Meet the pests Time to meet the most common types of houseplant pests. You need to know what they look like so you can identify them and plan your defense. They can also come in a variety of colors. However, they all suck on your plants leaving honeydew behind. Honeydew is a shiny, sticky substance left on the leaves.
Mealybugs are tough and flat with a soft, waxy body.
As they mature, a cottony material develops on top of them for protection. These bugs also leave honeydew as a calling card. They are hard to spot unless you look very closely, and even harder to eliminate. Look for scale on the plant's stems and leaf veins. Spider mites are rust-colored insects that have sucking mouthparts that thrive in warm, dry environments.