I came home from work today and one of my kids told me about this. I can't say I have seen something like it before. It kind of looks like an army of ants got stuck on a web 8 feet up the tree.
Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't poke that. I've seen all of the Ridley Scott "Alien" movies though... That's odd, I want to know what that is.
those are woolly aphids! Had a clump of them on a beech limb here in my woods last Summer. They dont move much. Group slowly got bigger as Summer went on. Bright white stood out against the green leaf. Looked like a clump of snow. Blow on the group and they "dance". Looks real cool when they do. (not my video, copied from internet)
Are they ants or beetles ? and are they "stuck" or are they stuffing the crevices with a seed puff and laying eggs in the crevices in the bark ? If they are ants is that a spider trap catching the ants that are farming the aphids on the upper leaves on the tree ?
Well, there's only one logical solution to whatever that is, cut the tree down and burn it. You'll have some nice firewood.
Ants are feeding on smaller insects along with the spiders. I would suggest a systemic insect drench if you're looking to get rid of what I believe is causing the problem.
I thought it was caterpillars but if someone knows otherwise, cool! I've seen some weird critters in my day. Because I am forever observing.
There is also a tent caterpillar or web worm. They will build a big web around a clump of leaves and eat them them.
Gypsy moth caterpillars do not make a web. Tent Caterpillars in the spring, and Fall Webworms in the fall do.
Must be the webworms then, it's usually in the fall, not so much in spring. Never heard of webworms before.
