Falling leaves reveal oak galls

During autumn, as oak trees start to lose their leaves, you might notice some strange growths on the branches. These are called galls and they are mostly caused by insects feeding on the tree or laying their eggs on it. Galls usually grow in spring, but they’re easier to spot later in the year when leaves are sparse. There are lots of different types of gall. At this time of year, the galls are usually brown and woody, in clusters on twigs. They are known as oak marble galls or oak nuts and are created by tiny gall wasps laying their eggs. The young wasps (larvae) feed on the inside of the gall and then escape in the autumn, leaving behind an empty gall with a small hole in it.…

You're reading a preview of

The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 467

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.