What are these things growing on my shrub and should I remove them?

[mogwai]

Don't know the name of the shrub, it's black-leaved and grows upwards very rapidly, requiring a bamboo cane to secure it. It flowers a couple of times a year with clusters of small pink flowers.

I noticed loads of black eggs clinging to it about three weeks ago. They appear to be hatching into little green beetles and there are ants crawling on top, possibly trying to eat them?

Anyone know what this is and how to deal with it?

bloody nora

am laughing stock of MN

Have disgusting bugs on black shrub

nobody dare speak their name

are you sure its a shrub? Sounds like aphids tbh, but maybe you could google a picture?

just googled it

no - aphid eggs look green

ours are black

am appropriately shame-faced

I know what you mean - i have them on my rhubarb leaves.

Have you googled the plant too?

I don;t know what it's called

I could google "big black shrub" but fear many responses

"I have them on my rhubarb leaves" sounds rude.

Hunker you dirty beech.

LOL Mogwai - pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease google it for me

I googled big black shrub.

Nothing.

So I googled black shrub and found this.

Found what?

My new name

See?

Could you post a photograph in Members Profiles, mogwai? "Black eggs" and "little green beetles" doesn't give us very much to go on.

Is it a Japanese Maple?

I've got a shrub in my garden answering your description and that's what mine is.

I'll try to get a photo of it over the weekend

The leaves remind me of an acer

After the clusters of small pink flowers, does it get clusters of small black berries? (will email soon btw!)
If so I know what it is [smug emoticon]

my money is on sambuca nigra