Young Live Oak with Black Trunk: Scale and Fire Ants

Jeff's young live oak has a black, cracked trunk and fire ants at the base. Fungicide already applied.

Immediate Steps

Kill fire ants—they farm honeydew-producing insects and indicate decay.
If leaves present: spray trunk with horticultural oil (SunSpray) to loosen sooty mold and suffocate scales.
If no leaves and branches snap brittle: tree is dead—replace.

Live oaks are low-care once established.

Plant Diseases: Woolly Oak Aphid Infestation: Identification and Control on Live Oaks; Live Oak Bark Damage: Borer Diagnosis and Vigor Restoration; Borer Damage in Young Live Oak After Tropical Storms; Southern Live Oak Leaf Spot: Fungal Disease Management; Live Oak "Algae" Identified as Spanish Moss: Benign Epiphyte Management; Oak Tree Weeping Sap: Borer Infestation and Treatment; Live Oak Black Bark, Woodpecker Holes, and Ants: Internal Decay and Removal Risk; Brown Ooze on Live Oak: Borer Infestation, Fertilize to Boost Vigor; Oak Galls: Wasp-Induced Growths Rarely Threaten Tree Health; Louisiana vs. Texas Live Oaks: Understanding the Differences

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