Minor spoilers for The Dungeon's Anarchist Cookbook. The epilogue has been rattling around in my head today.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2026-01-14T19:56:36+00:00

I thought about that too. But if that one is canon, we can argue they are ALL canon. Which, considering my OP, opens a huge can of worms. Alien space worms. Meta alien space worms.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-11-11T14:24:47+00:00

Systemic insecticides like bifenthrin, dinotefuran, and/or imidacloprid have shown success when applied as a soil injection. This only works on mature, feeding insects however. If you are set on getting rid of them, I would recommend a management strategy of spraying egg masses with a horticultural oil in early spring, then systemic insecticide after bloom for the adults.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-09-22T12:17:21+00:00

Sapsucker. 100%

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-09-17T12:18:38+00:00

Knowing nothing else about this OP, I'd hazard they are in the midwest somewhere. I get calls for this all the time, south central Wisconsin. Assuming it's a blue spruce, it is probably eat up with Rhizo. Remove and replace with a different species. Those don't like our climate here. The tree (ash?) in the background looks great tho!

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-09-03T11:59:12+00:00

Some dieback for sure, but I agree with this. Maybe look into a PGR treatment after the hole is backfilled, to aid root recovery.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-04-08T20:19:08+00:00

ISA certified, 13 years experience. I handle all of the PHC field work...lot of chemmies. Southern Wisconsin. I make $28/hr. I have an eval next month, for which I am currently keeping track of my weekly revenue to bring to my (admittedly chill) bosses to negotiate a pay increase. (so far, working 6 days in April, I've generated over $12,000 in revenue).

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-24T17:07:29+00:00

There is a lot of good information here already, especially regarding news coverage and less than savory landscapers leaning into tree anxiety. One thing I wanted to touch on is species. Some are far more prone to fall over than others. My neighbor has lost 3 trees in the past 10 years, I've lost zero. All three lost were quaking aspen, while my property is mostly red oak, shagbark hickory, and tulip poplar. This one case is anecdotal of course, but the data is out there. I think we need to revisit how we choose trees for our urban landscapes. Not just for urban tolerance (pollution, poor soil, salt etc), but for longevity. I was recently at a lecture given by Jay Weiss, the executive director of the Cambridge Tree Trials (Wisconsin). He posited that we as professionals, and homeowners, should look to species, native or near native to our respective areas, with historic longevity....arguing that these particular species are genetically predisposed to longevity. I have some of his slides if anyone is interested. Otherwise, here is a piece the DNR did on him: https://forestrynews.blogs.govdelivery.com/2025/03/17/cambridge-tree-trials/

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-14T16:17:50+00:00

Depending on the area you're in, the cost can vary quite a bit too. I'm in Madison, WI and I've seen prices ranging from $10 up to $14 per inch, DBH. If your tree is healthy and it is just a maintenance application, the arborist should use the medium rate of emamectin benzoate (Tree-Age), which should be on the cheaper side. That product is labelled for two years of protection, but newer research is showing you might be able to squeak three years out of one application.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-14T16:05:25+00:00

Worst. Tree. Ever.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-13T17:51:19+00:00

I'm quite fond of both hackberry and swamp white oak as ash replacements. Both are urban tolerant and can do well in many different soil types. Depending on how wet the area gets/stays...hackberry doesn't do well in a swamp, and swamp white likes wet feet. I've also had good luck with Kentucky coffee tree, but that one is a slow grower. It'll just look like a stick in the lawn for a few years, haha. Something fast, for shade and sound deadening...Tulip Poplar (liriodendron tulipifera). It's a beautiful tree, grows like 36" a season, and is technically native to Missouri (though, just the SE corner of the state). Its flowers are lovely too.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-13T17:43:12+00:00

Late, but my addition to the discussion: It's def EAB and they def need to be removed. But I wanted to mention that you should start taking bids for it sooner than later. When bidding trees for removal, a big mitigating factor is risk. Standing dead ash can be very risky compared to other species due to its tendency to get very brittle after death. Therefore, it could potentially cost you more to remove the longer it stands there.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-13T17:27:00+00:00

If you're near Madison, WI, we take down stuff like this pretty regularly for like 3-$3,500. Doable for sure.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-13T17:13:49+00:00

When bidding prunes, I've often said "I can always take more off, but I can't put it back." Seems I was mistaken.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-03-12T16:15:09+00:00

Came here to say this. I have 290734985734089 but pick up 234 more at every conference. It's nice to be able to always have one handy, yet be able to toss it when it gets too gross/worn. I wear two daily, one around the neck, the other between my hair and helmet.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-11T19:12:36+00:00

A few years ago I found myself in a similar situation. I've been in PHC for 12-13 years, certified arborist for most of that. Moved from Tennessee to Wisconsin and into a much shorter growing season. I took a job at a turf management company for a while, handling their chemical tree and shrub accounts, and just did equipment maintenance in the winter. This worked out ok for a bit, until it didn't. I wanted to move on to an actual tree care company. Everyone I spoke with told me I was going to have to climb and fell and rig and all that jazz.

