Oak leafminor

What is going on with the Oak trees?

You may have recently noticed a strange thing happening to your Oak trees. The leaves are suddenly turning a brown color and look spotty; like a disease is taking over the tree. This is the damage caused by an insect pest called the Solitary Oak Leafminer.

The Oak Leafminer is a pest that has been present in White Oaks every year, but oftentimes goes unnoticed. This year specifically, the infestation is much higher and widespread. A tiny moth lays individual eggs on the upper side of White Oaks and the larvae mines its way from the egg into the middle of the Oak leaf. From here, the leafminer spins its cocoon and emerges from the leaf as an adult moth.

The good news is that this pest rarely kills the trees! The damaged leaves will eventually fall off and new leaves should emerge. The Caldwell Tree Care Plant Health Care team can provide preventative treatments that can help reduce the level of infestation in the future.

Call the office today to schedule an appointment for one of our certified Arborists to assess your infested trees and create a plan to reduce the level of infestation in the future.