Hole in trunk of healthy pine.

[m.green]

I went to estimate a job recently. The homeowner asked me if a tree needed to be removed and it definitely does and man I wish I had a picture but I need some information.

This pine has about a 4 foot wide trunk with 6 ears. the trunk itself is about 3 feet tall. Under one of the ears a bug has borrowed it's way in and made a home for it's colony. I haven't seen the bug but it is a perfect circle that starts large and shrinks like a funnel.

It is about 12"-12" round that is. and it just gets more narrow and narrow like a funnel you would put on your dog's neck if he was chewing his skin. Then it ends with a small hole.

I told the man I recommend the tree coming down because I know that wasn't man made and there is no telling the damage that has been caused. The tree looks great as far as physical appearance.

Any idea on what bug would have done this or has anyone seen the same thing before?

 

[SLlandscape]

I went to estimate a job recently. The homeowner asked me if a tree needed to be removed and it definitely does and man I wish I had a picture but I need some information.

This pine has about a 4 foot wide trunk with 6 ears. the trunk itself is about 3 feet tall. Under one of the ears a bug has borrowed it's way in and made a home for it's colony. I haven't seen the bug but it is a perfect circle that starts large and shrinks like a funnel.

It is about 12"-12" round that is. and it just gets more narrow and narrow like a funnel you would put on your dog's neck if he was chewing his skin. Then it ends with a small hole.

I told the man I recommend the tree coming down because I know that wasn't man made and there is no telling the damage that has been caused. The tree looks great as far as physical appearance.

Any idea on what bug would have done this or has anyone seen the same thing before?

Just to clarify. Do you mean one half inch or twelve inches. I ask because I have never heard/seen a bug that makes a 12" hole.

 

[m.green]

I am talking the hold is 1 foot wide and 1 foot tall. It is massive you could stick a soccer ball in it. The homeowner swears he sees bugs going in and out of it because I thought maybe a previous tenant/owner had something that required them to remove such a chunk of tree.

He insists that bugs inhabit that tree.

Anyone heard or seen something like this. I'll havve a picture very soon.

 

[BC WetCoast]

The only time I've heard the term ears used around trees was describing large fungal conks, but I suspect this isn't the case.

I've never heard of an insect that creates a cavity that large, but I haven't seen every insect either.

The shape first reminded me of seeing branches that have failed tearing out the core of the branch where it had been grown over by the tree. I've seen this mostly in Ponderosa pines, but never that size.

The second idea that came to mind was some form of canker rust. I would suspect that the insects that were seen were opportunistic.

 

[m.green]

I was the term "rabbit ears" on occasion when a tree is growing straight up then splits into two tops. Unfortunately this tree has about ten tops.

I am going to get pictures and have them posted for tomorrow after noon. I'll go and take some and have the homeowner watch every now and then to see if he can get a shot of the habitant of his tree.

I live in Maine if that would help with pest ID.

It definitely may be a limb that dislocated from the tree and took it's core with it. That is definitely a good suggestion and sounds about right. I am trying to help the man save his tree, we just got an icestorm and I had to take his weeping willows down and his pine and a few spruce are all he has left. This hole in the trunk easily take's about 1/4 of the entire trunk.

I personally don't think it's salvagable but Iwant to post the pictures tomorrow so I can get some input.

Thanks

 

[treeseer]

It definitely may be a limb that dislocated from the tree and took it's core with it. That is definitely a good suggestion and sounds about right. I am trying to help the man save his tree, we just got an icestorm and I had to take his weeping willows down and his pine and a few spruce are all he has left. This hole in the trunk easily take's about 1/4 of the entire trunk.

I personally don't think it's salvagable but Iwant to post the pictures tomorrow so I can get some input.

Thanks

Lots of questions here starting with how bad were the willows but yes let's see the pics. multistemmed pines have attachment issues and it sounds like one branch just popped out.

 

[toddstreeservic]

sounds like a piliated woodpecker after ants. Cut it before it rots.

 

[TDunk]

Cut it down. I'm assuming it's a white pine from what you described. I don't like taking chances on those trees, but that's just me.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Pine removal ?

from the sound of it it sounds like a pileated woodpecker hole. The hole is not as much of a problem as is the insects and moisture. The insects will only be in the wood if it has a certain moisture content. This moisture will lead to decay fungus. Some studies have found that woodpeckers can actually be beneficial by eating the insects and helping to dry out the tree with their holes. I didn't hear mention of a target near the tree. If there is no house road, structure of people around the tree then if it falls it is of no danger to people and therefore not a hazard. The benefit to the ecosystem for birds and other wildlife might be a factor to consider when evaluating weather or not to keep this tree. ....Mike

 

[keith66]

have you ever seen what a lightening strike does to a tree? it could have been that and then insects took advantage. i'm a superintendent of a golf course and see it all the time. last summer a white pine got struck on my first tee and usually the tree dies quickly. but not this one, it lost a couple limbs but other than that its fine as far as the exterior of the tree.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Does it look the the hole in this White Pine? We brought it down this summer, near a house. You can see the condition of the trunk.

