Question
Good evening Jim.  So in reading your post about what could potentially be the cause of the small tiny red buds on the trunk of my weeping willow, yellow dropping leaves, what is the cure or treatment to get my tree back on a safe path?  I've contacted the lawn chemical treatment business and am waiting for them to call me back to ask the question what do they use as noted in your post explanation.  I hope there is a treatment or am I going to lose the tree in your opinion if that is what the problem is?

Answer
It could be scale insects. take your finger and see if the "bumps" can be squashed. Scale insects live in a "shell" similar to a turtle. They suck the plant juices from the plant. It also could just be the tree is sprouting new growth from the trunk--which is common for .   If the bump will squash the scale insect can be controlled with an insecticide. Apply an insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control to the soil around the tree and the roots will take the insecticide to the twigs and foliage and kill the scale when they suck the plant juices. You can also spray the tree foliage and branches with an insecticide called Orthene. IF the tree is too large to reach use the Bayer product. Check with your local nursery for these products.

If the bimps do not have anything in them and are solid these are just the buds of the willow and is normal.