curious ash damage

[Tregroes]

young ash tree, about 10 years old, a proud survivor of the die back, in full leaf last year and formed buds. Buds began flushing this year but halted, perhaps because of the drought here in Wales and the Southwest or for some other reason. A few days ago found this damage, which is mostly around the branching areas but not exclusively. I've looked at emerald ash borer info, which was my first thought, but they talk about "serpentine channels" under the bark made by the larvae and I don't see any of those. Wondered if the damage caused by a bird looking for grubs, but which grubs? The stems and twigs on the tree are still flexible. There is insect brash below but actually I think that's wasps taking advantage of the bare wood. I didn't see it initially. Any ideas?

[daltontrees]

Looks like Ash Bark Beetle Hylesinus varius.

Edited June 16, 2020 by daltontrees

[Tilio-acerion]

10 minutes ago, daltontrees said:

Looks like Ash Bark Beetle Hylesinus varius.

This. In your second photo it looks like the breeding galleries are present, or rather had been. They’re a good food source for birds. 
 

As a result of ADB there’ll be a population explosion of ash bark beetles.

[difflock]

If an Ash survives Ash die back, and is still throwing out fresh growth(below the dead wood) 3 years later, is it going to survive, or will it likely eventually succumb, and therefore best removed and burned, since I have a few like that.

I was guessing these specimens have some natural resistence, or they would have died outright the first year, which is why I left them alone.

Marcus

[Stere]

Im wondering the same.

 

Have alot of half dead ash trees around and wondering if they will either  limp on like that for years, or just die soonish like a few  other ones close by have already done.

 

Im not sure anyone knows 100% ?

 

[Khriss]

Still not seen much around my walking route,  so never sure how really bad it is - or just an excuse to bash down a good load of firewood  ? K

[Stubby]

22 minutes ago, Khriss said:

Still not seen much around my walking route,  so never sure how really bad it is - or just an excuse to bash down a good load of firewood  ? K

2 years ago I said something similar but now , well its depressing Khriss .

[Khriss]

7 minutes ago, Stubby said:

2 years ago I said something similar but now , well its depressing Khriss .

We get hell of a lot of strimmer damage on our trees so its hard to tell.  K

[Stubby]

26 minutes ago, Khriss said:

We get hell of a lot of strimmer damage on our trees so its hard to tell.  K

In plantations I would have said its about 60:40 In favour of obviously infected trees  but of course tons and tons have been felled now .

[Gary Prentice]

5 hours ago, difflock said:

If an Ash survives Ash die back, and is still throwing out fresh growth(below the dead wood) 3 years later, is it going to survive, or will it likely eventually succumb, and therefore best removed and burned, since I have a few like that.

I was guessing these specimens have some natural resistence, or they would have died outright the first year, which is why I left them alone.

Marcus

We only started to see ADD in mature trees last year, so our observations are limited as to resistance but one site is particularly interesting. Last autumn the right hand tree had died back a couple of metres at the branch extremities. The adjacent tree had a few dead twigs but this wasn't necessarily ADD. They're protected and the LA asked to defer any application to fell that we might submit (in justification of any decision they made), so the larger deadwood was removed.

 

Returning to the site at the beginning of this month, this is the situation now. Almost all the canopy of the left tree is sans foliage. The right tree has no symptoms at all. 

 

It's to soon to draw conclusions, based on my own experience, but if pressed I would think that there are some trees that, for whatever reason, are just immune - some will succumb over an extended period of time and others will die rapidly. I also suspect that infected trees that throw out new growth are simply reacting and using stored resources to activate dormant buds, as stressed trees do. You might remember the progression of Dutch elm disease through the crown and the trees response to it, throwing out epicormics lower down and below the areas  where the tree was compartmentalizing the fungus?

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Gary Prentice
Forgot photo