Well after saying a few choice words, I wanted to share what those green balls are that I posted about. They are called oak galls. There is tons of info online, now that I know what they are.
5.22.21
5.22.21
One sources says: Oak apple galls look like small, round fruit but they are actually plant deformities caused by oak apple gall wasps. The galls generally do not damage the oak tree host.
Other sources didn't have good news:
Should you remove oak galls?
Very small insects, notably gall wasps or gall flies, cause abnormal growth on leaves and twigs. ... Something you can do now - and I heartily recommend it - is to remove and destroy any galls you can find on the trees. There probably are many on twigs and branches; look for knobby and hard growth. Chances are it's a gall.
Will oak galls kill my tree?
An infestation of the galls can kill oak trees. It is the height of irony: mighty oaks being killed by tiny wasps. ... The galls are the result of infestation by gouty oak gall wasps, a tiny insect that lays their eggs on oak leaves. It will take several years, but the galls can eventually kill trees. If the Oak is Infected with Galls.
What do you do with oak galls?
1) Prune and destroy gall-infested twigs and branches.
2) Burn or step on the galls to kill the developing larvae.
3) Place gall remains in a tightly sealed baggie or trash bag and discard immediately.
4) Rake and destroy gall-infested fallen leaves.
It would be difficult remove all the galls. Some are up high, and the trees have leafed out. We have oak trees everywhere on our property, altho only certain oak trees have them. Not sure how many trees.
I also plan to look through the resources the DNR guy that assessed our woods last summer gave us. If there isn't anything in there about oak galls, I might just email him to find out how serious I should take them. Of course, my friend google will have more to say about the oak galls. Never a dull moment.
