balsam losses all needles

[bugmeist]

Taking a walk in our bush last week we noticed a small (6" diameter) balsam was loosing a lot of needles.  3 days later the tree was almost bare of needles and when I shook it , needles fell like rain.  The needles were all still green.  Is it common for a balsam to die and loose the needles BEFORE they turn brown.  I've never seen this other than on a Christmas tree cut and in the house.

Also can someone tell me what the sticky stuff on maple leaves at this time of year is and where it comes from.

[Tom]

The sticky stuff on Maple leaves is probably Honeydew, the excretions of Aphids.  Heavy infestations might cause leaf drop but they are, otherwise, rather harmless.  Aphids are usually accompanied by ants.  Ants farm aphids.

Here is a link that may help to backup the diagnosis.   

Aphids are really interesting little insects.  There are a lot of articles to found on Google about them, but a short and interesting one is on Wikipedia.

[bugmeist]

Tom,

I'm pretty sure it's not Honeydew on the Maple leaves.  There's no sign of Aphids.  This is something I've noticed for years in just about any Maple bush I've walked through.

More puzzling is the Balsam.  3 weeks ago it was a typical 6" evergreen.  It is now 95% bare and all the needles that fell off are green. 

[Tom]

I don't know then.  That was my best guess.  :D

[SwampDonkey]

Was the tree girdled down near the base? voles, porcupines

I find the odd fir on my lot that dies and I see no marks on them at all. Could be a root disease I suspect.

No tiny white spots on the bark are there? Or gout (abnormal swellings) at the growth nodes? Balsam woolly adelgid causes that, but the tree turns red as the saliva of the insect is secreted into the tree where it feeds and causes 'tree cancer' you might say. Ruins the wood so it can't even be used for pulp. Extreme cold kills the buggers off. I think it is mostly here in the Maritimes and mainly to the southern portions.

Possibly needle cast, link below with pictures.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_bfir/ht_bfir.htm

[SwampDonkey]

I'm wondering if the sap on your maple leaves has anything to do with the flowering or if it may be sap suckers at work. Sap suckers ring the tree with .22 sized holes into the phloem where the sugary sap is transported down the tree. They can be on the trunk, but up in the main branches to. Darn buzzards.  >:(