Alot of Dead Oaks in NC...

[Rftreeman]

I've noticed a lot of oaks in my area also, I would say the drought has something to do with it, I also noticed 2 poplars at my mom's that are in the woods, last year the utility company took one down that was dead and now these two more right next to it are dying.

 

[Ed Roland]

Alot of the oaks are dieing around here too. The late freeze along with this drought has all the stressed trees in a spiral of decline or death. I've been getting alot of calls that are dead trees.

SHO NUFF!!! Lets not forget the VERY late freeze the Southeast got last Spring (and the spring before). Combine that with drought and less than optimum cultural conditions during the growing season and you have yourself some serious stress. Opportunistic pests will find this tree.

Sell deadwood pruning, soil management and monitoring/treatment. Increase health and the tree can fend for itself.

Resist telling clients ants kill trees. There may be some evidence they disrupt live cells during their life cycle but not mortality.