whats done this to a silver birch

[burrell_]

i now have 3 silver birch on diffrent site that have the same problem one i planted 3 years ago

i ent got a pic of how it starts but its looks like little drill hole round the stem of the tree

the pic are what iv tryed to cut out

can anyone help me in telling me whats done it. i think its a bug of some sort but not shore. can i stop it and if so how

cheers for any help martin

[Matthew Arnold]

Bark looks like its been chewed by a squirrel and the wood has been munched on by a fungi. But squirrels generally eat the tops of the branches.

[janey]

... its looks like little drill hole round the stem of the tree

 

Hi M, it's hard to make a guess without pics. I initially thought woodpecker dammage, as they make very characteristic rings of holes around the trunk and upper branches. Would that be too big for the damage you have found?

 

Out of interest, why did you decide to cut away the damaged bark and use a wound paint (that looks suspiciously like mud)?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I know, shigo would turn in his grave!

[burrell_]

it was not a woodpecker hole that whole area was rotten so tryed to scrap what ever bug was in it out

i take it i did wrong in trying to cut what ever was in the out

i did wonder about the arbrex but thats what the customer wanted on it

[janey]

...i take it i did wrong in trying to cut what ever was in the out

i did wonder about the arbrex but thats what the customer wanted on it

 

Trees are very resilient and have evolved stratgies for dealing with insects and decay. Trying to cut out the holes and insects makes the wound(s) much larger and gives a bigger surface area for wind blown spores and allows the wood to dry out - which you don't want to happen. You also cut through any barriers that the tree has formed to help prevent the spread of any infection present.

 

It's always best to leave these things well alone as by trying to cut out any problems, you may actually be making the situation a lot worse. There's a lot of divided opinion and research about wound paints, like the one you have used. The general thinking is that while they are not necessarily bad for the tree, they don't do a lot of good either. So if your customer insists that you use it then do so but you actually don't need to.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

it was not a woodpecker hole that whole area was rotten so tryed to scrap what ever bug was in it out

i take it i did wrong in trying to cut what ever was in the out

i did wonder about the arbrex but thats what the customer wanted on it

 

 

dont worry, we all make mistakes, and I hope you didnt take what I said to heart, it was just a little remark that was not supposed to really mean anything.

 

As to the cleaning of the wound and painting with sealants basically what janey says.

 

She aint as daft as she looks!

[burrell_]

ok mate since u have said that iv bin looking at some books found one called Diseases of Trees & Shrubs 2nd Edition and another called Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs are they any good

dont want to get it wrong again

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

ok mate since u have said that iv bin looking at some books found one called Diseases of Trees & Shrubs 2nd Edition and another called Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs are they any good

dont want to get it wrong again

 

the second book I do not know but the first is on my shelf and is a first class edition to your library, its american and not all is applicable to the u.k but its got way to many relevant and important informations to miss it.

 

good on you for wanting to ensure you get it right next time:thumbup1:

[burrell_]

this is the book. i hate it when i see a bad reduction. if no one tells u have done wrong and why then u cant learn so thanks for being honest

Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs :: ISA UK&I Chapter