Woolly aphids are swarming the Tennessee Valley - why, and how long will they stick around?

You may have noticed white, fuzzy specks flying around in the air these past several weeks.

It is definitely not winter yet, so the little guys you see floating around outside aren't snowflakes, and they aren't pieces of plant fuzz, either.

Instead, they are called woolly aphids. They are more noticeable this year because of the mild winter we had last year.

Service Manager at Arrow Exterminators, Robert Baehr, in Chattanooga says according to field studies from UGA and other institutions, although these insects are listed as an invasive species, they will not affect us long-term.

"They're not harmful, it's not the kind of invasive species like the Asian Lantern Fly where we really have to worry about it damaging the environment. They're just really annoying," Baehr said.

Baehr explai