Kurt Altmann
New Member
Hello all, glad I found a place which may be able to help. I have a maple in the backyard that I would love to keep around. Recently, I have observed fine sawdust at the base of the tree, and suspect ants or beetles. Not sure whether info herein will definitively identify, but I am mainly wondering whether I can take any actions to mitigate, or prolong life of the tree. I am also interested in identifying the specific variety of Maple this is, as my garage-sale identification guides do not seem to list this one. This tree splits into three main branches from the trunk at about 4 feet from the ground. I am guessing that the 'pocket' formed at that split may be a place for water to pool, and perhaps has led to some rot. There are no signs of leafs dying/browning anywhere on the tree. There are however, some signs of entry in bark holes with discoloration. The way the large branches are situated, I don't think they would damage much if it fell, and I was thinking cabling the three main limbs together may prevent any of them from hitting ground. I will try to upload some relevant pics, and thanks for any information.