Question
I work in a garden center & have noticed a bug on the leaves of our ficus tree..also, a customer has the same bug. It is dark & you can see it squiggling around & it is making pods out of the leaves like a cacoon.The customer thought she saw grub like bugs in the dirt of the potted ficus.The leaves are falling off, too. Can you offer a suggestion on care/insecticide?
Thanks,
Peggy

Answer
Peggy,

On an indoor plant I do not like using pesticides in my home becaus I have severe allergies. I have found that 70% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle full strength or diluted at most 50% with water is effective and will kill most insects on contact. I reccommed spraying the fronts and backs of all leaves very thoroughly every 4 days at least 5 times to get any insects that hatch out. I also reccommend watering the plant with the alcohol mix to kill insects in the soil.

Now, on outdoor plants it is a different matter, I reccommend using Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed and followning the directions on the bottle. It is a systemic insecticide that will work for a year on most insects and is very effective. It can be used on an indoor plant if you move it to a garage or enclosed porch for at least 3 days when you first apply it. It is a lot simpler to use and will last a year. I would still use the alcohol on the soil to kill the insects in the soil immediately. Good luck

Darlene