Rust and bugs

[Lucy]

Hi and help!
I have an ornamental weeping willow in my garden and it is covered in rust and also these grey bugs. There are also these green spherical growths on some of the leaves - maybe egg sacks? I have seriously hacked back the tree so it has gone from looking like 'cousin it' to an umbrella, and I've removed the worst infected leaves but I think I need to treat it somehow.
Any ideas ?
Thanks
Lucy

[gardening_guru]

Hello Lucy,

Sorry not to have got back to you before now on this. It sounds as if you do have some rust on this Willow and maybe an aphid attack. I think all I can suggest is that you burn any affected shoots (if there are not too many) and then make sure that you clear up all the leaves when they fall in the autumn; preventing the pests and diseases from overwintering beneath the tree where they would be ready for a fresh attack next spring.