---
title: What Is the Sticky Sap Dripping From My Tree?
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/what-is-the-sticky-sap-dripping-from-my-tree/
business: Battle Born Tree Service
address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701
phone: 775.232.8243
hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service
credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured
type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood)
---

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- What is the sticky sap dripping from my tree?

# What is the sticky sap dripping from my tree?

Usually one of three things: honeydew left by sap-feeding insects, resin or pitch, or slime flux, a dark smelly ooze from a wound. Where the drip comes from, how it smells and whether insects are present tell them apart.

## Honeydew

Honeydew is the sweet, sticky liquid that sap-feeding insects such as aphids excrete. It rains down on whatever is under the tree, cars, patios and leaves, and sooty mold often grows on it. Michigan State University Extension describes it as coming from sap-sucking insects. Look at the undersides of leaves or needles for small soft insects.

Often it is mainly a nuisance, but an arborist can confirm it.

## Pitch and resin

Conifers such as pines make resin, which beads at wounds, cones and branch tips. A drip from one spot on the trunk, especially with small holes or reddish pitch tubes, can mean a beetle, which is a different matter; see [bark beetles in pines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/bark-beetles-in-pines/).

Resin that comes out of cut or broken limbs is the tree sealing itself, and it hardens.

## Slime flux

The University of Arizona Extension describes slime flux, or wetwood, as a dark, watery exudate that drains from branch crotches, cracks and pruning cuts. It is caused by bacteria infecting the sapwood, often smells bad and may attract insects. The publication says there is no control, that trees with it usually live for many years, and that any weakened limb should be removed if it is a safety risk.

Cottonwood, elm, ash, maple and willow are among the trees it lists as hosts.

## What we do

We do not spray or inject, so our role is to identify what you have and decide whether any pruning or removal is called for. Usually a weak limb is the safety issue, not the drip. Take a photo of the drip, the bark above it and the leaves, and send it with the [estimate form](https://battleborntreeservice.com/free-estimate/), or call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243).

See [arborist consultation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/arborist-consultation/) for what a visit covers.

### Sources

- [Michigan State University Extension: Honeydew fluid comes from sap sucking insects](https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/honeydew) (read October 17, 2026)
- [University of Arizona Extension: Slime Flux or Wetwood (AZ1031)](https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/attachment/slimeflux-1031.pdf) (read October 17, 2026)

### Talk to the office

[775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243)

| Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered |

Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service.

[Free estimate](#quote)

### Keep reading

- [Arborist consultation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/arborist-consultation/)
- [Bark beetles in pines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/bark-beetles-in-pines/)
- [Root and trunk decay](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/root-and-trunk-decay/)
- [How to tell if a tree is dead or dying](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/is-my-tree-dead-or-dying/)
- [Tree health and problems questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/)

### Terms on this page

[Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [Pitch tubes](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/pitch-tubes/)

[The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)

### All tree health and problems questions

- [Tree health and problems questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/)

## Related tree health and problems questions

[Are mushrooms at the base of a tree a bad sign?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/are-mushrooms-at-the-base-of-a-tree-a-bad-sign/) [Why are my aspen trees dying?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-are-my-aspen-trees-dying/) [Can a tree recover after losing half its crown?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/can-a-tree-recover-after-losing-half-its-crown/) [Why is my tree leafing out late this spring?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-is-my-tree-leafing-out-late/) [What are the rows of small holes in my tree's bark?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/what-are-the-rows-of-holes-in-my-tree-bark/) [Should a tree hit by lightning be removed?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/should-a-tree-hit-by-lightning-be-removed/)

[Previous question: Why are my aspen trees dying?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-are-my-aspen-trees-dying/) [Next question: Can a tree recover after losing half its crown?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/can-a-tree-recover-after-losing-half-its-crown/)