Question

Live oak problem   We have a home on Canyon Lake near San Antonio, Tx. We have many live oak trees on our property. They are doing well even though we are in a drought.  We have noticed that the under side of some leaves have tiny balls attached to the leaf. They are light brown in color and about 1/4 inch in size. Pictures on the Internet suggest they are smooth leaf galls. We've,Attached a picture. What should we do?

Answer
These gall making insects are tiny and can only be treated before they make the gall. The insect lays its eggs on the leave and secrete a chemical that causes the cells of the leaf to form the gall over the eggs. Eggs hatch inside the gall where they are protected. They will not kill the tree but could cause the leaves to drop a little sooner than normal. Not anything that is a real concern as for as the health of the tree is concerned. By this time of the season the trees are beginning to shut down food production and will soon begin the process of dropping leaves. Do not worry about these galls on the leaves.