I have a Japanese maple that has itty bitty teeny weeny black bugs. They look like little seeds that run away. They do not fly, jump or crawl.
They may be a secondary problem to the white?mold?stuff? on the bark which is also yet to be identified. The white stuffs will smear when you touch it though.
Any thoughts?
Your maple could have a scale insect infestation, but probably not Lopholeucaspis japonica, the species usually associated with Japanese maple - see http://www.insectimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1263044 for an image. As for the black spots, they are too small to make out any detail, but if they actually move actively, they could be very small ladybird beetles, such as those in the genera Stethorus (see http://cherokeereservation.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/apple/entomology/insects-mites/SPfact.html) or Scymnus (see http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/lady_beetles09.htm). You might try contacting your county extension service office for further advice - see http://ext.wsu.edu/locations/
Is there any sticky substance on the tree? That would indicate sucking insects, which scale are. I see one parasitized aphid in the photo.
If this is scale, which it appears to be, you can use Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insecticide. Apply it around the base of the trunk and water it in well. It is systemic and will kill the scale as they suck the juice from your tree. Give it a little time to do the job.
Another method is to spray with horticultural oil which suffocates the crawler stage. You will need to repeat this a couple of times (see directions on the bottle). don't apply when temps are above 85 degrees.
The scale will not disappear - it is stuck to the tree - but it will die. When you scrape it off, it will be brown/black underneath.
