Do you have a magnifying glass to get a closer look? I'm not familiar with ficus pests (check the houseplant forum here, by the way--they are!) but it looks a bit like thrips or mite damage. Check the underside really close.

Great idea and Thank you @Fori for the recommendations. I took some picture and zoomed in and found these needle head sized bugs.

personally ... i would use a soil based systemic insecticide to get rid of this problem ...

and i would do it outdoors ...

i dont quite get why it sounds like you are dragging it in and out ... nor do i understand where you or it is ...

i might also research propagation of the plant.. and once i rooted some new pieces.. if possible.. i might just get rid of the huge old monster ... because in my world.. a new piece.. will be the same plant as the old ...

many bugs are attracted to stressed plants ... so we might also look into why this huge plant is stressed ...

also... not sure it needs fert every month ... but that may be a function of how old the media is ....

btw.. when is the last time it was repotted???

ken

NO NEED to contemplate getting rid of the plants.

Shankaw most likely takes the plant outside to water it properly, perfectly understandable. Watering with little sips is never a good thing. The fertilizer regimen also sounds appropriate.....a very dilute amount of soluble fertilizer on a regular schedule is far better for containerized plants than withholding fertilizer, especially if the plant is being watered properly.

Spider mites do not respond well at all to most systemic insecticides, especially those that are labeled for indoor use. The vast majority of intelligent people don't want to use toxic pesticides in the home where fumes can be an issue for weeks.

Shankaw, the little bit of the tree that I can see from your picture looks quite nice and full....other than the tell-tale stippling from the spider mites. Am I right about that?

If so, your trees are worth fighting for, I think. Nice sized Ficus benjamina are hard to come by.

Horticultural oils can be very helping in gaining control over these little pests and I urge you to investigate them. I like cold pressed neem oil as well as many of the other hort. oils on the market. Some people in the Houseplant Forum and Citrus Forum also use fish oil as a spray and see great spider mite control.

You cannot make your own. Purchase oils without other pesticides added, just oils or waxes. Read and follow the directions.

You'll need a good hand sprayer and disposable gloves because you will need to pump with one hand and use the other one to turn the leaves so that you can spray the undersides....that's where the mites hang out. Take care of the treatment outside if the temperatures cooperate and allow to drip dry for a few minutes.

The neem has an odd odor and the fish oil smells like.....well, fish! Both dissipate in a couple of days.

In between monthly treatments, you could take the ficus into the shower for both watering and tepid sprays directed to the underside of the leaves.

I take them outside to water and drain properly -they are on a base so it's easy to roll out. Both plants are very nice, tall, and full. Plus I've had these for a long time. So I wouldn't want to get rid of them.

I agree with rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7. Great advice on Neem oil as well -it sounds much better than the chemical alternatives. I've known parts of the Neem tree is used in Ayurvedic medicine, but didn't know about the pest control usage.

I'll start the treatment this afternoon and will keep you posted.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email found on my houzz page.