Popping Noises from Woods??

[smstonypoint]

We live in an area that has many oak trees. In THIS area those pops happen every August. On a quiet night you can hear them all over the area.

I discussed this with our area's best tree service person. He explained that those pops indicate that the tree is drawing moisture up and into the branches.

That's a new one for me -- but I've never spent much time on the West Coast. What kind of oaks?


Steve

 

[deepNdirt]

If you had said the trees were Pines I would have suggest perhaps Pine Beetles,

 

[LostInTheWoods]

We live in an area that has many oak trees. In THIS area those pops happen every August. On a quiet night you can hear them all over the area.

I discussed this with our area's best tree service person. He explained that those pops indicate that the tree is drawing moisture up and into the branches.

August and September are the worst for broken limbs around here because sometimes they draw up so much weight that the tree can't support it and splits/cracks and falls.

What you describe is exactly how it sounds here.

Phil

That's a new one for me -- but I've never spent much time on the West Coast. What kind of oaks?


Steve

Same here. Guessing its a phenomenon isolated to a particular species, perhaps?

 

[smstonypoint]

If you had said the trees were Pines I would have suggest perhaps Pine Beetles,

And if you had said it was pines and that you were having a snow or ice storm, I would say it was the tops/limbs breaking.

 

[deepNdirt]

And if you had said it was pines and that you were having a snow or ice storm, I would say it was the tops/limbs breaking.

yup seen/heard that before as well almost 14 years ago when first purchasing our property, My land and all other land for several miles had been victim of and in the path of the Pine Beetles, look like a bad storm or twister had came through and snapped off the trees leaving stumps as high as 10 ft, the odd thing was all the Oaks were nice and healthy and were left alone, I guess not such thing as Oak beetles I was told from someone that the Beetles will return every so many years, ( can't remember exactly ) I think was 7 years, and sure enough about 6-7 years ago we heard the sound of popping/crunching coming from the wooded area of our property and tracked it down to coming from inside the pine trees, The trees that were left from last time they hit and the smaller ones that had grown to mature pine trees, anyway! we had the Pulp wooder's come out and remove every Pine and Pop from the woods, I sure didn't want to be left with this fallen tree issue as had before as it took me forever to cleanup with my small kubota and only a 4 ft box scrape although not sure which was worst the Pine beetle damage... or cleaning up after the pulp wood'rs, seems though if my mind is not mistaken it was mid spring time of the year when they hit... not Fall,

 

[clemsonfor]

yup seen/heard that before as well almost 14 years ago when first purchasing our property, My land and all other land for several miles had been victim of and in the path of the Pine Beetles, look like a bad storm or twister had came through and snapped off the trees leaving stumps as high as 10 ft, the odd thing was all the Oaks were nice and healthy and were left alone, I guess not such thing as Oak beetles I was told from someone that the Beetles will return every so many years, ( can't remember exactly ) I think was 7 years, and sure enough about 6-7 years ago we heard the sound of popping/crunching coming from the wooded area of our property and tracked it down to coming from inside the pine trees, The trees that were left from last time they hit and the smaller ones that had grown to mature pine trees, anyway! we had the Pulp wooder's come out and remove every Pine and Pop from the woods, I sure didn't want to be left with this fallen tree issue as had before as it took me forever to cleanup with my small kubota and only a 4 ft box scrape although not sure which was worst the Pine beetle damage... or cleaning up after the pulp wood'rs, seems though if my mind is not mistaken it was mid spring time of the year when they hit... not Fall,

SPB or souther pine beetle will show up from late spring to end of summer, Ips engraver bark beetle will show up late fall mostly.

Trees drawing up moisture, popping, i think thats a wives tale or either something very wertern species specific. Trees draw the most moisture and grow there early wood which is the first light band of a tree growth ring early in the year say around here april, may, june by august they have swithched over to late wood and the water is still drawn up but not at the same rate as in may/june. As a forester and hunter i never have heard that or been taught it in the 6 years it took to get my 2 degrees.

I was thinking a leaning tree touching another tree in a breeze or after others said big acorns from northern red or white oaks hitting big 4" plus diameter branches on their way down or hitting rocks or solid downed trees?

 

[RoyJackson]

Yep...acorns...got the same noises back of my place.

 

[teg]

I'll be darn... Went for a walk and heard "popping" sounds !?!?!? Mostly pine with Wisteria Vines growing on them. Stood there with my wife trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Loud pops and every once in a while something would drop... I thought it was the seeds from the vines, wife thought it was squirrels. I did a lot of work with Southern Pine Beetles and know what Wood borers sound like - it wasn't them.

 

[deepNdirt]

I'll be darn... Went for a walk and heard "popping" sounds !?!?!? Mostly pine with Wisteria Vines growing on them. Stood there with my wife trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Loud pops and every once in a while something would drop... I thought it was the seeds from the vines, wife thought it was squirrels. I did a lot of work with Southern Pine Beetles and know what Wood borers sound like - it wasn't them.

I'm thinking back and remember perhaps the sound of Beetles was more of a
snap-snap-snap sound rather than a Popping sound, But never the less was very strange to have found the sound coming from within the inside of tree's :confused2:

 

[texasjohn]

tree frogs???