One of the two good sized ficus benjamina trees in my family room has been
infested with some kind of bugs. I'm *fairly* sure it started with spider
mites, assuming these are the ones that leave the fine little webs all over
the place. There is also a sticky residue (honeydew?) on many of the leaves
now, but I don't know if spider mites did that or not. However, today I
found a number of small flat black bugs on the smaller twigs, lined up in
rows along some of the twigs. They are about the size and shape of sesame
seeds, and definitely very black, not white. I've had those white ones
(mealy bugs, maybe?) in years past on other plants, but never black things.
They may be feeding on the sticky stuff, not sure, but it looks like it.

Needless to say, I want to get my poor ficus healthy again, if that is even
possible. Luckily the two trees are in opposite sides of the room, so the
infestation has not spread. My problem is that my husband is very sensitive
to any kind of insecticides including the good kinds, so I'm wondering if
anyone has any kind of "home grown" remedy that might help. I cut off the
twigs with the black bugs, but I know I didn't get all of them.

TIA

elaine

If you can, take the tree outside and use a garden hose to knock off
the spider mites. The black things are a scale insect. Try an oil
spray or insecticidal soap. They shouldn't bother your husband. I've
also used soapy water with so so results. Hope this helps.

Dave G
On Sun, 9 Mar 2003 16:51:18 -0500, "EPPack"
wrote:

One of the two good sized ficus benjamina trees in my family room has been
infested with some kind of bugs. I'm *fairly* sure it started with spider
mites, assuming these are the ones that leave the fine little webs all over
the place. There is also a sticky residue (honeydew?) on many of the leaves
now, but I don't know if spider mites did that or not. However, today I
found a number of small flat black bugs on the smaller twigs, lined up in
rows along some of the twigs. They are about the size and shape of sesame
seeds, and definitely very black, not white. I've had those white ones
(mealy bugs, maybe?) in years past on other plants, but never black things.
They may be feeding on the sticky stuff, not sure, but it looks like it.

Needless to say, I want to get my poor ficus healthy again, if that is even
possible. Luckily the two trees are in opposite sides of the room, so the
infestation has not spread. My problem is that my husband is very sensitive
to any kind of insecticides including the good kinds, so I'm wondering if
anyone has any kind of "home grown" remedy that might help. I cut off the
twigs with the black bugs, but I know I didn't get all of them.

TIA

elaine

In article , "EPPack"
wrote:

One of the two good sized ficus benjamina trees in my family room has been
infested with some kind of bugs. I'm *fairly* sure it started with spider
mites, assuming these are the ones that leave the fine little webs all over
the place.

If you can get the potted plants into the shower, spray the living
daylights out of them assisted with with a hand-held sprayer to get up
underneath the leaves too. Rinse those nasty bugs down the drain!

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Needless to say, I want to get my poor ficus healthy again, if that is even
possible. Luckily the two trees are in opposite sides of the room, so the
infestation has not spread. My problem is that my husband is very sensitive
to any kind of insecticides including the good kinds, so I'm wondering if
anyone has any kind of "home grown" remedy that might help. I cut off the
twigs with the black bugs, but I know I didn't get all of them.

TIA

elaine



Possibly aphids, they come in different colors, though the dark green
ones are the worst I've battled. Weeping fig should be easily saved,
but if those spider mites got to the stages where they were webbing
you will see them soon again as well.

The good news is they have no where to hide on ur ficus (never get
them easily on a hibiscus, ew) Just spraying with water is less
effective the washing the branches with soap and a natural sponge. If
they are aphids you need to get every last one, forget pruning unless
it's too much tree to handle.

You can try canola oil. make you own garlic spray, beauveria bassiana
is reputedly good, though you may consider this a 'good' type pest
control. It's really a good fungus.

A bucket of water, soapy sponge, and the shower, till you win, does
work. Again, if they are aphids, they may spawn wings. Don't lose
hope. Smile, You are the boss!

TK

I just spent a half hour picking them off my Ficus with a pair of tweezers -
didn't want to spray anything nasty in the bathroom where it is located.

--

John T. Jarrett
http://logontexas.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce
$9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome...
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Dave G" wrote in message
om...
If you can, take the tree outside and use a garden hose to knock off
the spider mites. The black things are a scale insect. Try an oil
spray or insecticidal soap. They shouldn't bother your husband. I've
also used soapy water with so so results. Hope this helps.

Dave G
On Sun, 9 Mar 2003 16:51:18 -0500, "EPPack"
wrote:

One of the two good sized ficus benjamina trees in my family room has
been
infested with some kind of bugs. I'm *fairly* sure it started with spider
mites, assuming these are the ones that leave the fine little webs all
over
the place. There is also a sticky residue (honeydew?) on many of the
leaves
now, but I don't know if spider mites did that or not. However, today I
found a number of small flat black bugs on the smaller twigs, lined up in
rows along some of the twigs. They are about the size and shape of sesame
seeds, and definitely very black, not white. I've had those white ones
(mealy bugs, maybe?) in years past on other plants, but never black
things.
They may be feeding on the sticky stuff, not sure, but it looks like it.

Needless to say, I want to get my poor ficus healthy again, if that is
even
possible. Luckily the two trees are in opposite sides of the room, so the
infestation has not spread. My problem is that my husband is very
sensitive
to any kind of insecticides including the good kinds, so I'm wondering if
anyone has any kind of "home grown" remedy that might help. I cut off the
twigs with the black bugs, but I know I didn't get all of them.

TIA

elaine

Slightly less fussy is to use rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to remove
them. I'm sorry to say it, but it's unlikely that you got them all, and
this is likely to be an ongoing problem. Ficus are very susceptible to
scale. I was personally adverse to using an systemic insecticide on my
ficus, and was resigned to wiping it down on a regular basis. The problem
was always worse around this time of year, after a season indoors. When I
summered the tree outdoors, the scale seemed to disappear--more humidity?
rain? scale predators? I'm not sure.

Good luck,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"John T. Jarrett" wrote in message
...
I just spent a half hour picking them off my Ficus with a pair of
tweezers -
didn't want to spray anything nasty in the bathroom where it is located.

--

John T. Jarrett
http://logontexas.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Web Design - Program - Host - Maintain - Databases - E-Commerce
$9.95 Nationwide Dial-Up ISP new customers welcome...
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Dave G" wrote in message
om...
If you can, take the tree outside and use a garden hose to knock off
the spider mites. The black things are a scale insect. Try an oil
spray or insecticidal soap. They shouldn't bother your husband. I've
also used soapy water with so so results. Hope this helps.