Knowledgebase

What's eating my Maple leaves #803558

Asked July 28, 2022, 7:09 PM EDT

I have a young maple tree a few years old that is doing very well. I noticed the other day that a few leaves had been nibbled on. Later looking on higher leaves I noticed a cocoon looking structure along the veins of the leaves but don't know if they are related. Is it a problem? If so how do I treat it.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

There are probably two things going on, the bumps are galls and the feeding damage is probably being done by grasshoppers. Grasshoppers take big bites. Neither the galls or the grasshopper feeding will harm your tree. It isn’t practical to try to treat either. Your tree needs an inch of water per week, test the soil and water if it is dry two inches below the surface. Mulching under the tree also helps. Grass is a big competitor for water. Assess your trees health in the morning before the day heats up and cause the leaves to wilt. Wilting is a natural response to heat.

Loading ...