Hole Left by Removal of Branches

Question

A neighbor of mine, who works as a tree trimmer, did some work on my fruit trees and some small holes were left where branches were. He has suggested that I get filler (some black like icky gooey stuff) and fill in the holes to keep ants and other insects out so that they won’t eat and destroy my tree. What should I get?

Answer 1

Filling in the holes can actually cause further damage as it traps moisture and disease. If it is just a few holes, treat them with an insecticide and a fungicide (neem oil is nice because it is both) and let them heal over naturally. If it is more than a few holes or they are big holes (more than 1 inch), you can cover the area with hardware mesh to keep animals out.