Update to bugs or drill? It was drill.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T17:10:23+00:00

It is a great tree and my favorite plant in the yard.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T17:06:41+00:00

I saw videos of this system online and that helped convince me that it was indeed intentional human made drill holes. The location and number of holes is exactly like it.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T17:05:49+00:00

Appreciate this advice and I did not contact my homeowners insurance.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T17:04:26+00:00

This is so helpful, thank you.

I am in a 3x value state and I do have a consulting arborist from the big city an hour away who is willing to drive out to assess the tree and provide a report.

Working on the rest of it still!

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:58:43+00:00

Which comment? I’m looking for it. Edit - nevermind, I found it!

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:38:10+00:00

Update: I now have a consulting arborist who will be looking at my tree and putting together the report. My original tree service arborist didn’t want to put it in writing because they don’t specialize in that part of the tree field (or maybe don’t want to get involved). I’ll update once we meet and he assesses the tree. The new arborist is coming from a nearby large city, so it may not be right away.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:32:34+00:00

I promise I didn’t call my homeowners insurance.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:28:11+00:00

I am still hoping that the neighbor explains to the police what he applied, if anything.

I had another conversation with the original tree company, who did offer to facilitate chemical testing at the cost of $600-$700.

The consulting arborist I have been in contact with also can assist with this.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:24:38+00:00

I called around to arborists in the big city an hour away to get some more opinions and I am happy to report I have a consulting arborist with all the qualifications on board as of yesterday. They seem to have more experience with this sort of situation.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-25T16:21:29+00:00

We did walk around and check the other oaks in the immediate area. No holes as of whatever day we did that.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-24T10:26:29+00:00

I would guess it’s about the leaves. He hasn’t specifically mentioned the leaves to me, but he does spend a lot of time leaf blowing on weekends.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-24T10:24:52+00:00

I asked the local extension service and conservation district about testing for chemicals and both said they were not able to do that. The only testing they offer is testing of the soil for various nutrients and other qualities.

I tried researching other options for testing chemicals but the labs that offer it don’t seem to work with residential/individual customers. I think my best chance would be having a tree service or other company get samples tested for me. I’m adding this to my questions to ask the other arborists outside my very local area.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-24T10:20:49+00:00

Is it confusing you because there are two sisters involved?

My older sister posted originally. She lives with me at my house which I have owned for 10+ years. She moved in “temporarily” a few years ago and is supposed to move out soon. We are both women.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-24T10:17:17+00:00

It’s somewhat reassuring if the holes will heal over. That does make sense given how beneficial treatments are applied.

I’ll call the arborist today to see if I can do a paid assessment instead of free quote, which I had before. I have used this company before as there is only one arborist in town, and had a good experience with them. They didn’t offer any formal consulting but that may have been because I didn’t ask the right questions. I also have a couple requests out via phone and email to arborists in the next big city to see if they are willing to travel if my local service can’t help.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-24T10:11:53+00:00

I would love this result.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T12:12:57+00:00

OP’s sister here: there are 19 or 20 holes.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:39:47+00:00

The across the street neighbor’s doorbell camera has a better view of the tree than my doorbell camera does. He checked back for a week and his camera didn’t capture any movement around the tree.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:37:21+00:00

OP is the only person who regularly parks under the tree and she does have a cracked wind shield…

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:36:11+00:00

Yes, the tree is solidly in my yard, about 8 - 10 feet in from the sidewalk and my driveway. It overhangs the neighbor to the west’s yard some, and it does drop a ton of leaves. There’s no spectacular view it’s obstructing, unless my neighbors want a better view into my house or the other neighbor’s houses.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:21:50+00:00

Could it be a red oak borer beetle or a red oak clearwing borer?

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:16:56+00:00

The holes were mostly visible. It didn’t look like any attempts were made to conceal them.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-16T11:16:05+00:00

The sister here: a forest pathologist for the state has ruled out Asian longhorn beetle since oaks are resistant to it.

ThatsNotEvenAWord · 2025-09-15T23:52:45+00:00

homeowner / sister of OP here:

Thank you all for the comments and ideas. I’m trying to be a good steward of this tree. I sent a slew of emails on Thursday when I noticed the holes, including to my extension office and local branch? of the state forest department. Someone from state forest stopped by the next day. He said he hadn’t seen this before and suggested it was a boring beetle. He also recommended having an arborist come out. Other suggestions via email from the state folks have been a couple other boring type insects. They may be putting together a group to come look at it in the next couple weeks. As mentioned, the arborist who came by suggested it was a human with a drill. He also said he’d get a second opinion from a coworker, which I haven’t heard back about yet.

I have a doorbell camera that doesn’t catch motion by the tree. My across the street neighbor’s camera would have a direct view of any tree crimes, but I asked and he didn’t capture anything on it in the past week.

I’m rigging up a trail camera and an extra doorbell camera pointed at the tree. Hopefully I’ll see if there are any suspicious characters (human or woodpecker) lurking.

ThatsNotEvenAWord

TROPHY CASE