We had the nursery plant a young Maple in our yard last summer. We put a circular plastic cover around the tree trunk during the summer and fall. My husband left the cover around the lowest part of the tree on during the winter. When we took the cover off we found the bark peeling off the tree. The rest of the tree above that area seems to be healthy. We did find some black ants and don't know if they were in the tree. Can the old bark off to see if they have infested the tree?

Hi, Kay! I would do two things: First I would take several good photos of the tree - one of the whole tree, and several of the area in question (include a finger pointing to a spot for size reference). Second, I would take them to the nursery who planted it (it should still be under warranty) and see what they say, AND I would email the photos to the Extension people in your county - their contact info is here: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/experts/search?county=dickinson&topic=home_gardening#results Good luck!