A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Ficus dripping sap?

Hi this is Barbie and this is my first post. My son said I should sign up for a plant forum because I always ask him questions about my plants. I have a 20 year old ficus tree. It is 6 feet tall and has recently started dripping sap on my floor. First time ever for this. Very sticky and messy. Does anyone know what is up with my ficus? It's been sitting in an east facing window for a very long time. I just started to notice a sticky floor and sticky leaves. Thanks for any information.

Welcome, Barbie. Check your plant very closely for tiny insects. It sounds a little like you have honeydew happening. Which usually comes from an insect invasion. If you see any bugs ask your local garden center for the best solution. If you have a spray bottle you can mix about a teaspoon of dish detergent with a couple cups of water and liberally spray your plant. That can often take care of a problem if you continue it every few days. And overspray will help you clean up the floors too.
Good luck.

Without a doubt, you have scale insects on your ficus. They are often very difficult to see, even when you know what you're looking for. Spray with the soap and water, you can add a tsp of alcohol to the mixture also. Spray up onto the bottoms of all the leaves and stems, until the tree is dripping. You may want to put a cloth of some sort under the tree to catch extra water. Clean the sticky stuff off the floor too. Do this spraying once a week for a month. You should find the stickiness diminishing until its gone, then you know all the scale is dead.