KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It is that time of year. Pollen is in the air, and insects are still flying around. Across East Tennessee, communities are spotting tiny white "fuzzies" floating through the air. They're known as "woolly aphids," and usually make appearances in the region at around this time of the year.
They stick to your cars, float into people's hair and usually get stuck on your clothes. Woolly aphids don't bite, pollinate or eat plants. However, they do feed off sap.
"It looks like it's snowing in the middle of summer,” said Midhula Gireesh, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Tennessee.
Sometimes, woolly aphids can feed off too much sap and excrete a substance called honeydew. The substance can turn into a fungus, and the aphids will leave that residue behind after flying off.
“You'll see your patio furniture sometimes turning black," said Gireesh.
The little aphids are most active in the summer and early fall. As the weather gets colder, they usually die off.