Foam oozing from our sawtooth oak tree where beetles appeared to be sucking on it. Dug away soft foam areas. What should we do now to help protect our tree? |
I can't tell from your description whether the tree has a fungus and the beetles were attracted to the fungus, or whether the beetles did the damage. You may want to collect a few of them and take them into your cooperative extension office for identification. If the tree has a fungus such as oak wilt, you can try using a fungicide such as Alamo or Fungisol; if the beetles are the cause of the wound, you can control the beetles with Neem Away or other neem based insecticide or use a systemic such as Merit or Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. Both these products are used as a soil drench and after a few weeks it works its way into all the tissues of the trees, killing any insects that feed upon the leaves or stems. Your closest cooperative extension office is: Dallas County Cooperative Extension, 10056 Marsh Lane Suite B-101, Dallas, Texas 75229-6071 phone (214) 904-3050. Helpful folks there can diagnose the problem and make suggestions for control. Good luck with your oak tree. |