Can anyone tell me the proper way to repair a beautiful oak which has been damaged at the lower trunk by carpenter ant infestation. I have chiseled away the loose wood -- and unfortunately it is a deep wound. the tree is huge -- 100 feet or more -- and I wondered if I need to fill the gap which the nest created, or simply clean out and spray/or paint with wound care and let the tree heal itself (hopefully) any suggestions greatly appreciated\!

Sorry to tell you this, Doreen, but carpenter ants nest in rotted wood. Something is seriously wrong with your tree and it's not the ants' fault. Think of them as an early warning system (although from your description I'm not sure "early" applies.) Call in an expert to assess the damage and see if the tree can be saved.Good luck!

Later, G

doreen,

Wopuld like to have more information on the decayed trunk of your tree. How large in dia. is the decay compared to the dia of the tree?

Ants only eat soft decayed wood. They do not eat live tissue, so they are not the cause of your problem.

Stay away from paints and wound sealers....they are old science and do more harm than good.\

Anyway you could post a pic of your tree?