Gerrie
Senior Member
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:10 pm
Location: Southern Oregon

Sticky Residue on Yellow Zucchinni Plants and Fruits

I checked the zucchinni posts on the forum and haven't yet been able to find the problem or it's cure-help!

The plants had been fine and I noticed they were getting a sticky residue on the fruits when I picked them, washes off the fruit easily, but, this morning I noticed lots of bees, flys, lady beetles and ants on the plants and it seems the leaves themselves are being attacked somehow with something that leaves a sticky residue all over them. Has anyone got any ideas? Is this aphids? I can't see any but there are tiny spots like excremet all over the leaves.

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rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Aphids, white flies, and mealybugs secrete honeydew, a sticky sweet substance that attracts ants and flies. The ladybugs are probably there eating the aphids or whatever.

You almost certainly have one of those bugs, most likely aphids.

Try typing aphid control into the search box on upper left of most pages to find what's already been written here about that.

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SP8
Green Thumb
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:29 pm
Location: Nagoya: Japan

Sounds like aphids and from the way you have described the situation there must be HEAPS of them. I'm surprised you can't see any….?

Try shaking your plant lightly and see if it 'rains' aphids.

cynthia_h
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

Look *underneath* the leaves if you can't see them elsewhere.

Best wishes...

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9



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