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Old 02-09-2003, 07:04 PM
Robert Gray
 
Posts: n/a
Default Oak Trees Dying Off - Update

No recent construction and it is a twenty year old house.

Tree cutting man stopped by today - he has been cutting trees for other
folks in the neighborhood. He pointed out that the trees hav powdery sawdust
at the base indicating beetle damage. He says it is a southern pine beetle
that will bore into the tree and suck the sap out - killing the tree within
a few short weeks. I questioned him about why the beetle didn't seem to
attack the pines, but he didn't have an answer. But, there certainly was
fine sawdust on the bark in many places.

He gave me a quote of $500 to cut the three trees down - no hauling away of
the wood. He says that is a discount because I can cut, split and burn the
pieces. I'm going to get another quote before agreeing to his offer.

As for the beetles, well he says that there is a spray that you need to put
on the base of the trunks to protect the tress. Something like 'landane'
that has recently been banned becasue of cancer causing, but there is an
alternate spray.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,
Robert

"Elizabeth" wrote in message
ink.net...
Are you in a fairly new house or new development with construction

happening
within the past few years? Construction is very hard on trees. Damage to

the
root systems begins to kill off nearby trees within a few years. In 1997,

I
moved into a new subdivision that used to be woods. Several of the trees

on
my lot slowly died, losing top branches first. Others that were not as

close
to the path of destruction are doing OK. Mulching in a wide circle around
the trees seems to help but if the damage has been done, you can only wait
and see which ones will make it.

E.

"Robert Gray" wrote in message
. com...
Looks like I've lost another three oak trees this year.

Three of them (about 12-14" diameter) died last year, along with a

dogwood.
Common wisdom at the time seemed to be the draught had taken it's toll.

I
cut them down and mulched the area last fall. As a matter of fact, there

was
one that died the year before that.

Now, I see that two more oaks with trunks 2'-3' wide have been leafless

for
most (if not all) of the summer. A third one about (18" diameter trunk)

has
some leaves, but the highest branches are barren with no growth.

I have no idea what is going on. The pines in the same area show no
indication of distress. Other than mulching, I don't do any special care
like watering, spraying or pruning. They are basically trees in the

'woods'.
They are within about 50-75 ft of each other.

These are big old trees - maybe a hundred years, and it is a terrible

shame
they are dying. But I don't know what to do to prevent it from

spreading.
Any advice appreciated.

Robert