Ball moss may look bad, but it’s really not harmful
Q: The HOA wants me to remove ball moss on trees, but the tree company won’t do it and is saying the ball moss is not hurting the trees. Any advice?
A: Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) is not actually a moss but an epiphyte related to bromeliads. Epiphytes grow on other plants but do not rob them of nutrients or water, unlike parasitic plants like mistletoe.
Ball moss forms spherical mounds on tree trunks and branches. Seed moves with the wind and rain, then establishes on trees that provide shade, poor air circulation and high humidity.
It can be found on both healthy and stressed trees but is more noticeable on those that are stressed. A light presence of ball moss is of no concern. Heavy populations may cover limbs and branches, encouraging insects and disease. There is a potential connection in these cases with a slow decline of the tree.
There is no foolproof method to eliminate it all, but one or more of the following options can be used:
• Remove by hand, if done safely, and place into a bag. A professional may be able to manually remove a lighter infestation from taller trees, using proper safety precautions. It can be a lot of work, but the diligence pays off, since you have four to five years until the ball moss matures and produces seeds.
• If affected limbs are dead or on a dark interior section, then an arborist may control it by lightly pruning those limbs out.
• For a nontoxic option, fill a spray bottle with a 2:1 ratio of baking soda to water mix. Saturate the ball moss. Apply when it is actively growing in early spring (February-April). Both
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and LSU Extension references this alternative.
• Hire a certified arborist to apply a copper-containing fungicide during the same early spring months. Always follow product label recommendations. Care must be taken with this chemical, as it can harm ornamental shrubs nearby or the tree itself. Retreat next spring, if needed.
• If you do not mind the appearance of the ball moss and it is not a heavy infestation, then no treatments is needed.
Once the ball moss has died, it can remain on the tree for over a year. Ideally, inclement weather will help knock the moss down.
Q: My neighbor found two snakes near our community. Is the snake a danger? How can we get rid of snakes?
A: It looks like a type of garter snake. The yellowish white stripes match up with the western ribbon snake. It does not look venomous.
Most snakes do not seek out trouble with humans. They are just living their snake life, eating things you do not want on your property in the shadows, like mice. If not for snakes, pest populations would be off balance.
There really is no way of preventing snakes, but there are a few things you can do to reduce hiding places close to home:
• Do not let tall brush and weeds get out of control.
• Wood and brush piles are good spots for snakes, but they are also great habitats to support wildlife. Move them away from the house.
• If you have pet food or other food outside, clean it up.
Q: What are these bugs? They are a little larger than a gnat and they fly. They are all over my live oak tree and they are annoying. Are they harmful to the tree?
A: It looks like an oak catkin myrid (Tropidosteptes quercicola). The insects appear when live oak flowers (catkins) are blooming. Even though they are annoying, they are harmless and an important food source for birds and amphibians. They are only around for a couple of weeks, so hang in there.
Garden class
FRUIT TREE GRAFTING WORKSHOP: Mickey Kleinhenz, permaculture designer, will cover the basics and practice of fruit tree grafting. Presented by Urban Harvest. 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 1; $45; Lantrip Elementary, 100 Telephone. To register: urbanharvest.org