Hole in bark of tree

Question: There is a definite hole in the trunk of this Japanese Maple and I am wondering if there is anything that I could/should do for the plant. The tree itself looks healthy, at least for now. 

The pictures include: 
Two shots of the hole
The tree in its entirety

Thank you

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 10, 2023, 9:48 AM EDT
response: Those areas look like they have had damage of some sort. It may have just been the removal of branches that were pruned out, but not done well, as it affected the ability of the tree to completely cover/compartmentalize the wound. You can see in the first photo that there is callous tissue (the swollen-looking area on the left side of the wound) that the tree produced, but it wasn't able to fill in from all sides.  There is nothing that you can or need to do.   Christine

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 10, 2023, 4:10 PM EDT
response: Thanks for the information. Will this compromise the tree overtime by inviting unwanted critters, vegetation or disease?ThanksSent from my iPhone On May 10, 2023, at 9:49 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 11, 2023, 9:22 AM EDT
response: It is not going to necessarily attract those things, but it could lead to weakness or wetness and some problems to the tree many years down the road. It looks good now though so we wouldn't recommend that you need to replace it unless you want something else there.   Christine

responder: The Question Asker Replied May 11, 2023, 1:07 PM EDT
response: Thanks again for your help. It’s a great to have the Extension Center as a resource.   Cynthia

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 11, 2023, 2:08 PM EDT
response: you're welcome, we're happy to help!

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 10, 2023, 4:46 PM EDT
response: Regarding the same tree, the tree seems to be having more issues. There are a few more tree joints that look like they are splitting. Also there are patches of leaves shriveling up and dying. As well I found another bad looking abrasion on a tree limb. Included are shot of the tree joints, shriveling leaves and the abrasion. Is there a disease or pest that causes this?I did notice some insects, ants and roller bugs (not sure of the name) in one of the split joints. Thank you. Sent from my iPhoneOn May 11, 2023, at 2:08 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote ﻿

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 11, 2023, 1:06 PM EDT
response: We are not able to tell the sizes of the branches showing in your photos but it is possible that your last photo is healing (the reddish area) over the scars left by the egg-laying of the 17-year cicadas from a couple of years ago, most often in branches that are about a pencil width in size. That it is producing callous/scar tissue is a good sign. Some branch tips die back beyond the series of straight-line egg insertions and that is not harmful to the tree.  The other photos show included bark. Some trees, including maples grow in such a way that as their branch unions meet and get bigger, bark gets stuck in there, which can lead to weak or splitting crotches over time. There is nothing that you can do about it though, and it is not related to disease or pest issues. One of the best things you can do for your tree is to give it supplemental water when we don't get decent rain (about an inch of rain a week). We are only just now coming out of a period of s severe drought in most of central Maryland.  Any dead branches of your tree can be pruned out. Here is our pruning page:  https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-trees-home-landscape   Christine