I have what i THINK is a shumard oak tree in my backyard. New house. I've noticed that one side of the tree has a large wound that looks kinda old. There are a lot of ants and extremely tiny little gray bugs that i cannot identify crawling around the wound. The wood in the center of this would is very brittle and spongy, this part goes maybe an inch or two deep before i see what looks like healthy wood. Now, it appears that the tree is trying to heal itself by "rolling in" from the sides of the wound. But is there anything i can do to help this tree out? Id hate to lose it.

Here are some pics.. maybe yall can help my identify for sure and find a solution.

http://i.imgur.com/ROnwN5P.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LzxhbTK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/d9nxLrY.jpg


also noticed alof of these

http://i.imgur.com/ioI0Nqn.jpg

If you value the tree, rather than guessing or taking advice from someone who might be guessing him/herself, why don't you contact a landscape company that has knowledgeable, certified, horticulturalist(s) on staff? Another option would be to contact your county extension service office and ask them to recommend a tree expert.

I don't think your tree is dying but like Ken said, if you value it I would get someone to look at it.
By the way the critters in your last picture are assassin bugs and contrary to their name these are good guys in your yard. They kill other bugs.

I was always told that as assassin bugs eat other bugs, if you see them in a large group they are not assassin bugs; some immature types of stink bugs look a lot the same. That would be my guess. My other guess is that the section of the tree pictured is dead and will probably interfere with the transport of water and nutrients up and down. I would not be surprised if the branches on that side above the scar did die. Ask the experts to be safe.

You want to have a certified arborist look at your tree. Be careful, a lot of the certified arborists here work for 'tree service' companies that are in business to remove trees. So if there's any doubt, get a second opinion, too. It's really important to ask to see the person's current certification, needless to say.

From the picture of the healthy leaves you showed, it looks like the tree is still growing. There may be a good chance it will survive, but as porkpal said, the branches on the wounded side might die off and it could develop somewhat lopsided, so look at it from the standpoint of being off balance, as well. If there's any chance it would fall on something or injure anyone, you should then take that into account when you are deciding what to do about it.

Thanks for the responses folks. I'm going to try to find a local certified expert to come take a look.

When in doubt, check with your County Extension Service folks. They will know who has the credentials and experience.