Umbrella plant dropping sticky stuff everywhere!!

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ekammn Londonderry, NH Sep 19, 2010

I have an umbrella plant that is not only sticky, but the sticky stuff is all over the floor and the wall! The plant has brown stuff under some leaves, but I can't see any actual bugs. The plant isn't really losing leaves, either... they are just really sticky. I thought I had read something on here about this last winter, but I can't find it. It wasn't aphids or anything I had ever heard of and it listed a certain something in the store to buy to get rid of it, but I couldn't find it at the time (being winter in NH) and then forgot the name. Does anyone remember?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Sep 19, 2010

Can you post a picture of the brown stuff? It could be scale. They are insects although they look a lot more like brown bumps. Check the stems too--they like to hang out there too. They secrete honeydew which is the sticky stuff that you're finding.

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Gitagal Baltimore, MD(Zone 7a) Oct 01, 2010

Sticky stuff on lower leaves always mean you have sucking insects.
They suck the plant juices--cannot digest all the sugar in them--and then
poop it out as the sticky stuff which drips down on all the rest of the plant and the floor....

My guess is that it is scale as well.....
Other sucking insects are: Spider Mites--Aphids---and Mealy Bugs.

You can get a soapy sponge and scrub off all the undersides of the leaves.
Your Umbrella plant should be able to take this with no problems. Check the stems as well...
Scale often congregates on the stems....
Once dislodged--they will not crawl back up again. Scales live under waxy "shells"--and b/c of that--
sprays won't help much--except the oil sprays--which coat the scales and suffocate them.

You will need to stay with this regiment for about a month, to get all the newer generation as well.

Another treatment could be Systemic Granules (Bonide). Sprinkle on top of the soil--mix in and water in.
The toxins will get absorbed by the plant and all it's juices will become toxic to sucking insects.
This may take a couple of weeks, though....Keep it up!

Gita

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