Bleeding or Oozing Black Cherry

[Multifaceted]

I noticed earlier in the summer that two of my young black cherry trees started oozing a pretty substantial amount of sap. I've noticed cherries that ooze some sap from the bark like some conifers, but this would end up in puddles on the ground. Is this a canker disease? Should I take any precautions to keep it from spreading?

The two affected are young, and black cherry is both prolific and plentiful around here, so taking them down is not a worry, except they are in my yard which means I'll have to burn the stumps out at some point (probably only one). Again, I noticed this earlier in the year, but lately it seems rather extreme. I know trees drop their sap in the autumn, so that might be contributing.

Here is what I'm looking at:

Here is another one not even 15' away:

 

[farmer steve]

i'm thinking some type of insect damage in you second pic. some type of borer possibly. your last pic has white mold near the top which is an indication the tree is dying. i know the black carpenter ants love cherry trees.

 

[Multifaceted]

i'm thinking some type of insect damage in you second pic. some type of borer possibly. your last pic has white mold near the top which is an indication the tree is dying. i know the black carpenter ants love cherry trees.

Funny, I didn't notice the white growth on the upper branches until I took the picture and zoomed in on it (I need glasses). Looks like 2nd one is indeed dying, so I'll be taking it down and hopefully the wood is still salvageable.

If it is carpenter ants, then I may need to have the area treated because they're going after my oak and are also trying to get inside my house (already have an exterminator coming regularly).