Hundreds of species of small wasps called gall wasps live in the forests of North America. Hundreds more species of them are spread worldwide. In Southeast Missouri oak trees are a favorite host plant ...

Understanding the Context

Marin Independent Journal: Oak leaves turning brown? Could be the two-horned oak gall wasp Many coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) trees are showing unusual browning in their canopies in the last month or two. If you look carefully, you may see small, crescent-shaped galls forming on the ... When you look up into the bare branches of some oak trees at this time of year, you can see ball-shaped growths hanging there, looking almost like nature’s Christmas ornaments.

Key Insights

These are galls. A gall ... Tallahassee Democrat: Eastern horned gall wasp may be culprit in laurel oak's decline Persisting in the winter months as ball-shaped shells on oak trees, galls, which are considered an eyesore by landscapers in the summer months, appear as a sort of curiosity in winter. What are these ... abc13: What are oak galls, and why could there be more in Houston this fall?

Final Thoughts

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Oak galls are popping up everywhere this fall! They're the tiny, fuzzy yellow or brown balls on oak leaves and branches. You could spot one or two, then dozens around the same ...