Question
QUESTION: Just noticed yesterday when watering that my 3 yr old shumard had a couple places 2 inches off ground that looked like the bark was thinly peeled off.  I thought perhaps my husband had used the trimmer around it, althought that seemed highly unlikely as it is in a tree ring with mulch - no weeds - there are a couple of places further up the trunk, but still below the branches that were wet as weel, but I had just run the sprinkler and thought  it was residual water at the time.  Today, I see a large drop of sap leaking from what appears to be a small split in the bark and upon closer instpections the other "wet" places also surround a small (1/4 t 1/3 inch) split in the bark, although they are not dripping.  The sap drip is yellow in color and quite viscous.  I read in one of your earlier posts from my area (Arlington Texas) that it could be oak borers and to treat with Merit or Onyx and another post that suggested sap leaking from a pin oak might be a bacterial infection.  Is there any way to know specifically what the problem is - and will it be dangerous to my 3 year old tree to use an insecticide??  The tree has a beautiful shape and the leaves and branches all look extremly healthy. All of this activity is in the bottom 4 feet of trunk - I would say the tree is about 12 feet high and perhaps 3-4 feet wide.  It's such a pretty little tree - I want to do whatever necessary to help it as quickly as possible!

ANSWER: Sounds  like a insect called a borer.This is too young a tree to have slime flux.  Borers will infest wounds and and can be controlled with the use of an insecticide called Merit. Spray the area and the Merit will be absorbed by the bark and kill the insect in the tree. Or a newer product called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control can be used by applying it to the soil around the tree and the roots will translocate the insecticide to the trunk limbs and leaves killing the borers. This product will give linger protection than the spray and is easier to apply. Check with your local nursery for this product. Here is a web link to this Bayer Advanced.



http://www.bayeradvanced.com/tree-shrub-care/products/12-month-tree-shrub-insect



Borers normally attack trees that are under stress so I would also recommend that you fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. If you wait to fertilize just before a rain storm you do not need to water. If you have not done so I would also mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic  mulch (pine straw is good) This will help hold moisture around the roots.

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QUESTION: None of my local box stores (nurseries or hardwares) carry the Bayer 12 month Tree and Shrub Insect Control except in a $154.00 gallon container and since I only have 1 tree this seems an incredible waste of money and product.  The Bayer product they DO carry is the Protect and Feed (2-1-1) versions.  I am not a supporter of weed and feed lawn products, but since you mentioned also fertilizing the tree - is it safe to use the Bayer 12 month Tree and Shrub protect and FEED which sells for about 25???  or would I be better served buying the fertilome systemic tree and shrub insect drench or a comparible Imidacloprid by the pint online and waiting a week for it to arrive before treating??  I don't want to wait too long for treatment causing additional stress to the tree but I don't want to harm the tree with the wrong product either.  Thank you for your quick response.

Answer
That is not a problem to use the protect and feed from Bayer. This is an insecticide and fertilizer. Where the weed and feed is a herbicide and fertilizer--the herbicide can damage or kill trees depending on the herbicide in it. The Bayer Protect and Feed is fine. You get the insecticide and a fertilizer at a low rate which is OK for young trees.

This product can also be used for the other shrubs around your house for things like aphids scales foliage eating insects so if you do not use all the product on the tree use it around other shrubs for prevention.