Lilac with Insects

Question

I moved into a home 2 years ago with a lilac in the yard. I noticed last year that one of the branches was dead and appeared to have some internal damage to it when removing. The yard had been completely neglected for years, so I cleaned it up a bit but didn’t treat because I was unsure of what to treat it for. There were no signs of disease, mold or anything like that. While working in the area yesterday, I noticed another inner branch that was dead. When I pushed against it some to look it over, it basically snapped partially, being brittle. I removed the branch to discover white bugs had filled the inner parts of the bark. I’m not sure what kind of bug it is. What would you suggest I do to treat this and eliminate the problem? I have several new shoots coming up around the bottom of the plant, but a few more damaged braches developing. Thanks so much!

Answer 1

You can remove the dying, brittle growth and treat the lilac with neem oil. It is effective in treating many types of insect pests and is a fungucide as well. Here is more info: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/pests/neem-oil-uses.htm