Globe Willow Honeydew and Sooty Mold: Aphid or Scale Control

Black Branches and Clear Weeping

Globe willow has black areas on branches and weeps clear substance.

Cause: Sucking Insects

Either aphids (small, moving, waxy) or scale (turtle-like, stationary) suck plant juices and excrete honeydew (sticky, high sugar). Black sooty mold grows on honeydew.

Control Options

• Foliar Spray: Contact insecticides (acephate, bifenthrin, malathion, etc.)—rotate if resistance suspected.
• Systemic Soil Drench (Recommended): Imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control)—roots absorb, provides months of control, easier on large trees, less harm to beneficials.

Result

Control the insects → honeydew stops → sooty mold disappears or washes off.