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\!
Just a little info on the situation. Fisrt of trees dont heal the seal or compartamentalize. Healing is the regrowth of tissue, if trees healed then we would not have hollow trees. Second the carpenter ants are actually being more benifical than harmful. The ants will only eat the dead wood not the living wood, so what they are actually doing is cleaning out the wound, reducing moisture, and hopefully more decay. However the fact thatyour tree is hollow could mean that there are other problems that have happend in the past, ex. root damage, and you should have the tree inspected by a certified arborist.
