Are you seeing cars, sidewalks, driveways, or other plants covered in sticky stuff, especially those under trees? This sticky substance, called honeydew, is produced by certain insects that excrete it when they feed on plants. Plant leaves look shiny and honeydew may be so thick that it drips off the leaves onto the ground or other plants underneath. And in some cases, a black, powdery fungus called sooty mold grows on it, causing the plant's leaves to look dirty.

We've written about quite a few of the insects that produce honeydew in our blog, so here is a list of the possible culprits that may be causing the mess this time of year:

Aphids

The hackberry woolly aphid is a major pest on

If you are puzzled by curling leaves on plants in your garden or landscape, you may need to do some detective work to figure out the cause. Curling leaves can be caused by many problems, including insect damage, disease, abiotic disorders, or even herbicides.

Insects

There are several insect pests that cause leaves to curl when they suck plant juices of new or young leaves that are still growing. These include aphids, thrips, and whiteflies.

Peach leaf...

Have you ever had an infestation of mealybugs on your houseplants or outside on your landscape plants? You may have wondered, “Where did these insects come from?” Mealybugs are often introduced into landscapes and indoors from plant material brought home on other plants, tools, or pots.

What are Mealybugs?

Mealybugs are small, wingless, oval-shaped insects that congregate in large numbers on plants. They form white, cottony masses and are often confused with other pests that produce waxy coatings like cottony cushion...

The summer is winding down, but many warm-weather pests, like whiteflies are still going strong. Whiteflies are tiny white insects commonly found in vegetable garden and landscape plantings in large numbers. Often they fly around plants when disturbed, which is when people first notice them.

Despite their name, whiteflies are not true flies but are actually related to aphids, scales and mealybugs. Like these insects, whiteflies cause damage when they suck plant juices from leaves, which yellow or die off. Whiteflies excrete excess liquid called honeydew that is sticky, and may be covered with black sooty mold. The honeydew also attracts ants, which disrupt naturally-occurring