This is our first year of trying to be organic gardeners and it's tough to change old habits. We have an ash tree that has always been sprayed by a local nursery for years. It's the only one still around this area. The bores have hit them hard here. Well, this year I've noticed a wide variety of birds around our home that I don't want to lose. If we treat the tree with a chemical that you put on the ground around the base of the tree will it kill our birds? When they eat the bores will it kill them? We have baby woodpeckers, canaries and many other neat birds. I even found a nest in my hanging geranium basket with four tiny blue-green eggs with a few black specks. Any idea what these are?
Sorry to be so lengthy. I'm just full of questions.
Thanks a bunch!

The eggs sound like robin eggs, although it is usually wrens & sparrows that nest it places like hanging baskets. I probably shouldn't be the one answering this question on the borers & your birds because I base all my decsions on what to use in my garden on how it will affect the critters that live there. Are you considering Lindane for the borers? I know that is often recommended by nurseries & one whiff of it & you KNOW that you are dealing with a powerful scary chemical. That stuff can't be good for your birds. In fact, I don't know of anything that kills tree borers that would be good for a delicate bird. I'd personally hope that the woodpeckers were doing the job of killing the borers for me & prepare myself to lose the tree if not. But that's me, & someone with more experience here may be able to help you more.

i know nada about birds, i can barly id a blue jay.
sounds like the stuff is a systemic, makes sense if it's gonna kill somethng eating the tree from the inside. if i did use it i'd probly put something on the ground over it to keep the birds out of direct contact w/ it at least. then put up feeers to keep them away from eating anything that's eating the tree or coming in contact w/ the poisen.
i posted a link to a cople low cost books on birds & what to feed tehm. one had recipies for different types. i might put up house to get them to nest other than in the tree, but nesting selection is pretty much over i would think.
at least this will get ou back up to the top where someone who doesn't just rattle can help you.