Whats with the maple trees?

[Sawyerfortyish]

Been noticing the last couple weeks all the maple trees have lost a lot of leaves. The green leaves lay all over the ground under the trees and im not the only one that has seen this.
  Guy stopped in today wants me to come and pickup the maple trees that died and he had them cut down in his yard about 10 trees. he said they came out in full leaf then died. But all through the woods the leaves lay under the maple trees this is not just one small area but all over here in north Jersey The forest service has noticed it too but I haven't talked to them since to see what they think is causing it

[Ron Wenrich]

I kinda think it is weather related.  We had a really hard winter with several ice storms.  I've noticed a lot more dead needles on my eastern red cedar.  Also, my chinese elm is not nearly as full.  I have a muhlberry that is shedding leaves and it isn't abnormal for apple to loose leaves in the mid-summer.

Factor in that we really didn't have much sunshine this spring.   Everything is about 2 weeks behind.  Corn is only knee high.

Are the homeowners tress really dead or did they just have a leaf drop?  Red or sugar maple?

There is also a maple petiole borer and maple gall.  They cause am early leaf drop, but not as much as you're talking about.  It sure can't be the drought, but may be a residual effect.

[Sawyerfortyish]

Ron I didn't go look at the homeowners trees he said it both but I don't think he knows. he wants me to remove them but when they start talking about backing around sheds and across lawns down the hill I don't want to back my picker truck in places like that.
  As for the trees I saw loseing leaves I think your right on the money about the weather. From one extream to the other shocked the trees and caused it.But just thought I would ask If anybody else had any thoughts about it
  I have heard about the maple borer but haven't really taken notice of any. How do you tell if there in a tree?

[Ron Wenrich]

There are several places you can check, but here's a picutre:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e-maplepetioleborer.html

Once you see it, you'll recognize it.

[ohsoloco]

I haven't seen any maple trees dropping leaves around here, but I know the ones in the backyard sure took a long time to fill out.  Even after the leaves came on this year they were very thin, and you could see right through the trees.  They were like this for several weeks before they finally filled out.

[hills_logging]

about a month ago we had an infestation of those dam tent catapillars like never before. The roads were covered with gazillions of them, and you could hear them eating and pooping from inside the truck, it sounded like a gentle rain shower. We have hills that the wormy little#!*>!  >:(ate bare, you would swear that it was the end of October.

[Den Socling]

Here in Northcentral PA, the spring was bad for Sycamores. Many had very few leaves. I heard that it was a virus that was agravated by all of the rain. I also heard that Sycamore has a second set of leaves which must be true as they all look normal now.

[Ron Wenrich]

Den

That's anthracnose.  It effects quite a few different trees, but sycamore is the most noticeable.

Hills

That sound more like gypsy moth then it does tent caterpillars.  Hitting mainly the oaks?

[Jeff]

Hills, that sure sounds like gypsy moths to me. What a nightmare to go through if you ever have them. They don't just limit themselves to the oaks, but thats their favorite.

[hills_logging]

 :-/ your right, although every one around here referres to them as tent catapillars. we arn't very heavy to oaks around here, they are pounding the crap out of the black cherry and maple trees, they seem to be the favorites. A few basswood have gotten nailed also. Why can't the find a bug to attack the beech and aspen and iron-wood! The beech bark blight, if thats what we have only uglies up the trees, not kill em! The maple are tring to come back as the bugs only eat the soft part of the leaves, but leave the skeleton of the leaves. combine this with the hot dry weather, a major ice storm a few years back, and the maples are in peril!!

[Frank_Pender]

Sawyer-40, we are haveing the same sort of thing happening out here in Oregon.  We have a couple English Walnut that I thought had bought the sawdust pile.  They were 3 weeks later than normal in getting leafed out.  The Douglas Fir are falling like no bodys business in many areas.   It is felt that it is directly related to the wide variation in weather we have been haveing over the last few years.  They are getting stressed over the wide variations in rainfall over a years time.  I have trees that are 60 to 70 years old taking up to two or three years to turn brown and lose all of their needles. :'(

[Sylvus]

Green maple leaves on the ground in July?
Maple petiole borer.