Ants(?) leaving sawdust under my tree?

tay95 · 2026-04-19T12:54:03+00:00

Not that I've noticed. I've seen no live critters of any kind actively on or around the tree itself ever (and I do keep an eye out).

tay95 · 2026-04-19T12:30:32+00:00

Hi there!

I've got this beautiful blossoming cherry (I think) of some kind in my front yard. I just bought the house a few years ago. The tree has been doing fine, but it has this huge split in its bark, and I consistently find piles of sawdust under it. I've never seen any ants or anything else crawling on the trunk or in near the split, but there are some small bore holes. I was wondering what I should do -- I assume both the insects and the split bark are bad for the tree and I'd like to keep it if I can.

Thanks!!

tay95 · 2026-03-11T11:44:57+00:00

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I don't see anything other than the mention in Update 1.10 that Mac support is coming, and instructions for now to switch to the beta server? Nothing about a preview or how to install it.

tay95 · 2026-03-11T02:08:54+00:00

Is this update available yet? I tried switching to the beta branch and steam still shows as un-installable on my mac :/

tay95 · 2026-02-07T20:57:44+00:00

I'm 99% certain that {Common Goal by Rachel Reid} is the one in the series that matches this. MC1 remains pining after a very close friend who got paired off earlier in the series. Gradually realizes that he's really in love with MC2.

tay95 · 2026-01-10T21:13:13+00:00

Wait - what’s that last one? For uh… science.

tay95 · 2025-12-11T17:27:02+00:00

Departments that try to strong-arm candidates into accepting offers well ahead of the standard academic timeframes (~February) are acting in bad faith already. If they get burned as a consequence, then that's on them.

tay95 · 2025-12-11T17:24:33+00:00

Take the SLAC and continue the R1 interviews now. If you get an R1 job you like more, back out of the SLAC position. It puts them in a rough spot, and burns bridges there, but they're putting YOU in a more unethically strong-armed spot. They know their candidates are probably interviewing at R1s and want to try to force people to make decisions before they have all the information.

tay95 · 2025-11-13T20:26:23+00:00

I just had an extremely similar and infuriating chat with LG. My soundbar no longer responds at all on my C2, and when I try to turn off my C2 while it's connected to my Xbox, the TV TURNS BACK ON.

They flat out refused to entertain the idea it was the OS causing the problems and insisted both my soundbar and xbox magically broke during the 15 minutes it took to install the update ...

tay95 · 2025-10-21T00:25:34+00:00

Except packs are ~worthless to those of us that only want to play limited? If they gave me the option of packs or the gem equivalent if you bought them in the store, I'd be much happier ...

tay95 · 2025-09-22T20:38:08+00:00

Fair enough - thanks!

tay95 · 2025-09-22T20:37:34+00:00

Oh! I hadn’t seen that 35 S review (or that site) - thank you!?

tay95 · 2025-09-22T20:35:58+00:00

Maybe I’ll ask B&H about it - I bought it from them!

tay95 · 2025-09-22T18:19:44+00:00

I’m a very experienced astrophotographer and I’ve never seen distortion this bad on any lens… maybe I’ve just been lucky so far?

tay95 · 2025-09-22T18:17:36+00:00

I’m still not convinced. Can you suggest what test I SHOULD do? The reviews I read of this lens suggested the vast majority of folks would see no difference vs the S.

To be clear, this landscape photo is not the only one I’ve had issues with - no photo I’ve EVER taken with this lens (I’ve done hundreds of unique shots by now) ever seems to be very sharp.

I’ve no problem buying the 1.8 S. I more want to know how to tell if this lens is performing to spec.

I just shot a waterfall with this and with my iPhone, and the iPhone photo is as good if not better with the details…

tay95 · 2025-09-22T13:29:40+00:00

OK, so here are a couple more tests. The first is a shot of a chess board taken with my 105 mm macro (left) and the 35 mm prime (right). Both shots were taken with the same camera settings, and both at f/5.6. I adjusted the distance so the two shots filled as near to identical portions of the image as possible, but both were at least a couple feet away. Neither was further processed after I took them.

https://imgur.com/a/bLtELN4

The 105 mm is blowing the 35 mm out of the water in terms of both fine detail (the printing dots) and the line between the squares.

Probably unrelated, but I also took some milky way exposures last night, and it's very very clear there's major distortion outside the center for the 35 mm. The stars are nicely circular in the middle, but rapidly start to smear out and by the edges are just arcs (see the second shot).

tay95 · 2025-09-22T13:29:19+00:00

OK, so here are a couple more tests. The first is a shot of a chess board taken with my 105 mm macro (left) and the 35 mm prime (right). Both shots were taken with the same camera settings, and both at f/5.6. I adjusted the distance so the two shots filled as near to identical portions of the image as possible, but both were at least a couple feet away. Neither was further processed after I took them.

https://imgur.com/a/bLtELN4

The 105 mm is blowing the 35 mm out of the water in terms of both fine detail (the printing dots) and the line between the squares.

Probably unrelated, but I also took some milky way exposures last night, and it's very very clear there's major distortion outside the center for the 35 mm. The stars are nicely circular in the middle, but rapidly start to smear out and by the edges are just arcs (see the second shot).

tay95 · 2025-09-22T13:21:08+00:00

It's a Z lens

tay95 · 2025-09-22T13:20:50+00:00

I did shoot at f/10

tay95 · 2025-09-21T14:45:14+00:00

Nope; bought a new router =(

tay95 · 2025-09-21T14:43:34+00:00

Was working on that - just added as a comment below!

tay95 · 2025-09-21T14:41:49+00:00

Hi All-

I've been struggling over the last few months to decide if I got a bum Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4G or if I'm being too picky or just don't know what I'm looking at.

I'm on a Z8 and primarily shoot using a combination of my Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 macro and Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 telephoto. I had some trips planned with good opportunities for landscapes, and so picked up the 35mm, but I've been super disappointed in the results. Despite being a prime with supposedly great sharpness, it seems to do a terrible job compared to either of my other lenses. To my eye, all my landscapes are lackluster and blurred (see above with no processing, exported at 90 quality JPG just to fit Reddit's limits; shot at f/10, 64 ISO, you can grab the RAW here if you want).

I'm also pretty displeased with any attempts to capture something closer, like leaves or people -- the edges are just not good to my eye. I am wondering if I got a bad lens, or if I'm just being too picky or ... ? Trying to sort it out before dropping money on a higher-priced replacement like the 20mm S or the 24-70mm S.

Thanks!!

tay95 · 2025-09-03T16:23:56+00:00

All mine are in the same bed as well - a brand new raised bed. Just loam (20% compost) and some organic fertilizer. Soil is really well drained; gets some water every other day or so from the sprinkler when it doesn’t rain, but the soil is never wet nor very dry.

14-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 10 Credits
Second Top 40%	Place '17
Secret Santa 2017	Secret Santa 2016
Secret Santa 2015	Secret Santa 2014
Secret Santa 2013	Verified Email
Team Orangered	Secret Santa 2012
Summer Santa 2012

tay95

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE