Crapemyrtle Sooty Mold: The Aphid-Honeydew Connection

Black sooty coating on crapemyrtle leaves and ground beneath = crapemyrtle aphids. They suck sap, excrete sticky honeydew, and sooty mold grows on it. Thorough insecticidal soap sprays every few days work, but blasting limbs with a water hose gives equally good control without harming beneficial insects that prey on aphids.