Question
Jim,

First, thank you for taking the time to answer this question.

I live in upstate New York and have a large oak tree (about 60 or 70 feet tall).  It is a beautiful tree but it has some problems.  First, there is a large hole about 30 feet up, where an old limb once grew.  I assume that water and animals have been entering at this site.  Next, about ten feet up is a split in the tree, about six inches wide and three feet high.  Inside the split, the tree is hollowed out and there is a large pile of saw dust, from carpenter ants I assume.  There is also a black, oily looking residue that is leaking out of the opening, again from the carpenter ants I assume.

I have had two tree "experts" look at it.  One said that it must come down because it is infested and hollow.  The next said that I should just "kill the carpenter ants" and then plug the holes, and it will last for many years.

I know that it is difficult to diagnose without seeing it, but what do you think about the second option?  Everything I have read seems to indicate that plugging the holes in trees is not a good idea (I'm not sure why...), but it seems to makes sense because plugging the holes will prevent water from getting in and rotting the interior wood which, as I understand it, is what attracts the carpenter ants.

Aside from the holes, and the ants, it's a beautiful tree and totally alive on top.  It would be a shame to take it down if there is an alternative.

Also, if you do think that trying to save the tree is a good idea, do you have any recommendations on a treatment for carpenter ants in this situation?  And is it likely that the nest is inside the opening where I see all of the saw dust and the balck residue?

Many thanks,

Answer
Carpenter ant nests are very common inside trees, especially older trees that are hollow or have a significant amount of dead limbs and branches. The nests are usually in rotted, decayed wood, although some nests may extend into sound heartwood in the center of the tree.

Carpenter ants in trees are not directly harmful to the tree. Control is not essential for the tree's health, as the ants are only taking advantage of an existing situation of soft, weak wood in which to establish their colony. Stress, mechanical injury, environmental conditions, disease or other insects are responsible for killing limbs or sections of the trees in which the ants are able to nest. Once injury has occurred, wood decay can set in if moisture is present; it is the wood decay that gives the carpenter ants the opportunity to colonize the tree. Carpenter ants use knots, cracks, holes and old insect tunnels to gain access to these areas.

Control of carpenter ants inside trees is difficult but can be done as a way to reduce invasion of the ants into adjacent structures. It is also possible for ant colonies located inside trees to form satellite colonies inside a nearby home wall. Available controls are not likely to permanently rid a tree of carpenter ants so retreatment every year or so may be necessary. Dust insecticides (such as Sevin or rotenone) labeled for use on trees in the landscape are suggested for control. Apply the dust directly into the nest cavity.

Plugging or sealing tree cavities or treating tree wounds with wound dressings is not advised. Such treatments are unnecessary and will not eliminate nor prevent decay or carpenter ant activity


Control of carpenter ants in trees is warranted if there are indications that ants are entering homes from colonies in trees. If there is evidence of this, the best control is to bait the colony.
Baits, such as Terro. Baits tend to be slower-acting than other forms of carpenter ant control, but they are easy to apply and give good results, especially when the nest can't be located. The ants themselves will carry the bait back to the nest, which usually provides colony elimination.

There are a few baits available to nonprofessionals for carpenter ant control. Most retail products are liquid or granular formulations containing hydramethylnon, sulfluramid, abamectin, or boric acid. An inexpensive liquid bait of 1% boric acid in a 10% sugar water solution can be mixed at home, but it is very slow acting and must be constantly replenished. Baits vary a great deal in their effectiveness. Carpenter ants have complex food preferences, and some of the sugar-based baits will not be attractive to the ants long enough to be successful.  

If the nest is exposed  you can use a liquid or aerosol ready-to-use insecticide, such as bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or permethrin. Spray the insecticide directly into as much of the nest as possible. The more of the colony that is exposed, the better your chance of destroying it. It is necessary to anticipate a carpenter ant colony and have a product ready at the start of construction. Once the nest is exposed, that portion of the colony will try to relocate to protect themselves.  


Should the tree be cut--Certainly some hollow trees may have so little healthy tissue surrounding the hollow area that they must be regarded as dangerous, but this is by no means the norm.  Trees do not become hollow overnight - it can take decades - and while the centre of the tree (the heartwood) may be decaying, the tree continues to lay down healthy wood (sapwood) around the outside of its trunk.  This results in the formation of a cylinder, the strength of which depends upon the percentage of healthy to unhealthy tissue.

The first sign of the tree being a danger is large limbs breaking off and these are hollow. This means the decay has reach the limbs and is fairly extensive. The living part of the tree is just under the bark and the decay fungi will not infect this layer of living cells. To help the health of the tree I would fertilize it with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. I would do this in the spring and again after the leaves fall in the Fall. fertilize just before a rain storm and you will not have to water it in.

I would not cut the tree but treat for the ants and fertilize.