Weeping 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 Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 5 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 18 September 2026.
Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Trop. & Subtrop. Asia and N. Australia (wet tropical). Also sold as Benjamin tree, Chinese Banyan, Fig, Indian Rubber Plant, Java fig and Java tree.
What Weeping fig’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by twospotted spider mites, thrips, aphids, armored scale, fern scale, banded greenhouse thrips and Cuban laurel thrips.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
- Watering
- Water only as much as needed to stop the soil drying out fully.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Weeping fig
Clusters of small soft insects on the shoot tips and buds: aphids
Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the weeping fig. New leaves curl, and white cast skins collect below.
NC State Extension lists aphids among the pests it may attract. They favor tender tips and buds, so the damage concentrates where the plant is growing.
Telling it apart: Where they sit. Aphids crowd soft tips and buds; scale sits still on older stems.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Dull, finely mottled leaves and faint webs: spider mites
Seen side-on, the weeping fig looks dusty and bleached. Under a lens the undersides move with minute mites, and silk gathers where leaves meet the stem.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. Mites empty the leaf cells one by one, which is what the pale dots are, and they breed fastest in warm, dry air.
Telling it apart: Webbing. Only mites spin fine silk at the shoot tips.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Silvery patches dotted with tiny black spots: thrips
Patches of the weeping fig turn silver-gray, with black specks of excrement, and new growth may be scarred.
RHS lists thrips among the pests it may attract. They rasp the surface cells and drink the contents, which leaves the silvered, empty tissue.
Telling it apart: Shake a flower or leaf over white paper. Thrips show as tiny slender insects that move.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Small raised bumps along the stems and veins, with sticky leaves: scale insects
Flat or domed bumps, tan to dark, line the stems and the midribs of the weeping fig. They do not move, and the leaves beneath them are sticky or dusted black.
RHS lists scale insects among the pests it may attract. Each scale sits in one place drawing sap and dripping honeydew, which is why the leaves below turn sticky.
Telling it apart: Whether the bumps sit on the veins. Scale follows the sap; spots from disease scatter across the leaf.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Sticky leaves and white fluff where they meet the stem: mealybugs
Clusters of white wax sit where each leaf joins the stem and along the undersides of the weeping fig. Lifted with a cotton swab, each tuft holds a soft, pale insect, and the leaves below are sticky.
RHS lists mealybugs among the pests it may attract. The wax keeps them dry and hard to reach, so they multiply in the sheltered joints of the canopy.
Telling it apart: Whether the white comes with stickiness. Mealybugs leave honeydew; dust and mildew do not.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Weeping fig
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Weeping 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 weeping 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 Weeping fig's recorded problems point this way.
- Sticky leaves and white fluff where they meet the stem: mealybugs RHS
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the weeping 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 Weeping fig's recorded problems point this way.
- Small raised bumps along the stems and veins, with sticky leaves: scale insects RHS
Why: Scale insects settle in one place under a hard or waxy shell and feed on sap.
What to try:
- Move the weeping 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 weeping fig does not move.
Less likely for a Weeping fig, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on a Weeping fig?
- For Weeping fig: spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Weeping 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 Weeping fig's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- NC State Extension: Can be troubled by twospotted spider mites, thrips, aphids, armored scale, fern scale, banded greenhouse thrips and Cuban laurel thrips. 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 Weeping fig?
- Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the weeping fig. New leaves curl, and white cast skins collect below. Telling it apart: Where they sit. Aphids crowd soft tips and buds; scale sits still on older stems.
- Is Weeping 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
Common figDull, finely mottled leaves and faint webs: spider mites
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 Weeping 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.