Q.Ants Attracted To Some Mystery “black Stuff” On A Viburnum Plicatum
I was pruning a Viburnum plicatum (Japanese Snowball Bush) today and whilst doing so I noticed that there were many small ants (probably sugar ants) on some of the stems. Upon closer inspection I saw that the ants were attracted to some black stuff on the stuff which I couldn’t identify. I assume it’s some sort of disease or maybe sugar released from the plant itself, but not 100% sure so I came here to ask if anyone knows what exactly is going on. The mystery black stuff was solid, dry, small, oval in shape, and there were many “spots” together along a 2-4 inch section of the stems in question. I forgot to take a picture, but hopefully the information helps!
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