Charles, From what you are describing and I'm only taking a wild guess that you are dealing with Mealy Bugs. Are they fuzzy? Get a Q-tip swab and dip it in alcohol and dabb the bug with it and see if it turns from White to dark in color ( red, brown, etc etc. ). If there are too many to dabb one at a time then get a spray bottle and fill anywhere from 10% to 25% alcohol and the rest with water and spray the intire tree. Wipe the pot all around if it is in the pots. Do this a couple time in a week and they should be gone or put under control. I have never heard from anyone as for these bugs being harmful but they are feasting on your plants. Once again, I am only guessing they are Mealy Bugs just by what you are saying. Pictures will be much more helpful. Could be something else. Good luck, Rafed

Jonathan, An interesting observation. Not sure what 'tip' means. Probably you did not mean those dormant 'scale shields' that first drop off at dormancy break, cannot remember the right technical term. Just went out to inspect all my figs trees. Noticed some that fit your description. At this early stage of spring, I noticed some figs with 'still tightly' held buds that looked reddish. On very close examination, I noticed that it is ACTUALLY the underside of the (very young) curled leaves that FIRST shows up, together with their underside veins! This is what gives the 'tip' the red hue. No contradiction here. Then the leaf flips over and the vein red color fades, as it matures. This is what I observed: My 2 HCs (sources: EL and Hartmann) showed it. Sal's (EL) showed it. VdB (EL) showed it. My #4 unknown (Ta Cenc) showed it (wonder what this fig really is!). My #2 (MOST obvious, also observed by Herman last year) and #5 unknowns (supposedly of the Mission fig type) showed it. All other figs none... Specifically looked at the Black Mission and Vista Mission young figs (both) from Jon, and neither showed it! They may in a more advanced leafing out stage. However I did observe the the Vista breba start as a bead-sized, shoe-polish-black color, and then fade away as the figlets grows... George (NJ).

Yes Herman I'm speaking about the dark Danny's Delight. The fact that so many collectors received a green Danny's Delight has caused this fig to have a bad reputation. But, the one that we have in ground, is indeed dark. We have been winter protecting it, now for three years by bending it to the ground, covering it with compost, then insulating it. I hope to start testing it the 2013/2014 winter, without winter protection. It is reputed to have been able to handle Michigan zone 5b/6a weather. Because we are also in a zone 5b/6a, we wanted to grow and test it here. So far it is the best tasting cold hardy fig I have ever tasted. I'm happy to hear that you will be comparing it against Malta Black, to see if they are the same. This is an impressive fig. Not only for it's great taste, but also, it is a heavy bearing fig, wet soil resistant, and is another early bearing fig, for those of us in very short growing areas. Now if it can handle as much cold as Marseilles Black VS, it will be truly a great northern fig. Bob - Connecticut - Zone 5b/6a

Probably whitefly. Most sprays will kill it.