Fungus and borers help

Ive got two issues on my mind. First one is an American elm infested with elm borers. Some pieces the bark peel right off with dozens of worms wiggling to get away. Ive peeled off some and killed what i could, but my question is am i sacrificing the all the Siberian elms on my property by bringing these infected trees in?
Second, there is a monster ash tree bout 20 miles from the house that I have the wood rights to. Turns out it has a fungus of some sort. I plan on hauling all the brush to a pile a few blocks from the site and bringing the good wood home. Am I making a mistake bringing that wood to the house? I believe ive still got a few ash trees around, but the borers have done some damage as well. Thanks for all the advice.

 

Can ya css and leave it there for a couple years?

 

Unfortunately not. The elm was a tree guy that under bid a job and needed my dump trailer. He loaded it, so i had no idea of any problems with it. The ash is located on a strangers property. I suppose i could ask to leave it there. Im hoping the ash fungus wouldnt follow the trunk and large limbs, maybe just on the leaves? Wishful thinking right.

 

Kinda thinking you'll bring it home Gav? Sounds like its living and why would it die just being moved?
Not a great situation man.

 

It never hurts to ask if i can leave it there, worst they can say is no. Ill need to talk a walk and make for sure ive still got ash trees around. Thought i read the fungus only shoots spores in spring, maybe early fall will be better. The elm borers bother me too, the majority of our yard trees are elm.

 

Not a nerd with the aborist stuff but i would leave it where it is if worried about bringing it home.

 

Its too late for the elm, but the ash may be leavable.

 

I would think the elm borers wouldn't be a danger to your trees unless you allowed the grubs to reach maturity (beetle form). The beetles would mate and lay eggs on your trees. If you can strip the bark off it would interrupt their life cycle. Pain in the butt, I know.

 

I am not sure the firewood will be worth it. I would pass on the Elm if you have a bunch on your property, not worth the risk infecting them. Another hoard will come along.

 

Since you have the wood there already, can you treat/spray it with something to kill the grubs?

 

Im not real sure about spraying. Would a spray penetrate through the bark? Im wondering if just pulling the bark off while splitting and throwing it in the burn pile for this winter would suffice. Midwinter's idea seems like extra work, but a good idea and probably worth it.

 

Heat it to 130° and nothing will be living on it. Just make kiln

 

I went ahead and backed out of the ash deal. He was pretty cool about it, which made it sting a little less. I counted up about 30 ash trees on just half the property yesterday. Marked about a dozen to take down, that were dead or all but dead. So i should be good on ash for a while. The elm, ill just debark the best i can and hope that takes care of it.

 

To my dismay a load of black locust was infested with some type of boring worm too. Looked like the same type as on the elm. However, on one particularly heavily infested round the little critters would make themselves into a tight circle then pop up and jump about 8 to 12 inches. Craziest thing ive seen in a while. Any one else ever heard of such a thing?

 

That sounds kinda neet Gav and i wouldnt worry about it as the bark peels off after the first year.

 

Ive completed stripping the bark off the black locust, and that sure is a lot of work. Looks real purdy though. Ought to dry a little faster too, I hope. Elm rounds are still waiting. Ive got more wood than time to split it as of now. Not a bad problem to have though.

 

Mature locust usually have a little rot in the base. Loaded with bugs and worms.
Were they the large brown centipede type things? I’ve rarely seen those bugs until I started bringing home Black Locust.
As for the Ash. Personally I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Yours probably are already infested anyway as you say they are sick. The Emerald Ash Borer seems unstoppable. They are going to move that 20 miles with or without your help. To my knowledge once the tree is visibly dead they are already long gone. Others may clarify that, I’m no expert.
Just started cutting dead ash this year and I’ve yet to see one of these borers.
As midwinter suggested. Splitting and bark removal messes with thier life cycle. Most bugs living under the bark cannot adapt to living and moving outside the tree,,,yet. Except ants.
I know the birds enjoy when I split up black locust. Leave the processing area and they’re fast to come for dinner
Just the way I see things. I’ll stand to be corrected.

 

Siberian elm is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease for which the elm borer is a vector.
Healthy trees should be able to resist the beetles and will not be further weakened by the fungus they vector like American elms are.

Elms apparently should be debarked to expose any beetle borers to the elements. If you don't want that extra chore for firewood then by all means pass on it.

 

Thats good info, learn something new everyday. Ive already got it cut to lengths and stacked to be split. Too late to pass now, for me at least.