He peckered my tree!

[milleo]

I just noticed a Downy woodpecker in my mountain ash tree out front and after further investigation he has drilled holes all over the entire tree.....I planted this tree about 13 or 14 years ago it is growing well and the trunk is about 7 inches diameter at the base, do you think it will die? Sorry no pics...

 

[TimJ]

It will be deader than a door nail in a year or so...........there after the carpenter ants that probably invaded it.
I just recently cut down a tree like this and after I dropped it I noticed the top had a nest of pilated woodpeckers in it. There were 3 in the nest and 2 died from the fall. That was a shame.

 

[milleo]

It will be deader than a door nail in a year or so...........there after the carpenter ants that probably invaded it.
I just recently cut down a tree like this and after I dropped it I noticed the top had a nest of pilated woodpeckers in it. There were 3 in the nest and 2 died from the fall. That was a shame.

That is not what I wanted to hear but thanks for the reply, I guess I will cut it in the fall and put it on the wood pile and plant another tree....Sorry to hear about your pilated woodpeckers.

 

[fireview2788]

It was likely already in trouble, bet he was looking for bugs.

fv

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It will be deader than a door nail in a year or so...........there after the carpenter ants that probably invaded it.
I just recently cut down a tree like this and after I dropped it I noticed the top had a nest of pilated woodpeckers in it. There were 3 in the nest and 2 died from the fall. That was a shame.

And this is one of the main reasons for us cutting all of our wood during the winter months. We quit cutting in March so as to be sure of not upsetting any bird nesting activity.

 

[ScotO]

The woodpecker wasn't out there to harm your tree, he was after the bugs that were doing the damage. Shame to hear your tree is got to go, but go easy on the bird. It wasn't his fault. Plant a new tree, anything but a damm bradford pear.

 

[BrotherBart]

At least he didn't tree your...

 

[bogydave]

What a peckerwood!

 

[Wood Duck]

It sounds like the Downy Woodpecker might actually be a Yellow bellied Sapsucker. Sapsuckers make small rectangular holes in horizontal rows. Sapsucker holes can occasionally kill a tree when there are lots of holes, but I have also seen plenty of trees with large numbers of holes but the tree seems perfectly healthy for many years.

 

[firefighterjake]

I just noticed a Downy woodpecker in my mountain ash tree out front and after further investigation he has drilled holes all over the entire tree.....I planted this tree about 13 or 14 years ago it is growing well and the trunk is about 7 inches diameter at the base, do you think it will die? Sorry no pics...

As others have said . . . if the woodpecker is drilling some serious holes in the tree it is most likely already dead . . . it just doesn't know it yet. There is a pretty good chance it is infested with bugs and will die from the inside, out.

 

[firefighterjake]

And this is one of the main reasons for us cutting all of our wood during the winter months. We quit cutting in March so as to be sure of not upsetting any bird nesting activity.

I learned this mistake a few years back when I took down a cherry . . . and discovered a nest full of chickadees. Fortunately, I was able to get one of the chickadees and bring him/her to a nearby bird rehab center where they later told me the chickadee made a full recovery.

 

[milleo]

It sounds like the Downy Woodpecker might actually be a Yellow bellied Sapsucker. Sapsuckers make small rectangular holes in horizontal rows. Sapsucker holes can occasionally kill a tree when there are lots of holes, but I have also seen plenty of trees with large numbers of holes but the tree seems perfectly healthy for many years.

I'm almost positive it is a male downy woodpecker, I compared with pics on the internet and it looks acts and sounds like the downy. He is quite entertaining and it was funny when he flew to the metal shed roof and started drumming on that.

 

[DAKSY]

I'll hafta get Susan to post the pic she took of a hemlock stump between our house & the lake. It's about 4ft tall & there are so many chunks on the ground, it looks like it's gone thru a chipper.

 

[TimJ]

They can tear up a tree quickly

 

[weatherguy]

I'm almost positive it is a male downy woodpecker, I compared with pics on the internet and it looks acts and sounds like the downy. He is quite entertaining and it was funny when he flew to the metal shed roof and started drumming on that.

I had one last year pecking at my cedar siding periodically thoughout the summer, he pretty much wrecked the cedar trim on that section of the house, the peckerhead.