Black Pine problem with white fluffy stuff

[longd_au]

Hi

My black pine is suffering from white fluffy stuff along the trunk, in gaps and around the buds.
It is weakening it to the point the candles are way behind others.

I've sprayed it with confidor which I happened to be holding at the time of the discovery.
Can you please ID it for me and suggest a way to treat it?

pine3.jpg

pine2.jpg

pine1.jpg

Thanks,
Dennis

[Daluke]

I have the same problems. White oil cleans things up. The other thing I’ve found works is spraying it off with a jet stream hose setting and then putting in full sun.

[shibui]

It may just be white film that seems to form as pines grow but there is a bug called pine bark adelgid which is a bit like an aphid that grows white fluff to protect itself from predators. It can really infest pines and cause poor growth, sometimes death of the tree. White oil will kill the ones it touches but some always seem to survive and continue to breed. A strong systemic usually gets rid of it but you may need to treat the trees several times.
Adelgid live on pines so if there are pines nearby or if you collect pines and bring them home you will probably get more on your bonsai and will need regular treatment.

[longd_au]

Thanks for your replies.
Do you think confidor will work?
I will spray it with white oil tomorrow as well.

I have not brought any new pines home and this is the first time I've had this on any of my pines over the last few years.
Not sure where it came from but seems make the tree quite weak.

They remind me of scales but fluffy white instead.

[shibui]

I think confidor should work but this pest is not mentioned on the label, possibly just because it does not affect most gardeners.
Even after the bugs are dead the white stuff stays on the tree for ages so it is hard to tell if you have been successful. Maybe the white oil will dissolve it and clean the trunk as well as killing any that are left alive?

It is possible that a few have been living on one or more of the trees unnoticed since you got them and have increased in numbers this year when conditions are good. If the trees are already looking weak they must have been there for a while.

[John(JP)]

Dennis,

I had this exact problem(judging by pics) on a JBP I purchased in Sydney some 2 years ago - knowing less than nothing about Bonsai, let alone JBP, I used Confidor several times in between washes and while it took time it went away and my tree is starting to look very healthy - perhaps the odd -8C during winter assisted.

John

[longd_au]

Thanks again for your reply Neil and John.
I sprayed it with confider yesterday and covered it with white oil today. Hopefully, there is no such thing as too much white oil as making sure nothing is left uncovered (which is kinda hard on a pine), I sprayed quite heavily on some branches.

[dennismc]

This is a common problem with JBPs. Confidor may help. Be very careful using white oil it can sometimes do more harm than good! Better to use the just as effective PEST OIL, which is a gentler form of white oil.

My experience is that this pest is more prevalent when the inner parts of the tree do not receive adequate sunlight and ventilation. When the tree is opened up and more light and air can infiltrate this pest miraculously disappears.

Dennis Mc

[seephil]

I've been having similar problems too.

Thankfully I spotted it early and separated it away from the others.
Its had two weeks of confidore treatment and to be honest, nothing much has changed, apart from the needles now taking a longer time to turn yellow. I haven't used white oil or pest oil before. Can anyone recommend me a brand or type?

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the OP but I thought I'd share some pics too.

[shibui]

In my experience the white stuff stays long after the bugs are dead so you have probably solved the problem with confidor but the signs persist. You could check with a magnifying glass and tweezers to see if you can find some sign of life under the white fluff (pink goo from squashed insects?)
I seem to remember that a spray with metho seemed to dissolve the white fluff which makes it easier to monitor?

Pestoil is a Yates product. Eco oil is from Multicrop. I think they are basically the same just different trade names. They are both promoted as safer than white oil which is just an oil emulsion and can occasionally burn the leaves if a hot day follows application. Whatever you use, read the instructions and use as directed to be safe.

[longd_au]

I heavily sprayed my pine with white oil. It left the plant a bit shiny but all the white fluffy stuff melted away like Shibui said.
Pine don't change much in a week or two so I am not sure if it is getting better or worst. I look at it every day and it seems to be growing.
This plant is the bigger one of my lot but there are hardly any candles from the damage. I hope it recovers and candles later in the season.

I have been trying to thicken it and it had a sacrifice branch that was over a meter long before I cut it off late winter. I am hoping it has enough energy to push through this weakened state.