Have you ever seen red bumps on your maple leaves? These are known as galls. Luckily there is nothing to worry about, as these do not cause damage, but they do look unattractive. You might have found these bumps on your trees’ leaves in the early spring. They are caused by insects like the Bladder Gall Mite or a Spindle Gall Mite. The red bumps are not the mites themselves but are a result of the mites eating the leaves. They are trying to stimulate new tissue growth in the leaves so they can lay and hatch their eggs. This produces abnormal cells and creates a chemically induced mass (the red bump).
These mites’ favourite trees to infect are the Red Maple, Sugar Maple, and Whitebark Maple.
Thankfully the trees’ health is not usually affected by these little bugs, however, the visual aesthetic of the trees they are inhabiting is diminished. This is when people like to call in our team from Five Star Tree Services, to help bring back a nice visually appealing tree.
Here are ways a tree care company can help reduce Gall Mites:
-prior to infestation, in the early spring, using environmentally friendly Lyme spray
-remove affected areas with careful pruning early in the year
-plan for future pest management practices
-clean clothes, equipment, and tying up leaves & bark for proper sanitation and disposal
It is known that Gall Mites tend to affect trees that are already weak or sick and they won’t target strong and healthy trees. This means that proper and consistent tree care maintenance is necessary to help prevent these mites from making your tree their home.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
Our main goal is to help your trees stay healthy. Our team at Five Star Tree Services is here to help you with things like tree assessment, fertilization, pruning, and long-term tree care. This will help significantly reduce your chances of seeing mites on your beloved trees. If you need tree care services in Toronto, give us a call at (416) 990-3355 today!