I have a 7 year old blood good japanese maple that is 7 feet tall in

direct sun. I noticed that it was losing some bark and thought it

was just through growth. However, now it has lost a lot of bark all

the way around the base of the tree and up about 1 1/2 feet. When

pealed back, you can see tiny black dots which I think may be eggs

of some kind. I usually feed it in the fall with spikes. Is my tree in

danger and do you have advise or answers for me?

Thank you.

Japanese maples are subject to many environmental stressors such as drought, poor drainage, too much moisture, temperature extremes, too much mulch, planting too deeply, etc. The lost bark may be due to the above and/or possible canker diseases. Without a photo we cannot be sure what the black dots are - may be fungal in nature or possible insect eggs. The eggs are probably secondary in nature and not the cause of the bark peeling. 

When stressed by environmental and site problems the tree can be susceptible to insects and disease problems.  Cankers are small sunken areas on the branches or trunk that can affect healthy tissue. Symptoms can produce dieback. Unfortunately there are no chemical controls once the cankers form. Control consists of pruning out diseased shoots with sterilized pruners (wipe blades with a weak bleach or alcohol solution). If this is the main stem however, there is little that can be done to save the tree. Avoid excessive fertilization. This fungus thrives in moist, mild weather. Do not use tree spikes.

If a lot of the bark is missing around the base of the tree, this may compromise the vascular system. Scratch the branches with your fingernail and look for green tissue.  If you see it, the tree is still viable. It may limp along. At this point, all you can do is monitor the tree. Improve drainage if necessary, make sure mulch is not thicker than two inches and keep away from base of trunk, and water during dry periods. For an onsite diagnosis you may want to contact a certified arborist www.treesaregood.org/

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