Any idea what this is on my ash tree?

Green Ash planted it about 6 yrs ago. Mulched, and I water it with cow manure tea. Finally started growing this year and really looking like something and then I noticed this. Sort of a sap stuff at the 'joints' of the tree. Then I noticed it along the trunk also. Almost seems to have a very fine sawdust in those areas too, maybe the wound is causing the sap? I haven't noticed any bugs except ants, which I am sure are attracted to the sap but didn't do the damage. I posted it in the insect ID cause I'm just sure this is insect damage of some kind?

another pic

wow, it took six years to get going? I'm afraid this is bad news, whatever it is.

well it was just a few feet tall when we planted it. Then after about 2 years we added on to the driveway and had to dig it up and move it, so it just this year put up some pretty noticeable growth, now noticed this just in the past week or so.

Unfortunately for your work and patience I still worry that this is bad news. That first picture looks like a major wound fo the size branch it's on..

well whatever it is, I have a bad sinking feeling about it. :(

Are you sure this is an ash tree? This look like the work of the lesser peach tree borer which only munches on members of the stone fruit group like peach, plum, ornamental purple leaf plum, cherry, etc.

The tree could have a beetle or infection.

I am 100% it is an ash.
Here are some pics I took this wkend.
Pic of some kind of tiny grub looking thingy I pulled out of the wound in the trees bark.

It was dead, I sprayed the whole tree w malathion fri night, all I had on hand at the time.

Here is another, I found these little cocoon looking thingies attatched to the tree. They are about 3/8 inch long, and just attatched at one one, the rest of it just hangs freely.

Of course I don't know if these are related to the problem the tree is having or not, but I suspect so.

Hm, now those cocoon things sohuld be easy to guess at, at least to say whether the maker can damage a tree bark.

Congratulations, If it is an ash tree it is probably the Emerald Ash Borer. Go to Michigan State University's Extension service webpage and read all about it. Bad news

This does not look at all like emerald ash borer damage - see http://tinyurl.com/2a7x4c3

I cut it down.
It was too far gone.