Can you help with identifying this?

[schlot]

I took a limb off a tree and had a couple questions. About half of the limb was hollow
1)What kind of tree is it?
2)Is the red area showing some kind of tree disease?

(broken image removed)

(broken image removed)

 

[kettensäge]

I saw something similar in a tree I cut 2 yrs ago on my property. Ants tunneled from the ground all the way up through a branch to near the top of the tree, 25ft.

I don't think what you have there is from ants though, all the tunnels I ever saw were black inside, maybe termites?

Sorry, I try not to guess at "what kind of wood is it" posts, but someone here will definately know.

 

[Ash_403]

I believe it's Boxelder (Acer negundo). The red is actually caused by a fungus. And yes, carpenter ants love tunneling in these trees.

 

[Wood Duck]

I can't recognize the bark as being typical of Box Elder or not, but the wood with the red streaks sure looks like Box elder. I guess the red streaks are a fungus, but they are pretty common in Box Elder. So are hollow parts. Box Elder is not a particularly long-lived tree, and large ones often seem to be dying and growing at the same time.

 

[stejus]

I find tunnelling in some rounds. Then I split and hello Ant family. Take the split over to a rock and pound the little suckers out. This time of the year they don't stand much of a chance finding a new home before they freeze and die off.

 

[Ken S]

Boxelder,I cut and burn a fair amount of it each fall and spring

 

[smokinj]

boxelder......

 

[Backwoods Savage]

schlot, although it is box elder, remember it is in the maple family. Will burn okay but not for long burns. Best burned during daytime and burn the longer lasting stuff at night.

 

[schlot]

So longer burning logs would be ash, hickory and oak?

For longer burning would a not split 6" or so diameter log do better than a split of the same size and species?

 

[tickbitty]

Here is some turned boxelder. Guess the red is a common thing for that wood. Beautiful!

 

[lukem]

The bark looks too dark for box elder, but the red streaking contradicts that. I dunno.

 

[Woody Stover]

So longer burning logs would be ash, hickory and oak?

For longer burning would a not split 6" or so diameter log do better than a split of the same size and species?

Yes on the Ash, Hickory and Oak, and yes rounds will burn slower/longer than splits. I put rounds in the bottom/back of the fire box on a cold start (top-down) and littler stuff up front that will burn quicker, heat up the stove and clean the glass. The rounds will be the last thing to start burning in this kind of load. On a reload, I'll rake the coals to the front and put rounds in the back.

 

[ansehnlich1]

What you have there is definitely boxelder. It smells bad when it burns

I've removed all of it from my property, and pull any new sprouts in spring.

Can ya tell I can't stand the stuff?

I split some and burned it one time, but it goes on the outside burn pile now.

 

[Battenkiller]

I've got lots of box elder and some of the trees have pretty dark bark and that wood is pretty unmistakable.

Box elder is a very soft maple as Sav says, but don't discount its ability to warm you. I never cared to try much of it until last year when I was trying to get rid of a trunk I cut the year before. Burnt it all in the shoulder season. Boy, was I surprised with its performance! Very good secondary burns in my stove, which can be hard to get sustained secondaries in. Wouldn't catch me wasting space in the stove with it when it's 20 below, though. I may empty several times in the middle of the night, but I never refill. ;-)