Thread: Strange branch bulges

I was walking past a car park where part of a tree had fallen over and its branches had these strange bulges on them. I thought they were either mistletoe, or some sort of insect damage, but either way may make good pen blanks so grabbed a branch. Left them in the car for a few days and only pulled them out tonight, covered in black ants , as they had mad nests inside the bulges .



After a few sprays of flyspray, I cut the small branch bulge in the left of the photo into 20mm slices, exposing yet more ants . They were full of voids with swirls of grain similar to a banksia , although it wasn't a banksia tree (not sure what it was). I've cast them in resin for worthless wood pen blanks.

Just wondering if any of our experts here can identify what the bulges are. I know they are full of ants now, but they have been dead for quite a while, so could they be old dead mistletow, or just insect damage causing a sort of burl?<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Cheers