Q.what makes small white cocoons & squishes red?
The cocoons are sticky & bug inside squishes red. They are all over the branches of barberry bushes and Japanese maple.

Heather
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on November 20, 2013
The "cocoons" are likely the bug itself. It sounds like you have either mealy bugs or wooly aphids. Here is more information about how to control both pests:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/mealybugs-white-residue-on-plants-leaves.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/woolly-aphid-control.htm
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