Common fig pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Common fig (Ficus carica), using what its sources say about pests and diseases and humidity and 4 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, and to western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: E. Medit. to C. Asia and W. Himalaya (temperate). Also sold as brown Turkey fig, edible fig and Fig.
What Common fig’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by ambrosia beetles. Diseases: diseases of figs.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In a greenhouse, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips and greenhouse red spider mite can occur. Diseases: honey fungus can occur.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Common fig
Dull, finely mottled leaves and faint webs: spider mites
The leaves of the common fig lose their shine and fill with tiny pale dots. In a heavy infestation fine webbing strings across the shoot tips.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. They feed from the underside, so the damage shows on top long before the mites are noticed.
Telling it apart: Where the damage starts. Mites stipple the whole leaf in fine dots; sun scorch bleaches the side facing the window.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Silver-flecked leaves and marked or distorted flowers: an insect pest
The surface of the leaves of the common fig looks scraped and silvered, and slender insects smaller than a grain of rice run or jump when disturbed.
RHS lists thrips among the pests it may attract. They feed on leaves and in flowers, and hide in buds, which makes them hard to spot.
Telling it apart: Whether the marks are silver. Thrips leave a sheen; sun scorch leaves dry, bleached tissue.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Small white woolly insects tucked into the leaf joints
Look into the tightest angles of the canopy: white woolly patches there are mealybug colonies, often with a sticky sheen on the leaves below them.
RHS lists mealybugs among the pests it may attract. Mealybugs pierce the stem and draw sap, which weakens new growth and leaves a sticky residue.
Telling it apart: Where the white is. Mealybugs gather in joints and under leaves; a powdery coating across the top of a leaf is mildew.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Sticky leaves and immobile shell-like insects on the stems
Rows of small, hard scales sit where the veins of the common fig are thickest, and the surface below them is glossy with honeydew.
RHS lists scale insects among the pests it may attract. The insect settles under a waxy shell and feeds on sap for life, so a colony builds quietly along the stems.
Telling it apart: Flick a bump with a fingernail. Scale comes away and leaves a mark; a natural bump on the stem does not move.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Common fig
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Common fig's recorded problems point this way.
- Dull, finely mottled leaves and faint webs: spider mites RHS
Why: Spider mites feed on individual leaf cells, and each emptied cell shows as a pale speck.
What to try:
- Move the common fig away from other plants.
- Wash the leaves, top and underside, with a strong spray of water in a shower or sink.
What would settle it: Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap the leaf. Tiny specks that move across the paper are mites.
Most likely mealybugs
Ranked higher because Common fig's recorded problems point this way.
- Small white woolly insects tucked into the leaf joints RHS
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the common fig away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Most likely scale insects
Ranked higher because Common fig's recorded problems point this way.
- Sticky leaves and immobile shell-like insects on the stems RHS
Why: Scale insects settle in one place under a hard or waxy shell and feed on sap.
What to try:
- Move the common fig away from other plants.
- Scrape the scales off with a fingernail or a soft brush, then wipe the stems and leaves.
What would settle it: Push a bump gently with a fingernail. Scale comes away and leaves a mark; a bump that is part of the common fig does not move.
Less likely for a Common fig, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Common fig?
- For Common fig: spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Common fig?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do Common fig's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- NC State Extension: Can be troubled by ambrosia beetles. Diseases: diseases of figs. RHS: In a greenhouse, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips and greenhouse red spider mite can occur. Diseases: honey fungus can occur.
- What does this look like on a Common fig?
- The leaves of the common fig lose their shine and fill with tiny pale dots. In a heavy infestation fine webbing strings across the shoot tips. Telling it apart: Where the damage starts. Mites stipple the whole leaf in fine dots; sun scorch bleaches the side facing the window.
- Is Common fig safe to handle while I check it?
- Its sources list it as toxic to cats, dogs and people. Wash your hands after handling the roots or sap, and keep trimmings away from pets.
Other plants that show pests
Chinese banyanPale stippled leaves and tiny moving dots underneath: a mite pest
Weeping figClusters of small soft insects on the shoot tips and buds: aphids
AvocadoPale stippled leaves and tiny moving dots underneath: a mite pest
Bay laurelRagged, eaten leaves and rolled leaves: an insect pest
CalamondinCurled, sticky new leaves with green or black insects: aphids
Coffee plantFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Something else wrong with the Common fig?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.