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The chestnut bee, also known as the chestnut gall wasp, is a small insect measuring 2 to 3 mm in length. It has the unique ability to reproduce without mating, a process called parthenogenesis. These tiny pests primarily lay their eggs in the top buds or young leaves of chestnut tree branches. Once hatched, the larvae develop inside galls—abnormal growths formed on the tree’s new shoots. Each gall can contain between 1 and 13 larvae, though most commonly there are 2 to 5. The chestnut bee specifically targets the tender shoots, leaves, and branches of chestnut trees, causing damage that leads to the formation of galls on stems, petioles, and leaf veins. This not only renders the current year’s crop unusable but also weakens the tree for the following season, often resulting in branch dieback and even complete loss of production. Because of the severe damage it causes, local farmers refer to the chestnut bee as a "cancer" growing on the chestnut tree.
In years when the chestnut bee population is particularly high, some trees can be overwhelmed with over 10,000 galls. However, the severity of the infestation varies from year to year. This is partly due to the presence of the long-tailed wasp, a natural predator of the chestnut bee. The adult long-tailed wasp measures about 4 mm in length, with a slender, pointed body and sparse yellow-brown hairs. Its larvae resemble small, wriggling worms and are actually the offspring of the long-tailed wasp. After mating, the female wasp searches for the larvae of the chestnut bee and inserts her ovipositor into the gall. The wasp's eggs develop on the walls of the larval chamber, and within one or two days, the wasp larvae feed on the body fluids of the chestnut bee larvae by biting through their exoskeleton. Typically, a single long-tailed wasp larva will parasitize just one chestnut bee larva. As a result, where the parasitism rate is high, the damage caused by the chestnut bee is significantly reduced.
Because the long-tailed wasp larvae live inside the galls alongside the chestnut bee larvae for an extended period, they are often mistaken for the chestnut bee itself. This misunderstanding can lead to improper management practices, such as removing galls during winter pruning, which can harm the beneficial wasps. Instead, it is crucial to protect and encourage the presence of long-tailed wasps. In areas with high parasitism rates, the galls removed during winter should be stored properly and reintroduced into the chestnut orchard between April and May to allow the wasps to reproduce. At this time, spraying should be avoided to prevent killing the wasps. Burning the galls after this period can help reduce the chestnut bee population, and with proper management, the natural parasitism rate of the long-tailed wasp can reach up to 40%.
Adult chestnut bees prefer to lay their eggs in the canopy of thin, weak branches that are sheltered from wind and rain. Therefore, during pruning, it is essential to completely remove these weak branches to eliminate overwintering larvae. Additionally, any soft, green galls that appear in summer should be cut and burned or buried deeply to prevent further infestation. When using insecticides, care must be taken to avoid applying them during the active period of the long-tailed wasp, ensuring that this natural control agent remains undisturbed.