The case of the sick old oak

[Dennis_Peacock]

Well, I finally hired my local tree guy to come out and take down my large Oak that was dieing. It was large black ants that were killing the tree from the bottom up. About the 2nd large limb up the tree was a "nest" of leaves that they found and it was totally FULL of large black ants. Once they got that tree section down, the entire trunk had MILLIONS of black ants in it. I've never seen a dude shimmy down a rope so fast in all my life.!!!!

Any way, the Oak is down and the family and I are in the process of cutting it all up, cleaning up the site and now I have to figure out how to cut down the bottom part of the trunk as we found a fence post inside the tree.!!!! About 2 Inches in the cambium layer, was a fence post...or should I say IS a fence post because I haven't cut down the bottom 8 feet of the trunk. My tree guy's big saw was in the shop and my 20" bar isn't going to be big enough to take the trunk down. I'm just wondering how far "down" the fence post goes? It's near the center of the tree where the two trunks grew out of the main stump section of the tree. Each trunk cut off the main stump section was just over 20" each. The fence post was "discovered" about 6 feet up from the bottom of the tree.

Any way, just wanted to let y'all know what actually was killing my large Oak tree and the discovery of the fence post inside the tree's trunk.

 

[treeseer]

the entire trunk had MILLIONS of black ants in it. I've never seen a dude shimmy down a rope so fast in all my life.!!!!

Sounds like a real he-man--those ants will moidalize ya! They eat people like they eat live wood in trees; oh yeah!



Ants never killed a tree. Never. They live in hollows and mind their own business. Amazing what BS tree owners will believe from removalists full of sawdust lust and crapola.

The fencepost holds up the Great Wall of China; good luck!

 

[tomtrees58]

pics will help tom trees

 

[outofmytree]

Sounds like a real he-man--those ants will moidalize ya! They eat people like they eat live wood in trees; oh yeah!



Ants never killed a tree. Never. They live in hollows and mind their own business. Amazing what BS tree owners will believe from removalists full of sawdust lust and crapola.

The fencepost holds up the Great Wall of China; good luck!

I can understand why HO might get the impression that black ants harm trees. Part of the natural cycle over here is black ants preying on white ants which in turn have eaten the heartwood from a tree. An uncle of mine would swear that smearing jam or honey over a log to draw black ants would solve a white ant problem without using pesticides. It's one of those urban legends that sounds like it SHOULD work.

 

[Dennis_Peacock]

Alright. I hear what y'all are saying. Maybe I was too gullible from the tree dude. I'll get pictures and post them. I'm all about learning and if black ants do not kill trees? Then I'd like to know what does.

Besides that, I still have to cut the rest of the trunk down as soon as I figure out a way to go about it without getting into the steel fence post.

 

[S Mc]

Dennis, many things kill trees. The ants come into the dead, decaying wood opportunistically. You mention it was killed from the bottom up, this could have been a number of root or butt rots that can attack oaks.

It just is really easy to blame the pest you can see at the moment.

The way you started your post makes me think you had a previous thread about this tree? You also said here that this was a co-dom. Possibly this tree was a volunteer along a fence line? Or someone put in a fence too close to the tree and it grew around it? I am looking forward to your pictures because I am having difficulty visualizing exactly what is going on.

Metal fence posts haven't been around all that long. But you typically pound them into the ground at least 18" or so, less if there is rock. But maybe this was a case of someone leaning the post against the tree rather than establishing a fence line proper? In that case, it could just be to the base of the crotch and no deeper.

Sylvia

 

[dafunk]

get the remaining trunk carved?

 

[Meghannk]

Sounds like a real he-man--those ants will moidalize ya! They eat people like they eat live wood in trees; oh yeah!



Ants never killed a tree. Never. They live in hollows and mind their own business. Amazing what BS tree owners will believe from removalists full of sawdust lust and crapola.

The fencepost holds up the Great Wall of China; good luck!

Thanks so much Treeseer since I'm one of those owners who would likely believe that story since I am not educated in the field of tree care. Although I do know carpenter ants eat dead wood since they're eating my house right out from under me. I'd get them terminated if I wasn't living on a single income budget with four children and one on the way. I suppose until we find the nest we'll continue dealing with them one monster ant at a time.

 

[treeseer]

I'm one of those owners who would likely believe that story since I am not educated in the field of tree care.

It's amazing how many folks will fall for that one. Antophobia is a subset of arborphobia, :spam:, which needs to be exterminated if this culture is going to stay alive.