A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Rubber tree (ficus elastica?) pests

Hey guys! It's been a long time since I've been here but I'm having a major problem that I can't identify. I have a rubber plant that I've had about 2 years. Mind you, I've not taken the greatest care of it and at one time I had it outside under my Maple tree (to keep it in the shade). That's probably where I began my problem.

I noticed a ton of little white "eggs" in the soil. I removed as much of the infested soil as I could & repotted and now they're back. I don't know what it is, if it's bad or how to get rid of it.





Can anyone help me identify this? Should I have put this in "Pests"?

I'm not noticing any other bugs or problems. It has lost a lot of leaves but I'm sure that's due to putting outside & bringing it back inside. Should I cut it back to try to make it full again?

I would completly change the soil.I'd wash off the root ball as much as possible and then stick it in some very hot water for about 10-15 minutes and clean& bleach out its container.and repot with some nice fresh potting soil.I had a bad case of spider mites in a AV plant once.I did think their 'cure' was nutz....but it worked.I also use Schultz garden safe 3 in 1 fungicide.I love it so much.....I buy the concetrated bottle to mix up.It will make 6 gallons it runs about $11 but can watch for it on clearance at end of season for about $6-8.They do sell a spray bottle already mixed for about $3.they sell a insecticide& then the 3 in 1 fungicide(which rocks.I just love to spray a bug& watch it suffer.)you can find it at walmart,but some only carry the insecticide.

wear gloves.
your pics make my skin crawl.A spidermite can lay up to 200 eggs in a 2 week period.Under favorable conditions they will have a few egg laying partys& some of the 1st laid in a months time will lay some of their own& they'll form a comunity(yours looks like japan overpopulated).spider mite control takes 3-6 applications.The sprays don't kill the eggs(but the scalding hot water will)Cyflutrin would proably be better,but it cost $70 for 8 oz.it leaves a residue that keeps 'fighting' where the insecicide is shorter lasting.
Here's the product so know it looks like.
http://www.epinions.com/Schultz_Garden_Safe_Fungicide_3
You'll have to treat weekly to get under control as when the eggs hatch...they'll be back.You can get it under control.My lil 4 inch AV pot was as bad as yours...yours is just larger.The hot water will get some eggs but not all.Neem is good also.but neem is added in the fungicide,but i've used both products& the neem you could use as a soil drench.I hope everything goes away real soon for ya.treat every 7 days till under control more....and treat the plants around it too.

it looks to me like a fungal bloom, I had something similar in a plants soil once and they grew into a bunch of beautiful yellow mushrooms....the spores almost looked like white mealy bugs but not quite...I'd try a fungicide first...(if you notice they are a thing living on the damp soil not on the stem, so perhaps they are'nt interested in the plant anyway?) mealybugs would be on the plant...and moving!!

Thanks! I've seen no bugs, yet. I've looked & looked. Nothing on the leaves yet, either. I guess they like the soil. The soil is far from moist I'm terrible about watering my houseplants. I'm gonna go do some more investigating!