hurting the plant?

jedbeginner, all I can tell you is what worked once as far as propogating. My sons and I were in a local nursery when the owner was pruning a very large display jade plant. After he cut off a piece he handed it to my older son who was in scouts with his son. He just told us to stick it in a pot with some soil and it would root. That's what we did. Nothing special, no special mix, just ordinary potting soil without fertilizer (at that time you couldn't get fertilizer in the soil for a reasonable cost). It's been ten years and we still have the plant.

I also found another link that talks about jade problems.

I feel for you! I have a spider plant that goes back over 20 years, very sentimental, the original bit was from my college roommate. You have to save that plant!

Here is a link that might be useful: jade link

I have seen jade plants growing well in pots that looked too small for the plant, so some root crowding may be ok. I would look to see if it is root bound - roots tightly packed and circling. If so it could be repotted. Also, root color is a good indicator of plant health. Healthy roots are white and firm. Diseased roots are brown to black and mushy. You would see this with overwatering or a poorly drained soil.

Jades are easy to propagate from a single leaf. Just lay it on top of soil or sand and roots will grow from the base into the ground. You don't need to keep the soil very wet like with most cuttings. I don't think I would root this plant in water.

Don't know that any critter is involved.

Some things to think about are these:
1. I see that's it's in a clay pot. Are you certain water is getting to the original rootball? For starters, set the pot in a basin/bucket of water and let it soak up (max 20 minutes), take it out to drain.
2. Is that a vent nearby (in the photo without a final number)? If so, not currently helping the plant.
3. Plant stems look quite elongated/straggly. That's because the plant needs lots more light than it's getting.
4. As has been said, the notched leaf isn't important.

I neglected to mention.

After you thoroughly hydrate the soil, I would take a cutting or two (rather than individual leaves) to root as a bit of insurance. You'd have fresh plants if the old one is gone.

thanks everybody...great advice...

jean001...very good observations/advice. It will give me a lot to experiment with.

I have no doubt that there was some sort of infestation of pests, but i feel that my chemical cures are doing more harm than good. In the end, I've heard keeping the plant otherwise healthy is a good defense all on its own. I'm going to cater to it for a while (using all of your suggestions), root some new plants, and see what happens...

I was (still am) so worried about spider mites or other pests in my plants...one of my best plants (if not THE best) is a aucuba japonaca gold dust (male). While the jade plant was sentimental in that my mother gave it to me back when i moved out (for good), the aucuba was my "decoy" plant for when I proposed to my wife (proof of a phony errand while i was getting the ring), so it takes the sentimental "cake". I've been TERRIFIED about an infestation.

thanks everybody again! and if you don't have an aucuba...get one! they're beautiful!

Hey everyone...please see my latest post...i finally got a picture of one of the pests!! Does anyone know what it is??

http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/06/name_that_pest.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Evidence 1

Don't know what you have in the saucer. Usually fellows that hang out there are very small whitish or grayish things called springtails. But yours are something else.

Whatever they are, they probably belong in the saucer rather than on the plant.

The other place they might live is in the potting mix (although I doubt that). To check, carefully tip the entire rootball out of the pot and look.

Hey...you mentioned springtails and i did a google search, just in case... i actually think that's what they are! The link below has pics of various types, and I'm pretty sure that my pests are them. Now i just need to research how to deal with them...
thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Here is a link that might be useful: Springtails

I doubt they're springtails.

That said, put several in a small clear container with a lid, then take them to a large independent garden center where someone should be able to help you.