Hole In Red Oak

sleclere

I am in north Texas and have a question about one of my red oak trees. There is a small hole that appears to be seeping. When I noticed it there were ants coming in/out of the hole. I'm in the middle of a Dallas suburb, and have never spotted any woodpeckers!

What causes this? Is it anything to worry about? How can it be resolved?


Tree Pics

treeseer

looks like a bleeding lesion from phytophthora. gently scrape off the soft brown stuff; do not cut hard green stuff, and send another excellent picture.

Eric Frei

Not a borer hole is it?

Any types of birds do that there?

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treeseer

at first i thought the same then a friend trained me to look for the hole/tunnel and if it ain't there it is likely an infection.

re birds, no. cicadas make bark slits, but in the twigs.

sleclere

There is definitely a hole! I was able to feed a wire coat hanger wire into an up from the hole opening about 6 inches!

Eric Frei

We get some borer holes that big, if you stuffed the wire in there and stabbed around you might have got it, unless it's been and gone.

One really bad bugger here is the Sirex wood wasp, it actually sticks some fungi in the hole with the eggs.Idea being to degrade and soften the wood up so the borers can eat easier.

My gut feeling is it was some big assed borer. Moths and beetles can lay eggs which also are called borers when they hatch.

Sirex wood wasp

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sleclere

There is definitely a hole! I was able to feed a wire coat hanger wire into an up from the hole opening about 6 inches!

Is there anything to be done to prevent additional damage?

treeseer

STAB IN THERE ALL YOU CAN AS ERIC SAID THEN FLUSH IT OUT WITH A GARDEN HOSE THEN SQUIRT IN SOMETHING NASTY. oops sorry dam capslock

Eric Frei

This is Treeseer's idea and bugger me it works, spray eucalyptus oil ... it stinks and the bugs eyes water so the take off!

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