Houseplant insects may create an annoyance caused by large quantities of a sweet, sticky liquid waste product called honeydew that is excreted as the insects feed. Honeydew can make a sticky, shiny mess on the plant and nearby furniture and floors. A black fungus called sooty mold may grow on the honeydew. Scale insects have a tan to brown shell-like covering or scale that protects the insect's body. Some scales are hemispherical in shape, while others are oval and flat.
Mealybugs appear as white tangles of cotton on the leaves or stems.
A common location is the slim, protective gap at the junctions of stems and leaves. Houseplant insects are difficult to control. There is no easy, simple, one-shot cure. This is a laborious task that works only on small, large-leafed plants. Dabbing each insect with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab is another possibility on lightly infested plants.