Doesn't sound like scale insects to me....right off the bat. Crawlers are extremely tiny! Most people have never and will never see them.

So, we need to figure out what kind of tree it is (pictures of leaves) and what kind of insect. THEN we can get down to the business of solving your problem in the safest way possible for you and the biddies!

i will post pictures of both. thanks

here is a close up of creepy crawlies. some fell off and a on the patio. the big one i think is a predator(i hope)

one more pic

Aphids

These are not scale insects. I'd guess aphids, too, but can't get a focus on any individual.

Put your malathion and Volke oil away. The first cannot be sprayed around the chickens and the latter won't help much with the aphids.

Calliope, do you know what kind of tree this is? Anybody? Bigamie, is there anything you can tell us about the flowers or any fruit this tree produces?

ok more pictures. we have 2 of these trees in our yard. one grows small red fruits later in the summer kind of like cherries but not as smooth or round or red for that matter... it is also infected.

ok more pictures. we have 2 of these trees in our yard. one grows small red fruits later in the summer kind of like cherries but not as smooth or round or red for that matter... it is also infected.

{{!gwi}}

i tried to get the flowers here.

How about wooly apple aphids on crabapple? They start out dark and then create their 'wooliness '. That's my best guess!

should i jjust spray with dawn diluted? that should be safe for my hens right? or insecticidal soap?

The main tree to attract aphids consistently around here is Linden or other tilia species. If she takes this to the tree forum, they'll identify it in a heartbeat. If the tree is not suffering, then treatment is not indicated. Aphids have been hideous this year and I don't know why.

here is a close of the little buggers. they are all over now just not on the tree. gross. here they are on my broom handle

As I said before....its aphid. Aphids have 'tailpipes'. How about as good a photo of the bloom on the tree so we can try identifying that one?

I would first just use a strong spray of water to knock off a lot of the aphids. They will not likely be able to get back up there. There would then be no chance of harming the chickens and you can get some control. Aphids like new growth and can disappear as the season progresses. I am sure some aphid eaters are there too. You don't want to kill them.

The link below takes you to one of the best web sites I have found about Aphids. Broad spectrum poisons, such as Malathion, will also kill off any predators of Aphids so should not be used.
A sharp water spray will knock the current crop of Aphids off the tree, but the next generation will fairly quickly replace them, but the water will not be harmful to your chickens or any beneficial insects that are around.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Aphids

here are some pictures of the flowers. they are pretty unremarkable and almost all off the tree.