Sticky black mess from willow tree
JenKent
Posts: 53
I have a willow tree which appears to be leaving a sticky residue over the path and plants underneath it. There are masses of flies and wasps on the plants and path around the area under the tree and the wasps seem to be stumbling around as if they are drunk! I have looked all around under the plants in case there is a dead bird or animal which is attracting the flies, but can find nothing. I can only assume they are attracted by whatever is coming off the tree as they are nowhere else in the garden. I can just about see what looks like large clumps of black fly (or similar) clinging to the branches in the tree. Obviously I can't spray a huge tree even if I knew what's causing this mess. I've had to move the garden seat as it is covered in a black/grey residue. Has anyone any idea what these bugs could be or is it just the time of year when the tree produces some sort of nectar that the insects enjoy?
Posts
aphids secrete the sticky stuff and insects love it. I think the blackness is dust etc stuck to it
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for giving me a clue. There's obviously nothing I can do, so it looks like I'll just have to wait for the aphids to do whatever aphids do and then get the power washer out to clean the path and garden seat when they've gone!
As nut says it's the honeydew produced by the aphids. It's sweet, so bees, wasps and ants love the stuff. You'll usually see ants tending their flock of aphids on plants for that reason.
The residue goes black as it goes mouldy
Billericay - Essex
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