Dead tree = Play tree?

[HeatherDesigns]

We have an ash tree in our back yard that didn't survive the winter. It is a young tree so not huge. I was thinking of cutting it about 3-4" down from where the first branches come off the trunk and putting the cut end into a bucket of concrete, then trimming off the branches that are to thin and letting my birds play on it.

Does this sound like a good idea? Ash is on the safe list, I'm just not sure if there is anything else I should consider before using a tree from my yard.

If it is a good idea, does anyone have any potential improvements for my plan? I was thinking I would get a painters drop cloth to put under the tree to protect my carpet. They are reasonably inexpensive and I could throw them in the washer.

 

[Phlox]

Ash trees can have emerald ash borers, which are probably not harmful to the bird but you don't want them in your house. I use the 'put in a hot car' bug killing method myself, but as long as it wasn't sprayed or treated for borers with a systemic poison, it should be fine.

 

[MacawLoverOf3]

I still would not use it. Granted, it could very well be the emerald ash bug did it in and the reason it is dead, but I would still question in the back of my head it that was the real reason it died and not something else. My babies are just too precious to me to take that risk.

 

[HeatherDesigns]

It died because we had a severe drought last summer/fall and the winter was really harsh. I lost a lot of plants due to the drought/winter. We had watering restrictions so nothing got as much water as it needed.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'd use it, and I wouldn't even think twice. When we still had our huge ash tree in the front, I used limbs that had died, and limbs that we cut.

My biggest regret is not having harvested a whole lot more of the tree when we took it down.

None of my fids ever had any problems with any of the ash tree we used.

 

[GW.Joe]

I still would not use it. Granted, it could very well be the emerald ash bug did it in and the reason it is dead, but I would still question in the back of my head it that was the real reason it died and not something else. My babies are just too precious to me to take that risk.

There isn't anything that can live once you let the branch sit "in" the right temperature, some people use hot cars, if you get it up over like 180 F for X number of hours, nothing lives...it is perfectly fine to use if no pesticides were used on it

Joe