Bark Lice on Maple: Harmless Clean-Up Crew

Park maple covered in silk webbing with thousands of tiny orange pinhead creatures. Bark lice (Psocoptera) — not true lice, not parasitic.

Biology

• Feed on fungi, lichens, dead insects on bark.
• Spin protective silk webs overnight.
• Beneficial "clean-up crew."

Management

None needed. If cosmetically objectionable: 2 Tbsp dish soap/gal water spray, or water blast (they rebuild). Insecticides work but unnecessary.

Reference

Auburn University Bark Lice Info