Few diseases are specific to Beech, so it's most likely that damage occurred from a commonplace cause (storm branch breakage or lighting strike, for instance) and followed the typical progression of wounds that do not successfully develop their internal sealant - colonization of the wood by wood-decay fungi and wood-excavating/feeding insects. Carpenter Ants do not actively damage healthy living wood but rather take advantage of wood that is already compromised by wetness and initial decay; they chew to excavate but don't consume the wood itself. Various beetle larvae and a few other insects can feed on wood as they tunnel through it, though here too, this usually follows existing damage rather than serves as the initial cause of it.

When wood-feeding insects target trees, it is often those which are already under stress, with or without pre-existing wounds. Beech have relatively shallow roots and are sensitive to cultivation and compaction in the root zone; they also tend to be fairly intolerant of drought, poor drainage/flooding, and pollution via salts (such as ice-melting salts or excessive fertilization).

When damaged or unhealthy trees are not in a location that puts personal or property safety in danger, it's best to leave them to benefit the ecosystem, as many organisms rely on declining or dead trees (woodpeckers being one widely-recognized example). Otherwise, inspection by a certified arborist may be prudent to assess risks the tree may pose in falling, and to determine how serious (or not) the existing damage has become. You can use the second and third links on this page to search for an arborist if needed: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree While an arborist will have few or no treatment options for mitigating the existing damage, they can advise how this might impact the long-term viability of the tree.

Miri

You are welcome.