What should I do about ants damaging my maple tree?

Ants only excavate dead wood, so there is little concern the ants will affect the health of the tree. The bigger concern is the structural stability of the tree. If the hollow is large enough, that portion of the stem may be compromised and more susceptible to breaking in a storm. You can get a better idea about the likelihood of the stem breaking by having a risk assessment done on the tree. We do these regularly, so please please make an appointment for us to handle this for you. If you simply don't want the ants around, we can dispose of them as well.