I have a white birch (I assume it's a paper birch) that's basically 2
big trunks that are joined at ground level and diverge and each trunk
rises to a hight of about 30 ft. Diameter of each at ground level is
probably a foot or slighty more. Tree (both of them) seem healthy,
leaves are fine. For the past 3 or 4 springs I've applied Cygon
around a section of both trunks.

Last year I noticed just under the crotch of one of the major branches
some weakness in the bark. What I found when I peeled off the bark
was several fluid-filled cavities (each about the size of a silver
doller). I basically peeled away the bark over these cavities and
exposed them. The cavities seemed to reach all the way to the
dead-wood of the trunk (about 1/2 inch deep). If I recall correctly,
a bunch of ear wigs probably fell out of these cavities.

This spring I examined the same trunk but lower down and there was a
similar weakness or spongy-ness to a section of bark closer to the
ground. Today I finally went about opening up this abscess. What I
have is basically a gash in the side of the trunk that has been
completely masked by the thin outer layers of paper bark. This gash
starts about 5 ft from the ground and goes up about 4 feet long. On
average it's about 2 or 3 inches wide, but could be 4 inches wide in
places. The gash goes all the way to the wood core of the trunk (ie
the gash is about 1/2 deep). I can see a few worm trails in the
exposed hard wood core so I assume that some sort of borer did this.

Bur what I understand about the bronze birch borer is that they
usually attack higher up the tree. Also, is it common for a verticle
section to be eaten out vs going around the trunk?

Once I cleaned up the gash by cutting out the bits of dry rot I think
that the trunk will heal ok (heck - this gash has been there for must
be years). I figure that exposing this gash to the outside will allow
it to harden up (and it won't be home for ear wigs any more - yuk).

What I'd like to know is

1) Was this the Bronze birch borer?

2) Is there a filler material for trees that's sort of like bondo (for
car body work)? I'd like to fill this gash with something that I can
at least paint white so the tree doesn't look so bad.

PS: I'm located in SW Ontario so my climate is similar to Detroit,
Cleveland, and Buffalo. Also, please post any follow - up (don't
e-mail because I won't get it).

Thanks.

BBB is a Buprestid beetle that attacks woody tissues. It is part of the
cosmological dance.
Don't fill the new excavations with anything. It won't benefit the tree.

--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net

I may be mistaken, but these borers will make a hemispherical hole in the
trunk or
branches. Look for them. If you find them, I believe Lindane one of the
treatments
for borers..

Sherwin Dubren

Some Guy wrote:

I have a white birch (I assume it's a paper birch) that's basically 2
big trunks that are joined at ground level and diverge and each trunk
rises to a hight of about 30 ft. Diameter of each at ground level is
probably a foot or slighty more. Tree (both of them) seem healthy,
leaves are fine. For the past 3 or 4 springs I've applied Cygon
around a section of both trunks.

Last year I noticed just under the crotch of one of the major branches
some weakness in the bark. What I found when I peeled off the bark
was several fluid-filled cavities (each about the size of a silver
doller). I basically peeled away the bark over these cavities and
exposed them. The cavities seemed to reach all the way to the
dead-wood of the trunk (about 1/2 inch deep). If I recall correctly,
a bunch of ear wigs probably fell out of these cavities.

This spring I examined the same trunk but lower down and there was a
similar weakness or spongy-ness to a section of bark closer to the
ground. Today I finally went about opening up this abscess. What I
have is basically a gash in the side of the trunk that has been
completely masked by the thin outer layers of paper bark. This gash
starts about 5 ft from the ground and goes up about 4 feet long. On
average it's about 2 or 3 inches wide, but could be 4 inches wide in
places. The gash goes all the way to the wood core of the trunk (ie
the gash is about 1/2 deep). I can see a few worm trails in the
exposed hard wood core so I assume that some sort of borer did this.

Bur what I understand about the bronze birch borer is that they
usually attack higher up the tree. Also, is it common for a verticle
section to be eaten out vs going around the trunk?

Once I cleaned up the gash by cutting out the bits of dry rot I think
that the trunk will heal ok (heck - this gash has been there for must
be years). I figure that exposing this gash to the outside will allow
it to harden up (and it won't be home for ear wigs any more - yuk).

What I'd like to know is

1) Was this the Bronze birch borer?

2) Is there a filler material for trees that's sort of like bondo (for
car body work)? I'd like to fill this gash with something that I can
at least paint white so the tree doesn't look so bad.

PS: I'm located in SW Ontario so my climate is similar to Detroit,
Cleveland, and Buffalo. Also, please post any follow - up (don't
e-mail because I won't get it).

Thanks.

Sounds more like a canker disease

Beecrofter wrote:

Sounds more like a canker disease

I assume that this web site describes what you are referring to:

http://www.pfc.forestry.ca/diseases/...canker6_e.html

That doesn't look like what I have.

Basically, I had a complete dissappearance of the wood (sap wood?) in
a uniform manner all the way to the wood core, where there are quite
prominent worm trails etched in the surface of the core
(heart-wood?). This gash or dissappearence was completely hidden
under the outer surface of bark (which was 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch
thick). The outer bark surface was COMPLETELY NORMAL LOOKING and you
wouldn't know that something really wrong was going on underneath.
There were no holes in this over-covering section of bark nor anywhere
else I've looked. No fruiting bodies in the 5 years I've been the
owner of this tree.

The cavity formed by this gash was moist and in places seemed to
retain fluid. The sides of the gash resembled a thin layer of dry rot
(probably due to water retention and lack of air circulation). I
scraped away the thin layer of rot and exposed what looked like
healthy sap wood. I expect the exposed sap wood will harden
relatively quickly.

Mike LaMana wrote:
Don't fill the new excavations with anything. It won't benefit the
tree.

So you woulnd't recommend products like this:

Treekote Tree Wound Dressing
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/pr...ge.asp?id=1968

even if only to improve the appearance of the trunk?

No, I don't see the need.

--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net




"Some Guy" wrote in message ...
Mike LaMana wrote:
Don't fill the new excavations with anything. It won't benefit the
tree.

So you woulnd't recommend products like this:

Treekote Tree Wound Dressing

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/pr...ge.asp?id=1968

even if only to improve the appearance of the trunk?