Garden Pests and Diseases: Rotting Fruit Smell at the Base of Our Large Oak, 4 by wgosnell17

wgosnell17 wrote:
Thank you guys once again for your awesome knowledge. My wife and I recently bought a home with a HUGE oak tree in the backyard. The previous owners said it was a white oak, but I do not think this is correct? Over the past several days I have noticed a liquidy area at the base of the tree. I thought it was just urine from an animal; however, the liquid still remained. On closer examination, it has a rotting fruit smell, and now fruit flies are swarming it. Thinking it was external, I rinsed it several times two different days, but the liquid remains...

At this point, I cannot determine if it is a problem with the tree, a product of the invasive ivy trying to grow there or something else. This is a massive tree that sits right beside our house so I want to make sure the tree is safe in every possible way.
Thank you all for your help,
Will