so every fall.. your plant sheds some leaves ... and you want to kill the bugs??

the pic seems to indicate that your plant has turned itself to the right.. toward the light source ... and that might be telling you it needs more light ... or at a min.. to be turned every few days ...

you really shouldnt treat for a bug problem.. if you cant see and ID the bug ...

perhaps you should cut off the yellowing leaves.. and take them to a high end nursery.. and see if they can give you info.. without selling you another remedy ...if you have more than one locally.. try a couple different places.. so you might find the honest one ....

there is a houseplant forum.. where i am sure you will find lots of peeps who grow this plant .. should you wish to learn to care for it ...

regardless.. nothing is killing your plant.. and it sure doesnt look like its dying ...

ken

Looks like scale and they love shefflera. Before mine gave up the ghost I used rubbing alcohol on a rag and wiped the entire plant down every week or so until they were in check. They always returned, however.

tj

ken-adrian -- OH!!! My plant 1) DOES have bugs -- started this summer and so far nothing has solved the issue. The bugs/mites are, as tsugajunkie said, "scale" which LOVE Schefflera. b) get tons of sunshine but the branches are lopsided. I'm not an idiot.

Denise, I can see the scale insects in your picture. With improved focus, I'll bet that a nice little infestation becomes apparent. /:-(

I can also see scale. Look at the leaf you are holding between finger and thumb. They are visible on the central leaf vein.

A summer outside is always beneficial in reducing scale but once the plant is back inside vigilance is the key.