Question
Hi,
I have a ficus tree and it's about 18 years old and was very good shape.  I brought home, unknowingly, an infected palm tree.  It appeared to have white dust on it at the core of the fronds. That condition had developedand worsened over a few months.  I got rid of the palm.  Now the ficus seems to have something.  They are little white, waxy circular things on the leaves. Only one to a leaf, sometimes on the underside, sometimes near the stem.  It makes the leaves all sticky.  What is this?  Can I get rid of it?  Will it kill my tree?  Thank you for any help.

Answer
Hi Susan,

I am not sure there is a link between the infected palm and the Ficus tree. The white dust was probably spider mites, which palms are very prone to.

The white globular balls at the base of each Ficus leaf are part of the trees normal structure. They are not a disease or a pest, they are not the cause of the stickiness, and they do not need to be removed.

However, your mention of stickiness on the leaves suggests scale insects on the Ficus. If left untreated they will gradually cause the tree to lose more and more leaves.

Scale can be hard to detect. They resemble insects when they are babies, but they are smaller than a pinhead and very hard to see. When they find a suitable site, they insert their tiny probes into the plant tissue and stay there. As adults, these sucking insects are slightly oval, slightly raised, translucent bumps or blisters about an eighth of an inch long. They can be found along stems and on the undersides of leaves. They don't look like bugs and don't appear to move. As they get older, they develop a hard, dark brown shell and look like a small mole. As the infestation increases, these sucking insects will secrete a sticky substance called honeydew that falls onto leaves, furniture and floors. This stickiness is the most obvious sign of scale and the one that most people notice first.

The key to eliminating scale is to treat even the ones that you cannot see. That means thoroughly drenching all leaf and stem surfaces until they are dripping wet. It is also best if you repeat this treatment all over again in 5 to 7 days to catch any crawlers (the translucent young ones) that you missed the first time. After that, you should check your plant weekly to see if they return.

I do not recommend any pesticides because they are all hazardous to use and not 100% effective against scale. The best non-toxic treatment for mealybug and scale is called Brand X Foliage Cleaner. It is available through Southwest Plantscape Products in California (www.southwestplantscape.com). Their phone is 1-800-333-7977.It is a silicon-based product so it is very slippery. Its ability to penetrate is probably the key to its effectiveness because it gets into the tiny crevices that other sprays miss.

You may want to try spraying with rubbing alcohol that will help break through the hard outer barrier of the scale and kill it. Mix 1 part alcohol with 8 to 10 parts of water. Add a little liquid soap to help it spread.

Sun Spray Ultra Fine horticultural oil is also mixed with water and effectively smothers the scale. Complete coverage is important.

Another good non-toxic spray is Hot Pepper Wax. Its main ingredient is hot cayenne pepper that overheats the plant pests. There is an information website for it at www.hotpepperwax.com.

Finally neem oil works similarly to horticultural oil. It should be diluted with water and Pine Sol to counteract the onion-like odor. All of these are available nationwide at plant and garden centers and also by mail order.

Important: None of these should be applied to plants in direct sun or in high temps.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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