Laburnum damage - or is it?

[nepia]

Pics from an 85-year old laburnum. Is what you see old damage - squirrels perhaps?

There are no obvious signs of disease: no wetness or bleeding, the material's firm, no fruiting bodies anywhere and leaves are unfurling well on the whole tree.

Some branches are going to have to come off and others be reduced because the damaged sections simply won't sustain the endweight for much longer.

Suggestions as to the cause please....

 

Thanks.

[Nimby]

I see this a lot on Labs, It's almost as though there is a canker infection? due to a poor pruning wound.

[Ben]

In the third picture down, the one with your fingers at the bottom. The small pellet like stuff at the base of the hole looks like Bat droppings. It’s not a good idea to go disturbing them. Have a look on the Bat Conservation Trust website.

[Dean Lofthouse]

In the third picture down, the one with your fingers at the bottom. The small pellet like stuff at the base of the hole looks like Bat droppings. It’s not a good idea to go disturbing them. Have a look on the Bat Conservation Trust website.

 

Isn't there normally staining below the hole as well ??

 

I don't think thats bats

[tommer9]

Have seen similar to pics 1& 3 on macrocarpa several times, especially where the tree is exposed, and it is usually caused by wind damage, and doesnt seem to affect the production of leaf etc as you say.

[nepia]

In the third picture down, the one with your fingers at the bottom. The small pellet like stuff at the base of the hole looks like Bat droppings. It’s not a good idea to go disturbing them. Have a look on the Bat Conservation Trust website.

 

Batshot; who'd've thought it? I'll take a closer peep - thanks for that. I'm aware of the legal position on disturbing the little darlings and wouldn't want to anyway.

Our neighbour has ~40 of them living behind the house weatherboarding, so as dusk approaches on a summer's evening we sup our water of life and count them out... They're very territorial in their feeding habits; you can see the same patch being patrolled each night.

[nepia]

I see this a lot on Labs, It's almost as though there is a canker infection? due to a poor pruning wound.

 

Now you mention it I've seen it before too. Online and RHS book research only provided 'not generally susceptible to disease'. Helpful! Cheers.

[nepia]

That's the sort of educated suggestion I was after - as from others; thanks. Thinking about that comment the trunk near the ground is showing signs of small cracks. Seems that such a thing on a stressed lateral could easily open up and result in the kind of peeling back that seems to have happened; a bit like making a cut along your finger, then pulling the wound open exposing the bone.

Age must be a factor here; 85's a good age for a lab I think.