Holes in trunk of Stewartia pseudocamelia

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by tehee, Nov 19, 2011.

  1. tehee

    tehee Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    107
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Woodinville, Washington USA
    I'm attached two pictures of holes in the trunk of a mature Stewartia pseudocamelia. Can anyone tell me if this is an indication of a problem with the tree? or what has made these holes.

    Thank you.

    Susie
     

    Attached Files:

    • 018.jpg
      018.jpg
      File size:
      213.6 KB
      Views:
      160
    • 019.jpg
      019.jpg
      File size:
      234.7 KB
      Views:
      150
  2. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,779
    Likes Received:
    269
    Location:
    Burnaby, Canada
    The holes look like the work of a sapsucker, probably the Red-breasted Sapsucker. The holes don't indicate any problem with the tree but can be entry points for disease. Wrapping something around the trunk to discourage the sapsucker from feeding on your tree would definitely be beneficial.
     
  3. David Payne Terra Nova

    David Payne Terra Nova Active Member

    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Port Coquitlam, B.C. Canada
    Good irrigation during times of drought can create greater sap and water flow. The bugs don't like this and usually don't damage trees.
    That can go for Bronze Birch Beatles and Pine Mountain Beetle problems as well as others.
     
  4. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    2,057
    Likes Received:
    98
    Location:
    Kootenays, BC, Canada
    I have similar looking damage on my Mountain Ash trees. Unfortunately, it took me some time to notice the growing damage and after that to catch the culprits in the act.
    By then the damage became so bad that nothing could be done to help the trees.
    You can see two of them on the picture. But there were literally swarms of hornets slowly killing my trees. They use chewed bark as a building material for their nests.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. hapylica

    hapylica Member

    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Sobozia,Ialomita,Romania,zona5-6
    I bought seeds and want to get such trees.O wasps sit watching my trees when they grow up.
     
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,251
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Mountain ash shot shows both bald-faced and European hornets at the same time.
     
  7. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,779
    Likes Received:
    269
    Location:
    Burnaby, Canada
    Regardless of what types of hornets they are, they didn't create those holes in the tree. Hornets and paper wasps use dead wood for building their nests; they don't carve holes in living trees. They might chew around the edges of the holes after the wood dries out, but they don't initiate the holes, which were originally created by a sapsucker. Most likely, the hornets are after the insects attracted to the sap in the holes.
     
  8. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,251
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    I once saw a bald-faced hornet take a house fly that was sitting on an English laurel hedge leaf.
     

Share This Page