other than walking on mature bark..

what if any impact is there on the tree????

i cant really focus on them ... nor would i have any idea how to take a pic of such ...

you might want to try the bug experts in the garden clinic forum ...

any chance if you can tell if they are coming out of the soil ...

ken

Hi Ken,

They start at the very bottom of the tree and are moving up so they could have come from the ground. There is no apparent damage yet but this is a favorite tree for us and birds and bees so I want to make sure I know if treatment is needed.

hard to tell from the photo, possibly "white peach scale" or "white prunicola scale"

Here is a link that might be useful: prunicola scale

Hi arbordave,

Thanks for the link. I read it all and it might be some kind of scale. The only thing I notice is the 1000's of very small pencil shaped insects. It looks like the treatment is oil so this may be my course of action. If it is scale I have yet to find any females.