Horned and Gouty Oak Gall Treatment in Mehlville, MO

Trees and shrubs can be beautiful assets for your Mehlville, MO, property, and DeClue & Sons Tree Care, Inc., is here to provide the care that they need to thrive. You can rely on our licensed and experienced team to provide exceptional tree and shrub services whenever you need them, especially if your trees are suffering from horned oak gall or gouty oak gall.

What Is an Oak Gall?

Both horned and gouty oak galls are abnormal swellings of woody tree tissue found on the leaves, twigs, and branches of any oak tree species. A horned oak gall features small horn-like protrusions on its surface, while a gouty oak gall is smooth. Both types of gall are caused by certain species of tiny parasitic wasps that lay their eggs on the oak’s leaves and twigs. Once these eggs hatch, the wasp larvae burrow into the tree, which forms the gall around the larvae in reaction to the infestation.

The gall acts as a protective cocoon and food source for the larvae until they are ready to emerge as adults wasps, up to two or three years after the gall first forms. During this time, the gall grows larger. These tumor-like growths can be very unsightly and can threaten the health of your trees in large enough numbers, causing massive dieback of branches and even tree death.

How Can Oak Gall Be Treated?

If you spot what you suspect is a gouty or horned oak gall on any of your oak trees, contact DeClue & Sons Tree Care, Inc., for assistance. We can quickly determine if the infestation is widespread or just beginning. If caught in time, we can expertly prune and destroy the growths to ensure the infestation doesn’t spread, and we can take steps to support the health of trees with more extensive infestations.

To learn more about our services or to set up a consultation with our arborists, call DeClue & Sons Tree Care, Inc., today at (636) 464-5181.