 

[(WLL)]

nice pic nails

Does it look the the hole in this White Pine? We brought it down this summer, near a house. You can see the condition of the trunk.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Does it look the the hole in this White Pine? We brought it down this summer, near a house. You can see the condition of the trunk.

Why was that tree removed? The picture with the butt shows more than enough shell thickness for this tree to be considered safe. If that was the only problem, then this tree wasn't a hazard.

 

[m.green]

Here are a few images I found on google. The homeowner is e-mailing me the photos tomorrow he didn't get my message that I would like them until now.

This image here is similar Only the hole I am dealing with is a perfect circle (like the top hole in the photo) and from examination is the only one on the tree. If you look at the bottom whole in the photo it looks alot like that. It is just a perfect circle all the way in with a small millimeter sized hole on the inside. It is like a very perfect funnel.

I will have the exact photo tomorrow but I've never seen a pecker create such a perfect hole. According to the homeowner the hole is infested with ants.

Mikecutstrees it is 5 feet from a shed and if it were to fall it is about 30 feet from the home. After I explain some of the information I have recieved from you guys he'll have no problem with it being taken down. I do want to post the pictures when I recieve them via e-mail because I for one don't think pesticide control will help the tree but I'd like to see what others thoughts are.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Why was that tree removed? The picture with the butt shows more than enough shell thickness for this tree to be considered safe. If that was the only problem, then this tree wasn't a hazard.

Then it's settled, I will reassemble it and put 10' from your kids bedroom.:monkey: Unbelievable.

 

[treeseer]

Ants do not kill trees. Carpenter ants MAY indicate SOME decay, but they do not kill trees.

Birds are birdbrains. If one decides to peck one hole in a tree that does not mean the tree is firewood.

Codom tearout wounds like in Nels' tree (nice pics thanks) are bad, but trees can codit. If Nels' client wanted a professional assessment then Nels could have scooped out the rot and measured the cavity etc, and then listed mitigation options like pruning.

Now a tree with a defect limited by codit is down. Takehome msg there is, "Reduce sprawling branches before their failure leads to the tree's contributions being lost."

 

[tree MDS]

Then it's settled, I will reassemble it and put 10' from your kids bedroom.:monkey: Unbelievable.

Nails, you should be used to seer by now. lol.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Here are a few images I found on google. The homeowner is e-mailing me the photos tomorrow he didn't get my message that I would like them until now.

This image here is similar Only the hole I am dealing with is a perfect circle (like the top hole in the photo) and from examination is the only one on the tree. If you look at the bottom whole in the photo it looks alot like that. It is just a perfect circle all the way in with a small millimeter sized hole on the inside. It is like a very perfect funnel.

I will have the exact photo tomorrow but I've never seen a pecker create such a perfect hole. According to the homeowner the hole is infested with ants.

Mikecutstrees it is 5 feet from a shed and if it were to fall it is about 30 feet from the home. After I explain some of the information I have recieved from you guys he'll have no problem with it being taken down. I do want to post the pictures when I recieve them via e-mail because I for one don't think pesticide control will help the tree but I'd like to see what others thoughts are.

Those pictures look like woodpecker holes. Are there chips on the ground near your tree too? The severity of the hazard depends on how large the decay cavity is, the size of the tree, the size of the hole and many other factors. There are excellent books on evaluating decay in trees such as Evaluating Tree Defects b y Ed Hayes and Evaluation of Hazard Trees in Urban Areas by Mattheny and Clark. It also depends on the value of the tree to the owner. Some trees people will work hard to save other trees owners don't care for much. I like to explain the hazard to people and the options so they can make an educated decision. Mike

 

[m.green]

Mikecutstrees there is not a chip in sight from the whole in the tree. Please understand we are having a blizzard in Maine right now and I am 7 towns away or I'd drive and get the picture of it. I don't want to even call the homeowner/client and ask him to go out in this especially since he is disabled.

I'll be in touch in a day or so with pictures the proposal was submitted and it won't be coming down until Feb. The tree is healthy and I've determined that the tree will stand unless a major major storm with humongous out of this world wind speeds were to pass through. Plus the stump itself is about 4 ft. wide.

I cut a few limbs off of the house side of the tree, well quite a few since he's decided to have it downed anyway. Actually still looks great but I wanted to make sure if anything happened the tree is alot heavier now on the side where it is just earth. I still haven't seen something like this in my short career as an arborist and I want to know what it is. After the pics are sent and I get some advice I may get down there again and play around in it just a hair to see if the insides are being eaten. I am not going to dig out the inside of the tree but use a thin measurement tool and see what the story is. I can clearly tell from the whole in the side that he has a good 2 ft. (maybe more since I haven't dug) of solid wood around the trunk of three.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

yeah it's snowing hard here too. The wife and I just got back from snowshoeing. Pretty nice out. Saw some trees that were broken by the ice too. Neat to see why and how they broke. Sounds like you have a good plan for the tree. I'd be interested in seeing the pics when you get them. I'm just reading on here today and I have a few saws to sharpen later.... Mike