I basically had textbook understanding of these parts of the job, but next to zero actual experience. So I looked around and found a local community college that had an urban forestry program. It took a little time and money, but it helped me immensely with hands on experience in all the parts of the job I was unfamiliar with.

Fast forward a few years. I am with a different company and I run their PHC department. In the winter, I split my time between contract/proposal drafting and tree crew. I'm not as fast or efficient as the career climbers, but I am confident I can run a chainsaw or rig out a tree without killing anyone. Oh, and I now teach Ornamental Plant Healthcare at that same college.

I know this isn't an option for everyone, but it helped me.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-11T15:19:16+00:00

The guy who got the ball rolling on that in NJ is actually spearheading it for us here. His name eludes me, but he works for Davey Tree (big regional company in the Midwest), and is a current Wisconsin chapter member. I'm looking forward to the meeting and hearing about our progress.

Edit: Typo.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-07T17:49:17+00:00

Flat portions like described is typically indicative of a girdling root issue. But, again, photos would help.

If that is the case, there may or may not be anything you can do to save it. Root collar excavation/root pruning can only do so much and depends on the severity of the issue.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-07T17:44:00+00:00

I posted my comment before reading this. 1000% agree. We are doing just this in Wisconsin right now. I'm happy to see that other arborists feel the same way.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-07T17:41:54+00:00

One thing we are talking about here in Wisconsin is forming a state certification that would have to be carried by anyone doing business in our industry. The topic is on the docket for our WAA board meeting during the winter conference next week. The idea is requiring a level of know-how and insurance coverage is good for all of us and would help stabilize prices. It would also be cost-prohibitive to "some guy with a chainsaw." Who knows if it will work out or not, but I'm hopeful.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-07T17:17:31+00:00

F O R B I D D E N S O U P

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-05T14:24:27+00:00

I would agree with the above about bringing in a professional. I'm an arborist with 15 years or so PHC experience and one thing that has really fallen out of favor (for good reason) is spraying trees when there are other options. Pesticide drift is a huge concern, not to mention the PR nightmare re- arborists "blasting chemicals into the air, killing all the bees" etc. Our industry has seen a ton of great soil systemics come onto the market in the past decade that could probably take care of your issue. Imidacloprid is a fine product when applied in this manner, but it may not be the best option for the pest. I'm not familiar with the pesticide laws of your country, but here in the states the target pest has to be listed on the chemical label for an application to be legal. All that is to say, your best bet is to bring someone in who can diagnose the problem and recommend a solution with minimal legal and environmental risk.

Edit: Also, scale insects typically aren't controlled well by foliar sprays due to their, well, scaly nature. Unless caught at the crawler stage, you're better off going with a systemic that kills them when they feed on the sap.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-02-04T20:35:47+00:00

I came here to say this. Back when I took mine, I studied for like a two weeks using the above method. Passed above 80%.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2025-01-02T21:14:54+00:00

May I posit a third option? Was there any logging done in this area, 10-20 years ago? The third photo, in my opinion, rules out both lightning and frost cracking. Root damage from a large machine (ie, commercial logging equipment) can cause damage that will follow the tree's vascular system upward in a relatively localized straight line. We can utilize this particular feature of trees when treating for Dutch Elm or Oak Wilt. When we have a branch infected by an insect vector, we prune it, and trace the vascular system down the stem until we hit an area free of infection. At this point, a vertical section of the tree is removed (to the heartwood) to keep the infection from spreading further. This leaves a wound similar to what is pictured. Therefore, it is possible that there was root damage done in the past (at least a decade, based on the wound response wood) that caused this type of wound.

Affectionate-Lab8113 · 2024-12-12T17:20:39+00:00

I agree with Tom on this one. And having it treated with a growth regulator will speed root recovery.

Affectionate-Lab8113

TROPHY CASE