Question
QUESTION: I have what I think is a silver maple.  Every spring the underside of the leaves get this white fluffy insect. Just looking at it you would not think they are insects, but when you nudge the pile, they move around a bit like the "wave" a ball/hockey games. They have projections that come out of their body that sometimes fly off in the wind. The tree is too big to spray, so I have just been monitoring it for the past 5 yrs. This yr it took it's tole on the tree and half the tree wilted and dropped leaves too early in the fall. what are they? and how can I get rid of them. I have to say that before 5 yrs they never came, but they are increasing in numbers every yr now.

ANSWER: These are an insect called an aphid. More than likely the cottony aphid. They suck the plant juices from the plant and over time can cause damage to the growth of the tree. There are systemic insecticides that can be applied to the soil in the spring and the roots take the insecticide to the plant leaves and twigs and when the aphids feed they are killed. One of these is Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub  Insect Control. Here is a web link to more information on this product. It can be found at most nursery/garden type stores. http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Tree-Shrub-Insect-Control/concentrate.html

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QUESTION: I looked up cottony aphids and the pictures did not match, but I did google aphid pictures and found another person who had, like me, asked a question about fluffy insects on the backside of the leaves her tree. She had included a picture. Bingo!! what I have is Beech Blight Aphids. The treatment they recommended would not be possible for me due to the size of my tree, any recommendations?

Answer
Use the Bayer Advanced it will work on all aphids and is applied to the soil and is preferred for spraying of large trees. Apply in the spring when the tree is moving the liquids to the foliage. IF you use it now you will not get good results since the trees are shutting or have shut down for the winter.