Tree Rotten or Infested?

Observation by Eric Alstrom:

Blew down in the wind around 7 pm August 18, 2024. When I was cutting up the tree big black ants were coming out and the winds were gusting high that evening.

LEO Says:

The description suggests that the tree may have been invested by ants, possibly carpenter ants. Carpenter ants sometimes make their nests in old trees and can also become a problem in wooden structures and homes. According to the USFS publication, "Carpenter Ants in Alaska" (attached),

"Swarmers emerge from mature colonies usually in May and June. Males die after mating but the newly fertilized females, which are mated for life, either reestablish an old colony or establish a new satellite colony in a small cavity in down logs or stumps or in deteriorating moist wood."

Although there are lots of posts in LEO Network about tree health and insects, this is the first post about a tree infested with ants. We shared this observation with tree health experts at US Forest Service, Cooperative Extension Service and other agencies. More on what this might tell us about signs of infestation and about tree and forest health generally. An additional question would be whether there are other compounds factors that might makes trees vulnerable to illness and infestation. (M. Brubaker).