The thing I see on your pot doesn't appear to me to be cottony.  Enlarging it to the max, could it be this?

The plant hoppers make the stem fuzzy while they are not really fuzzy themselves. A quick use of the F4F search function pulled up this
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3534076

don't look like any of those. there was a thread in the other forum about the same bug. no one seems to agree what it is. just saying it's some sort of plant hopper.

pete

Well good luck with it - hope it doesn't cause any harm.

Pete are they look like this one. This is tree hopper and he has three stages of development, when they are white when they are like one in pictures and when they are green. When you try to tach  him he runs  around the branche, but when you try to catch him it  jumps.

Edible landscaping reccomends a Neem oil spray for insect control on figs. I use that. It hasn't hurt the figs, thus far, but It hasn't rid the insects 100% either. I like the idea of ladybugs. Praying mantis eggs are super easy to hatch and at least a few younglings tend to hang around. How's the heat up your way, Pete?

eden13,

that looks similar.. but not exactly. the front part is very similar. but the end on the thing i found is all fuzzy and wooly. maybe it's mutated plant hopper.

don,

this weekend it's going over 100. i think they are calling 102 both today and tomorrow. good weather to wait till evening and grill out with few bottle of beer handy.

pete

This is a tree hopper baby. Neem oil will help just add 2 drops of dish soap to a 1 gallon of water and add neem oil and sprey  all of your trees.