Anything with a stinger absolutely loves this tree. Bees wasps etc. Multiple kinds of them at once too. There are no hives in the ground or in the tree. I think they are in contracted to this black stuff on the leaves. I have another one of these trees, and the bees don’t love it and there’s no black stuff.
What kind of tree is this? Does anyone know what is going on here? What is the black stuff? And why are the bees so attracted to it?
by AugieDexter
5 Comments
Zooming in you can clearly see scale insects on the twigs. They secrete honeydew which sooty mold grows on. That’s the black stuff. Bees and other insects are attracted to the sweet honeydew
It needs to be treated for scale, they will not go away on their own. Have an arborist out to evaluate. Systemic treatment will not be effective, it needs to be treated during their crawler stage in the fall.
Consider a good haircut first. Shape the shrub. Bag up the clippings and put in trash. Then initiate control measures for the insect issue.
Sooty mold, very common. Are ants farming the scale (IME normally the case)?
If so, then prune up lower branches (so ants can’t climb) and apply tanglefoot to the trunk. See also: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7408.html
Scroll to ant control if tl;dr applies.
Also, don’t apply pesticides in your yard/garden. Give the good bugs the chance to feast on these pests and do the work for you.
GL
You probably have aphids or scale