Cottony Aphids on Maple: Identification and Control

What You're Seeing

White, thread-like balls that move slightly and drop sticky honeydew are cottony maple aphids (Neopulvinaria innumerabilis). The "fluff" is wax secreted by the insects. Honeydew attracts ants, bees, and sooty mold.

Control Strategies

Small Trees: Contact Sprays

Thoroughly coat foliage with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or labeled contact insecticides (malathion, acephate, bifenthrin). Repeat weekly until populations drop.

Large Trees: Systemic Soil Drench

Apply imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control) as a soil drench in early spring. Roots absorb it and translocate to leaves, killing aphids as they feed. One application lasts a season. Avoid application during bloom.

Professional Option

Arborists can trunk-inject imidacloprid (Merit) for faster uptake on very large trees.

Ant Management

Ants "farm" aphids for honeydew. Tanglefoot bands on the trunk disrupt ant access, allowing natural predators to reduce aphid numbers.