The tree still looks healthy, it was struck by lightning a while ago and recovered from the huge vertical crack in the bark.

I think this was caused by a woodpecker or squirrel and got concerned because the damage is more horizontal. Google made it sound like that earwigs were a sign that it was a goner, but hearing that your river birch survived all that makes me feel less worried now.

❤️🌳

Thank you, that makes me more hopeful for it 🥺🌳

Invasive species have wrecked the other tree species here, the rest of the tree still looks fairly healthy and I'm hoping the earwigs are just incidental and not a sign that its dying