# I know what caused this. Do you?



## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

Sorry about the poor image qualities. But for those of you who know what caused this the images are plenty good enough. 

It's widespread in many areas around here. It's mainly on oaks, but also some on dogwoods and maples and maybe others. (I didn't have time to get more pictures.)

If you know don't post the answer and spoil it for the others. Simply post that you know.


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## drcollins804 (Jan 11, 2008)

YEA I know. Not that common around here this year but still happening.
David


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Borers maybe? Some of our trees around here looked like that after we went from a dry year to a year with to mauch rain last year, also. I am not to good at diagnosing this stuff.


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## Mike Morgan (May 13, 2008)

Yes, I know. Happens around here infrequently.


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## Oscar (Jun 7, 2008)

Yes i'ts the worst we have seen here. We've personaly lost too many trees because of it and/or related problems.


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## JON BELL (Nov 2, 2007)

Looks like you over fertalized them.:smile:


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

hmm, yeah i've seen that before. last year and maybe 17 years before that...


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## Mike (Apr 27, 2007)

Ok ill say it NO


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## JIMBETHYNAME (Nov 13, 2007)

aclose said:


> hmm, yeah i've seen that before. last year and maybe 17 years before that...


Me too


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Doesn't much happen in this area.


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## ecologito (Jan 27, 2008)

jeffreythree said:


> Borers maybe? Some of our trees around here looked like that after we went from a dry year to a year with to mauch rain last year, also. I am not to good at diagnosing this stuff.


I don't think it's borers, they usually " cluster" under the bark of the tree. But there are many kind of borers, Emerald ash borers are Emerald and the pictures look brown and a little more wiggly wormy looking


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## drcollins804 (Jan 11, 2008)

There are some good clues here but if you can't see the pictures clearly they are broken and dead about 8 to 12 inches from the ends of the branches. I hope dirtclod can post a picture of one of the broken branches when he discloses the problem. It is a very common problem that you can do nothing to prevent.
David


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

My eyesight ain't so good to begin with but those faroff shots don't give me enough detail. if you are referring to bagworms yes there is something you can do. If you catch them early enough spray a mixture of dawn soap and water on the trees 50/50. 

My dad told me to do this on some ornamental cedars a couple years ago and i thought it wouldn't work. It sure wasn't early in the stage they had attacked the two trees and were hanging by the thousands. Within 5 minutes of the dawn soaking on thier bags they were coming out and dropping on the ground like flies and crawling around in agony it appeared. They all died shortly after they hit the ground. They hate that dawn for some reason. The sun and the dawn solution burned what little green was left, but the next year the trees sprouted buds and both came back 100%.

But you may not be referring to bag worms. I cant see enough detail in the photos.


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## bugman1954 (Apr 1, 2008)

Those are the leaves screaming to the loggers, "DON'T CUT ME DOWN." Then they died from all the screaming.


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

Another vague hint:

Remember the sound the transporter made on the original Star Trek series? En masse and at a distance it was the same. Up close it was different.


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

*Cicada, they have been bad here as well, I am tired of picking the sticks off the ground.
*


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

Ok Nate1778, I guess you didn't read the opening post. Game over.:bangin:

Yep, cicadas. This wasn't the biggest hatch I've seen. But there were quite a few. This year's were shorter than most I've seen, had broader wings, and an orange tint to the wings and eyes.

The observation on the sound was made by someone else. I liked it, and agree it sounded like the transporter sound effect from the old Star Trek TV series.

I didn't realize they were so widespread. I found out they are on every continent and there are over 2500 species id'ed so far. 

The coolest thing I read came from WIKI when referring to the 13 and 17 year random cycles of one species:




> Both 13 and 17 are prime numbers, so while a cicada with a 15-year life cycle could be preyed upon by a predator with a three- or five-year life cycle, the 13- and 17-year cycles allow them to stop the predators falling into step.[8]


Who taught insects a prime number trick?


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## Nate1778 (Mar 10, 2008)

dirtclod said:


> Ok Nate1778, I guess you didn't read the opening post. Game over.:bangin:





Guess I missed that part, sorry, thats what having new born twins will do, I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open, much less my brain on. 

But yeah they have been horrible here, our trees look just like that. 

Back to the caffeine, man I hope to get some sleep soon............


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## clarionflyer (Apr 27, 2008)

Give your kids a whiffle ball bat. Those cicada's are great batting practice!
Don't worry. The worst year of the Cicada happened to my local area when I was a kid. Literally, you'd pick up over 5 (usually in the hair or on the back) just walking to the mailbox and back.
The trees looked pretty rough for a couple years but we only lost one. Enjoy the music.


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

Some more pictures:




























When the light is right the damage sometimes looks like someone hung a bunch of Japanese lanterns in the trees.


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