sugar maple borer; paging Dr. Tim !

[WestWind]

...or anyone else who's on call. I notice the tell tale sign of J scars on some of my trees. They seem to still be alive, even ones with multiple scars. Does this weaken the tree such that it's more prone to break? Will it attract pileated woodpeckers? How does it impact tapping/sap quantity? Will the tree eventually succumb? Would a concentrated stand of maples, as opposed to mixed hardwoods, help spread the pest? Is there a solution? Any info would be helpful. Thanx.

[DrTimPerkins]

There are several threads on MapleTrader already on sugar maple borer. You can find these using the "Search" function. Lots of information on line as well:

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_mapleborer/mapleborer.htm
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/mborer.pdf
http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/insects-disease/SugarMapleBorer.html