[Eamonn]

Hi all,

I moved house two years ago and inherited a wonderful Japanese Maple tree, which must be 15/20 years old, and until this summer looked great. This year only a few branches have leafs, and the buds on the others are dying. I can see what looks like small lava/worms on the tree and wonder if this is killing it. I have attached some picture. If you have any ideas what it is and what I should do, please reply.

Thanks,

Eamonn

[Belfast]

Hard to see what is in the photo

Is it possible to get a close up of the worms?

Do they look like this



"Small Bumps On Leaves and Branches
Scale Insects - Several kinds of scale insects infest maples. Sap-sucking insects that feed beneath whitish, gray or brown blister-like protective shells, scale appear as 1/8 to 1/4 inch bumps on tree twigs and as cottony patches on leaves. Affected leaves may turn yellow. Scale insects often secret a sticky sweet honeydew as they feed which coats leaves and invites sooty mold. Do not attempt to treat this problem in large trees that require you to climb a ladder. A certified arborist can do it more safely. It is more of a problem on young trees, anyway.

Swollen, Bleeding Lesions Appear on Stems and Trunk
Canker - A canker disease caused by a fungus attacks maples. Sap oozes from fissures overlying cankers in the bark. Leaves wilt, branches die back. Mildly infected trees may recover without any special care. A similar disease infects the base of the trunk. Once the tree is heavily infected, it cannot be cured. Remove and destroy severely diseased trees. Avoid mechanical injuries to the bark on the trunk, and feed, water and mulch trees as needed to maintain good vigor."
http://gardening.yardener.com/YardenersPlantHelper/LandscapePlantFiles/FilesAboutTrees/TreesShade/MapleJapanese/ProblemsofJapaneseMaple