Apple tree pest?

[YNK]

I've only been in this house 3 years.
The first year I had plenty of apples, not so many last year.
Now I notice this pest is attacking it.
There are lots of black dots in the web type stuff. Could it be an aphid?
Can anyone help?
If I go to the garden centre for a spray I want to be sure to get the right thing.

Not aphids. They're too small, and aphids don't do webs.
Don't spray it unless you're sure the crop is threatened. Sprays generally kill the goodies as well as the baddies.

Thank you.
So I shouldn't rush to the garden centre?
I'll see if anyone can ID today.
One other clue - I pruned it and didn't know to disinfect the shears - could it be canker? If so, what is the dry powdery spiders web type stuff? Some affected branches are brittle and dead.

Woolly aphids?

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=724

I've found very tiny little black caterpillar things in the woolly fluff!
The little black dots are hatching.
I've removed as much as I can see.
What can I spray for caterpillars?

Thanks Monday, that is really helpful.

Caterpillars in webs could be ermine moths. We're the caterpillars orangey yellow?
I got a load on my hawthorn, so I cut off the webby, caterpillary branches and DH drove them straight to the tip.
None this year, so it clearly worked.

No they were tiny little black ones.

Like this?:

That looks exactly like them!
Thank you so much!

Hello

It could be Red Spider Mite that is everywhere at the moment @YNK

Have a look at the symptons here - ladybirdplantcare.co.uk/pages/red-spider-mite

Hope that's helpful!

Is that usually a problem outside? I'm in the frozen north, so though I have seen it outside in very dry years, that's usually not been till late summer.

Sorry, I didn't notice where you were, probably too cold yes!

Sorry, I didn't notice where you were, probably too cold yes I'm not the OP - I don't think we know where she is.