What could be the sticky shiny substance on my bay tree and oleander shrub?
Question:They are planted beside each other and clearly share the same problem. I don't see any greenfly.
Answers:
more than likely you have an insect problem. there are many types of insects, including aphids and mealy bug that are piercing-sucking insects. what they do is suck the juice out of a plant then secrete what is called a 'honeydew'. the honeydew is a sticky substance that can attract other bugs, like ants. after a while the honeydew causes (or turns into...not 100% sure on that) a black moldy looking substance called sooty mold. check your plants carefully to see if they've got some kind of something feeding on them. sometimes insects are hard to see. especially check the new growth, and undersides of leaves.
Sounds like White Flies. Do you see the little buggers flying around or under the leaves? The most effective control I have used is soap spray.
Sounds like good ol snails. Buy yourself some snail bait or get a small saucer and add beer and that will kill them!
Bethyb is right on! You have a piercing sucking insect and the stickiness is it's poop....sorry. This is high in sugar and thus a perfect medium for sooty mold growth.the honey dew doesn't become mold, it just supports it.
Green bug is another term for aphid which apparently you know to look for on new growth, on the stems and under the leaves. The white flecks are actually discarded skins.
If you can't find greenbugs it could be another Homoptera such as whitefly or even scale which you'd find on the stems as strange bumps.
The soap treatment will only work on soft bodied insects such as aphids. It will not work on something with a hard shell. In your case, the soap will also help wash off the honeydew, the sticky stuff.
Generally healthy plants can support a fair colony of aphids and some relatives without problems. I would urge you to be careful even with the soap as you can also interfere with the parasitic insects...those that are helping control (not eliminate) your pest problem.
Someone mentioned snails...their trails are slimey and yes, they can get somewhat high into a plant. You might look inside, at the plant's base and along walls and walks to see of Mr/Ms Escargot is visiting.
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