Balsam gall midge

Identification: Adults are tiny orange/reddish midges (flies). Larvae are tiny yellowish/pinkish colored legless maggots.
Description of Damage: Swollen growths (galls) will be present on the base of current year’s needles. Twigs will be devoid of needles in the fall, especially towards the upper crown of the tree. If there is a heavy infestation, there may be several galls per needle.
Life Cycle: The pupal stage overwinters in the leaf litter (duff) underneath the tree. Pupation occurs in spring and adults emerge as new buds are expanding. Eggs are laid on the buds. After hatching larvae crawl to the base of newly expanding needles and begin to feed. Chemicals secreted during this feeding cause the plant tissue to swell around the larva forming the distinctive gall. Feeding by the midge larvae causes needles to yellow, die and fall from the tree. This damage (galls) is evident throughout the summer. Yellowed needles containing larvae fall to the ground in early autumn. Larvae leave the galls, pupate and overwinter in the duff beneath the tree.