On Wed, 30 May 2012 10:44:21 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

I had a summer job trimming trees once. Part of the job was to paint
the shiners to prevent bugs from infecting trees. Maybe they lower a
person with a paint can after removing the saw.

Painting or sealing a fresh cut on a tree has been abandoned by
arborist. Trees can heal themselves as the bark grows back over the
cut.

Notice after storms when clean-up of trees is done, they are never
painted or sealed.