Maple tree bark/bug problem.

Squirrelnutz

We have a maple tree in our yard, don't know the age, was here when we bought the house. Its a very large tree, at least 60 ft? We have noticed that the bark was peeling off just 1 side & behind the bark there are hundreds of holes, some very small some very large. We assume it's a burrowing bee issue, we have seen them in the holes. It was suggested that we spray the holes & plug them with pieces of brillo pad's. Don't know if we killed any bee's or what else we should do. What we were wondering is if there is something that we can do to help heal that part of the trunk? Any kind of help is appreciated. Thanks...

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Eric Frei

The bees are getting something, they didn't make the holes is my bet.

The bark is dead and you are looking at heartwood. The ribs on the edges is the new growth.... likely that wound will never occlude (be grown over with new wood enclosing the wound)

Not good.

2 issues, keeping bugs/borers away and keeping decay fungi away. A near impossible task.

Can we have a further away shot of the tree and it's surrounds.

Also what direction is that wound facing (south, west etc)

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Squirrelnutz

I will get new pictures farther away on here tomorrow...the tree faces EAST. I talked to an exterminator & he said its not likely carpenter bees either..the holes dont go in very far. He said to try to just treat it for insects & possibly call a tree surgeon. But I will get new pictures on tomorrow. Thanks for replying.
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Squirrelnutz

Ok here are some farther away pictures..again the tree faces east...in the back to the left is another maple tree we have...the stuff in the way back belongs to that neighbor...don't know what it all is. Notice the part of the tree where the bark issue is, the previous owner had that trunk cut off in the summer of 2006. Hope this helps....

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Eric Frei

Well, every picture tells a story don't it the song goes.

That large section is dying because it was like half a tree and now has nothing (leaves) to feed it.

You'll also find the roots that side are likely dead.

Removing that big limb which was a co-dominant and half the tree was a bad move, might have been necessary due to storm damage but a real bad choice.

I would be saying that you'll be managing a declining tree with potential for failure.

You'll need to get a proper consulting arborist out on site and implement some long term management plans. Plans will include decay and pest management, soil treatments, reductions to reduce canopy size.

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Squirrelnutz

Thanks for the help...it's very disheartning to hear that...they removed that part of the tree to get more sunlight into the yard. I am assuming they didn't get someone that actually knew all what you have said considering some of the weird stuff they had done while they lived here...so it's no surprise that they didn't get the right person for the job. Thanks again...will be looking into an arborist soon..thanks again.

Eric Frei

I'm not surprised at all, and not surprised some idiot with a chainsaw did it either. Sad, the tree wasn't injured or deserving of that and the reasoning was totally absurd.

When areas are exposed to sunlight that weren't before they can also get sunburn, so it really copped a triple whammy ... the triple is the soil temperature rising rapidly on that side killing the finer roots in proximity to the surface.

And some people treat us all the same, want to argue, think they know best ... I have walked away from many.

Just today a guy asked me to top his trees, I refused, he already had a shot himself hat racking everything within say 4m reach. I told him about Standards of Pruning, long term issues etc but he was insistent and showing me more of his handy work that he claimed was good. I looked at him, the butchered trees and said, "time to stop kidding yourself, this looks terrible and you know it". I then give my quote for what is correct and walk away, sometimes I dont even quote and just walk away if they want to argue real bad.

Some of the arguments are like, "but it's my tree and I can do what I want" or "it's just a tree" and even "I'll just find somebody else".

And it's that last one that really disgusts me, what disgust me is that there's such fools around who will do it.

Look at this for example and read the story.

Who are you going to call? Tree Busters!

You can see why I'm pro regulation.

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Squirrelnutz

OMG...thats terrible...what a horrible thing to do to trees. What in god's name was going through their head...wait don't answer that...apparently nothing was going through their heads. And they got the nerve to have this as their business. I am heart broken about my tree & will be calling in a tree surgeon & whatever they tell me I will post to you 1st. We are still baffled as to what caused the burrowing holes which are not very deep.

Eric Frei

Often borers and even wood peckers or birds in USA. Before the bark fell off borers and bugs have a feast in there. Borers dont always go deep because there's less to eat in the heartwood that's yummy compared to the cambium.

Check this thread out from here and have a look at the video link just beneath the last picture, your tree was like this once (covered with bark).

Another fungi ID

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