"Bookworm" wrote in message
ups.com...
My neighbour has strange bugs attached to the bark of his bay tree. It
is like a collection of flat 'molluscs' attached to the bark with a
woolley silky thread like substance. Looks like a collection of tiny
wooly mushrooms with hard shells about 3-4mm diameter.

I would send a photo but I do not know how to post it to the gruop via
google.

Any ideas what they are and how to get rid?

Woolly Aphids?
http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/imag...ppleaphid5.jpg

Scale insect?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_insect

If you can identify it then the solution should be searchable :~))

Jenny