i also noticed little wood pellets around trunk and where a root was near the surface, i guess about 1/8th in in diameter and oblong.

the holes where the critter came out is different sizes and i am pointing to them with the pencil

where are you??

none of that is new damage.. all showing a year or 2 of healing ....

and of disneys vermin common in your area???

is it all.. mysteriously.. at the same height??

any idea about the scratch marks in the first pic.. in other words.. you???

does all the damage favor one direction.. like SE or SW???

the cause of the original damage.. most likely.. or maybe.. has nothing to do with the bug/borer that follows ... we have to try to separate the cause.. from the effect..

i an mot good at bug issues.. and will leave that to others [besides teh obvious possibility of birch borer] . ... they may want more general pix of the whole trees or area ...

it looks like it is at enough height.. to rule out weedwhip/mower damage .. but its hard to tell with the closeups ... any known tree whacking punks in the hood???

ken

not similar heights. not in any one direction...but i'd say they mostly all are on the west and the east side of the trees. the maples were planted less than 2 years ago. the birches planted 1 year ago. the damage tot the birch happened here because i saw what i think were grub droppings on the ground. i guess the damage to the maples could have happenned at the nursery and have been hidden from my behind the bark. all the wounds have an exit whole from the larva (my guess)

the scratch marks and cuts at the bottom are me. the cavity was holding water and seemed to be causing rot, so i cut away the dead bark and made "V" at the bottom to let water out.

i saw the damage in the maples first, and from reading i read birch borers go after birch. the hole in the birch is actually much larger than the holes in the maples.

height is from 1' up to about 3' nothing higher than that.

a couple of the maples have more than one of these wounds.

how can you tell the time of the healing?

the damage was hidden behind bark..so not deer or tree thugs : )

does disney's vermin = children?

i have had a couple buck rubs.. it bigger than your damage

a south facing could be a form of winter sunscald .. that side of the tree thaws in mid winter. and a scar develops ...

if they were larger transplants .. it very well could be nursery damage.. either at field digging.. shipping. transporting to your house... etc.. i swear.. it can take a year or two for the injury to actually 'show' ...

could be kids .. but we are talking baseball bat attacks ... all over the yard.. it would have to be a real hoodlum to go at them like this.. nothing younger than a teenager ... possible???

the deep scratching could have been raccoon ... or you.. lol ..

you know.. when it all boil down.. trees heal themselves.. its called compartmentalization ...

the borers are the only issue .. grubs are not a tree thingee ... others can talk about that ..

but basically.. solve that ... and then quit picking at them .... and leave them alone.. an do their own thing..

i have had dozens.. if not a hundred ... of these mysteries over the years.. its a good topic to waste some beer on.. but you are never going to get a definitive answer.. IMHO ...

a they say.. stuff happens ... life aint no disney movie ...

ken