What on earth is that funny looking fuzzball hanging in the Oak tree?
I looked and looked for more of these curious things in this tree and others around it and this is the only one I can find. It is probably some kind of parasite like Spanish moss or Mistletoe.
I wondered if it was the beginning of an Oak Gall, but my research discouraged that possibility.
Then again I could be wrong. The gall is the result of the tree protecting itself from a tiny wasp laying an egg just under the leaf skin. A natural process envelopes the egg or eggs and they grow and thrive on the tissue in the leaf.
Here is a zoom-in picture. It is high enough in the tree I can't get a ladder to reach it. If I could poke it or even touch it I might have more information to help find it on the internet. As it is 'fuzzy thing in Oak tree' is not good enough. Any Foresters out there? Any ideas of what it might be?
I looked and looked for more of these curious things in this tree and others around it and this is the only one I can find. It is probably some kind of parasite like Spanish moss or Mistletoe.
I wondered if it was the beginning of an Oak Gall, but my research discouraged that possibility.Then again I could be wrong. The gall is the result of the tree protecting itself from a tiny wasp laying an egg just under the leaf skin. A natural process envelopes the egg or eggs and they grow and thrive on the tissue in the leaf.
Here is a zoom-in picture. It is high enough in the tree I can't get a ladder to reach it. If I could poke it or even touch it I might have more information to help find it on the internet. As it is 'fuzzy thing in Oak tree' is not good enough. Any Foresters out there? Any ideas of what it might be?
4 comments:
I have never seen anything like that before!
My first thought is it looks like a Tribble. Remember them from the old Star Trek?
Too bad there aren't any Klingons to verify that's what it is!!!
When you find out what it is, let the rest of us curious folks out here know what you've discovered!
Oh, Beth, What a neat idea. If I have a Tribble in the tree, I want to celebrate. If it starts multipling, I have some serious thinking to do of who I think would benefit ;>) from such a gift.
I guess I could take the picture to the extension office and see if anyone there would know, but that seems so boring and expected. I like your idea so much better than some mundane possibility.
Don't think we have such exciting mysteries here!! Our oak galls are tiny. But I'm sure there is something inside!!
Gilly, Good to see you out and about. What you call Oak Galls may be something different than ours. After the baby wasps make a hole and get out of the gall, people used to use the black dust in the galls to make ink. A little dab of useless information for you. As to no mysteries in merry ole England. I can't believe that. I suspect you are surrounded by wonderous things waiting to be discoved.
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