Webs on Live Oak

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Calalily Deep South Coastal, TX(Zone 10a) May 18, 2005

I keep meaning to take a picture. I'll try to remember this evening when I get home. These suddenly appeared and are spreading fast. It is a white web that is tight against the bark and inside are teeny black hoppy like bugs. The webs are about 1/3 to 1/2 way around the branches and cover large areas.
What can I spray with? Will it kill my tree?

Post #1479090
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Night_Bloom Griffin, GA(Zone 8a) May 18, 2005

Calalily - it sounds like bark lice. If so - don't kill them! These are good bugs. They eat fungus and debris off of bark and so are beneficial in keeping such things off your trees. The webbing is a protective covering for them. They are gregarious which is why they group together.

If you can get a close enough picture, I should be able to tell you for sure.

Adult bark lice look a bit like small cicadas except that they have long antennae. The small ones look similar except that they are wingless. I have a picture at home - but only of a small species - I'll try to post it on the "friend or foe" thread tonight.

I'm adding a link here for you that has some information about bark lice and a picture of their webbing... http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/HORT/Aug1304a.htm

And go here to see some images of barklice... http://bugguide.net/node/view/67/bgimage . Click on the small pictures for a larger view. Maybe one of these will resemble yours.

This message was edited May 18, 2005 2:49 PM

Post #1479183
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Calalily Deep South Coastal, TX(Zone 10a) May 18, 2005

Yes, that's them. It looks like an alien covered my trees while I slept! I'm so glad I didn't spray them.

Post #1479232
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Night_Bloom Griffin, GA(Zone 8a) May 18, 2005

Oops, you are fast! I am glad you didn't spray them either - I added more information for you since the forestryimages site I refrenced earlier didn't have a picture. That first site has some good information about what they do, their biology, etc.

Post #1479242
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Calalily Deep South Coastal, TX(Zone 10a) May 18, 2005

I did a google search and came up with some good images. They gave some info about them.
I didn't spray them because my sprayer wouldn't work. By the time I got it oiled and fixed, it was too late to spray and then I forgot about them till this morning. Lucky for them, lol.
I'm not usually quick to get out the spray(except for those green metallic bugs that eat my fuchsias after they've devoured all the wild oenothera they could find). I leave caterpillars for the birds to feed their babies unless they are really damaging the plant, I rarely have to spray for aphids because we have praying mantis, lady bugs and lacewings. There are lizards everywhere, and I'm finally finding earthworms in my soil. Now if the mealy bugs would just leave my coleus alone!

Post #1479259
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