Goldenrod Gall Grub

See the ball midway down the stem on this goldenrod? It contains a tiny grub which can be used as bait if you find yourself with a hook and a fishing hole.

The gall is created by a moth larva according to Dean's Wild Flowers and confirmed by George Hedgepeth of Briar Patch during the Primitive Skills Class.

Cutting open the gall reveals a tiny grub which, as mentioned, can be used as fish bait or *gulp* food if you're hungry and need some protein. The gall is quite woody but is still cut easily with a sharp knife. I suppose you could break it open if you didn't have a knife handy but that's a situation with which I don't imagine myself ever presented.

Here you can see the grub just peeking out of the center of the gall. I could pull the grub out with a small stick or the tip of my pocket knife blade and then thread it onto a hook before going looking for a fish.

This is the first of these galls I've seen since being back from the Primitive Skills Class and the only one I saw during my hike. I suspect if you found some of these that you could cut the goldenrod below the gall and transport the grub still protected by the plant stem safely for some time.

Thanks for reading,


B