Maple trees on #1

 

IDENTIFYING THE WOODPECKER DAMAGE

 

Typical damage can be a single row of small holes or several rows close together around the trunk or branches. Woodpeckers are drilling these holes to feed on sap and the insects attracted to it. Just because a woodpecker is feeding on a tree, does not mean the tree is infested with insects. Although some woodpeckers do feed on wood boring insects, bark lice and other pests harmful to trees.
In severe cases, the rows of holes can be drilled so close together that entire patches of bark and wood are removed. If the tree is small and the damage is extensive, the tree could be girdled. This results in reducing the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, and the tree could die. This is rare, and most damage should not be a concern. Woodpeckers choose trees for no particular reason, but tree species with softer bark or high sugar content in their sap are favored. Some trees are repeatedly chosen over and over each year due to habit and migratory patterns.