Published in the
Contra Costa Times on
Q. One of the apple trees in my yard has
lots of holes in straight lines punched into the bark. What is making the holes
and will they hurt my tree?
A. Your tree is being visited by a bird
called a sapsucker. Once sapsuckers have found a tree that they like, they will
visit frequently, drilling holes in neat horizontal and vertical lines. The
birds drink the sap, eat the insects attracted by the sweet material as
well—desert and protein at the same table, and have been known to eat the
cambium. Apples, birch, alders and other riparian trees seem to be
favorites. These pretty birds migrate, flying through our area in the spring
and again in the fall. Sapsucker damage has been known to kill trees if the
tree is already under stress, and preventing the hole-drilling is problematic.
You will need to wrap the trunk with a barrier fabric such as burlap, tied in
place with twine during the times of year when the birds are present. Do not
leave the burlap on during summer or winter months.