Question
I'm not sure what type of Palm Tree I have (thin palms), but I bought it in a
local market about 4 years ago and it is going fine until I noticed some sticky
sap on some of the leaves today. Last year another Palm I had bought from a
local super market formed these tiny black raised circles that clung to the
underside of the leaves, and the entire plant was covered with this sticky sap.
I brought it down the basement (because the sap was covering my wood
floors in the area of the plant). Once a week I gave it a solution in the
watering to kill any kind of bug it might have had. It eventually died. Now that
I am seeing this sap on the leaves of the plant that is going so well I am afraid
the same thing is happening to this plant that I have for at least 4 years. I is
growing beautifully and has a ton of new growth. Any idea what the sap
forming on the leaves is all about. It's really not showing signs of clinging
black circles yet. Help!

Answer
Hi Cora, what you are seeing (sticky sap) is the secretions from what is probably "Spider Mites" feeding; when they suck the juices of the plants, they give off a honey dew secretion from their rear end.  Get yourself some Isopropyl Alcohol and put it in a spray bottle and spray down your plant with it, let it sit on the plant for a day and then take it outside and wash off the residual alcohol along with dead insects. To prevent further infestations, mist your palm frequently to maintain a humid surrounding around your plant, this will deter mites, for they like it very dry. Nick