Pest I think????

[John(JP)]

Looking for a clue - didn't take any pic's sorry.

I have a Trident Maple Forest which has gone gangbusters this year - decided it was time to prune it back - found what I initially thought was "sparrow poop" throughout the top part of a few trees but after getting excited about my pruning I find what anyone would swear was bird poop on the underside of leaves, on branches and on the trunks but I don't care how agile a bird you are you cannot poop where I found poop.

Trees are very healthy and will love the fact that they can now get some breeze in amongst the branches.

I wiped most of this sticky white/greyish muck off, cut a lot off and then gave the trees a dose of a general pest spray from Bonsai Shop - they are say 5mm long, round like sausage and say 2mm round.

Anybody tell me.

John

[Raging Bull]

It would be much easier to identify if you had a picture of it. (Maybe you do have some very acrobatic birds at your place. )

[John(JP)]

Thanks Raging Bull, fact is I thought of taking a pic and then thought while you are inside John make a cup of coffee - DONE - forgot about pic - age is a terrible thing

Its OK they are Meally Bugs - Confidor will help - and gets me an excuse to do the trim on each of the forest trees they deserve

[shibui]

If the 'bird poop' is frothy bubbles then it is likely you have spit bugs aka froghoppers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froghopper

We get them on plants in the garden but rarely on the bonsai. Squash the larvae or hose them off should get rid of most. Otherwise an insecticide, probably a systemic because it will need to get inside the frothy stuff which is for protection for the larvae inside.

Mealy bugs have dry white fluff like cotton wool covering the bugs while they suck on your trees. They are usually on apples. I have not seen them on maples. You can use soapy water or metho to kill them but a systemic is best because there are usually some living on the roots as well.