Two dead trees

[ENT]

Hello
Yesterday I noticed that I have two dead trees in my front yard. I believe they are oak, but I have attached pictures because I don't know for sure. The first tree is right next to a different species of tree so it was hard to notice that it is dead or dying. It looks green, but I realized when looking up in the canopy that it is the other tree that is green, and not what I believe to be the oak. The second tree is by itself and obviously dead. The strange thing ( or maybe not strange) is they are in a direct line from where I had a gas line installed (trench) in August of 2017. There is still a mark on the curb where they hooked into the gas line from across the street, and those two trees are in a straight line to my gas meter. This particular contractor ( sub contractor of PSNC) was not very good. He nicked my electric cable with his backhoe and didn't say anything about ( I took pics). He tore up some of my drainage pipes and didn't say anything about it, I saw the remnants in a pile of roots. I had a supervisor come out at the time and he made the contractor fix some of my concerns... What do you think? Is it possible the contractor killed these trees? Is it even worth me pursuing it two years after the fact? What is an " acceptable" distance to a tree to dig a trench? I think I am going to have "call before you dig" come out and map out exactly where the gas line is. And start making some calls for somebody to remove these trees.
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First and second photo, it's the tree on the left. Third photo is a pic of the canopy for the first two photos. Fourth and fifth photo is the second dead tree, closest to street. Thank you for any insight

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

Pic #2

Tree on the right looks to be oak. Tree on the left looks like it could be an Ash. Check the interwebs. The Emerald Ash Boring beetle (EAB) has been killing Ash trees in the US for 15+ years. That tree looks to be about as big as Ash trees get these days before EAB settle in and kill them. The timing of the utility lines and the questionable digger operator may be coincidence.

The stand-alone also looks like Ash too.

 

[Raintree]

First tree is an Ash, they are one of the last trees to leaf out in spring. EAB is the concern if it's alive. Second tree is a white oak this tree broke bud and then wilted it's toast, root damage would be the best guess from your info about the gas trench.

 

[ENT]

Thanks for the quick replies. Interesting because looking at the trunks of the two trees, and the amount of the same trees I have in my yard, I assumed them to be from the same species of tree. From what I can gather from the internet I thought they are oaks. About 10 years ago I lost some trees to a beetle borer, but the damage they caused was obvious. These trees show no sign of stress that a layman like myself can see. Heres a couple of close ups of the trunks, and a leaf from a similar tree a couple of feet away. I think I will have an arborist come ***** the situation. I know the second tree is gone, but the first tree may still be viable. After looking up with scope, I can see some small buds on the tips. Thanks again for your help

 

[Deleted member 117362]

That is a white oak leaf. Red oaks have pointed leaves. Oak wilt is killing Red oaks on my property, white oaks are more resistant to it.

 

[farmer steve]

Thanks for the quick replies. Interesting because looking at the trunks of the two trees, and the amount of the same trees I have in my yard, I assumed them to be from the same species of tree. From what I can gather from the internet I thought they are oaks. About 10 years ago I lost some trees to a beetle borer, but the damage they caused was obvious. These trees show no sign of stress that a layman like myself can see. Heres a couple of close ups of the trunks, and a leaf from a similar tree a couple of feet away. I think I will have an arborist come ***** the situation. I know the second tree is gone, but the first tree may still be viable. After looking up with scope, I can see some small buds on the tips. Thanks again for your help
View attachment 817220View attachment 817221View attachment 817222

Your middle pic is ash and probably succumbed to Ash borer. Not sure if there are any arborists in you area here on the site.

 

[farmer steve]

Here is a link to ash borer photos.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ash...U4lnIEHelsAeAQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1366&bih=625

 

[North by Northwest]

Agree with the Ash borer or other beetle infestation scenario another thought on the gas line digging , often feeder roots are cut and this can effect the tree . Also long term small scrubs and plants can be damaged by gas lines in close approximately , however not within a 3 yr period .

 

[ENT]

Thanks everybody I will let you know what I find out.

 

[ATH]

+another on ash. The tree right next to that looks like a Red maple? The oak that stands alone...still maybe some kind of bark beetle (two-lined chestnut borer, for example, is pretty common on oaks), but they move in on stressed trees usually leaving healthy trees alone. Certainly the trenching could have damaged enough roots to stress the tree, then two-lined chestnut borers moved it. I am not saying that IS what happened...not enough info here for that...just an example of what could happen.