Is this more than Aphid damage?

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Not sure if I got more than one issue going on here. I found this on my Azalea (dwarf Kazan) when I rotated it for sun I found this. Which looks like a fungus or mold & doesn't rub off.




Looking under the leaves revealed what looks like aphids (on the left leave above my thumb). I tried getting a good pic, but I needed another hand to do so.



Are the top of leaves showing Aphid/Bug damage from below or is it something else? I sprayed the crap out of it with the hose, but haven't used any insecticde (because it's not dry yet) but I will in the morning.

A kaleidoscope of gross.

 

[MGTT]

Fwiw, looks like aphids to me. I’ve been struggling with them on an inground Euro Beech, but not to that extent.
I’ve tried multiple rounds of Neem, but am onto a systemic.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Usually a mixture of dish soap and water sprayed on usually does the trick.

10 minutes after application, jet off with water blast.
For immediate cleanse, I’ve had great results scrubbing with an alcohol drenched toothbrush on affected areas.

 

[ShadyStump]

Yup, aphid damage can show through from the other side of the leaf.

When I move my tropicals in for winter I always wind up getting a nasty infestation. Neem hasn't been enough to save my trees and plants, but it does slow it down a little. I usually have better luck with my homemade tobacco tea, but it discolors everything, and I'd rather not use it on the potted herbs.
This year I plan to hit everything but the edibles with a hardcore systemic as they come inside, and stick with neem or tobacco for those.

Here they're bad enough I suggest blasting them with water to start, a systemic after the tree dries off. Follow up every few weeks with been as a preventative.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Fwiw, looks like aphids to me. I’ve been struggling with them on an inground Euro Beech, but not to that extent.
I’ve tried multiple rounds of Neem, but am onto a systemic.

It's only on one side...for now.

Usually a mixture of dish soap and water sprayed on usually does the trick.

10 minutes after application, jet off with water blast.
For immediate cleanse, I’ve had great results scrubbing with an alcohol drenched toothbrush on affected areas.

Thanks. I know the dish soap mixture well.

Yup, aphid damage can show through from the other side of the leaf.

When I move my tropicals in for winter I always wind up getting a nasty infestation. Neem hasn't been enough to save my trees and plants, but it does slow it down a little. I usually have better luck with my homemade tobacco tea, but it discolors everything, and I'd rather not use it on the potted herbs.
This year I plan to hit everything but the edibles with a hardcore systemic as they come inside, and stick with neem or tobacco for those.

Here they're bad enough I suggest blasting them with water to start, a systemic after the tree dries off. Follow up every few weeks with been as a preventative.

Thanks! That's the part I've never seen before. Duly noted. Neem has never worked for me, so I gave up on it, and the tobacco is not in the cards as the soap mixture I use usually works with follow up like you know about.

 

[Shibui]

Azalea lace bug is the biggest azalea pest down here. Whenever I see silvery leaves it's lace bug, rarely aphid.
They are a bit harder to kill than aphids but a systemic knocks them out and stops reinfestation. Just don't use systemics close to flowering as the chemicals also get into the flowers and can kill entire bee hives.

 

[rockm]

Most likely thrips. They can be common on satsuki and azaleas. Was told by people very familiar with imported satsukis that they usually come with a load of thrips from Japan. Systemic poisons can get rid of them.

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html

 

[Paradox]

Yea doesnt look like aphids to me. You would see them attached to the leaves and stems.
I usually see them sucking on the trees but Ive never seen the damage look like this.
The little black spots underneath look more like scale to me but not quite right either.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

The black spots were throwing me off as well. I need a handful of hungry ladybugs.

 

[August44]

Looks like Mites to me and the plant looks like a goner, at least for this season. I don't believe in the water spray thing at all. What you're doing is just blowing off the pest to the ground on onto another plant, so their still around and will seek another plant in your garden. After several years of fighting mites here I have found that most insecticides that say they kill mites is not at all true...they don't. I have experimented a lot and find Ferti.Lome, SPINOSAD soap to be the thing to use. Make sure you spray the whole tree UNDER THE LEAVES. Check again in 7-10 days an do it again if you see a few. This is listed as a insecticide and miticide and will eliminate mites if you spray correctly and check again to make sure they are gone. It must kill the eggs too cause I don't see any new mites down the road after spraying.

Amazon.com

 

[Dav4]

May also be Yersinia pestis (The Plague), Covid-31… maybe Jock Itch, too. I’m notifying the authorities!

 

[nuttiest]

is it raised black bumps like an armored or soft scale? different pesticides I think.

 

[August44]

Looks like Mites to me and the plant looks like a goner, at least for this season. I don't believe in the water spray thing at all. What you're doing is just blowing off the pest to the ground on onto another plant, so their still around and will seek another plant in your garden. After several years of fighting mites here I have found that most insecticides that say they kill mites is not at all true...they don't. I have experimented a lot and find Ferti.Lome, SPINOSAD soap to be the thing to use. Make sure you spray the whole tree UNDER THE LEAVES. Check again in 7-10 days an do it again if you see a few. This is listed as a insecticide and miticide and will eliminate mites if you spray correctly and check again to make sure they are gone. It must kill the eggs too cause I don't see any new mites down the road after spraying.

Amazon.com

At this point, I don't care what the H it is, spray with the spinosad as it will kill mites, aphids etc

 

[KateM]

This is definitely lace bugs. I got a Japanese andromeda infested by them now. Bonide systemic should help.

 

[nuttiest]

Azalea lace bug is the biggest azalea pest down here. Whenever I see silvery leaves it's lace bug, rarely aphid.

Oh, I see that is poo from this bug... amazing it sticks underneath the leaf.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

is it raised black bumps like an armored or soft scale? different pesticides I think.

Nope. it appears to be waste.

This is definitely lace bugs. I got a Japanese andromeda infested by them now. Bonide systemic should help.

This is what I hit it with when I got home from work. Ortho Insect Mite & Disease 3-in-1. I also have this BioAdvanced 3-In-1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control. Any new stuff I'll have t buy.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Is this any good? LINK

 

[August44]

Is this any good? LINK

View attachment 566940

I have heard it is good but if you're trying to kill something that is already destroying your trees this might not be a good choice as it will take awhile to get watered into the ground and taken up by the tree or whatever you are trying to protect. I would get something that will kill on contact and then thoroughly spray the tree top to bottom and under the leaves too.

 

[August44]

This is definitely lace bugs. I got a Japanese andromeda infested by them now. Bonide systemic should help.
View attachment 566902View attachment 566903View attachment 566904View attachment 566905

Good ID job there KateM. I saw one of those creatures you showed on one of the picture the OP showed and thought it was a mite. I am not familiar with Lace bugs as we don't have them where I live and that's a good thing it looks like to me.

 

[Shibui]

Is this any good? LINK

Bonide is Imacloprid. That is a very effective systemic. It will definitely kill azalea lace bugs. Most will be gone in just a few days but there's enough residual in the plant to also kill any new hatchings for a few weeks. Just remember it will also kill anything else that eats or sucks on any part of the plant, including bees and other friends.