What's up with this tree?

Hey everybody! Hope your summer is off to a great start!

I have this maple tree about 30ft away from my house, and lately I have been noticing some branches dropping off of it. The branches had sore spots on then so I jumped up into the tree to have a look, here's what I found.






Sore spots all over, is this caused by critters or some kind of disease?

The last picture here is of the stump right before it splits into 3, if it is getting weak and split here it would aim one third of this tree at my kitchen. I dont think this is related to the rest of the damage, but I'm wrong alot also. And it doesn't lend itself to my confidence in this trees stability.

What are your thoughts on this thing, does it need to come down or is this a normal thing?

 

I did find this guy up in the tree also, Google says wood wasp. Short little bit of reading on them suggests that they infest dying trees, but I'm not seeing anything suggesting that they are the ones doing the damage. Would these things be the problem or the result of the problem?

 

Yikes the stinger.

 

I wouldn't even take a chance or have the constant worry on your mind. Take it down and get some firewood. Something got it all jammed up. I wouldn't pizz around if I were you. If something even had a slight chance of coming down into my kitchen it would be on the ground like now.

 

Quite a bit of damage. Looks to be a sugar.
Git 'er dun.
I hope that pic of the wasp is just a REAL closeup shot..........

 

Took it with my phone, I was pretty close to it in the tree and it didn't seem aggressive at all so I wasn't too worried

 

Looks like something was stripping the bark off; I'd guess woodpeckers. Perhaps going after carpenter ants - as they just love a dying maple. Looks like they've been gone for a while though cause the wounds were healing.

But yeah, it's not looking good for that tree. I'd hire a pro - that thing could be starting to rot in the center.

 

Does it get a lot of the roof rain runoff or have its roots in a cesspool ?
Maples can get bark crack from freezing sap .
It might have gotten infected with a verticillium years ago although I think that's mostly japanese maples.


Is that a multi-stem maple from a past coppice? I hate to see those growing near a house. Too prone to snow and wind damage.

 

Looks like freeze cracks and disease damage probably caused the initial damage. The insects and critters that feed on them are simply taking advantage of the opportunity. That tree looks to be a goner to me. I'd have it down especially if it's close to your house.

 

seriously, remove that thing from the gene pool. It's ugly.


and I'm not one to be cutting down live trees usually just to cut them down.

 

Any tree squirrels around there in that tree. Have you found any chips or wood shavings on the ground around the tree.