Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid

How do I know that my landscape has spruce gall?

Ends of the branches will have downward curled tips on the new growth. Previous damage resembles dried cones on the ends of branches that curl downward.

What will happen to my landscape? Gall infested tips cannot produce new growth the following year. Heavy infestations may cause minor retardation of tree growth and some distortion over time. Spruces drop their third and fourth year old needles every year. Should this inner needle drop catch up with a gall infested area, the entire branch will be lost.

What can I do about spruce gall? Prune off the unsightly infested or previous infested tips. Chemical control must occur before galls begin to form. Because these sprays can cause injury to certain plants, read the label thoroughly before using and apply according to the directions. Apply insecticide treatments in fall, after the overwintering females have settled on the plants or, most commonly, in spring. Spring applications are most effective if made before the insects have begun to swell with eggs, which typically occurs in late April. Pruning away spruce gall can be a timely and unpleasant weekend activity.

How can Natural Way help me? Prevention is the key in controlling spruce gall. Here at Natural Way we have certified professionals who are used to preventing and controlling spruce gall. Our 6 Point Protection Program will provide several critically timed sprays to the landscape that will help control spruce gall, extend the life of your spruce trees and minimize overall damage.

Even though spruce gall will not generally kill a tree by itself, the tree will become more susceptible to other problems and its appearance will be very unsightly. 

Whatever you decide, the longer your landscape is left untreated, the greater the chance the affected trees and shrubs will undergo unrecoverable damage. Your landscape represents a growing investment worth protecting.