Oak Tree White Cottony Fuzz: Cottony Aphids and Honeydew

Oak leaves covered in white cottony fuzz that feels sticky (like syrup) when rubbed.

Identification

Cottony aphids—they suck plant juices and secrete sugar-rich honeydew. The white fluff is their waxy filamentous covering.

Small tree: Spray canopy and branches with acephate (Orthene).
Large tree: Soil drench with imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control). Roots translocate to foliage; season-long control.

Trees: Ash/Hickory Leaf Spot: Fungal Disease Management and Tree Identification; Oak Leaf Galls in Scotland: Harmless Wasp-Induced Growths; Honey Locust Leaf Drop: Root Stress from Weather Extremes; Willow Oak Decline: Wood Ash, Soil pH, and Leaf Spot; Laurel Oak Rust Spots & Sap: Slime Flux (Wetwood); Live Oak Bark Shedding: Borer Infestation Under Stress; Decay Fungi vs. Oak Wilt in Tennessee Oaks; White Birch Leaf Miner: Systemic Treatment for Small Tree; Oak Apple Galls: Red Balls on Leaves, Harmless; Oak Leaf Scorch: Diagnosis, Treatment & Saving a 75-Year-Old Pin Oak

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