Question
I have an old pin oak that is 18 ft around. It has been running sap out of the base of the tree. I need to know what I can do if anything is wrong to save the tree. It is huge and very close to my house. I think if it falls in any direction it will take my house with it. Please help. Thank you!

Answer
Sap running out of the trunk of a tree is not a good sign.  Look to see if there is a wound where the sap is coming from.  Most of the time there will be a rotting area where a limb has fallen off or there is a hole in the trunk where water can stand.  There is not really anything you can do but monitor the tree's health. If there is a wound, do not treat ot paint with anything.  If it is such that you can cut the area to allow the water to run off, that will help some.  Smell of the ooze.  If it smells like alcohol and attracts bees and flies, then I would say that it is a bacterial disease, for which there is no cure. When you begin to see dieback in the top and limbs begin to fall out of the tree, then you can begin to think about the risk factor to your house.  It is my opinion that some day (and we dont know when), the tree will have to be cut down.  Good luck.