Black Birch Disease?

[Korasdad]

The black birch on my property seem to have some disease that is killing them. The bark peels back and the wood peckers are having a great time but I'm worried that they will all go prematurely. Doesn't seem to matter the age of the tree.

When I asked a local guy, I've only lived here 3 years, he said that the birch in the area (NE CT) have "blight". Is there some disease out there that is killing the black birch like Dutch Elm disease took out the big elms a couple decades ago? Or an insect that kills like the Emerald Ash Borer, I lived in Ann Arbor MI before moving here and lost all the Ash on my property in a short span of 2 years.

Thanks for any help, KorasDad

 

[LLigetfa]

We don't have Black Birch here, but other varieties succumb to the birch borer. If the woodpeckers are going at the trees, most likely there is an insect infestation.

 

[smokinj]

We don't have Black Birch here, but other varieties succumb to the birch borer. If the woodpeckers are going at the trees, most likely there is an insect infestation.

+100

 

[WoodPorn]

The black birch on my property seem to have some disease that is killing them. The bark peels back and the wood peckers are having a great time but I'm worried that they will all go prematurely. Doesn't seem to matter the age of the tree.

When I asked a local guy, I've only lived here 3 years, he said that the birch in the area (NE CT) have "blight". Is there some disease out there that is killing the black birch like Dutch Elm disease took out the big elms a couple decades ago? Or an insect that kills like the Emerald Ash Borer, I lived in Ann Arbor MI before moving here and lost all the Ash on my property in a short span of 2 years.

Thanks for any help, KorasDad

Let me know when they fall and I'll be happy to come clean up that pile of wonderfull firewood!

 

[wsorg]

I read that the blight infects the leaves more than the bark. Not sure if that is what is happening here.