One common group, woolly aphids, produces an abundance of flossy, waxy threads that cover their bodies. Aphids feed on plants by sucking plant sap from the leaves, twigs or stems. When abundant, aphids remove large quantities of sap, reducing plant growth and vigor. Aphids feeding on developing leaves also can produce leaf curl injuries. This is most frequently observed on snowball viburnum, honeysuckle, plum and ash.
Most aphids excrete large quantities of a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew.
At times, excessive honeydew dropping from trees can be an extreme nuisance. Also, sooty mold fungus may grow on the honeydew, producing a gray, unattractive covering of the leaves. Sooty mold is not damaging to the trees except when it covers leaves and temporarily reduces photosynthesis. Ants often are attracted to honeydew and feed on it. Often the presence of ants crawling up trees or on foliage indicates that large numbers of aphids or other honeydew producers also are on the plants.