What animal is destroying the branches of my locust tree? - Ask Extension
We have a sunburst locust tree and noticed that there was a lot of bark and wood chips on the lawn below. Looking up into the tree, we noticed the br...
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What animal is destroying the branches of my locust tree? #265947
Asked July 29, 2015, 4:14 PM EDT
We have a sunburst locust tree and noticed that there was a lot of bark and wood chips on the lawn below. Looking up into the tree, we noticed the branch which we are sending you pictures of. We are wondering what caused this occurrence. Could it be squirrels, woodpeckers, termites, carpenter ants, etc? We are attaching pictures of the branch which we then cut off the tree.
What caused this problem and what should we do about it?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
What I'm seeing on that branch looks like it is all secondary to what killed the branch. So I don't have a clue as to what happened to the branch.
I don't see woodpecker damage (would be a series of holes all in a row). Woodpeckers prefer dead and dying trees. Carpenter ants would leave tunnels. And they are attracted to dead, decaying wood.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/
My guess is something (storm? winter kill?) killed that branch some seasons ago. Perhaps you didn't notice it tucked in the canopy when the tree was leafed out. If the rest of the tree looks healthy otherwise, prune out this dead branch, and keep the tree properly hydrated into late fall.
I don't see woodpecker damage (would be a series of holes all in a row). Woodpeckers prefer dead and dying trees. Carpenter ants would leave tunnels. And they are attracted to dead, decaying wood.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/
My guess is something (storm? winter kill?) killed that branch some seasons ago. Perhaps you didn't notice it tucked in the canopy when the tree was leafed out. If the rest of the tree looks healthy otherwise, prune out this dead branch, and keep the tree properly hydrated into late fall.
