AusBonsai

Hi . . . this is my first post, but I've been looking and learning in the background for some time.

I am posting this in the hope of obtaining information re a problem I have with two gums. I don't know what they are as they came up in a heavily mulched front yard near me about 2 years ago. Living in the outer suburbs within a kilometre of a conservation park they could be "anything.".

I planted these seedlings a Bonsai Special Training Box (foam box) and watered and fed them. About this time last year they developed weird lumps on the leaves, so I cut off all the damaged leaves and put a Condifor tablet in the container. They appeared to recover and grew well until late winter when I noticed the same leaf infestation again. I had this identified as eucalyptus gall wasp. This time I defoliated both trees and again placed a Conifor tablet in the pots, they have recovered and now have a reasonable coverage of foliage.

My problem is that they have developed "lumps" where one would expect to see buds, as seen in the attachment.

Can anyone tell me what this is and how to treat it.

Ash

Honestly they look like galls. Usually caused by a wasp. The wasp lays larvae into the bark and they grow inside it creating a swelling. The holes are where the mature wasp emerges at the end of its metamorphosis.

I’ve not seen this on a gum before though so perhaps it is something else.

Indeed, it does look like galls. You can even see the holes the larvaes dud to get out. I think....
Pierre

Gall wasp was my guess too but my limited (non bonsai) experience with them is based around citrus so I wasn’t convinced... something to consider though.

Welcome to the forum, it is always lovely to have a new one on the scene.
I also think gall and as far as I know the best thing to do is to cut off the branch below the gall and put the cut part in the bin wrapped in a plastic bag.

If you look closely you can see the tiny holes through which the wasp/bug would have flown out after it completed its lifecycle as a larva.


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Thanks to everyone who replied.

I now have to work out whether I severely cut (re style) these trees or condemn them to the rubbish tip.
As I have found a comment (via Google) that states that the health of the tree is not affected by this infestation I think the restyle will happen.

Thanks
Ash