Joanne - I am glad you asked before spraying! First you need to figure out what caused the dead buds, what bug you have, and from that you can figure out the least toxic solution if any solution is needed. The brown buds may be due to a late spell of cold weather that happened after the tree started pushing its buds. Many areas of New England had this issue this year, with unseasonably warm weather causing trees and shrubs to start opening buds, and then cold weather killing the swelling buds. This effected fruit trees (both ornamental like your cherry and in orchards) as well as other ornamental plants such as hydrangeas. The bugs may just be coincidence or even there to eat the already dead buds - not way to tell without an ID. Sevin is a short-term neuotoxin (inhibits mammal nerve and brain cells) if you or your pets are exposed to it, and it is broad spectrum, effecting all insects, other invertebrates such as spiders and crayfish, and fish. It will kill honeybees, and other beneficial insects such as praying mantis and ladybugs along with whatever pests are around, so you may end up with a bigger pest problem down the road if you've indiscriminately killed off the preditor insects along with the problem bugs. So before using something like that, I would be very sure that it is the only possible solution to a problem, and use it with protective gear (keep it off skin and out of eyes, mouth, and nose) as well as washing up well afterwards. Read the label and use only as directed. Alternatives: - You can take photos, and post on the Insect forum or here on the New England forum to see if you can get an ID. You could get a couple of samples and take them to a master gardener or your local extension office. Once you have an ID you may find that there are less toxic solutions such as Bt, a bacteria that only effects caterpillars, but not other larvae or other animals. - Since your tree is still small, you can brush all the tiny black worms into a container of soapy water - they will drown. However, know that all insects have larvae that look worm-like, and lady bugs are one of them with black, scary-looking larvae, so I would get an ID before doing this or anything else that will kill them. - This winter, read up on dormant oil sprays and use that before they leaf out if it turns out that your bugs are problem bugs, and now (if needed) you may be able to use a summer oil spray, either of which suffocates insects on contact but doesn't have a lasting effect on other insects. We periodically get folks here who have assumed that if a bug is on a plant that is in trouble that the bug must be causing the problem, but often, such as in the case of ladybug larvae, they are helping to solve the problem by eating the problem bugs that are there. So do take the time to ID your critters, and let us know how it goes. (PS - For the future, if you start your own thread on the main New England forum page instead of adding to an old one, the replies will get delivered to your mailbox, so you won't miss any.)

I see some sort of webs (very tiny) on some of the stems. However the amount of webs is really small compared to the amount of affected leaves (maybe 3 webs in the whole plant) . So it may only be dust or maybe indeed a little web from a household spider that has been shrinking. Almost every leaf has also a white blob but only in some case that is surrounded by the tiny black bugs, so I think they are not related (but the bugs may feed on it). The bugs or dots or whatever they are do not move... I kept staring at them but nothing happens and even if they are absolutely microscopic, I guess I would have detected a movement. I made a very very dilute soapy water solution following another website where an expert on ficus recommended it cause I didn't have the chance to go to the store, and since the plant was already outside it was easier to spray it. Also I wanted to make sure I bought a proper chemical solution once I knew which creatures I was fighting against :)

Make sure treatment selected is in scale with degree of "problem". Yes, thrips-at least those that live mostly within flowers-are notoriously hard to manage, yet even on this tropical plant, it may well be very late in growing season-if such exist wherever this is-and such damage is utterly to be expected. That's my angle.....is this a worthy attempt at pest control-learning this plant is out-doors makes it less likely in my opinion, since so many more natural enemies of things like thrips also exist out-doors-or is this n ill-advised attempt at killing an insect that's already moved on or is in an area where sprays cannot reach? Maybe not, maybe the whole thing should be pretty much evergreen and these things are indeed getting the best of it. I just alway advise putting maximal energy and effort in the Id'ing and learning-about of any given pest, before reaching for any control regimen.

That looks looks more like lacewing larvae to me. It is likely preying on the pests causing damage, since it is a carnivore and only eats other insects - mainly aphids. Those chewed edges on the leaves suggest leaf notcher insects or caterpillars. The lacy looking damage might be from newly hatched caterpillars. Here is some info from the university of FL: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st576 From the linked page: "Some of its pests are scales, caterpillars, borers, and aphids. The willow is a favored host for the gypsy moth."