I might unwittingly be carving out a new role for myself at Noozhawk — entomology (insect) writer.

My last column was about termites and ants. This time, following Santa Barbara’s recent oak moth season, I’m targeting those tiny gray-winged buggers that flit around, appearing to wreak havoc on the city’s coast live oak trees.

Actually, it is the hungry worms preceding the moth infestation that devour the live oaks’ spiky little leaves, denuding the branches, and making the trees at least look like they are dead.

Not so fast, said one Santa Barbara city worker who I found mulching oaks on State Street, where coast live oaks are the official street tree. The pesky swarms that come to life a couple of times a year don’t actually kill the live oaks, the worker assured me.

But I was not convinced. Considering the fragile state of the scrawny oak with its sparse, brittle brown leaves in front of my own house, I couldn’t help but be skeptical.

So, following the motto of journalists everywhere: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out,” I decided to dig a little deeper into the story of the oak moths.

First a bit of background about my live oak tree. (Actually is it really mine? Since it lives in the swale, I think the city owns it, but I have to take care of it.)

A sapling was there when we moved into our house about 22 years ago. The tree never looked very healthy, but we kept hoping it would grow big and strong like its mighty oak cousins nearby.

No such luck. While I am not a fan of cutting down any trees, years later, when our oak still failed to thrive, we asked the city if we could have a gardener remove it and plant another tree.

OK, fine, the city said, but for that to happen the gardener would need to carry $1 million of liability insurance. Since that was a non-starter, we gave up and let the fragile oak keep its place listing to one side in the grass.

(Word to the wise: Never try to remove a city tree on your own without getting a permit. Fines run from $1,000-$5,000, depending on the diameter of the tree. It appears, from the city’s website, that the price of a Minor Tree Removal permit for one to three trees is $534 “reviewed administratively or on consent”).

A few weeks later, things got weird. I walked outside one day and found the little “live” oak had fallen over all on its own.

I admit I was jumping up and down inside, but I swear I had nothing to do with the tree’s demise. Maybe a gust of wind took it down; maybe an inexperienced parallel parker jumped the curb — don’t ask me.

The upshot was, once the tree bit the dust, the city replaced it. And it appeared to be doing very well, thank you, until those ravenous oak worms set up shop in the branches this summer. The poor little sapling has been looking pitiful.

After chatting with that city gardener who tried to ease my concerns, it was time to get the official scoop on the oak worms and moths.

I spoke to Nathan Slack, Santa Barbara’s city arborist.

The coast oak’s ability to withstand oak moth infestations “speaks to the resiliency of trees,” Slack said. “More times than not, the oak worm (moth) infestation is not lethal, although it is a significant stress event.”

Despite the “icky” factor of oak worm episodes, Slack said factors like California’s extended droughts can be even more stressful on trees.

While the leaves turning brown and brittle is an outward sign of the oak worm blight, those little leaves are no shrinking violets. “The leaves are the workhorse of the tree,” and typically they can handle defoliation events, Slack said.

Oak moth activity varies over the years with a notable increase every three to five years, and this summer was one of those times, the arborist said. The reason for the variations is not clear.

Because the oak worms, like the coast live oaks themselves, are a natural occurrence in California, Slack said chemical intervention to treat the trees is not encouraged. The infestation is cyclical and will pass, but chemicals and compounds can cause other damage.

“Within a few months [following an infestation], hopefully you will see some new growth, but after several months without seeing new leaves, you might want to contact an arborist,” Slack said.

Look for new buds, which are a positive indicator of making new growth, he said.

“Anecdotally, the younger oaks seem to fare better during infestations, and their ability to produce new growth can be better,” Slack said.

Like people, as trees age they may be less able to fight off multiple traumatic episodes. Tree mortality following an oak worm infestation is more likely due to a combination of factors, such as a fungal issue or other environmental stress that might hamper a tree’s ability to function, Slack said.

Asked what Santa Barbarans can do to keep their trees healthy, Slack has a couple of suggestions:

First, mulch under the drip line with a quality organic mulch. The drip line is essentially the ground area covered by the canopy of the tree.

Also, “deep summer watering can go a long way,” he said. “Once a month is hugely advantageous.” The idea is to mimic a long, sustained rain event with a soaker hose.

A low-pressure soil soaking should reach down 18 inches to where the tree roots are, Slack said. The amount of watering time depends on the soil type, and how water is delivered.

For more on tree watering, visit here.

In case you were wondering, my own tree story has a happy ending. As of this past week, I can personally attest to the fact that the oak is, indeed, mightier than the oak moth.

While driving home the other day, my husband said he thought our oak tree might be perking up — maybe even be turning green again.

However, since he is hopelessly color-blind, he said I’d better look for myself.

I did, and guess what, our little oak is indeed alive and covered with healthy green leaves.

I’ll probably continue to be a skeptic about a lot of things, but I’m glad my worries were proven wrong.

Some good sources for information about trees:

To report a fallen city-owned tree or limb, or other street tree concern, call 805-564-5433 or visit 
Trees@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

Another place to go for most anything tree-related in California is the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program website.

If you are interested in knowing what the designated street trees are in your neighborhood, visit here.