What's eating my sawtooth oak?

Sawtooth oak is noted as relatively pest-resistant in its non-native US range, but it does attract oak caterpillars, acorn weevils, gall wasps, and oak lace bugs. Deer and squirrels consume the acorns heavily — a key reason this tree is widely planted for wildlife food plots. Scale and leaf miners occur occasionally.

Larvae develop inside acorns, leaving them hollow or with exit holes; heavily infested acorns drop prematurely and fail to germinate. Collect and destroy fallen acorns promptly. For managed plots, permitted insecticide at acorn set can reduce adult oviposition.

Chewed or skeletonised foliage; heavy defoliation in outbreak years can stress trees, though established oaks usually recover. Hand-pick small colonies. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for large infestations on young trees. Natural predators and parasitoids normally suppress populations over time.

Round galls on leaves or catkins; rarely cause serious damage but large numbers reduce vigour. No control usually needed; galls are cosmetic on established trees. Maintain good tree health through appropriate watering in establishment years.

Deer browse young foliage and saplings; squirrels harvest acorns from the canopy, often before they fall. Tree shelters or wire guards on young trees prevent deer damage. Squirrel pressure is hard to prevent — sawtooth oak produces heavy crops, so wildlife take is built into expectations for wildlife plantings.