We have moved into a house that has a globe willow tree. The trunk limbs start at about 3 feet high and the canapé is about 35 feet high. On the side of the trunk crotch were the large limbs start the bark is split about 4 inches long by 1 inch wide by 1 inch deep and it seeps sap. I have tried to pour small amounts of Isopropyl alcohol in it to help it heal. I did this for about 3 months last summer. The bugs do not like it and come crawling out, then I can spray them and kill them but new ones appear almost daily. How can I stop the sap?
I can't resist mentioning that the word should be 'canopy' rather than your delightful alternative. But perhaps you should consider removing some branches - can you post a photo of the tree?
Thank you all for replying to my message. As mentioned, we moved in last year and I do not know why the tree has a crack in it. It does not appear to be the weight of limbs, the crack is too small and on the side, verses were the limbs come out. I will try to post a photo when my kid has time to do that. I am unfamiliar with this type of tree and do not know if they are prone to these types of cracks. I do not know if the bugs caused the crack or the crack caused the bugs to come. It looks like it has healed about 2 inches over the winter. I live around a lot of fruit orchards and the bugs are relentless. I would take tips on getting rid of the bad bugs but not killing the good ones and the lizards too. I have 1 ½ acres of high plans desert, 10,000 ft of lawn, one globe willow, and the rest is weeds, rock and cactus, including small scorpions, yuck! Nothing seems to get rid of the red ants either. Thanks for the spelling tip, I even used spell check. Spelling is not my strong point. Alcohol
I have the same problem with my Globe Willow. However, I'm lucky enough to work closely with the Federal Natural Resources Division. What you are calling sap is more likely frothy flux (not to be confused with the bacterial slime flux disease). Your tree can survive, but the total life expectancy is lowered slightly. My coworkers were kind enough to identify the disease (the tree 'leaks' a pale yellow to clear, sticky, sap like material which can have a fermenting smell to it/or no smell at all). Sadly it leaves the tree open to insect infestations. The best way to treat the tree is to fertilize it twice a year (spring and fall), deep water once a week, and treat the tree with a chemical such as Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control (which is a liquid poured at the base of the tree then watered to push it to the root system). The Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control Concentrate is a pest repelant the tree takes in through it's root system and keeps the tree from being infested by boars, grubs, flies, etc. This link will take you to the website: http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Tree-Shrub-Insect-Control/concentrate.html In addition, you can rinse the sap away with a 25% bleach/75% water mixture to remove some of the 'stickiness' which will allow the pest repelant chemical time to work through the tree. You should note these steps will help rid the tree of the pests, but will not make the disease go away. Frothy flux is not curable, but it isn't immediately lethal to the tree. You will just need to take a little extra effort to keep it healthy. :) Best wishes to you.
