Silver Maple with damage from ants?

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Marinegrunt
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Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by Marinegrunt » June 24th, 2017, 10:22 am

I have a silver maple that has been nailed by ants. There's definitely damage running from the bottom up to where the big branches shoot out. Water sits up top so I'm sure that doesn't help. What worries me is it looks like 1/3 of the tree could split right off and it would land on the house. It's planted about 25' off the corner of the house. I'm not attached to the tree and cutting it down would allow more sun in our backyard. I don't know if I want it down but I don't want it falling on the house.

We moved in a year and a half ago. I've sprayed to kill the ants but they come back. I don't like the tree enough to where I'd spend money on injections or whatever else to save it. I just don't want it falling on the house. I know it's hard to tell from pictures but what are your thoughts? The last picture is a close up of the bottom slit.

Thanks!

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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by ken-n-nancy » June 27th, 2017, 6:09 pm

Even without the damage from ants, the fact that the trunk divided into two trunks about 10' off the ground, with each trunk proceeding upwards at an angle doesn't bode well for the longevity of that tree.

From my perspective, that tree doesn't have a long-term future...

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Re: Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by andy10917 » June 27th, 2017, 9:46 pm

I had the same thing ten years ago or so. We had the limbs cabled together for better support, but eventually threw in the towel and had the tree removed - it was 12' from the house.

virginiagal

Re: Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by virginiagal » June 29th, 2017, 7:07 am

Silver maples are notorious for having brittle wood and breaking off in storms. Here is a quote from U of Minnesota;
"Unfortunately, this species also has several liabilities as a landscape plant: weak wood that easily breaks during wind and ice storms, sensitivity to high pH soils and deicing salts, and prolific seed production and germination that creates a weeding issue in gardens. The root systems of silver maples also grow vigorously and superficially and can penetrate drain tile and sewer lines, raise or buckle sidewalks, and make mowing difficult. Use of silver maple in horticultural landscapes should be restricted to areas away from structures where a native species is needed for a naturalizing effect, where a shade tree with a rapid growth rate is needed, or where other shade tree species will not thrive due to dry, wet, or compacted soils."
'http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yar ... index.html
I had a big silver maple about 70 years old that dominated the back yard. When a big limb cracked for no reason, we took it down to prevent future damage. It cracked along the length of the branch.

Marinegrunt
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Re: Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by Marinegrunt » July 1st, 2017, 3:03 pm

Thanks for the replies. I ended up cutting it down. I figured it would help get some more much needed sun in the backyard anyways. I think if I tried to save it the tree would've turned out like the one Andy had. It would've had to come down regardless. It might've been too far gone anyways. The rot was very close to the edge. I cut the 3 forks individually since it was so close to the house. I also climbed, strapped them, and used my truck to pull them where I wanted them to go after hinge cutting.

This picture is about 2 feet up from the ground. The tape measure is to see just how much rot there was.

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This is the cut right below the fork. It's about 6 feet off the ground.

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Marinegrunt
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Re: Silver Maple with damage from ants?

Post by Marinegrunt » July 1st, 2017, 3:16 pm

This picture is about 15' off the ground is was on the part hanging towards the house. It's hard to tell from the picture but the left fork hangs 30' higher than the house and would have been a direct hit. This tree needed to be taken down.

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It was a nice looking tree. Well, beside the crack. Even if it could have been saved I'm happy it's gone because the sun sure looks nice shining in the back! We have a walkout and the back faces east so the house blocks the sun from around 3:00 on. The trees on the edge of the ravine blocks early morning sun. The maple was blocking the rest. I haven't timed it yet but I bet I'll get 6 hours of sun now.

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