What's eating this maple?

thedeeredude · March 26, 2008, 05:08:22 PM

I got pictures of this maple, it has these winged ant type bugs around it and apparently eating inside of it too. We cut some other maple trees down and they had the same symptoms and ?ants? coming out of it. Nearly every maple I see at work has these bored holes on the outside and the bark looks very dark black at some spots. What exactly is eating it, how can it be stopped and are the trees destined for firewood in tthe near future? Thanks.

thedeeredude · March 26, 2008, 05:14:08 PM

Here's a closer picture of the critter.

thedeeredude · April 03, 2008, 04:52:57 PM

Any ideas at all? Thanks

Dale Hatfield · April 05, 2008, 09:45:01 AM

I cant say or see to be certain but it might be ambrosia Beetle .

SwampDonkey · April 05, 2008, 03:26:17 PM

Winged ants spell carpenter ants to me. But I can't tell from your picture. The only way they would be ants is if at the base of the stump has piles of sawdust coming from the exit holes. They only attack trees with but and stem rot. The bug might only be there drinking the sap coming from the holes. The holes look a lot bigger than an ambrosia beetle hole. Ambrosia are very tiny.

Might be a type of fly we have discussed earlier on the forum. I'm not real familiar with it's exit holes or the insect itself. Phytolobia pruinosa They cause a condition called pith-fleck in red maple. But I think I'd rule that out, they have small larva to.

Then again, could be a fellow out there with a portable drill having fun. ;D

thedeeredude · April 06, 2008, 09:02:41 AM

The trees we cut down were hollow in the center and then these ants came crawling out of what little solid wood was left. Almost all of the maples I see are like that. The predominance of wood is soft and punky. They have a long strip of these holes, maybe a foot long, laterally across the trunk with dark black staining in the area. I'm not sure but I think they're red maples or sugar maples.

SwampDonkey · April 06, 2008, 09:33:51 AM

Yeah, they have to be carpenter ants. They don't eat the wood, they only make galleries for home and their grubs. They didn't cause the rotting in the trees, they took up residence afterward.

Ron Scott · April 06, 2008, 10:10:25 AM

The wood destruction may have started with the maple bore and then carpenter ants moved in. The ants will continue to multply with new nests unless the queen can be destroyed with a pheomone insecticide control. Don't store any of the firewood inside any buildings.

Furby · April 06, 2008, 11:42:47 PM

Were the Maples alive and "weeping" sap?

thedeeredude · April 07, 2008, 07:57:57 PM

Yes they were furby. Chock full of sap two weeks ago. As soon as we trimmed a branch the sap was pouring out.

Furby · April 07, 2008, 08:21:32 PM

I have different size/age flies as well as some longer ones that are not ants, but look like what you posted.
They are drinking the sap around the tap holes.
I know you said you found them inside as well, just thought I'd mention what I saw yesterday.

thedeeredude · April 08, 2008, 07:03:35 PM

Yeah, theyre crazy for the sap. I just dont know whats making the holes for them to get in. The pictures of maple borer damage dont really look like whats happening to these trees. These holes look rather recent though so maybe the textbook picture damage will start to show up.

thedeeredude · April 23, 2008, 08:49:39 PM

I heard about the yellow bellied sapsucker and looked at some pictures of the damage they do and it is a picture perfect match and the description is exactly the same too. It seems they make the holes that let the carpenter ants in and the tree just goes from there.

beenthere · April 23, 2008, 10:40:19 PM

Quote from: thedeeredude on April 23, 2008, 08:49:39 PM
........ It seems they make the holes that let the carpenter ants in and the tree just goes from there.

I believe the carpenter ants will only penetrate into decayed wood....not into sound, undecayed wood. So, if the holes lead to decayed wood, maybe the ants will use them as a doorway..

SwampDonkey · April 24, 2008, 05:00:03 AM

Well when I was looking at the hole in the photo they looked to be gouged out and not chewed out by an insect because I see pieces of inner bark at the mouth of the holes. Carpenter ants might be feeding on the sap, but they don't attack sound wood. So as beenthere said maybe the found some punky wood around those sapsucker holes.

Dang buzzards destroyed my Japanese larch and have the sap bleeding out my red pine in the yard.