These fuzzy little white issues flying round are literally sap-sucking bugs

Those little white fluffy things you might have seen flying around and clinging to things (like cars and trees) in the past few weeks aren’t random pieces of cotton floating in the air – they’re bugs.

The fluffy white things are known as woolly aphids and are commonly found all over Texas.

KSAT reached out to entomologist Molly Keck of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, who said the woolly aphids “are not harmful to humans or animals because they are herbivores”.

You can stress weak and damaged plants, Keck said, but there’s nothing to worry about.

According to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, woolly aphids are sap-sucking insects and produce a sticky substance known as honeydew.

Although the sticky substance is a bit of a nuisance, there is no known long-term damage to plants from wool aphids, UCANR reported.

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“Rain showers and natural enemy populations will take care of them,” said Keck. If you want to remove them from your garden or yard, a nice spray with the hose will help.

Woolly aphids also love hackberry trees, which are common in Texas. So, if you’ve come across a sticky substance or ball of white fluff after parking under it, it’s likely just your friendly neighborhood woolly aphid.

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