Do they fly at all, or just crawl?

pix help.

Dan

I didnt notice them flying - they seemed to be mostly just crawling around in there. I will try to get a picture but they are so tiny I am not sure how well it will turn out.

The description sounds like thrips, try researching those insects.

Thanks Larry - I think you may be right - thats the closest match I've found anyway. Tried to take pictures of them but couldnt get the camera to focus. They are so tiny - look like little grains of black rice. And definitely not flying anywhere - just crawling around slowly in the buds.

So assuming they are thrips - what should I do about them?

Thrips have tiny feathery wings, you would need a magnifying glass to see them clearly.

You could try some insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on a few tree buds to see if that stops them.

Might they be pollinators?
Why try to get rid of them if they are not doing any harm?
Can you take some to the extension office to get id's?
I always see very tiny (not even close to being the size of rice) black insects on my magnolia buds and flowers and there is never any damage.

Perhaps -- and most likely -- they're aphids.

If so, wash off and/or squish. Then repeat every several days as needed.

Thrips don't have that habit nor would they be that obvious to the naked eye.