What are these tiny dots on this leaf?

Louise
by Louise
What are these tiny dots of a stubborn substance that is on everything outside? It's shiny and maybe a tiny bit sticky. It's on all my plants on the deck. Here's a photo of on a leaf. It's also all over my car and takes some real rubbing to get it off.
  25 answers
  • Lar9783770 Lar9783770 on Nov 19, 2016
    It looks like sap.
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Nov 19, 2016
    Check the underside of the leaves for signs of insects.
    • Virginia Maples Virginia Maples on Jul 11, 2018

      There is some kind of black bug under some of the leaves. The sap is bad. How do I get rid of it on the tree?

  • Johnchip Johnchip on Nov 19, 2016
    Do you have any overhanging trees or roof giving off rainspatter? Is there any sign of this of where this begins to appear and end on the ,, drive way, ground or other things around the plants? It could be you had a very polluted rain or it is result of spatter or droppings. Check the neighnor but It may be just you overhangs.
    • See 1 previous
    • Johnchip Johnchip on Nov 21, 2016
      I agree likely a sap issue possibly due more to the lack of rain then that made it 'sprout'. I had that on a car in N. Carolina under some pines, yeach.
  • Bink Bink on Nov 20, 2016
    It probably sap. Mine was under a pine tree and I had a mess
  • Karen Martel Karen Martel on Nov 20, 2016
    It looks like you have aphids. I have seen this many times over the years. Sometime trees become infested with aphids who's droppings are like a sticky sap. Check the underside of the leaves of your plants and trees for a small green bug. They usually hide in clusters on the plants. There are chemical sprays you can use, or simply hose the plants down frequently.
  • Janie Janie on Nov 20, 2016
    I noticed the mulch under the leaves, I think this is your problem: It sounds as though your mulch has developed "artillery" or "shotgun" fungus (Sphaerobolus stellatus). The black specks are spore masses of the fungus. Artillery fungus has the ability to "shoot" its spores at objects such as light-colored house siding, fences, or cars. The spores stick to most surfaces and are almost impossible to remove. This fungus develops in wood-based mulches under cool, moist conditions. Cypress, cedar, redwood, and pine bark mulch seem to be resistant to the fungus.
  • Cheryl stanley Cheryl stanley on Nov 20, 2016
    it's just sap droplets from the trees.
  • DB DB on Nov 20, 2016
    I vote with Janie--Artillery fungus grows in mulch. It is probably coming from the mulch below-not the trees above It is called "artillery" because it can shoot it's spores REALLY high into the air. It is hard to see it in the mulch. It is yucky sticky and hard to wash off but soapy water helps, Might want to get rid of the current mulch--it only gets worse so replace with stones if you can. Good luck Goodluck Fyi it prob won't kill your plants directly but it attracts dust etc and maybe other bugs.
  • Corinne  Case Corinne Case on Nov 20, 2016
    Ferns have spores, part of their reproduction .
  • Lisa Terry Hann Lisa Terry Hann on Nov 21, 2016
    It is a disease. Try clearing the leaves away from underneath and spray your plants with dish soap diluted in water. You will need to it more than once. I would stay away from insecticides since we are losing bees and other beneficial insects and it harms the environment.
  • Deanna Nassar Deanna Nassar on Nov 21, 2016
    I think it's the artillery fungus too. Here's an article, with pictures, and info on what to use for clean up. http://rayhaluchinc.com/getting-rid-of-artill...
  • Rosanne Rosanne on Nov 21, 2016
    I would use Safer soap on the leaves. The "honey do" that is from the aphids.
    • See 1 previous
    • Hug13055182 Hug13055182 on Nov 27, 2016

      The black spots are the fungus/mold that grows on the initially clear, honeydew droppings...look for ants...then maybe spray tree...

  • Snance Snance on Nov 22, 2016
    Could it be this? I found a similar substance on my patio furniture and realized it was the sap dropping down from nearby trees. My patio was even covered (but not enclosed). It was definitely a pain to remove (ended up sanding some of it off) from my furniture. Now I try to pay more attention to the time of year I place the furniture on the patio.
    • Tam 15076171 Tam 15076171 on Dec 30, 2016

      I have the very same stuff in Texas.( I took some leaves to a plant nursery to find out what it was and found out it was sap.) I bought a new patio set and a bright yellow umbrella I left the umbrella open and this stuff got all over it and we have a lot next to us that is dirt only and the umbrella was on that side of the house and the wind blew and the dirt stuck all in this sap and ruined my new umbrella. I have tried everything to get it off of it because I can't make myself throw it away so what I'm trying to say is remember what time of year this happened and cover anything you don't want ruined or that you don't want to have to scrub and scrub...

  • Gina Gina on Nov 22, 2016
    Yes, I had a tulip poplar tree over my patio and in the spring I had those shiny sap spots all over everything!
  • Tonia Tonia on Nov 22, 2016
    Evergreen and pines will also drop very sticky sap.
  • Cwh6899259 Cwh6899259 on Nov 22, 2016
    Aphid poo/pee! Find which tree/trees they are living in - apply a couple of inches of epsom salts around tree base in a circle about a foot out. Water. Aphids do not like the tree sap (which they live on) when the epsom salts change the taste. Works all through the garden and amazingly fast. Reapply when you notice the aphids back in the tree. Look on the undersides of the leaves.
  • Sue Sanders Sue Sanders on Nov 22, 2016
    Could be tree sap. My truck parked under my Ash tree dripped sap all over the truck. Very hard to get off. Truck in new location now.
  • Kaioverbeck Kaioverbeck on Nov 22, 2016
    Ants go up the tree to eat the sweet sap and I was told it was ant droppings by the tree sprayer. Once the tree is sprayed, no more sap .
  • Sharon Morton Sharon Morton on Nov 22, 2016
    I would cut off one of the leaves and take it to a garden center to have it diagnosed but since it is on your car as well, it could be sap from a tree. We have wild cherry trees that make a mess like this on our car if left in the drive not to mention all the berry droppings and seeds everywhere on the patio too.
  • Susan N Susan N on Nov 22, 2016
    Chinese Elms drop incredible amounts of very sticky sap...
  • Tauba brown Tauba brown on Nov 24, 2016

    My name is Tauba I work in Lowes Garden Center in S.C. this definitely looks like aphids to me. I sent a pic of product we sell that is awesome.it is a 3 in 1 product. If you zoom in on bottle you will see it will work on all your garden needs.I use this myself on everything outside when needed. Hope this helps.. follow application directions.More is not better and you will just be wasting product..

  • Sharon Gehrke Wolf Sharon Gehrke Wolf on Dec 13, 2016

    Does your city spray for mosquitoes? I get this all the time from mosquito spray in our city.

  • Eleanor Eleanor on Jan 13, 2017

    They are not aphids. Aphids DO leave a sticky substance on your plants, but there are no aphids present and they don't just go away for the day, lol!

  • Louise Louise on Jan 13, 2017

    The plants are all in the house now and none have the spots anymore. I think it was something sticky from the atmosphere, but at least it's gone.

  • Colleen Thompson Colleen Thompson on Jan 19, 2017

    Sap or sap-like pollen that is released from nearby trees. I have ornamental pear trees and they are really bad for this in the summer. Also, palms do this. To remove this sticky stuff I like to take an old rag/towel and wet it with hot water and lay it over the windshield to let it soften the goo up a bit, then I use paper towels or an old rag sopping wet with warm water and ammonia to swab over the window glass, returning to rinse thoroughly or re-wipe with plain water soaked towel. Cleans up like a charm.