How do I get rid of sticky brown stuff on house plants?

My sheffeleras and ficus tree have these small brown sticky things underneath their leaves. They make the leaves very shiny and sticky. Eventually the leaves wither. I tried spraying soapy water on them and wiping them individually which seemed to work at first but they come back and the wiping is VERY time consuming. Any ideas on how to get rid of this pest. What is it called anyway?

How do I get rid of sticky brown stuff on house plants?
The sticky residue you're seeing on your ficus leaves is a common symptom of scale insect infestations. The sticky substance is the honeydew excreted by the insects feeding on the "sap" inside the leaves. These tiny insects (1/4 inch or less long) sometimes camouflage themselves to look like parts of the plant so they can be hard to see. They cause leaves to look shiny (from the honeydew) and may cause leaves to turn a splotchy yellow color before they drop. The juvenile insects are the crawly feeder, while the adults insects will cover themselves with protective waxy coatings and appear as brown waxy bumps on the leaves.





Scale insects can spread to other houseplants so it's important to manage the problem. Insecticide soaps or horticultural oils can be effective for smothering the pests. Or try dipping a cotton swab into alcohol and rub the leaf to remove the insects (be careful not to damage the leaves).