The green plant that is the ficus is ideal for anyone who wants to decorate their interior whether it is in a house or in an office. This Asian plant is easy to care for and helps purify the surrounding air by absorbing the unwanted particles it contains. It may happen that one day you find that the leaves on your tree start to stick together because of a viscous, shiny substance. This is due to the presence of insects such as mealybugs, shelled mealybugs or aphids. For this kind of case it deserves to employ means to effectively eliminate these bugs.
This phenomenon of the appearance of sticky substance can affect all kinds of plants, so this is not a special case. When you come across this kind of problem, it is worth cleaning up the leaves. There are different types of solutions for cleaning the leaves of these little insects. Here are some solutions that might help you remove the substance that makes your ficus leaves stick.
How to get rid of the sticky substance on the leaves of your ficus?
When we notice that the leaves of our ficus are starting to stick together, it is normal to wonder what could be the cause. We could also ask ourselves what we could do. Notwithstanding, there are a few solutions. Here are a few points of the reasons that could explain this phenomenon and the tips that could help you.
Those responsible for this phenomenon of sticky leaves on the ficus
Aphids
These insects attack several plants, there are 250 species that are harmful to green plants such as the ficus. The species that might have left a substance on the leaves of your ficus is the green aphid which clings to the leaves and leaves a sweet secretion that forms a gooey substance.
Mealy mealybugs
Mealybugs are insects that are a type of bug invisible to the naked eye because of their small size. We could only see that they are present from the damage it could have left such as the appearance of viscous white substance which is the main cause of sticky leaves.
Shelled mealybugs
There are insects that only act on one species of houseplant. However, this kind of insect is generalist, which means that it attacks all kinds of indoor plants. If your ficus is near another plant, both will suffer the same fate.
Possible solutions
Oil cleaning
A 100% natural essential oil could be the right solution for this type of case. This effectively eliminates mealybugs without attacking your ficus. All you need to do is soak a cotton ball or cloth and wipe off the leaves. This will remove the insects by suffocating them.
Cleaning with soap
For this you should not use just any soap, prefer a black soap or a soap containing insecticide. You just need to prepare soapy water, take a cloth and clean the areas affected by the honeydew or sticky substance.
Insecticide
This solution helps to kill insects such as mealybugs or aphids. It is effective and offers a fairly rapid result. However, you should know that this is not without risk for the health of your ficus since it is a mixture of chemicals.
Alcohol cleaning
Try to mix alcohol with water and black soap and sprinkle on the areas that have honeydew. This solution is natural and presents less risk for your ficus. However, you must then take care of your plant by respecting the rules of maintenance.
Some tips that can help you prevent your ficus leaves from sticking
the only explanation for this kind of phenomenon is the presence of harmful insects on the leaves or even the whole plant. Preventing this kind of case is no easy task, knowing that it is a natural phenomenon. Of all the diseases of the ficus, this case is one of the most complex. Notwithstanding, that doesn't mean that it is difficult to eliminate honeydew and the insects that are responsible for it. We will have to arm ourselves with good products. Favor natural products to minimize the risks for the ficus. It should be noted that this phenomenon of sticky leaves could always come back even if you had taken good care of your plant.
Insecticides are effective products, but they are expensive and may not be effective over time. It is imperative to limit the number of uses of this type of product.
You should know that even natural products should be used wisely. the principle is to suffocate insects. In the event that the quantity is too large, the leaves of your ficus could be asphyxiated in turn.
