Wondering what brown masses are on ends of blueberry bush branches - Ask Extension
I live in Barre, Vermont. I noticed three years ago one of my bushes started getting these brown bulbous clumps on the ends of a few branches on my bl...
Knowledgebase
Wondering what brown masses are on ends of blueberry bush branches #742359
Asked April 04, 2021, 9:41 AM EDT
I live in Barre, Vermont. I noticed three years ago one of my bushes started getting these brown bulbous clumps on the ends of a few branches on my blueberry bush. They are very hard like a nut. I cracked one open yesterday and I observed Little white larvae I think inside. I will attach pics. Now another bush has some on it also. Should I just snip those off and get them away? How can I stop this from happening?
Washington County Vermont
Expert Response
There are several pests and diseases that can cause galls on blueberry, but I think the pest you're seeing is blueberry stem gall wasp. I found this information at the University of Michigan.
Managing blueberry stem gall wasp
Managing blueberry stem gall wasp
Wasps will emerge as the flowers bloom so it is important to remove the galls and destroy them well before bloom. No time like the present!
