White Oak trunk issue

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mjlewis90

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hello
first time posting.
i have a medium/large sized white oak that is about 15 feet from my house. great tree. provides amazing shade for the house during the hot Georgia summer months.
went outside this morning and noticed a smell from the tree trunk, sort of a sour smell. bug/bees surrounded the truck and a black sap was 'bleeding' from the side of the truck. (pic attached.)

my questions:
1. is this something i should worry about
2. is there anything i can do to help/stop this
3. is this a sign that the tree is in decline

since this is a large tree and next to the house, i would like to keep it if possible, but if it needs to be removed i'd like to remove it before it falls on the house.

thanks in advance for any advice

thanks
mike
 

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It's called "slime flux" and is caused by a bacterial infection inside the trunk. Two types of slime flux: “alcoholic” and “acidic”. The acidic flux smells like vinegar, the alcoholic smells of beer. No treatment for the condition, bugs are attracted to the ooze.
You need to excavate that buried root flare.
 
thank you for the quick replay.
its a vinegary type of smell. i did a google search on 'slime flux' and one article said that i could used a solution of one part bleach and 9 parts water to 'clean and disinfect the area'

i'll dig out around the tree to expose the root flair. i guess all the years of putting wood chips have built up a layer of compost around the tree truck.

thanks again for the advice.
 
We used to call the buildup of mulch, etc. around the trunks of yard trees "tree volcanos." Here in central PA, people love to get them built up 3-4+ feet.
 
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