Japanese maple dying

Question

Tree is seven yrs old. Has some black oily looking spots and some tiny pin holes, and what looks like white poop of some insect. I only see that on the side of the tree that has died. Some branches are still alive. I scraped in spots and a lot of the tree is dead hard wood. Is this tree confused – half alive and half dead? The dead parts started to flower just fine and then withered.

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Answer 1

Examine the leaves for signs of insects. They produce honeydew which in turn attracts sooty mold.
When they are located, spray once a week with an insecticidal soap or horticulture oil. Sooty mold will die off when it's food source disappears.

Here is a link.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/japanese-maple/japanese-maple-problems.htm