What’s on my JBP?

[Bigggtuna]

These tiny white egg looking specks appeared on my JBP only after placing it in the cold frame for winter a couple weeks ago. Most of the search results I’m getting are for wooly adelgids and white long scale, both of which would appear on or near the needles right? These only appear on the trunk and aren’t even on the larger branches. At least not yet.

Unless anyone advises against it, I’m planning on using a toothbrush dipped in vinegar to scrub them away and treating with a different pesticide spray than the ones I’ve been cycling through as this obviously slipped through the cracks.

Thanks in advance for any advice or identification.

 

[BrightsideB]

Looks more like a mold or fungus. Usually insects from what I’ve seen lay eggs in one or two places. This is spread out on dead parts of the tree. I wouldn’t want to give advice on what you should do because I haven’t treated this before. I’m sure someone will have some answers for you. Good luck!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It's on the bark, so probably some commensal fungus chipping away at it.
It happens all the time all over nature, and the bark quality of wild trees is unaffected by it. So my guess is that it shouldn't harm your plant whatsoever. Because they're on the outside, they're probably spore releasing fungal bodies (the fruits) and there's likely a mycelial network in your bark. Since bark is non-transporting tissue and doesn't absorb water well (it is conifer wood, after all) I think that there's no way to treat this even if you wanted to.

 

[River's Edge]

These tiny white egg looking specks appeared on my JBP only after placing it in the cold frame for winter a couple weeks ago. Most of the search results I’m getting are for wooly adelgids and white long scale, both of which would appear on or near the needles right? These only appear on the trunk and aren’t even on the larger branches. At least not yet.

Unless anyone advises against it, I’m planning on using a toothbrush dipped in vinegar to scrub them away and treating with a different pesticide spray than the ones I’ve been cycling through as this obviously slipped through the cracks.

Thanks in advance for any advice or identification.

It would appear to be a white mold/fungal spores. I would suggest some air change or movement in the cold storage and lower moisture levels if possible. I would not concern myself with treatment if they were my trees. More of a surface aesthetic in my opinion, rather than a risk to the tree health. So I would just treat the conditions that likely gave rise to it. Excess moisture and lack of air movement. Just my 25 cents worth based on the pictures.
Similar things occur when unheated green houses are not ventilated properly and the plants receive more water than needed or the humidity is too high. The condition disappears in dryer, warmer conditions with ventilation.

 

[Bigggtuna]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone, it's absolutely a fungus due to the cold frame not having enough ventilation. I've addressed the issue and hopefully that's the end of it! Glad to know it's not harmful.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Personally believe is beginning of Lichen growth. More close up pics "might"give better ID so guess is mostly instinct.