We have many types of oak trees on our property. Some of the oaks have limbs that look as though they are being attacked by something, possibly a borer. The bark of the limb will be stripped off and eventually break off from the tree. The remaining stump sometimes has a hole in it and the remaining bark almost looks like it has been cut in a circle around the base of the limb. I am enclosing a couple of pictures to illustrate. Does anyone know what this might be? I cannot find the precise problem described on the internet anywhere.
The big hole on your one picture could be from a woodpecker. The huge pileated woodpeckers around our area can create holes that big looking for insects. Around here, Oak Wilt (or Oak decline)is a common disease that causes flagging on the trees...limbs die off one at a time, and eventually the trees die and woodpeckers can then take over. Here's a link from the USDA on oak decline. Good luck with your oaks. We've lost all of ours to Oak Wilt, but the good news is that many little trees are now sprouting up from their acorns. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/oakdecline/oakdecline.htm
Oak wilt Thank you for your post! We have some pretty good descriptions of typical oak wilt, so we are going to watch for it as the tree leafs out. Hoping also to get our local DOA entimologist to come out and have a look. Best Wishes! Other folks...ideas welcome! Cromba
I don't know if you have oak wilt or not, but my thinking is if the woodpeckers have done this damage an has gotten that deep into the limb you may want to consider pruning the dead off. The limb is trying already to heal itself but it can't because the dead limb is preventing it. Notice the callused ring nearest the main trunk, its the part that doesn't have true bark yet. Just on the edge of there without cutting the callus area is where you should make your cut if you don't already know this. But pruning it here it can completely callus/heal over an in turn will keep boring insects out.
